us stock market

2023 key highlights & cross-assets performances in the past 2 years

Fig 1: Cross assets performances as of 29 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)

 

    What Is The Future Of Modern TAXIS? Uber Stock News and Forecast: UBER CEO buys stock, should you? | FXStreet

    What Is The Future Of Modern TAXIS? Uber Stock News and Forecast: UBER CEO buys stock, should you? | FXStreet

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 11.05.2022 16:44
    Uber stock under pressure after dismal earnings earlier this week. UBER stock is down 44% so far in 2022. Uber CEO just bought 200,000 shares for $5.3 million. Uber (UBER) stock remains mired in depression with bears in total control after earnings earlier this week. The company unveiled a massive loss that led to CEO David Khosrowshahi penning a letter to employees to explain the earnings and what he feels needs to be done to secure the future of the ridesharing company. Uber Stock News: A loss is a loss First, here is a quick recap on those earnings numbers. Earnings per share (EPS) came in at $-3.04 versus a $-0.24 estimate. Revenue came in at $6.85 billion versus estimates of $6.13 billion. First, the earnings per share number is not really comparable as it includes losses in UBER's equity investments related to stakes in Didi (DIDI), Aurora and Grab. I never really pay attention to statements such as the one I just made, not comparable. A loss is a loss. It does not matter how you phrase it. It is not a loss attributable to regular operations, however, but it is still a loss. It affects cash flow, balance sheet, etc. IT IS A LOSS. Wall Street analysts – let's get this straight. UBER lost $5.9 billion for the quarter. Read next: Don't Worry Coffee Lovers! The Price Of Coffee Futures Falling Amidst Current Market Conditions, Crude Oil (WTI) Recovers Slightly, Palladium Prices Show Steady Downward Price Trend | FXMAG.COM Revenue beat estimates, but what is Uber doing with that money? They invested it and lost $5.6 billion. Well done. UBER CEO David Khosrowshahi then said in a letter to employees, which CNBC got a hold of, that the company would cut back on spending and hiring. Peer LYFT had also produced downbeat forecasts for the ride-hailing sector. Despite it all though Uber CEO David Khosrowshahi has put his money on the table and stumped up $5.3 million for some UBER shares this week. Usually, insider purchases are more significant than insider sales, and this is not a small amount. Although we should note, he does not have a great track record. Previously, he bought shares at $44.92, so nearly a 50% loss then! Read next: Earnings Season: (DIS) Disney Stock Price Awaits Earnings Announcements| FXMAG.COM Should you follow him? Difficult call. We are not as bearish on UBER as some other stocks that soared too high, but UBER is a play on the broad economy. It needs economic activity to remain strong to benefit. If people pull back on spending, UBER will be one of the first things to suffer. Certainly in the short term, we view the risk-reward as being slightly more skewed to the upside now. The bad news is largely in the price, and we may see a short-term bounce if today's CPI is in line. Uber Stock Forecast $28.41 remains our key level and is our bearish pivot. UBER returns to neutral above this level. Both the Money Flow Index (MFI) and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) are showing oversold levels, further strengthening our arguments for a short-term relief rally. UBER stock chart, daily
    The Commodities Feed: Anticipating LNG Strike Action and Market Dynamics

    Philip Morris Buys Match, Fed Members Spills The Tea And Gold Price Nears Quite Low Values | Saxo Bank

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.05.2022 17:29
    Summary:  Global equity markets have bounced after the US briefly hit new cycle lows yesterday. One development at the margin that has helped is the sharp decline in longer bond yields, even as a couple of Fed members were out with hawkish comments. A strong 3-year US treasury auction showed strong demand. Elsewhere, gold remains under pressure and is on life support. The data focus today swings to the US and the release of April CPI data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - the rebound in US equities succeeded closing above the prior session’s close but met resistance above the 12,500 level in Nasdaq 100 futures. However, this morning Nasdaq 100 futures continue to rally trading around the 12,450-level attempting to break above the 12,500 level again which is needed to close Monday’s selloff range. Sentiment is still weak but a pause in the momentum in US 10-year interest rates is providing some support to US equities in the short-term. Q1 earnings results yesterday confirmed the slowdown in gaming and cryptocurrency trading activity. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I). China’s A shares surged with ChiNext rising 4.3% and CSI300 up 2%. Electric equipment, semiconductors, EV battery, consumer electronics, wind and solar names led the charge higher. EV battery maker, CATL (300750) rose 7.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.7% and Hang Seng TECH Index gained 4.6% by mid-day.  After reporting better than market expected earnings and margin expansion, Li Auto (2015) surged 11%. The COVID related disruption to logistics and production, plus food and daily necessities stockpiling by households seems to make their impact felt on general price levels. China’s April PPI came at +8.0% YoY and CPI at +2.1% YoY, both higher than market expectations.   AUDUSD and USDCAD – the two key commodity currencies broke through key support against the US dollar this week, but so far the reaction to the development has been restrained and would likely take a further slide in risk sentiment, including in the commodity space for a notable extension lower. As the break levels remain nearby, the pairs deserve watching for the trend status and a possible reversal as well – resistance in AUDUSD is 0.7000-0.7050 and support in USDCAD comes in at 1.2900-50. Read next: Don't Worry Coffee Lovers! The Price Of Coffee Futures Falling Amidst Current Market Conditions, Crude Oil (WTI) Recovers Slightly, Palladium Prices Show Steady Downward Price Trend | FXMAG.COM USDJPY and JPY pairs – global sovereign bond yields have tumbled from their highs at the start of the week and crude oil has corrected sharply lower, two developments that support the Japanese yen, as Japan relies so heavily on energy imports and BoJ yield-curve-control policy means that the currency absorbs weakness when the domestic bond market is not “allowed” to. And yet, the JPY bounce on supportive developments has proven surprisingly muted – an opportunity or indication of further weakness to come? Watching for the reactivity in JPY pairs around the US CPI release today and 10-year US T-note auction later today as USDJPY is often one of the more sensitive currencies to US treasury yields. Gold (XAUUSD) dropped below $1850 support yesterday after several Fed officials backed multiple 50 basis point rate hikes. These comments helped drive fresh dollar strength and a continued rise in US real yields ahead of today’s US CPI print. Recent dollar strength, especially against the yuan and rupee has reduced demand from China and India, the world’s two biggest buyers of physical gold. With gold trading near a three-month low, demand for bullion backed ETFs has also ebbed with total holdings falling to a three-week low on Tuesday. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile slumped below previous support at $21.5, thereby adding an additional layer of weakness. From a technical perspective, the next key support level in gold is the 61.8% retracement of the March 2021 to March 2022 high at $1827. Crude oil (OILUKJUL22 & OILUSJUN22) traded higher in Asia with Brent bouncing before reaching key support below $100 per barrel. Catalyst for the move ahead of today’s US CPI print was a decline in the Covid19 infections in China providing some cautious optimism about a pickup in demand from the world’s largest importer. The cost of fuel due to lack of refinery capacity and sanctions against Russia remains very elevated with retail gasoline in the US hitting a record. The EIA meanwhile lowered its forecast for US production in 2022 and 2023 while Saudi Arabia and the UAE oil ministers warned that spare capacity is decreasing in all energy sectors. Developments that may offset any slowdown in global consumption due to lower growth and punitive high inflation. Monthly oil market reports from OPEC and IEA on Thursday. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) – The US yield curve flattened sharply yesterday as hawkish talk from a couple of Fed members (see below) kept the shorter end of the yield curve elevated, while longer yields continued their sharp retreat ahead of a tone-setting 10-year T-note auction today, with the benchmark yield there trading just below 3.00%. The 3-year notes yesterday saw the strongest demand in over a year. What is going on? Fed officials continue to back rate hikes. Fed speakers are back on the wires backing multiple 50 basis point rate hikes, even as that might mean a bumpy ride for the economy and the markets. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, in fact, also brought 75bps rate hikes back on the table for H2 if inflation doesn’t recede. US earnings recap. The big negative surprise was Coinbase reporting Q1 revenue of $1.17bn vs est. $1.48bn and a dark Q2 outlook expecting lower trading activity. Unity was in line with Q1 estimates but puts out a very low Q2 revenue figure of $290-295mn vs est. $360mn, but the fiscal year guidance is closer to consensus suggesting timing issues. Electronic Arts surprised investors given the weakness in gaming results recently guiding fiscal year 2023 (the company is not following the traditional calendar year) revenue a bit above consensus. Staying with gaming results, Roblox reported a slowdown in user activity (bookings) as so many other gaming companies have done in Q1. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Philip Morris to buy Swedish Match for SEK 106 per share. This is one of Europe’s largest transactions this year worth $16bn in an all-cash deal translating into a premium of 40%. Philip Morris is acquiring Swedish Match to get assets that are less about visual cigarettes to better cope with increasing regulation around the world against cigarettes. Declining Covid-19 cases in China helped boost sentiment across battered stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong overnight. The industrial metal sector has seen a sharp correction during the lockdown with the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index currently up just 5% on the year after hitting a 39% gain on March 7. As lockdowns start to ease the focus across the sector is likely to return to tight global inventories and the prospect of a revival in demand with the Chinese government likely to initiate projects to support an economic revival. Six major mining companies who derive more than 60% of their revenue from copper have slumped between 25% and 50% from peaks achieved during the past year. What are we watching next? US CPI and 10-year T-note auction today. The 3-year T-note auction yesterday showed the strongest demand for 3-year US paper since early 2021. A 10-year T-note auction is set for today, with yields having retreated to near 3.00% from the highs earlier this week near the 2018 cycle high of 3.25%. Liquidity in the US treasury market is at its weakest levels since the pandemic-outbreak panic moment even before the Fed is set to begin reducing its balance sheet (requiring the market to absorb more treasury issuance). Reactivity in the US treasury market and the US dollar is also worth close observation today on the release of the April CPI data, expected to show the headline rising at only +0.2% MoM, but the core rising +0.4% MoM. The YoY expectations are +8.1%/+6.0% vs. +8.5%/+6.5% in March. EU gas prices jumped on Tuesday and may rise further today after Ukraine’s network operator warned Ukraine won’t accept gas at Sokhranivka, one of two cross-border points handling Russian flows, from today after occupying forces disrupted operation at the compressor station. It’s still possible for gas to be rerouted to the second entry point, Sudzha, allowing European contracts to be fulfilled, it said. How Gazprom reacts to these changes will set the tone in today’s trading. Dutch TTF benchmark gas briefly traded below its 200-day moving average support line at €89/MWh yesterday before ending the day near €100/MWH on the Ukraine news.  Earnings Watch. In Europe this morning the focus is on earnings from E.ON and Siemens Energy given the energy crisis in Europe. Genmab is also important to watch being one of Europe’s largest pure plays within the biotechnology industry. Later in the US session the focus is on Walt Disney given the latest weak results from Netflix and more reopening post the pandemic benefitting Disney’s physical entertainment assets. We will also watch Coupang, the largest e-commerce company in South Korea, given the bad Q1 results from most e-commerce companies. Today: Genmab, E.ON, Siemens Energy, Continental, Toyota, SoftBank, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Delhaize, Mowi, Swedish Match, Walt Disney, Coupang Thursday: Verbund, KBC Group, Brookfield, Fortum, Siemens, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, Atlantia, Snam, NTT, SoftBank Group, Aegon, Naturgy Energy, Motorola Solutions Friday: Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Honda Motor, Alibaba Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715 – ECB's Nagel to speak 0800 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 0800 – ECB’s Vasle to speak 0830 – ECB's Makhlouf to speak 0850 – ECB's Knot to speak 1220 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1230 – US Apr. CPI 1230 – US Apr. Real Average Hourly Earnings 1600 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 1800 – US 10-year T-Note auction 2301 – UK Apr. RICS House Price Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Saxo Bank
    Stocks to keep an eye on in the second half of 2023

    US Stocks: Earnings - (DIS) Disney earnings and fallen angels | Saxo Bank

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 12.05.2022 09:13
    Summary:  Disney has been through some tough years and over the past year the stock price has fallen significantly as investors are waking up to higher interest rates and a more negative outlook for video streaming. We take a look at Disney and what to expect tonight. The entertainment company has joined a group of fallen angels, which are companies that have experienced a significant drawdown and have negative total return over the past three years. Things will continue to be ugly for equities as long as inflation remains hot and financial conditions tighten. Disney is back to square It has been some turbulent years for Walt Disney reporting FY22 Q2 earnings (ending 31 March) tonight after the US market close. It announced its Disney+ video streaming service in April 2019 pushing the company’s valuation much over the subsequent 9 months as investors were expecting a new distribution channel that could fuel growth. Then came the pandemic and Disney’s physical assets went into a tailspin, but things improved for Disney driven by low interest rates (increasing equity valuations), and later the vaccine which sped up the reopening of society. Meanwhile the pandemic had turbocharged its subscribers for Disney+ delighting investors. Sentiment got supersized to the point where investors were willing to pay a little more than 70 times next year’s earnings. Read next: Tech Stocks Plunging!? Trade Desk Earnings Announcement Pushes Tech Giant Stock Down, Russian Ruble Strengthening and Ford Motor Co. With financial conditions tightening significantly and video streaming being challenged (read our equity note on Netflix earnings outlook) Disney’s equity valuation has come down to earth as a function of the stock price down 46.7% from its March 2021 peak. Tonight investors are expecting revenue of $20.2bn up 29% y/y as Disney is still gaining from base effects related to the reopening of societies, but the q/q growth is expected to by -7.8%. EBITDA is expected to be $4.1bn up from $2.7bn a year ago as the operating margin is expanding back to pre-pandemic levels. Given the recent outlook from technology and entertainment companies, Disney could surprise negatively tonight.Source: Saxo Group Almost 10% of S&P 500 is down over the past three years Yesterday we looked at technology companies with large setbacks, but it got us to go deeper and the equity destruction is quite big when you broaden the lens. In the S&P 500 there are now 43 companies with a drawdown larger than 30% over the past 200 days and that are down on a total return basis over the past three years. As the table below shows there are some quite big names on that list such as Walt Disney, Comcast, Citigroup, PayPal, Starbucks, General Electric, Netflix, Boeing, Ecolab, and Illumina. Read next: (BTC) Bitcoin’s Price Tanks Along With Equities. U.S. Stock Market Awaits CPI Report, Poor Performance From The FTSE 100.  As long as financial conditions and interest rates move higher we remain defensive on equities and will continue to argue that investors need commodities to balance their portfolios. We have described in several equity notes that the period 1968-1982 was very bad for equities in real terms due to inflation. Time will tell whether we get an equally long period with zero real rate returns for equities, given the factors such as urbanization, green transformation (ESG), decade of underinvestment in the physical world, and deglobalization of supply chains to pandemic and lately Chinese Covid-lockdowns, inflation will remain high (3-5%). Forces the cost of capital higher and thus equity valuations down. While US equities have still delivered 40% real return since early 2019 the real returns are eroding fast at these inflation levels. Today’s core CPI m/m print at 0.6% is suggesting inflation will remain elevated for quite some time eating into returns. For bonds the situation looks even more grim (see chart below) and investors are basically losing out on everything except for cash and commodities.Source: Bloomberg Source: Saxo Bank
    Tesla Will Struggle To Recover In The Coming Years

    Tech Stocks: Tesla Stock News and Forecast: As TSLA struggles, will the TWTR deal still go ahead at $54.20?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 12.05.2022 16:35
    Tesla stock falls just over 8% on Wednesday. Twitter stock also falls and is now nearly 20% below its takeover price. TSLA still holding above $700 key support. Tesla (TSLA) stock suffered another humbling day on Wednesday as it yet again suffered more steep losses. As the broader equity market appears to crash, so too does the Tesla share price. This time it dropped by 8% to trade into the low $700s. $700 was the low seen back in February when market panic sold the Ukraine invasion news. Since then Tesla has recovered and held up well. Part of this was the reasonably good earnings quarter it posted. Now though a combination of macro factors and the Twitter (TWTR) deal are weighing on the stock. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Tesla Stock News The latest Tesla recall news hit yesterday, and that certainly helped the stock underperform all the main indices. Tesla has had to recall 130,000 vehicles due to CPU problems affecting the central display unit. There have been a number of recalls for Tesla vehicles this year, none of which seems to have hindered the share price. But this environment has turned more bearish, and any bad news is seized upon. This week we also have had news of a supply problem hindering production at Giga Shanghai, which comes just days after getting the factory back online after covid lockdowns. Adding to pressure on Elon Musk but not directly attributable to Tesla is a report from The Wall Street Journal saying that Elon Musk is facing a federal probe over delays in his filing for his initial stake in Twitter. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM We also note a report from Bloomberg saying smaller investors and hedge funds will get the chance to invest in the Twitter acquisition by way of special purpose vehicles that pool money together. The minimum investment is $5 million. This is not reassuring in our view. Still scrambling around for investors at this late stage in this type of market does not inspire confidence in the deal going through in its current guise. Hindenberg Research also released a report outlining similar concerns last week. Tesla Stock Forecast $700 remains the key support and target for now. As long as this holds then, there is the chance of a strong bear market rally. But it likely is getting too close for comfort now and should be triggered today. That level most likely has stops just beneath, so it could spike lower on a beak. That would then be the time to reassess. Both the Money Flow Index (MFI) and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) are close to oversold, and a break of $700 could put both into oversold territory. Breaking $700 brings $620 as the next support. Resistance and the bullish pivot is all the way up at $945 now. Read next: Where XRP price could bottom and how to reenter the market| FXMAG.COM Tesla (TSLA) chart, daily
    What is next turn for (TSLA) Tesla? Elon Musk-Twitter Interacting With Tesla Stock Price | FxPro

    What is next turn for (TSLA) Tesla? Elon Musk-Twitter Interacting With Tesla Stock Price | FxPro

    Alex Kuptsikevich Alex Kuptsikevich 19.05.2022 15:45
    Tesla stock has always been more volatile than the stock market. It closed the Thursday session on the lowest level since last August, and it is a common question, what is the next turn for the leading EV producer. For now, it looks like the downside impulse is not over yet but did its main part. Musk’s deal with Twitter The list of variables in this stock ranks from the outlook for demand for electric cars (i.e., oil prices) and interest in the ESG agenda, including the economic outlook and monetary policy, and ends with the tone of the tweets of its founder, Elon Musk. But in recent days, it has also been affected by Musk’s deal with Twitter, where Tesla shares were used as collateral. For investors, the latest news of Musk’s potential break-up of the agreement to buy the social network is good news. The opposite is also true. The promotion of the deal has caused Tesla shares to sell off with acceleration in the market. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Locally, buyers are eyeing current levels to purchase Tesla Shares in the leading electric car maker are now trading 38% below their peaks at the start of April and 43% below their all-time highs in November last year. The company’s shares are looking better than many other pandemic favourites, which have zeroed in on all and much of the gains from the March 2020 lows, while Tesla has become about ten times more expensive in that time. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Locally, buyers are eyeing current levels to purchase Tesla, which is aggressively ramping up production and is well ahead of other electric car makers in sales in an era of record fuel prices. On the one hand, the technical analysis points to a return of the stock from oversold territory, which could be followed by both a recovery bounce and the start of a new wave of growth that could return the price to levels above $1000 in just a few weeks. On the other hand, the share price may not face much of an obstacle moving down another 10% from current levels, regaining half of the pandemic rally to levels near $650, where it has traded repeatedly since December 2020.
    US Stocks: (WMT) Walmart misses the target as (TGT) Target stock suffers 1987-style collapse | FXStreet

    US Stocks: (WMT) Walmart misses the target as (TGT) Target stock suffers 1987-style collapse | FXStreet

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 19.05.2022 16:32
    Walmart started the slide as it missed EPS on Tuesday. Target then suffered a collapse on Wednesday after it missed. Retail stocks led the entire market lower on Wednesday. First Walmart (WMT) and then Target (TGT) gave us exactly the picture that the retail sales number failed to do. Investors got somewhat excited as the retail sales number looked reasonably strong earlier this week. We had mentioned in our commentary that this was largely due to inflation, and it was a lagged report anyway. However, investors chose to take the positives. This optimism was dramatically ruptured on Wednesday when Target released earnings and went max bearish on costs and outlook. Walmart had teed this up Tuesday, but Target really rattled cages. Walmart Earnings Walmart's revenue number actually topped analyst estimates of $140.3 billion, coming in just over $2 billion ahead of analysts' estimate. Earnings per share (EPS) at $1.30 missed the expected $1.48. Margins were hit by rising costs and led Walmart's CEO to say, "US inflation levels, particularly in food and fuel, created more pressure on margin mix and operating costs than expected. We’re adjusting and will balance the needs of our customers for value with the need to deliver profit growth for our future." Walmart stock closed 11% lower on Tuesday, pretty bad but not even close to its competitor. Target Earnings Walmart put us on notice, but things were about to get really ugly. TGT stock fell the most since the 1987 Black Monday crash. TGT stock ended Wednesday down by 25%. Target also beat on revenue, $25.2 billion versus $24.5 billion expected. Earnings per share though also suffered from lower margins. Rising costs are again to blame here. EPS was $2.19 versus $3.06 expected. Profit margins fell to 6% from 8% previously. “We were less profitable than we expected to be, or intend to be over time,” CEO Brian Cornell said in a briefing. “Looking ahead, it’s clear that many of these cost pressures will persist in the near term.” Read next: Altcoins: What Is PancakeSwap (CAKE)? A Deeper Look Into The PancakeSwap Platform| FXMAG.COM As if things were not bad enough on Wednesday, another retailer cut guidance, citing costs and inflationary concerns. This time it was Bath & Body Works. This does at least set up a contrarian trade possibility for next week. More retailers report next week such as Costco (COST), Dollar General (DG), Best Buy (BBY) and Big Lots (BIG). We are at max bearishness for retail now. Any outperformance or bullish outlooks will see a massive rally in our opinion. The risk reward trade is skewed higher. We all expect more of the same. Walmart, Target Key Takeaways Consumer demand is solid. Both companies reported revenue ahead of analyst forecasts. The US consumer is still spending despite rising prices. So far so good. Target did say though that discretionary items saw less interest from consumers who chose instead to focus on lower ticket items. These carry lower margins for retailers. Despite spending holding up, we already are witnessing a shift in consumer spending patterns to lower-cost items. This will continue to hit margins going forward for retailers. Eventually, persistent inflation will lead to consumers cutting back on spending across all areas. Last week's consumer sentiment data from the University of Michigan showed consumer confidence at the lowest level since 2011. Consumers are spending for now, but they know what is coming. Target Stock Forecast Get ready for some serious range expansion. As the legend that is Stanley Druckenmiller puts it, when you get range expansion, the market is preparing for a move in that direction. Well off you go, next stop $100 with a stop at $125 on the way. This coming recession now looks more and more likely. Back in 2019 before the pandemic, Target was trading around $80 to $110. That was without a recession! Target (TGT) stock chart, weekly Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM Walmart Stock Forecast We can see our first target (excuse the pun) in the March 2020 area marked uncertainty and volatility. WMT will trade toward here. After that, it is less clear. WMT is the king of adapting to the market and to consumer demand. It may be better positioned than most to ride out the coming inflationary recession. WMT stock chart, daily
    This Week's Tesla Stock Split Could Be The Best Moment To Buy The Stock! Twitter Stock Price Plunged!

    Could XAU extend rally? Are Apple, Tesla good to short? | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 20.05.2022 10:23
    The US equities closed Thursday’s session in the negative following a choppy trading session, as investors’ hearts pounded between buying the dip, or selling further on recession fear. The US 10-year yield declined yesterday, and the sharp retreat in the US yields gave a boost to gold, raising question on whether the gold rally could be sustained, and if yes, how high could it extend. The dollar gave back gains, letting the EURUSD and GBPUSD rally, but the gains may remain short-lived if the dollar skew in market pricing continues. Tesla got kicked out of the S&P’s ESG index, which could have implications on its long-term price potential   On the individual stocks, news that Michal Burry opened a bet against Apple heated conversations about whether Apple is a good ‘short’. And finally, Tesla got kicked out of the S&P’s ESG index, which could have implications on its long-term price potential. Read next: Altcoins: What Is PancakeSwap (CAKE)? A Deeper Look Into The PancakeSwap Platform| FXMAG.COM Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 Market update 1:20 Is Apple a good stock to short? 3:50 US yields boosted gold. Is gold rally sustainable? 6:25 FX update: euro, pound up on softer dollar 7:58 Tesla out of S&P ESG index: what does it mean for stock performance? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    GBP: Softer Ahead of CPI Risk Event

    (DJIA) Dow Jones Index Rising, Investors Confidence In The Euro Is Looking Bullish As ECB Confirm Interest Rate Increases

    Rebecca Duthie Rebecca Duthie 23.05.2022 21:56
    Summary: President Joe Biden's announcement of possible easing of tariffs on goods from China fairing well for U.S stocks. Euro expected to continue strengthening. Read next: Xpeng (XPEV) Earnings Results Cause Share Price To Fall  U.S stocks showing signs of recovery The Dow Jones Index rose almost 2% during the trading day on Monday. U.S stocks recovered on Monday in the wake of investors coming-off a 7 week losing streak. The recovery comes after investors received some fresh-trade related information from the Biden Administration. On Monday President Joe Biden announced that he was considering easing tariffs on Chinese goods due to the belief that the tariffs caused financial harm on consumers and businesses. DJIA Price Chart ECB Interest rate hike is confirmed The Euro exchange rate performed well on Monday thanks to the European Central Bank's president confirming that there will be interest rate hikes in July. The Euro responded well to this information and strengthened against both the US Dollar and the Pound. Leading up to the confirmation of the rising interest rates, the Euro had been strengthening, in the wake of the interest rates being risen, investors believe that the Euro will continue to strengthen. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Sources: finance.yahoo.com, poundsterlinglive.com Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    Eurozone Bank Lending Under Strain as Higher Rates Bite

    What's The Future Of British Pound (GBP)? Stocks: Snap Has Fallen! How Far Will New Zealand Dollar Go!? | Least worst choices | Oanda

    Jeffrey Halley Jeffrey Halley 25.05.2022 11:05
    RBNZ hikes by 50-bps The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has raised policy rates by 0.50% to 2.0% this morning, with Governor Orr setting a hawkish tone in the press conference afterwards. In the statement itself, the RBNZ’s “least worst choices” policy seemed to imply that although external risks remained, the domestic economy was strong and could tolerate tighter monetary conditions. Mr Orr seemed to be saying much the same, suggesting that terminal rates could go above 3.0% and would get there sooner, rather than later. We’ll see just how strong the New Zealand economy is in due course, but a hawkish RBNZ has seen the New Zealand dollar rally by 0.70% to 0.6505 today, making it the biggest currency gainer in Asia today. Elsewhere, Singapore’s GDP growth came in tight on expectations, rising by 3.70% YoY for Q1. With inflation data yesterday also less worse than expected, expectations for another unscheduled tightening by the Monetary Authority of Singapore have receded for now. That may bring some relief to the Malaysian ringgit, which has fallen to 3.20 against the Singapore dollar. Snap Has Fallen In Malaysia itself, Inflation data for April continues to remain benign as domestic demand stays subdued. Inflation YoY rose by just 2.30% and will leave Bank Negara, like Bank Indonesia yesterday, in no hurry to tighten monetary policy. Ominously though, the Malaysian ringgit has shown no strength versus the US dollar. USD/MYR remains at recent highs at 4.4000 even as the greenback is experiencing an extended bull market correction versus the G-10 and EMFX elsewhere. If the US dollar turns higher once again, and the MYR resumes its sell-off, Bank Negara’s hand might be forced. Overnight, the recession word weighed on stock markets once again. European PMI data was a mixed bag. Manufacturing PMIs held steady, while Services PMIs fell as consumer demand takes a hit from the rise in the cost of living. That wasn’t enough to stop the euro rally, powered by suddenly hawkish ECB heavyweights. Bank of England, has already signalled a white flag on bringing down inflation The picture was rather grimmer in the United Kingdom where the most honest central bank in the world, the Bank of England, has already signalled a white flag on bringing down inflation and pencilled in a recession next year. UK Manufacturing PMI held steady at 54.6, but Services PMIs plummeted to 51.8. The UK is facing a winter of discontent as the cost of living soars, with the railways RMT union voting to strike over pay negotiations. Expect more of this going forward. Additionally, the Chancellor is apparently preparing to widen the scope of the windfall tax on energy companies, probably to help pay for his cost of living mini-budget. UK stock markets didn’t like that. Finally, the “party gate” report on those lockdown wine frenzies in the No 10 garden is due for release today, potentially putting more pressure on PM Johnson’s leadership. ​ Little surprise that the sterling slumped versus the euro and the US dollar overnight. In the United States, the recession world hit particularly hard after the Snap Inc. induced meltdown by Nasdaq stocks overnight. US New Home Sales plummeted to 591,000 in April, while Richmond Fed Manufacturing slumped to -9 in May. The S&P Global Services Flash PMI for May fell to 53.5, with Flash Manufacturing easing to 57.5. It was the new home sales that really frightened the street, though, as house building, and its ancillary services and suppliers are a good chunk of US domestic GDP. Soaring mortgage interest rates and petrol prices appear to be doing a lot of the Fed’s work for it before it even gets started. Read next: (TRX) TRON USD Decentralised Blockchain Platform That Focuses On Entertainment And Content Sharing. Altcoins: A Deep Look Into The TRON Network | FXMAG.COM If there is one takeout from all of this for me, it is that rising inflation and borrowing rates are already crimping the demand side of the equation. Unfortunately, we are seeing very little sign of price pressures reducing due to a combination of factors, all of which have been thrashed to death here and in research everywhere. The uncomfortable reality is that central banks are going to be forced to continue the tightening path, even as growth slows around the world, because inflation has proven sticky and not transitory. That is the least worst choice central banks need to make in a stagflationary environment. I am asked every day if we have seen the low in the equity market sell-off. Hopefully, I have answered the question. US President Joe Biden’s trip around Asia continues Finally, US President Joe Biden’s trip around Asia continues. Unfortunately, with its emphasis on containing China and hawking a trade agreement empty of potential access to the US domestic market (Congress needs to approve that), the trip is not going to make much headway in re-establishing US leadership in the region. Asia really needs to see the colour of America’s money. Furthermore, the reliability of the US as a partner has taken a further hit today, with White House officials explicitly refusing to rule out the possibility that the US could enact crude oil export restrictions to help cap energy prices domestically. The US doesn’t have a crude oil problem, it has a refining and transportation problem, but let’s not let facts get in the way. I have warned about food nationalism previously, but if President Biden prioritises November’s mid-term elections over the economic war with Russia, and supporting Europe, it really is every man for himself globally. I can’t see that being positive for equities anywhere, or European asset markets full stop, or for Ukraine. Only the Kremlin is likely to be popping champagne as the US does Russia’s divide and conquer for them. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    Expectations of decent sales during holiday season have let Best Buy gain

    What's Fed Going To Do!? Which Way Will USD Go? Bitcoin Price (BTC/USD) Is Still Near $30K | Citi says buy the dip in European & EM stocks! | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 27.05.2022 10:18
    Fed minutes released on Wednesday weren’t as hawkish as many investors feared: the Fed deciders mostly agreed that inflation is too high and labour market is too tight and that they should raise the rates by 50bps for the next two meetings. But, there was no sign that the Fed would go down the 75bp hike road. US Indices, EUR/USD And Gold Price US indices gained for the second day as the FOMC minutes helped improving the investor mood. Nvidia jumped. But the futures are slightly in the negative at the time of writing, as the rally in energy prices certainly throw a shadow on the latest optimism, keeping the inflation worries tight, as the soaring energy prices are one of the major responsible for the skyrocketing inflation. The barrel of US crude rallied above the $115 mark, and consolidates above this level this morning. The US dollar continues softening, the EURUSD tests 1.0750 offers, gold remains bid above the 200-dma though with a fading positive momentum. Turkish Lira (TRY) The lira, on the other remains, and should remain under decent negative pressure as the central bank insists keeping its policy rate at 14% level. And finally, Bitcoin slides below the $30K mark as the ECB points to financial stability concerns due to cryptocurrencies. Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 Fed is not 'that' hawkish after all! 2:54 Market update 4:19 Dark clouds above our head 5:17 Citi says 'buy the dip' in European & EM stocks 7:14 I say 'be careful' with Turkish BIST & the lira 9:00 FX, commodity update: EUR, Gold and Bitcoin Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    Investors Are Awaiting US CPI Print. Earnings Season Is Here! PepsiCo (PEP) And Delta Airlines (DAL) Earnings Are Released This Week!

    Striking US Stocks Performance, Crude Oil (BRENT) Nearing $120, Chinese Covid-Zero Influences Markets And More Highlighted In Market Insights Podcast (Episode 335) | Oanda

    Jeffrey Halley Jeffrey Halley 30.05.2022 10:37
    Jonny Hart speaks to APAC Senior Market Analyst Jeffrey Halley about news impacting the market and the week ahead. It’s June already and a blockbuster week for data releases around the world. First of all, we take a look back at last Friday’s impressive US equity close. Jeff discusses its drivers, its threats, and potentially, its longevity. Then it’s over to Asian equity markets today which are also enjoying a banner day. US Stocks And China   The US Friday session and also covid-zero developments in China over the weekend are driving “most” stock markets higher. Potential banana skin is looming though, with Brent crude rising above $120.00 a barrel in Asia today. Jeff looks at the oil market, what’s driving the price increase, and its potential impact on market sentiment this week. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Holidays And US Non-farm Payrolls There are a number of holidays this week, starting with US markets today, then Greater China is dragon boating on Friday, and the UK has two days off at the end of the week. Happy Jubilee Your Majesty. We discuss how holidays can impact markets. Finally, it’s a wrap of the heavy-duty data calendar across Asia and the US this week, culminating in the US Non-Farm Payrolls. Jeff highlights also, something that markets have been ignoring up until now, the start this week, of Federal Reserve Quantitative tightening. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    Crude Oil Prices Continue to Rise Amid Tight Supply and Economic Uncertainty

    Banning Russian Crude Oil In Progress - Will Hungary Join The EU? Fed's Quantitative Tightening, Chinese PMI Is Released This Week. What Will Eurozone Inflation Bring On To The Markets? | Oanda

    Jeffrey Halley Jeffrey Halley 30.05.2022 11:11
    Asian markets are mostly positive this morning as Shanghai announced a raft of stimulus measures and both Shanghai and Beijing eased Covid-19 restrictions. The devil is in the detail of course, and corkers in both cities still face challenges either going to work, or even being allowed to leave the house. Nor has the reality that the virus only has to get lucky once, prompting the reimposition of tightened covid-zero restrictions, in the minds of investors. Such minutiae are usually ignored by markets when it doesn’t suit the preferred narrative, and so it is today. Asia is pricing in peak virus in China and a recovery in growth. Wall Street Another tailwind was the strong performance by Wall Street on Friday, which closed out a banner week prompting the usual “maybe this is the bottom” response from the financial press and FOMO investors. That was assisted by US data on Friday. Personal Income and Expenditure for April were still robust, but eased from March’s numbers, and Michigan Consumer Sentiment retreated from 65.2 in April to a still-healthy 58.4 for May. Lower data equalling reduced need for Fed tightening equals buy everything. Simple really. Although I must say, I’m struggling to see how a slowing US economy is good for equities, I don’t want to spoil the party though. Crude Oil - EU Banning Russian Crude Another negative headwind being completely ignored by markets is oil prices. Brent crude has edged above USD 120.00 a barrel this morning as the European Union continues its efforts to get Hungary on board for a proposed EU ban on Russian crude imports. The underlying driver though is the massive squeeze on refined products we are seeing around the world, which is lifting the base ingredient for all that diesel and petrol that has got very expensive. The world would have been flapping and wringing its hands about the end of days if we had said Brent crude was above USD 120.00 a barrel a month or two or three or four ago; now it is being ignored. By the way, if China recovers, oil prices will as well; just saying. Read next: Altcoins: Cardano (ADA) What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into Cardano (ADA) | FXMAG.COM Non-farm Payrolls - Fed's Sell-off Also being ignored by markets completely in Non-Farm Payroll week is that the Federal Reserve also starts quantitative tightening this week. The Fed will start to sell USD 47.50 billion of bonds and MBS’ per month, scaling up to USD 95 billion per month by September. Meanwhile, the ECB is still quantitatively easing while talking about hiking rates to errrr, zero per cent. And there is a war in Eastern Europe. Long EUR/USD above 1.0800 anybody? Despite being less than impressed with either the Fed’s guidance or overall performance over the past year or so, at least they’re not the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. I find it highly unlikely they will abruptly swing to less a hawkish stance between now and September, meaning three more 0.50% hikes into September and fewer jokes being made about their credibility. Additionally, the USD 8.5 trillion balance sheet needs to reduce is carb and saturated fat intake, so quantitative tightening it is. From my position as a pilot fish cleaning the teeth of the capital markets sharp on the periphery, none of this is being priced in, although I acknowledge that markets can remain irrational, longer than you can stay solvent. Read next: Altcoins: Tezos (XTZ) What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tezos Platform | FXMAG.COM Chinese PMI Now that I have fulfilled my role as the voice of reason on a Monday, it is time to have a look at what the week ahead brings. Asia’s calendar is dead today with the week’s highlights being China’s Official and Caixin PMIs coming out tomorrow and Wednesday. Wednesday and Thursday also see a swath of manufacturing and services PMIs from the rest of Asia, while Australia releases its April Trade Balance on Thursday. China’s data will have a very binary impact this week if peak-covid is here. Soft data will likely ramp up fears of a slowdown, with a decent showing likely to see hot money flowing in looking for the bottom. Soft data from the rest of Asia will raise fears of spreading China contagion. Watch also for Indonesian Inflation on Wednesday. A high print will increase the pressure on Bank Indonesia to finally hike this month. Holidays Holidays will play their part this week. US markets are closed for Memorial Day today, although electronic trading is open in Asia. Indonesia is closed Wednesday while mainland China and Hong Kong and Taiwan are closed on Friday for the International Dragon Boat Festival. Thursday and Friday see United Kingdom markets closed for a bank holiday and Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. Activity in Asia will likely be muted from Thursday. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News Eurozone Inflation Today features German May Inflation with Eurozone, French and Italian Inflation tomorrow. High prints will likely increase the hiking noise around the ECB and could extend the euro’s recent gains. The ECB should probably stop quantitatively easing first though. Eurozone and US Manufacturing PMIs are released on Wednesday, along with US ADPO Employment that forecasters will pointlessly use to extrapolate Friday’s data. We also have a Bank of Canada policy decision which should feature a 0.50% hike. Falling NFP? Finally, on Friday, we will see May’s US Non-Farm Payrolls data. Market expectations are a moving target this week, but as of today, markets are expecting a fall from 428,000 in April to a still robust 320,000 for May. Trading the data in the hour after its release has always been a sure-fire way to lose money. But if pushed, I would say a lower number will have the market pricing in less Fed tightening, while a higher number might dish out a cold dose of reality to the bottom-fishers in equity, bond, and currency markets ahead of the mid-month FOMC meeting. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    5% for the US 10-Year Treasury Yield: A Realistic Scenario

    S&P 500 (SPX) Rallied, So Did Nasdaq And Dow Jones (DJI), In Europe Sentiment Can Be Affected By Very High Crude Oil Price Caused And Russian Oil Ban | Oanda

    Jeffrey Halley Jeffrey Halley 30.05.2022 12:55
    Asian markets rally on positive Wall Street and China hopes S&P 500, Nasdaq And Dow Jones US markets closed out the week on another positive note after US data alleviated inflation fears and thus, future Fed tightening, and showed strength among US consumers still. Realistically, after such a positive week, it would have taken a lot to knock the FOMO gnomes of Wall Street off their path of bottom-picking nirvana. The S&P 500 rallied by 2.48%, while the Nasdaq leapt by an impressive 3.33%, with the Dow Jones climbed by 1.76%. The rally has continued in Asia, with Nasdaq futures 0.90% higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.40%, and Dow futures edging 0.10% higher. US OTC markets are closed for Memorial Day. End Of COVID Restrictions? Asia is also turning in a positive performance, following the impressive New York close, and boosted by hopes that China’s Beijing and Shanghai hubs are reopening from virus restrictions and a package of stimulus measures released by the Shanghai local government. Nikkei 225 And CSI 300 Japan’s Nikkei 225 has coat-tailed the Nasdaq 2.10% higher today, with South Korea’s Kospi gaining 1.25%, and Taipei rallying by 1.60%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is a more cautious 0.30% higher, with the CSI 300 rising by just 0.40%. The ever-optimistic Hong Kong, however, had leapt 2.50% higher, boosted by hopes of an Evergrande bond deal. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News Metals In regional markets, Singapore is up just 0.20%, while Kuala Lumpur has fallen 0.25%, and Jakarta is 0.60% lower. A Goldman Sachs report suggesting metals prices have peaked is likely weighing on all three markets, as risk sentiment swings back to more growth-stock orientated markets. Bangkok has gained 0.65%, while Manila has rallied by 1.25%. Australian markets have also liked what they have seen with Wall Street and China, the ASX 200 and All Ordinaries climbing by 1.25% today. Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Russian Oil Friday’s New York close and Asia’s rally today should be enough to lift European equity markets this afternoon, although the still simmering EU import ban on Russian oil and Brent crude above USD 120.00 a barrel will temper bullish animal spirits. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    More Efficient Stock Markets Were Accompanied By (USD) US Dollar And US Bonds Yields Weakening Last Week. In This One, Fed Members Speak, US Jobs Data Is Released And HP Stock Price May Be Affected By Earnings | Conotoxia

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 30.05.2022 11:41
    Last week brought a rebound in stock markets, breaking a series of weeks of losses, along with a weakening USD and falling bond yields. The current one begins in a similar vein. Learn more on Conotoxia US Jobs Data What are the key events for financial markets and investors in the coming days? In the United States, the employment report may draw attention. In May, the US economy is expected by consensus to add 310,000 jobs. The unemployment rate is likely to remain at 3.6 percent for the third consecutive month, remaining the lowest since February 2020. On the other hand, wages were expected to rise 0.4 percent, which is slightly higher expectations than the 0.3 percent increase in April. On an annual basis, however, it is expected to fall from 5.5 to 5.2 percent. Fed Members Speak Their Minds Several Fed officials will speak on monetary policy this week, and the market has already reduced the chances of US interest rate hikes. At present, investors seem to assume that they may amount to 2.5-2.75 percent in July 2023. As recently as at the beginning of the month, hikes were priced at 3.25-3.5 percent. Read next: Altcoins: Tezos (XTZ) What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tezos Platform | FXMAG.COM Earnings - HP Stock And GameStop Stock Price May Fluctuate The earnings season is underway. Salesforce, Kirkland's, Ambarella, HP and GameStop are expected to announce quarterly results. So far, 97 percent of companies in the S&P 500 index have reported updated results, with 77 percent reporting an EPS surprise and 73 percent reporting a revenue beat, according to Factset data. Monetary Policy - Bank Of Canada (BoC) From a global monetary policy perspective, the Bank of Canada may raise its interest rate by 50 basis points, marking the third consecutive increase in rates in Canada. Also in focus: first-quarter GDP growth data for Canada. In the UK, on the other hand, final PMI estimates are likely to confirm a sharp slowdown in business activity growth in May amid intensifying inflationary pressures and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Eurozone Inflation - Germany, France, Italy, Spain In Europe, key Eurozone inflation reports will be released, including from Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The Eurozone annual inflation rate is expected to rise again in May, reaching a new record high of 7.7 percent, up from 7.4 percent in April. Unemployment figures will be published in the eurozone, as well as in Germany, Spain and Italy, while France, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey will report updated GDP for the first quarter. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Forex service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80.77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    So S&P 500 (SPX) Seems To Be Ready To Really, Can US Bond Yields And US Dollar (USD) Go Any Higher? | Monica Kingsley

    So S&P 500 (SPX) Seems To Be Ready To Really, Can US Bond Yields And US Dollar (USD) Go Any Higher? | Monica Kingsley

    Monica Kingsley Monica Kingsley 30.05.2022 15:13
    S&P 500 turned the corner, yields peaked for now, and dollar likewise. Risk-on sentiment is ruling the day, with value outperforming tech – but at least the latter is also recovering. Stocks though haven‘t turned the corner in earnest, no matter the gains they‘re still about to clock in. Enjoy the rally while it lasts (long entry is a matter of individual trade‘s risk reward ratio – more than a few good percent are still ahead before the fresh downleg strikes. Fed You can look forward for tomorrow‘s extensive analysis, where I‘ll examine the Fed and macroeconomics in the weeks and months ahead vs. the turnaround sequence discussed three weeks ago – unfolding like clockwork. Here‘s a quote from tomorrow‘s article: (…) I don‘t think we‘re looking at a fresh uptrend, there is still much stress (to be reflected in stock prices) in the consumer arena. VIX For now, the key question is the degree to which VIX calms down – would it be able to keep below 23-24 to extend the shelf life of this rally? And for how long would the lull in volatility last? I think the answer is a few short weeks, before it becomes obvious that the fundamentals haven‘t changed. The consumer remains in poor shape, inflation would remain stubbornly high (even as it had indeed peaked), and the credit default swaps for quite a few (consumer sensitive) companies are rising relentlessly, which isn‘t yet reflected in underlying stock prices. I‘m talking financials too – this broad stock market rally has more than a couple of percent higher to go before the weight pulls it back down, and earnings estimates get downgraded again. Stayed tuned for more, enjoy and profit along! Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Happy extended weekend. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    S&P 500 Trades 10% Higher Than On May 20th, But Hawks Are About To Hunt Shortly, Probably Bringing Bear Market And People's Unwillingness To Spend Their Money | FxPro

    S&P 500 Trades 10% Higher Than On May 20th, But Hawks Are About To Hunt Shortly, Probably Bringing Bear Market And People's Unwillingness To Spend Their Money | FxPro

    Alex Kuptsikevich Alex Kuptsikevich 30.05.2022 15:18
    US stock indices developed a strong rebound all last week. The S&P500 spot index reached 4200, gaining more than 10% from the lows of May 20. Such a rapid recovery has raised the question of whether we are seeing a brief bear market rally or whether the markets have passed the “bottom” of the correction. The situation looks like touching bear market territory was a red rag for the bulls, who have since turned to aggressive action. Fundamental factors are now on the side of the former, while technical analysis favours the latter scenario. Fighting With Inflation Or Supporting Economic Growth Monetary authorities in the USA and other developed economies are increasing the pace of monetary policy tightening, focusing on fighting inflation rather than supporting economic growth. We continue to get bearish signals from this perspective, as the economy and markets have yet to feel the brunt of rates not seen in over ten years. Meanwhile, inflation and a slowdown in consumer demand due to high rates promise to eat into real corporate profits in the coming months. The tipping point in consumer activity is unlikely to come before we hear from the Fed that there will be no further rate hikes. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM The S&P500 index has perfectly touched 61.8% of the rally from the lows of March 2020 to January 2022. We have seen some rallies in a falling market during the five-month decline. But so far, touching the formal bear market area (20% decline from the peak) in the S&P500 has attracted buyers. Moreover, by the time the lows were touched earlier this month, the market was already oversold, but there were also signs of divergence between the RSI on the daily timeframes and the index level. This is a clear indication that the selling was not as fierce as before. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM S&P 500 The very fact that the S&P500 took a 7-week-long losing streak, one of the longest in history, and has now shown a sharp rebound, is setting a positive mood. The last time we saw such a bullish awakening was in November 2020, after which the stock market added for more than a year, even though there seemed to be no room for growth. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News
    ECB's Knot: July Rate Hike Necessary, Beyond July Uncertain; Canadian CPI Supports Rates on Hold; Global Crypto Market at $1.2 Trillion; Oil Market Tightens with Russian Shipments Drop and China's Support Measures

    Stocks: (SPX) S&P 500, Nasdaq And Dow Jones (DJI) Have Increased... But Not In The USA!? | Oanda

    Jeffrey Halley Jeffrey Halley 06.06.2022 16:19
    Asian markets rise as China eases restrictions Friday’s higher than expected US Non-Farm Payrolls saw Wall Street make an abrupt retreat as easier Fed hiking hopes on a slowing economy were dashed, although I’d argue a slowing US economy wouldn’t be good for equities either. The S&P 500 finished 1.63% lower, the Nasdaq tumbled by 2.47%, and the Dow Jones fell by 1.06%.  Asian equities rise on Beijing reopening - MarketPulseMarketPulse In Asia, an easing of restrictions in Beijing, along with reiterations of easy monetary policy in Japan has shielded Asia from New York’s back-and-forth volatility, lifting sentiment in US futures and North Asian markets. US futures have rebounded with Nasdaq futures rising 0.70%, S&P 500 futures are 0.50% higher, and Dow futures have added 0.40%.   Japan’s Nikkei 225 has risen by 0.60%, unwinding a rocky start. South Korea is closed today, but mainland China’s Shanghai Composite has jumped by 1.05%, with the CSI 300 leaping 1.50% higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng has rallied by 1.10% and it appears that reopening news and its positive outlook forward is outweighing any backwards-looking Chinese data like the PMIs for now.   The picture is more mixed in the rest of Asia, possibly thanks to higher oil prices and a soggy New York close. Singapore is 0.15% lower, having unwound most of its earlier losses. Taipei is 0.55% higher, while Jakarta has fallen by 1.50%, led by resources after the government announced it was investigating potential palm oil distribution cartels. Malaysia closed today, while Bangkok is just 0.25% lower, and Manila is down by 0.55%. Australian markets have also been unable to shake off Friday’s weak Wall Street close, ahead of an expected rate hike by the RBA tomorrow. The All Ordinaries are down by 0.25%, with the ASX 200 falling by 0.55%.   With most of Europe closed today, most eyes will be on UK markets, which reopen after a four-day break. The rise in oil prices over the past two days is likely to make cost-of-living concerns front-and-centre again, potentially weighing on sentiment. A potential change of leadership in the UK, regardless of your political views, will be another source of uncertainty. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    Diesel Supply Concerns Grow as Russia Bans Exports: Impact on Middle Distillate Markets

    Can Apple Stock Plunge Today!? Fed Decision May Affect US Dollar (USD), S&P 500, Gold (XAUUSD) And Crypto (e.g. Bitcoin Price & ETHUSD) | Swissquote

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 15.06.2022 10:28
    The Federal Reserve (Fed) will announce its latest rate decision today, but most of the wild ride is certainly done by now; the market fully prices in a 75bp hike at today’s decision. The aggressive rise in hawkish Fed expectations pushed the US 2-year yield to 3.45% on Tuesday. The 10-year yield flirted with 3.50%. The S&P500 lost another 0.38%, while Nasdaq eked out a small 0.20% gain, but after hitting a fresh low since November 2020. The US futures are in the positive this morning, but the market will likely remain tense until the Fed breaks the news that it hikes by 75bp. The updated economic projections and the dot plot have an important weight for future expectations. Bigger rate hikes from the Fed, and the soaring US dollar are certainly not a gift for other central banks. The US dollar is a base currency, and the rapid appreciation in the greenback increases the cost of the goods that the other countries negotiate in terms of US dollars on international markets, starting from oil and commodities. As a result, a stronger US dollar is a bigger inflation threat for the world. This is why, the hawkish Fed expectations have a bigger domino effect power on the rest of the world. The German 10-year yield continues pushing higher, and the EURUSD sees a decent support near the 1.04 threshold after the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an unscheduled meeting to discuss the market turmoil. Cable slipped below the 1.20 mark, and a 25bp hike from the Bank of England (BoE) may not suffice to compensate the hawkish Fed, and the renewed Brexit fears.   Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 The Fed decision 4:26 Market update 5:32 Gold, Bitcoin down 6:43 FedEx jumps & dividend paying stocks see higher interest 7:41 Expensive dollar threatens ECB, BoE 8:52 FTSE to feel the pinch of engdangered Brexit deal Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #decision #dotplot #ECB #unscheduled #meeting #BoE #USD #EUR #GBP #CHF #Bitcoin #MicroStrategy #crude #oil #gold #market #selloff #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    Industrial Metals Outlook: Assessing the Impact of China's Stimulus Measures

    Have Tech Stocks Plunged!? FX: So Bank Of Japan Seems To Delay Supporting JPY, British Pound (GBP) Rallied| Stock Markets: S&P 500 Lost 3.2%

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.06.2022 12:40
    Summary:  The Bank of Japan continues to swim against the stream as it insisted on maintaining its yield-curve-control and negative policy rate at the meeting overnight, with daily operations to defend the yield cap on Japanese government bonds. Elsewhere, US equity markets continued to new lows even as US treasuries found strong support as a batch of weak US data points raises concerns on the US economic outlook.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 futures fully reversed and more the FOMC pump with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,671 level yesterday down 3.2%, while technology stocks fell even more. The current drawdown is now the second deepest at the same time into the drawdown compared to previous historical drawdowns underscoring the seriousness of the current market regime. Initial jobless claims weakened yesterday, and the Philly Fed survey showed significant downward pressure on new orders hitting levels typical of recessions. The fear of recession could short-term keep a lid on interest rates and thus ironically support equities and maybe cause a mild rebound over the coming weeks. The VIX forward curve remains well behaved suggesting no panic yet in US equities. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) The indices were up more than 1% despite ugly selloffs in overseas markets overnight. The fall in property prices in the top 70 cities slowed to -0.2% m/m vs April -0.3%.  Property prices in Tier-1 cities rose 0.4% m/m and the declines in Tier-2 and lower-tier cities moderated. On the other hand, JD.COM’s (09618) JD Retail CEO told Bloomberg that recovery in consumption in China had been slow from the reopening of cities, such as Shanghai. The Company was expecting that it would take a long time for household consumption to recover as the economy and household income had been severely hit over this wave of lockdown. EURGBP and GBPUSD Sterling rallied hard yesterday in the wake of the Bank of England meeting yesterday on the guidance the meeting produced rather than due to the smaller 25-basis point hike. its reversal yesterday took GBPUSD well away from the cycle lows of 1.2000 posted earlier this week, trading as high as 1.2406 late yesterday, just above a major local 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the recent sell-off at 1.2387 and far above the prior low-water mark from May of 1.2156. A full reversal in GBPUSD requires another rally surge through 1.2500. Elsewhere, sterling hopefuls should have a look at EURGBP, where the latest leg higher above 0.8600 has been sharply reversed, suggesting a more well-defined reversal. Watching the 0.8500 area for whether we follow through lower and back into the range extending below 0.8300 again. USDJPY and JPY pairs With the Bank of Japan voting 8-1 to maintain course and the 0.25% cap on 10-year JGB yields, the JPY weakened sharply after a bout of speculation this week that Governor Kuroda and company might relent on its policy and bring a sharp resetting of the JPY higher. In the background, ironically, a powerful rally in global bonds yesterday was a JPY-supportive development that has eased the JPY-negative impact of the overnight BoJ decision. The BoJ statement did say that the Bank needs to pay attention to the FX level, from which one might infer that there is a JPY weakness level that the BoJ would find unacceptable and could prompt a change of course in the future. From here, the only route to a higher JPY is via a new drop in bond yields and shift away from CB tightening elsewhere or if the Bank of Japan is seen as giving up on its policy at a later date, possibly on coming inflation releases and risks of a weaker JPY raising the cost of living to an unacceptable degree. Crude oil (OILUKAUG22 & OILUSJUL22) Crude oil is heading for its first weekly decline in six with global growth concerns and prolonged lockdowns in China being the main catalyst. On top of that the short-term technical outlook has weakened following several failed attempts to break higher, but given the tight supply outlook, highlighted by the IEA earlier in the week. Support in Brent is likely to emerge already between $116 and $113.25. NY Harbor Diesel (HOc1) and gasoil (GASOILUKJUL22) both trades higher on the week, a reflection of the tightness that despite growth concerns, is likely to keep the energy sector supported.  Gold (XAUUSD)  Gold remains rangebound following a two-day rally that was supported by US growth concerns and a continued rout in cryptos and global stock markets. Together with another dose of weak U.S. data (see below) they helped send US treasury yields and the dollar lower on Thursday, thereby easing some of the recent pressure on bullion.  Total holdings in bullion-backed ETFs have declined by less than 0.25% this past week, a strong sign that investors look to gold for protection against the rout in global markets, together with increased focus on the need to hedge against the risk of stagflation.  On a relative basis gold’s year-to-date outperformance against the S&P 500 has reached 24%, long-end bonds 26% and 75% against blockchain (BKCH:arcx). US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries rallied hard yesterday amidst ugly sentiment in the equity market and on a set of weak US data points pointing to a decelerating housing sector (more below), with weekly jobless claims remaining near the highs of the last few months. The US 10-year treasury yield has declined back to the pivotal area around 3.20%, which was the cycle high before the latest surge toward 3.50%. An extension of the rally that takes yields significantly back below that 3.20% mark would suggest that we have reached a cycle peak for now and further consolidation is set to follow, perhaps on concerns for an incoming recession. What is going on? Bank of Japan defies the global tightening wave The Bank of Japan maintained the negative 0.10% policy rate today, confirming that it won't join the Federal Reserve and other major global central banks in tightening monetary policy. The Japanese central bank will keep its target for the 10-year Japanese government-bond yield at+0.25% and announced daily operations to ensure the cap on yields is maintained. While the central bank said we will take additional easing measures without hesitation if needed, there was a rare reference to the yen weakness. Swiss National Bank surprises with 50 basis point hike yesterday The Swiss National Bank, according to surveys, was not expected to hike rates yesterday, though a rapidly growing minority of observers were looking for a rate rise. The hike of 50 basis points brought the policy rate to –0.25% and makes it clear that the SNB is happy to separate itself from ECB policy and allow the CHF to strengthen as one of the tools to combat rising inflation risks in the country. EURCHF sold off below 1.0200 after trading above 1.0400 ahead of the decision. USDCHF slid to lows of 0.9632 from above parity the day before the decision. The Bank of England hikes 25 basis points, sharpens forward guidance language The majority of observers were looking for the 25-basis point move from the BoE, with some residual uncertainty on whether the bank might hike by more due to the large Fed rate hike this week and the weakness in sterling. Three MPC members of the nine voting wanted a 50-bp hike. At the same time, the BoE predicted that CPI would peak slightly above 11% in October, said that it would respond “forcefully” on any signs of worsening inflation, language that kept the short end of the UK yield curve pinned near the cycle highs. China centric commodities remain under pressure China centric commodities such as iron ore SCON2), coal and copper (COPPERUSSEP22) remain under pressure after China advised its covid restrictions probably won’t ease until next year. In addition, the recent spate of weaker than expected economic US data combined with central banks stepping up their fight to combat inflation have raised concerns about the outlook for global growth in general. US economic indicators weaken US building permits and housing starts eased in May to 1.695mn and 1.549mn respectively while the initial jobless claims were at 229k versus 217k expected. Further, Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey printed a negative figure of -3.3 for June, the first such contraction since May 2020. More so, the future activity index was contractionary for the first time since the GFC. Adobe shares slip 5% in extended trading on revenue outlook miss As we highlighted on our podcast yesterday Adobe’s earnings were a test of business investment in marketing and content activities. While the business remains sticky the company put out a revenue outlook at $17.7bn vs est. $17.9bn due some demand weakness, Russia impact and USD headwinds.   What are we watching next? US recession concerns rising The mix of data this week generally raises concerns that the US economy is decelerating, but the evidence is patchy and will need confirmation for this to become a a more entrenched theme. At the same time, equity traders have to figure out whether they should celebrate weak data as something that will eventually lead US yields lower and see the pace of Fed tightening eventually reversing or fret weak data because of the implications for corporate profits. The next US data points of interesting include the preliminary Services and Manufacturing PMI surveys for June next week. Fed blackout period ending The Fed speakers will be back in action as the blackout period ends. Chair Powell is speaking later today at the inaugural conference on the International Roles of the US Dollar. Other Fed speakers are due as well including Esther George who voted for a 50bps rate hike this week. Earnings Watch Next week’s earnings calendar is light but there are three important earnings releases to watch and those are Lennar, FedEx, and Accenture that all will give insights into the US housing market, logistics, and recruitment dynamics. Monday: Kanzhun Tuesday: Lennar Thursday: FedEx, Accenture, Darden Restaurants, FactSet Friday: Carnival, China Gas, CarMax Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone May Final CPI 1200 – Poland May Core CPI 1230 – Canada May Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1245 – US Fed Chair Powell to make opening remarks at a conference 1315 – US May Industrial Production / Capacity Utilization 1430 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Pill to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – June 17, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Let's Have A Look At S&P 500 (SPX) And (BTC/USD) Bitcoin Price Charts

    Let's Have A Look At S&P 500 (SPX) And (BTC/USD) Bitcoin Price Charts

    Monica Kingsley Monica Kingsley 08.08.2022 08:37
    S&P 500 bulls made a good run, but didn‘t deal with the bearish outcome looming, The renewed tightening bets spurred by strong headline NFPs figure, will take their toll on risk-on assets that had been driving Friday‘s run. Bets on another 75bp hike in Sep have increased dramatically, practically proving Daly or Kashkari right in that the Fed isn‘t done yet or even close to the Fed funds rate to really get inflation down. While they claim that 2% is doable and soft landing within reach, the progression from 9% downwards just doesn‘t go fast like that. At best (repeating myself for months here), they would get to 5-6% CPI, which means a tough Sep and one more FOMC still this year. Combined with balnce sheet shrinking projections, that would take a great toll on the real economy – one that is being softened by the still very expansive fiscal policy. Let‘s look around the world (apart from the troubles in Europe and Asia such as shown in JPY weakness), many other central banks are tightening, Latin America is also tightening. It‘s not only UK and the implications discussed on Friday: (…) Let‘s have a look at yesterday‘s Bank of England moves, kind of foreshadowing what‘s reasonable to expect from the Fed. In the UK, the prospect of entering recession Q4 2022 amd remaining in it for more than a couple of quarters, is being acknowledged. The central bank though intends to keep tightening anyway, preferring to take on inflation after it ran out of control longer they publicly anticipated. Meanwhile in the States, unemployment claims have edged higher – indicative of growing softness in the labor market. Long-dated Treasuries continue rising as is appropriate in these conditions of economic slowdown slowly gathering pace. Similarly to inflation expectations, they‘re not yet taking the Fed‘s hawkish rhetoric absolutely seriously unlike commodity prices that are at best carving out a bullish divergence (still in the making, therefore without implications yet). Precious metals appear farther along the route of acknowledging the upcoming stagflationary reality as I continue looking for inflation to remain in the stubbornly high 5-6% range no matter the Fed‘s actions over the next 3 FOMC meetings at least. Obviously, the hotter the underlying markets, the more tightening has to be done, and that‘s extra headwind for the markets, and one making the Fed pivot a bit more elusive. The key thing that has changed from the above, is the turn in yields – Treasuries would have a harder time rising now, but given that I expect better CPI on Wednesday (oil is down and hasn‘t bottomed yet etc), yields should retreat in what I look to be a positive market reaction – one of hoping that the Fed wouldn‘t tighten that much as is feared today they would. This wouldn‘t however save the stock market bulls. Consider though as well where the Fed funds rate is now, and how far above 3% Powell can take it. He will try, sure, but even 4% in our debt based economy would prove bridge too far when it comes to any soft landing (stating the very obvious). Back during the last successful one (mid 1990s), we were going through genuinely positive tech revolution that helped cushion restrictive monetary policy – these macro implications for productivity growth don‘t apply now. To feel the daily pulse, let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com) – today‘s full scale article features good 6 ones, with more thoughts for premium subscribers. S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 is clinging by the finernails, and the only question remains whether we have a few dozen points still to go on the upside to reach even more excessive bullishness, or whether the slow grind lower is assuming the reins from here. The bull trap is almost complete. Credit Markets HYG is going to attract a sell in the not too distant future – more so than it did on Friday. The opening gap was more than half closed, but this isn‘t going to last. All it takes to bring junk bonds down, is more conviction about the Fed‘s hawkish path ahead. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos are slightly up, which bodes well for risk taking. Not expecting huge gains today here or in SPX, but a reversal of Friday‘s setback.
    Tesla Will Struggle To Recover In The Coming Years

    Wow! Tech Stocks: Tesla Stock Price Impresses With Its Performance!

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 08.08.2022 16:38
    Tesla stock falls 6% on Friday as rally starts to stall. TSLA stock is up 31% in the past month. Elon Musk said a recession is likely to last 18 months but be mild. Tesla stock fell on Friday as commentary from Elon Musk was taken as relatively bearish. The Tesla CEO said that the US looked set for a mild recession, probably in the ballpark of 18 months. Also more noteworthy in our view, Tesla stock is up nearly 32% in the past month and was due for a stall. Regular readers will have noted that your author has been short Tesla for some time. Luckily, I saw the writing on the wall and closed the position some 25% ago in the infancy of the rally. Also read: Tesla Stock Deep Dive: Price target at $400 on China headwinds, margin compression, lower deliveries Now it may be time to review the short thesis. This equity rally has been long in duration and percentage now and may be set to stall. The catalyst for the rally, that of falling yields, is reversing after Friday's strong jobs report. That strong report has given the Fed more ammunition to go for 75 basis points again in September. We are likely to see rhetoric turn notably hawkish this week from Fed speakers. Tesla stock news Also of note were other somewhat bearish comments from Elon Musk about the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck. “Cybertruck pricing, it was unveiled in 2019, and the reservation was $99," Musk said. "A lot has changed since then, so the specs and the pricing will be different.” One has to assume this is a warning that prices will be higher given inflation and supply chain issues, but perhaps the biggest news piece is the imminent Tesla stock split. This is due to take place after August 17, which will be the record date. The Tesla stock split is to be a 3-for-1, so that Tesla shareholders on August 17 will receive an additional two extra shares in the form of a special dividend. Trading on a stock split-adjusted basis is scheduled to begin on August 25. Stock splits are generally seen as beneficial to stock prices simply due to human psychology – we like things that are perceived as cheaper even if in reality they are not. Tesla stock forecast Tesla recently marked its monthly gain of over 30% by flashing overbought on both the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Money Flow Index (MFI). It also retraced to the 200-day moving average but has not consolidated above there. The $945-to-$975 zone was an area of major resistance, and TSLA stock price has failed here. Momentum looks to be stalling, and Tesla is nothing if not a momentum play. This week could be interesting with Wednesday's CPI. That will dictate yields and the next Fed move, both of which will be the dominant factors in the next move for Tesla stock. Tesla chart, daily
    Turbulent Times Ahead: USD Smile and JPY's Future - Q3 2023 Analysis

    US Close – Stock rally faded, Nvidia’s warning, Oil rebounds, Gold above $1800, and Bitcoin eyes breakout

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 09.08.2022 08:16
    With persistent inflation and a strong labor market, the Fed is on a clear path to raise rates. This week is all about inflation and many traders are expecting to see the inflation to decelerate. Headline inflation is widely expected to decrease on a month-over-month over basis.  The focus will probably fall on core and those prices will remain elevated.  Much of Wall Street was stunned that the Biden administration was able to pass something before the midterm elections.  The Senate was able to pass a $430 billion landmark tax, climate, and health-care bill. Investor appetite for risk was healthy early from the news on American clean power jobs and on a new EV tax credit. A small future tax on buybacks did not spoil the initial stock market rally, but may make some companies run up their repurchases before the end of the year.  US stocks were unable to hold onto the early euphoria after Nvidia reminded us of the troubling macro environment as supply chain issues persist.  Nvidia Tech stocks were dragged down after Nvidia was the bearer of bad news and highlighted a significant slowdown was happening in gaming. Nvidia is going to have disappointing revenue numbers and they expect challenging market conditions to persist in the third quarter.  Nvidia is one of those companies that does things right and has the majority of analysts backing their stock(37 buys, 11 holds, and 1 sell). Nvidia’s warning is reminding traders of how severe the macro impacts might be on tech for the rest of the year.    FX The dollar rally is on hold, but it is far from over. Falling Treasury yields as some investors scramble to the sidelines should remind investors demand for safe-havens won’t be fading away anytime soon.  Corporate America gloom will remain the dominant theme for the third quarter and that should keep the dollar supported despite the current exhaustion with its rally. The interest rate differential has mostly been priced in for the dollar’s advantage and that could get even wider if Wednesday delivers a hotter-than-expected inflation report.  Oil Oil prices are rebounding as the recession riddled outlook and crude demand destruction calls were overdone. A slightly weaker dollar also provided a boost for commodities, but that might not last.  Energy traders digested a Goldman Sachs note that made a case for higher oil prices.  Goldman emphasized that the oil market is stuck in a larger deficit and you can’t argue against that. Much attention remains with Iran nuclear deal talks, but it seems unlikely a breakthrough will happen anytime soon.  Tehran seems like they are willing to negotiate, but an imminent decision to agree to the EU’s proposal seems unlikely.     Gold Gold prices are trying to get its groove back as Treasury yields drop and risk appetite struggles to reassert itself. Gold might struggle to rally much further until we get beyond this massive inflation report. It seems Wall Street is expecting pricing pressures to moderate here and that has been good news for bullion.  While headline inflation might ease, the focus should be on core and that probably will remain hot. Crypto Bitcoin remains near its recent highs as crypto traders are looking to see if the crypto winter is over. The return of some meme stock mania is taking away some attention from cryptos, but that might not matter.  The selling pressure has significantly eased and momentum traders could pounce on the break of the $25,000 level.  This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. US Close - Stock rally faded, Nvidia's warning, Oil rebounds, Gold above $1800, and Bitcoin eyes breakout - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    Australian CPI Expected to Rise to 5.2%: Impact on AUD/USD and RBA's Rate Hike Dilemma

    US Tech Stocks: Reduced Bitcoin Mining May Be One Of Reasons Why Nvidia Stock Price May Be Fluctuates

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 09.08.2022 10:42
    Summary:  Nvidia has see a dramatic reduction in demand for its GPUs related to its gaming segment. While there might be some weakening of demand in gaming the real driver is most likely Bitcoin mining which has seen a plunge in profitability forcing many Bitcoin miners to end operations and flood the market with used GPUs causing prices to tumble. The lower GPU prices are forcing Nvidia to write down its inventory by $1.3bn. Shares opened 8% lower but have recovered half the losses as the company says the long-term gross margin profile is intact. What happened to the gross margin? A little more than two months ago Nvidia announced FY23 Q1 results showing record revenue, but today the graphics card maker is pre-announcing Q2 results cutting its gross margin (GAAP) guidance for the Q2 quarter (ending 31 July) from 65.1% to 43.7% and expected revenue of $6.7bn compared to previously announced $8.1bn. The shortfall in revenue is driven by its gaming segment which Nvidia is saying is impacted by the macroeconomic backdrop. The fall in demand in its gaming segment has also meant that Nvidia has too much inventory and has been forced to adjust prices. The company is therefore booking a $1.3bn inventory write-down. It is a well-known fact that Nvidia’s GPUs are heavily used in Bitcoin mining despite the graphics card maker has never officially linked its business to the industry. Because Nvidia does not know precisely the end use case of their GPUs, revenue related to Bitcoin mining likely ends up in both its datacenter and gaming segments. The falling demand for Nvidia’s GPUs has nothing to do with the gaming industry but instead the profitability of the Bitcoin mining industry. As the chart below shows, the profitability of Bitcoin mining has shrunk from being massively profitable in late 2021 to almost loss-making today. This naturally drives lower demand for additional GPUs used in Bitcoin mining and it also forces miners out of business which subsequently floods the market with old GPUs. This increase in available GPUs through secondary sales has caused GPU prices to fall dramatically as revealed by Gizmodo back in June. Nvidia says long-term outlook is unchanged The last time Nvidia saw a dramatic decline in its share price was back in late 2018 as Bitcoin mining profitability went negative following Bitcoin’s massive speculative rally in late 2017 drumming up demand for GPUs for mining. This time is no different. Long-term Nvidia is riding many of the most important technology vectors, but a key risk of course is the growing tensions between the US and China which could alter its supply chains and market opportunity. Nvidia has 102 partners in China which is roughly 12% of its total number of partners. Despite the significant guidance being cut investors are bidding up shares after being down 8% on the open. Nvidia shares have corrected half of the initial decline down only 4%. The reason is likely that the company states that it believes that its long-term gross margin profile is intact. Nvidia weekly share price | Source: Saxo Group Bitcoin mining profitability | Source: https://en.macromicro.me/charts/29435/bitcoin-production-total-cost Source: Nvidia shares down 4 on guidance cut | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Feed: Delayed LNG Strike Action and Tightening Oil Market Fundamentals

    US Indices Decreased Slightly Yesterday. S&P 500 Lost Ca. 0.1%, Nasdaq 100 Decreased By Over 0.3%

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.08.2022 12:50
    Summary:  Revenues misses and weaker-than-expected guidance from Nvidia and others dragged technology names and stirred some concerns about potentially more downward earnings revision from other companies. Moderation of U.S. consumers’ inflation expectations helped provide a bid for long-end treasuries and brought the yield curve further inverted. What is happening in markets?    Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities pared a 1% rally in the morning and finished moderately lower, S&P 500 -0.12%, Nasdaq 100 -0.37%.  Tech giant Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) reported preliminary Q2 revenues of US$6.7 billion, missing the expected US$8.1 billion by 17%. The company said demand for its video game processors being weak and the challenging market conditions will persist in Q3.  Share prices of Nvidia fell 6.3%. Palantir Technologies (PLTR:xnys) plunged 14% after reporting guidance expecting slower growth.  The news sparked some concerns among investors’ about more earnings downgrades for the technology sectors. U.S. 2-10 yield curve getting more inverted U.S. treasuries started to rally during London hours, as German bunds and gilts gained, and traded well bids, especially the longer end of the curve, throughout the U.S. session. The long-end was help by moderation of U.S. consumers’ expectations of incoming inflation. In the New York Federal Reserve Banks’s consumer survey, U.S. consumer expectations for inflation over the coming 1 year fell to 6.2% in July  (vs 6.8% in June) and expectations for inflation over the coming 3 years fell to 3.2% in July (vs 3.6% in June), the lowest since April 2021.  In the survey, consumers’ 5-year inflation expectations came down to 2.3% in July (vs 2.8% in June). The 10-year yield declined 7bps to 2.76%.  As the 2-yield was down only 2bps to 3.21%, the 2-10 year yield spread further inverted to -45bps, approaching its -56bps low in 2000.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Stocks traded in Hong Kong and mainland bourses finished Monday moderately lower, Hang Seng Index -0.77%, CSI300 -0.2%.  Chinese internet, online education and Chinese property stocks traded in Hong Kong were mostly down.  Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) lost 1.8%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) -4.4%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) -2.7%, Xiaomi (0181:xhkg) -3.6%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) -3.3%. After the market close, a report from Bloomberg saying that India, the largest overseas market of Xiaomi, is going to restrict the company from selling smartphones cheaper than 12,000 rupees (USD150).  Cathay Pacific (00293:xhkg) gained 1.4% following Hong Kong’s announcement of cutting inbound travelers’ hotel quarantine to 3 days from 7 days.  In the mainland, the lockdown of Hainan, a southern resort island, triggered some buying of traditional Chinese medicine and Covid-treatment related names.  Australian dollar rallied against the U.S. dollar DXY (DXU2) finished Monday trading 0.2% lower.  Among the G10 currencies, the Australian dollar was the top performer and rallied 1.1% versus the greenback.  Euro and JPY were little changed against the U.S. dollar. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) WTI Crude gained 1.6% to USD90.45, being helped by stronger Chinese import figures. What to consider? Nvidia preannounced weaker-than-expected revenues Nvidia pre-announced preliminary Q2 revenues coming at USD6.7 billion (-19% QoQ, +3% YoY), 17% below the company's prior guidance and below market expectations.  Weaknesses in the processors for the gaming industry, and to lesser extents, the data center and professional visualization industries dragged down revenues.   Softbank's Vision Funds suffered large losses Softbank reported a net loss of 3.16 trillion yen and its Vision Funds business segment reported pretax losses of JPY2.33 trillion. The pre-exit unrealized losses in the Vision Funds 1 & 2 were USD10.9  billion for listed stocks and USD8.9 billion for unlisted stocks.  The company announced smaller additional share buyback authorization of 400 billion yen and said that the company may not use all of it in the coming 12 months. For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 9, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    (NVDA) Nvidia Stock Price Plunged! Meme Stocks' Performance Seems To Be Surprisingly Good

    (NVDA) Nvidia Stock Price Plunged! Meme Stocks' Performance Seems To Be Surprisingly Good

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 09.08.2022 12:23
    Nvidia shares dived 6.30% yesterday on news that the company missed its revenue projection by $1.4 billion due to slower demand for PCs and gaming. Nvidia pulled other US chipmakers into the negative along with it, and brought the question of whether the chip rally, which was triggered by a $52 billion government help is over. US Dollar Index Amid NFP The dollar index gave back gains following the blowout NFP figures printed on Friday. Investors are confident that inflation in the US may have peaked last month, as the New York Fed's Survey of Consumer Expectations showed steep drops in inflation expectations in July. Forex - EUR/USD and more In the FX, the EURUSD is steady around the 1.02 level, waiting for the dollar to soften on ‘good news’ to make a further attempt toward the 1.0350 mark, where stands the 50-DMA. Given that the European Central Bank (ECB) played its biggest cards at last meeting, there is not much upside potential from the ECB standpoint. On the dollar-yen front, traders now call the end of a particularly winning long USDJPY trade this year. View on Flipboard!   Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:23 Nvidia plunges on slowing earnings 1:44 The revenge of energy stocks 3:10 Crude oil: where to? 4:59 Meme stocks rally, but gains are fragile 6:06 US inflation expectations ease before CPI print 7:52 FX update: EURUSD steady, USDJPY under pressure For economists, inflation expectations are more important than the actual data. Find out why! ▶️ Discover today's market highlights on our #MarketTalk with @IpekOzkardeskay: https://t.co/XnXQYVPS3H pic.twitter.com/v4SJEssR8z — Swissquote (@Swissquote) August 9, 2022 Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Nvidia #earnings #drop #chip #energy #meme #stocks #BBBY #AMC #XOM #Chevron #crude #oil #US #inflation #expectations #EUR #USD #JPY #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Talking S&P 500, Nasdaq, Gold, Bitcoin And More - 09/08/22

    Talking S&P 500, Nasdaq, Gold, Bitcoin And More - 09/08/22

    Monica Kingsley Monica Kingsley 09.08.2022 16:00
    S&P 500 bulls were clearly rejected, and it‘s highly questionable whether they would make another run. I doubt they would. And even if, it‘s bound to get rejected as none of the bearish fundamental reasoning ceased to apply, and it‘s getting reflected in the chart technicals as well. As stated yesterday: (…) The renewed tightening bets spurred by strong headline NFPs figure, will take their toll on risk-on assets that had been driving Friday‘s run. Bets on another 75bp hike in Sep have increased dramatically, practically proving Daly or Kashkari right in that the Fed isn‘t done yet or even close to the Fed funds rate to really get inflation down. While they claim that 2% is doable and soft landing within reach, the progression from 9% downwards just doesn‘t go fast like that. At best (repeating myself for months here), they would get to 5-6% CPI, which means a tough Sep and one more FOMC still this year. Combined with balnce sheet shrinking projections, that would take a great toll on the real economy – one that is being softened by the still very expansive fiscal policy. Given tomorrow‘s CPI that‘s likely to come in better than the markets fear it would (i.e. in support of the inflation has peaked thesis), the room for disappointment in inflation trades is there, and the hopes that the Fed might not get as aggressive on a better CPI figure, wouldn‘t balance that out in my view. Here comes a fitting question just in that allows me to develop these thoughts further to the benefit of the whole audience: Q: CPI wednesday will certainly show much lower numbers than previously (mainly because oil was recently much cheaper than in May, June). FED has proven to be rather readily dovish in such events. Investors will see the US companies and the US technology sector as the safe haven. Because elsewhere in the world (mainly in politically and economically weak Europe) is a mess. US as safe-heaven was proven by recent Apple and Amazon earnings and also by recently approved US government stimulus for micro-chip / semiconductor production. Isn't this environment rather bullish for US equities especially to the near future ?? Outflow of money from Europe into strong and safe US. A: I doubt the Fed would react dovishly to softening inflation as they have to take on the pesky inflation expectations (it was a key lesson of the 1970s when they didn‘t). It gives them optically a better chance at taking inflation down fast – and the markets would wake up to their dovish perception mistake, should they make it in the first place. The fiscal stimulus is though being faded in the stock market, it‘s closer to the case of sell the news than anything else. The money flows are going to be selective about what assets they would lift, and odds are it wouldn‘t be parked in tech for too long if Treasuries stop revolting against the Fed‘s rate raising. Such a time point would come over the nearest months ahead, but still I am not counting on any giant Nasdaq run, or rather any run to speak of (no matter the degree of Treasuries‘ next move). To feel the daily pulse, let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com) – today‘s full scale article features good 6 ones, which I am unlocking today in full so that you get a better the regular care premium subscribers get, especially before tomorrow‘s inflation data. S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 is turning down, and Friday‘s signal is getting repeated – i.e. getting stronger. The daily indicators have also deteriorated, but the volume and sectoral internals message is the most important here. Credit Markets HYG indeed attracted sell – and the reversal to the downside needs a confirmation today in terms of rising volume and daily close anywhere in the Friday‘s daily range. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals want to turn up, and miners are at least on a daily basis following. Echoing yesterday‘s premium thoughts, they aren‘t selling too hard on the turn towards anticipating tougher tightening ahead. With hikes to be paused after Sep for a while, the metals would have an easier time before that FOMC day in Sep. Next week‘s CPI will have a short-term effect only – the consequences of recognizing inflation as sticky no matter what the Fed has done already, would be greater. This moment awaits still. Crude Oil Crude oil‘s rebound isn‘t yet turning the tide, and the approaching seasonality spells trouble ahead. I‘m still leaning towards the $88 support slowly giving way as $85 approach comes next – we may land in the low 80s really before rebounding early November. Copper Copper‘s short-term bullish move is encouraging, but the vulnerability to the hawkish Fed moves and rhetoric remains – it would probably play out after the CPI only, which applies also to oil. Bitcoin and Ethereum Cryptos are clearly reversing, and that‘s a good sign for those betting on a bearish resolution of tomrorow‘s inflation data overall.
    Russia-Ukraine War - October 10th: Russian Air Strikes

    Risk, Uncertainty And Invasion Of Ukraine. Is Risk Unavoidable Nowadays?

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 10.08.2022 10:00
    Summary:  Concentrated equity portfolios are common for many retail investors leading to very high risk. We show that by blending a 5-stock portfolio 50/50 with an ETF that tracks the broader equity market the risk is brought down considerably without sacrificing the long-term expected return. If an investor is willing to lower return expectations a bit then the ETF tracking the equity market can be switched to track an asset allocation and reduce risk even more. Finally, we highlight the risk to real wealth from inflation and what can potentially offset some of that risk. Risk is...? What should you know about it? Last year I wrote about my personal approach to managing my own capital which we got a lot of positive feedback from. Given equities would peak a few months later the note was quite timely. With equities significantly lower from their recent peak and the recent bounce in equities, we are taking a slightly different angle to risk management. We are laying out what risk is and what the typical retail equity investor can do to avoid having too much risk should equities begin falling again. First we need to distinguish between risk and uncertainty. Risk can formally be described as process that is quantifiable with a certain confidence bound related to the sampling size; in other words, a process in which can have statistics. Uncertainty is defined as unquantifiable such as the invasion of Ukraine, because the event is unique and thus has no meaningful prior. If we look broader at risk it all starts with the ultimate definition of risk which is avoidance of ruin. While being an important concept and something that can be avoided if an investor refrain from using leverage, ruin can also be losing 98% of wealth; it is just not complete ruin. But it is ruin enough that you need a 4900% gain to get back illuminating the asymmetry between gains and losses. The most normal definition of risk is the variance of some underlying process (for instance a stock) which is a statistically measure of how much a process varies around its mean value. The higher the variance the higher probability of big moves in either direction. Since most retail investors are equity investors, and thus long-only investors, we should care more about the downside risk than the upside risk (gains) as I want as much variance if its lower bound is above zero return. Focusing on downside risk/returns leads to a concept called semi-variance which only focuses on the returns below a certain threshold, often zero, and describes the downside risk. The problem with this approach is that the underlying assumption is a well-behaved distribution of negative returns. Now, we know financial markets and equities are fat-tailed meaning that we observe many more big moves (both gains and losses) than what the normal distribution would indicated. This means that the semi-variance will underestimate the true risk because of the asymmetry in returns. These observations have lead to concepts such as conditional value-at-risk which is a fancy word for calculating the average return of the say 1% or 5% worst returns. This measure has many wonderful statistical properties with one of them being that it is less sensitive to the assumptions of the underlying distribution of returns. A somewhat related concept which is easier to understand is maximum drawdown which is defined as the decline in portfolio value from the maximum value to the lowest value over the entire investment period. Because of the asymmetry of gains and losses, traders focus a lot on this measure and cut losses to avoid big drawdowns or large single period losses (daily, weekly, monthly). How to reduce risk? 5-stock rule The typical return investor has limited capital and thus often end up with portfolios holding only 3-5 stocks as minimum commission otherwise would equates to high transaction costs. The first plot shows the returns of a 5-stock portfolio in European equities in which we select randomly five stocks in January 2010 and let them run through time. If one stock is delisted or bought we just place the weight in cash. We do this 1,000 times to the intrinsic variance in outcomes of such portfolios. A considerable percentage of these 1,000 portfolio end up with a negative return over this 12,5 year period which in itself is remarkable, but the number of portfolios that end with extremely high total returns is also surprisingly high. In other words, a 5-stock portfolio is a lottery ticket with an extreme variance in outcome. The blue line and area represent the median total return path and its variance if these random 5-stock portfolios are blended 50/50 with a the STOXX 600 Index. The striking result is that the median expected return is not changed but total risk (both gains and losses) is reduced considerably. The sharpe ratio, which measures the annualised return relative to the annualised volatility, improves 20% on average by adding an equity market component. So most retail investors can drastically improve their risk-adjusted returns by adding an ETF that tracks the overall equity market without sacrificing the expected return. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group If move on to the maximum drawdown concept we see on the first plot how much the maximum drawdown is reduced by adding the equity market to the 5-stock portfolio. All retail equity investors that have a small concentrated equity portfolio should seriously move to a portfolio where the 5 stocks are kept but reduced to 50% of the portfolio with the freed up cash invested in an ETF that tracks the overall equity market. If an investor is willing to lower expectations for long-term returns, then the ETF tracking the equity market can be substituted with an ETF holding a balanced basket of many different asset classes including government bonds, credit and different types of equities. We use the Xtrackers Portfolio UCITS ETF as an example and should not be viewed as a recommendation but one example of a diversified asset allocation. As the second plot shows the expected distribution of maximum drawdowns from combining 5 stocks with an ETF tracking multiple asset classes is better compared to the other solution combining only with the equity market. The risk-adjusted return is now 43% better than the simple 5-stock portfolio. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Given equities have bounced back in July and so far also in August retail investors have an unique opportunity to bolster portfolios in the case we get another setback in equity markets. Our view is still that inflation will continue to surprise to the upside and that financial conditions will continue to tighten further adding headwinds for equities. At the same time deglobalisation is accelerating adding unpredictable sources of risk to the overall system. Inflation always says its' word These classical approaches to reduce equity risk mentioned above hold for normal environments but if we get into trouble with a prolonged inflationary period such as in the 1970s or a deflation of equity valuation among technology and health care stocks then we could get prolonged period of negative real rate returns. We have two periods in US equity market history since 1969 in which it took 13 and 14 years to get back to a new high in real terms. Our overall theme in our latest Quarterly Outlook was about the tangible world and our bet is that tangible assets will continue to be repriced higher against intangible assets and if we are right investors should consider commodities to offset the risk to real wealth from inflation. Source: Bloomberg Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/the-retail-equity-investors-guide-to-risk-management-09082022
    Tepid BoJ Stance Despite Inflation Surge: Future Policy Outlook

    Walt Disney Results Are Beyond All Expectations. Large Chinese Company Fires More Than 9K Employees!!! Market Newsfeed - 11.08.2022

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 11.08.2022 10:40
    Summary:  Risk on mode activated with a softer US CPI print, both on the headline and core measures. Equities rallied but the Treasury market reaction faded amid the hawkish Fedspeak. The market pricing of Fed expectations also tilted more in favor of a 50 basis points rate hike for September immediately after the CPI release, but this will remain volatile with more data and Fed speakers on tap ahead of the next meeting. Commodities, including oil and base metals, surged higher as the dollar weakened and demand outlook brightened but the gains appeared to be fragile. Gold unable to hold gains above the $1800 level. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities surged after the CPI prints that came in at more moderate level than market expectations. Nasdaq 100 jumped 2.9% and S&P500 gained 2.1%. Technology and consumer discretionary stocks led the market higher. Helped by the fall in treasury yields and better-than-feared corporate earnings in the past weeks, the Nasdaq 100 has risen 21% from its intraday low on June 16 this year and may technically be considered in a new bull market. The U.S. IPO market has reportedly become active again this week and more activities in the pipeline. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) climbed nearly 4% on news that Elon Musk sold USD6.9 billion of Tesla shares to avoid fire sale if having to pay for Twitter. Walt Disney (DIS:xnys) jumped 7% in after-hours trading on better-than-expected results. U.S. yields plunged immediately post CPI but recouped most of the decline during the US session The yields of the front-end of the U.S. treasury curve collapsed initially after the weaker-than-expected CPI data, almost immediately after the CPI release, 2-year yields tumbled as much as 20bps to 3.07% and 10-year yield fell as much as 11bps to 2.67%. Treasury yields then spent the day gradually climbing higher. At the close, 2-year yields were only 6bps at 3.21% and the 10-year ended the day at 2.78% unchanged from its previous close. The 2-10 yield curve steepened by 6bps to -44bps. Hawkish Fedspeak contributed to some of the reversal in the front-end from the post-CPI lows. At the close, the market is pricing in 60bps (i.e. 100% chance of at least a 50bps hike and about 40% chance of a 75bps rate hike) for the September FOMC after having come down to pricing in just about 50bps during the initial post-CPI plunge in yields. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Sang Index declined nearly 2% and CSI300 was down 1.1% on Wednesday. Shares of Chinese property developers plunged.  Longfor (00960) collapsed 16.4% as there was a story widely circulated in market speculating that the company had commercial paper being overdue. In addition, UBS downgraded the Longor together with Country Garden, citing negative free cash flows in the first half of 2022.  Country Garden (02007) fell 7.2%.  After market close, the management held a meeting with investors and said that all commercial papers matured had been duly repaid. China High Speed Transmission Equipment (00658) tumbled 19% after releasing negative profit warnings.  The company expects a loss of up to RMB80 million for first half of 2022. Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical (00874) declined 4.1% after the company filed to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong that the National Healthcare Security Administration was investigating the three subsidiaries of the company for allegedly “obtaining funds by ways of increasing the prices of pharmaceutical products falsely”. Wuxi Biologics (02269) dropped 9.3% as investors worrying its removal from the U.S. unverified list may be delayed in the midst of deterioration of relationship between China and the U.S. Oversized USD reaction on US CPI The US dollar suffered a heavy blow from the softer US CPI print, with the market pricing for September FOMC getting back closer to 50 basis points just after the release. As we noted yesterday, the July CPI print is merely noise with another batch of US job and inflation numbers due ahead of the September meeting. USD took out some key support levels nonetheless, with USDJPY breaking below the 133.50 support to lows of 132.10. Next key support at 131.50 but there possibly needs to be stronger evidence of an economic slowdown to get there. EURUSD broke above 1.0300 to its highest levels since July 5 but remains at risk of reversal given the frothy equity strength. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Oil prices were relieved amid the risk on tone in the markets as softer US CPI and subsequent weakness in the dollar underpinned. WTI futures rose towards $91.50/barrel while Brent futures were at $97.40. EIA data also suggested improvement in demand. US gasoline inventories fell 4,978kbbl last week, which helped push gasoline supplied (a proxy for demand) up 582kb/d to 9.12mb/d. This was slightly tempered by a strong gain in US crude oil inventories, which rose 5,457kbbl last week. Supply concerns eased after Transneft resumed gas supplies to three central European countries which were earlier cut off due to payment issues. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures (TTFMQ2) European natural gas rallied amid concerns over Russian gas supplies and falling water levels on the key Rhine River which threatens to disrupt energy shipments. Dutch front month futures rose 6.9% to EUR 205.47/MWh as a drought amid extreme temperatures has left the river almost impassable. European countries have been filling up their gas storage, largely by factories cutting back on their usage. Further demand curbs and more imports of liquefied natural gas are likely the only option for Europe ahead of the winter. Gold (XAUUSD) and Copper (HGc1) Gold saw a run higher to $1800+ levels immediately after the US inflation report as Treasury yields plunged. However, the precious metal gave up much of these gains after Fed governors warned that it doesn’t change the US central bank’s path toward higher rates this year and next. With China also ceasing military drills around Taiwan, geopolitical risks remain capped for now easing the upside pressure on Gold. Copper was more buoyant as it extended gains on hopes of a stronger demand amid a fall in price pressures.   What to consider? Softer US CPI alters Fed expectations at the margin The US CPI print came in weaker than expected for both the headline and the core measures. The headline softness was driven by huge drops in energy prices from June levels, with the entire energy category market -4.6% lower month-on-month and gasoline down -7.7%, much of the latter on record refinery margins collapsing. The ex-Food & Energy category was up only +0.3% vs. the +0.5% expected, with soft prices month-on-month for used cars and trucks (-0.4%) and especially airfares (-7.8%) dragging the most on figure – again primarily a result of lower energy prices. While this may be an indication that US inflation has peaked, it is still at considerably high levels compared to inflation targets of ~2% and the pace of decline from here matters more than the absolute trend. Shelter costs – the biggest component of services inflation – was up 5.7% y/y, the most since 1991. Fed pricing for the September meeting has tilted towards a 50bps rate hike but that still remains prone to volatility with another set of labor market and inflation prints due ahead of the next meeting. Fed speakers continued to be hawkish Fed speaker Evans and Kashkari were both on the hawkish side despite being some of the most dovish members on the Fed panel. Evans again hinted that tightening will continue into 2023 as inflation remains unacceptably high despite a first sign of cooling prices. The strength of the labor market continued to support the case of a soft landing. Kashkari reaffirmed the view on inflation saying that he is happy to see a downside surprise in inflation, but it remains far from declaring victory. He suggested Fed funds rate will reach 3.9% in 2022 (vs. market pricing of 3.5%) and 4.4% in end 2023 (vs. market pricing of 3.1%). China’s PPI inflation eased while CPI picked up in July China’s PPI came in at 4.2% YoY in July, notably lower from June’s 6.1%).   The decline was mainly a result of lower energy and material prices.  The declines of PPI in the mining and processing sectors were most drastic and those in downstream industries were more moderate.  CPI rose to 2.7% YoY in July from 2.5% in June, less than what the consensus predicted.  Food inflation jumped to 6.3% YoY while the rise in prices of non-food items moderated to 1.9%. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.8% YoY in July, down from June’s 1.0%. In its 2nd quarter monetary policy report released on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China expects the CPI to be at around 3% for the full year of 2022 and the recent downtrend of the PPI to continue. China issues white paper on its stance on Taiwan China ended its military drills surrounding Taiwan on Wednesday, which lasted three days longer what had been originally announced. In a less confrontational white paper released, the Taiwan Affairs Office and the Information Office of China’s State Council reiterated China’s commitment to “work with the greatest sincerity” and exert “utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification”.  The paper further says that China “will only be forced to take drastic measures” if “separatist elements or external forces” ever cross China’s red lines.  Walt Disney results beat estimates Disney reported solid Q2 results with stronger than expected 152.1 million Disney+ subscribers, up 31% YoY and beating market expectations (148.4 million).  Revenues climbed 26% YoY to USD21.5 billion and adjusted EPS came in at USD1.09 versus consensus estimates (USD0.96). Singapore Q2 GDP revised lower The final print of Singapore’s Q2 GDP was revised lower to 4.4% YoY from an advance estimate of 4.8% earlier, suggesting a q/q contraction of 0.2% as against gains of 0.2% q/q earlier. The forecast for annual 2022 growth was also narrowed to 3-4% from 3-5% earlier amid rising global slowdown risks. Another quarter of negative GDP growth print could now bring a technical recession in Singapore, but the officials have, for now, ruled that out and suggest a mild positive growth in Q3 and Q4. Softbank settled presold Alibaba shares early and Alibaba let go of a large number of employees The news that Softbank expects to post a gain of over USD34 billion from early physical settlement of prepaid forward contracts to unload its stake in Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnas) and Alibaba laid off more than 9,000 staff between April and June this year added to the pressures over the share price of Alibaba.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 11, 2022  
    Elon Musk Sells 8 Millions Tesla Stocks? Here Is Why!

    Why Elon Musk Sells His Tesla Shares? Here Is The Answer!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 11.08.2022 11:10
    What is happening? The CEO of the world's largest electric car company has sold about $8.4 billion worth of Tesla shares over the past week. According to documents provided to regulators, the series of transactions took place between August 5 and 9, 2022, shortly after the August 4 shareholder meeting in Austin. As recently as April of this year, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO wrote that he "has no plans for another stock sale," after divesting a stake worth $8.5 billion to buy Twitter. This is not the first time Elon Musk has confused his public. The businessman seems to frequently abuse his influence, throwing around bold statements and increasing the expectations of his followers. When asked recently if he had stopped selling Tesla, for the time being, he replied "yes. In the (hopefully unlikely) event that Twitter forces this deal to close *and* some equity partners don’t come through, it is important to avoid an emergency sale of Tesla stock." However, it's hard not to get the impression that the CEO is simply taking advantage of the recent rebound in the share price. It is possible that his goal is not just to finance the deal, but to try to protect his private fortune. Such a major sale of an important shareholder had a significant impact on both Twitter and Tesla's stock price. Elon Musk failure or a smart plan? Twitter rose at the opening by almost 4%, thanks to the increasing likelihood of the deal being finalized, which may have been due to Musk's recent tweet. Most of the news coming out of the courtroom also reinforces analysts' belief that the Tesla CEO will be forced to buy the company. The platform's stock price has gained more than 35% over the past month, with a price target. Tesla, influenced by the news of the sale of a large stake by the most important person in the company, has lost around 7% over the past four sessions. The company itself gained more than 44% from its July 16 bottom to its August 4 peak at the shareholder meeting. Tesla, like many technology companies, has gained significantly from the recent bear market rally. This growth can also be attributed to Tesla's results, in which it beat expectations for earnings per share (EPS) by more than 26%. However, the macroeconomic analysis is rather pessimistic for the electromobility market in the short and midterm. During recessions, companies are usually unable to achieve high expected growth rates by falling consumer demand. More often than not, revenues fall, profits decline, and as a result, stock prices fall as well.   RafaÅ‚ Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Elon Musk sells nearly 8 million Tesla shares, justifying it by the Twitter lawsuit
    Apple May Rise Price For iPhone 14! Are Fuel Warehouses Empty?

    Apple May Rise Price For iPhone 14! Are Fuel Warehouses Empty?

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 11.08.2022 13:39
    Summary:  Equity markets are ebullient in the wake of the softer than expected US July CPI data print yesterday, as a sharp drop in energy prices helped drag the CPI lower than expected for the month. The knee-jerk reaction held well in equities overnight, if to a lesser degree in the weaker US dollar. But US yields are nearly unchanged from the levels prior to the inflation release, creating an interesting tension across markets, also as some Fed members are explicitly pushing back against market anticipation of the Fed easing next year.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The July CPI report showing core inflation rose only 0.3% m/m compared to 0.5% m/m expected was just what the market was hoping for and had priced into the forward curve for next year’s Fed Funds rate. Long duration assets reacted the most with Nasdaq 100 futures climbing 2.9%. However, investors should be careful not to be too optimistic as we had a similar decline in the CPI core back in March before inflation roared back. As Mester recently stated that the Fed is looking for a sustained reduction in the CPI core m/m, which is likely a 6-month average getting back to around 0.2% m/m. Given the current data points it is not realistic to be comfortable with inflation before late Q1 next year. In Nasdaq 100 future the next natural resistance level is around 13,536 and if the index futures can take out this then the next level be around 14,000 where the 200-day average is coming down to. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities climbed, Hang Seng Index +1.8%, CSI300 Index +1.6%. In anticipation of a 15% rise in the average selling price of Apple’s iPhone 14 as conjectured by analysts, iPhone parts supplier stocks soared in both Hong Kong and mainland exchanges, Q Technology (01478:xhkg) +16%, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) +7%, Cowell E (01415:xhkg) +4%, Lingyi iTech (002600:xsec) +10%. Semiconductors gained, SMIC (00981:xhkg) +3%, Hua Hong (01347:xhkg) +4%. After collapsing 16% in share price yesterday, Longfor (00960) only managed to recover around 3% after the company denied market speculation that it failed to repay commercial papers due. UBS’ downgraded Longfor and Country Garden (02007:xhkkg) yesterday citing negative free cash flows for the first half of 2022 highlighted the tight spots even the leading Chinese private enterprise property developers are in. Chinese internet stocks rallied, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) +3%, Tencent (0700:xhkg) +1%, Meituan (03690:xhkkg) +2.7%. China ended its military drills surrounding Taiwan on Wednesday, which lasted three days longer what had been originally announced. USD: Treasuries don’t point to further weakness here The US dollar knee-jerked lower on the softer-than-expected July CPI data, although US yields ended the day unchanged, creating an interesting tension in a pair like USDJPY, which normally takes its lead from longer US yields (unchanged yesterday after a significant dip intraday after the US CPI release). USDJPY dipped almost all the way to 132.00 after trading above 135.00 earlier in the day. What are traders to do – follow the coincident US yield indicator or the negative momentum created by yesterday’s move? Either way, a return above 135.00 would for USDJPY would likely require an extension higher in the US 10-year yield back near 3.00%. EURUSD is another interesting pair technically after local resistance just below 1.0300 gave way, only to see the pair hitting a brick wall in the 1.0350 area (major prior range low from May-June). Was this a break higher or a misleading knee-jerk reaction to the US data? A close below 1.0250 would be needed there to suggest that EURUSD is focusing back lower again. A similar setup can be seen in AUDUSD and the 0.7000 area, with a bit more sensitivity to risk sentiment there. Gold (XAUUSD) did not have a good day on Wednesday Gold was trading lower on the day after failing to build on the break above resistance at $1803 as the dollar weakened following the lower-than-expected CPI print, thereby reducing demand for gold as an inflation hedge. Instead, the prospect for a potential shallower pace of future rate hikes supported a major risk on rally in stocks and another daily reduction in bullion-backed ETF holdings. Yet comments by two Fed officials saying it doesn’t change the central bank’s path toward even higher rates – and with that the risk of a gold supportive economic weakness - did not receive much attention. Gold now needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation, while silver, which initially received a boost from higher copper prices before following gold lower needs to hold above its 50-day SMA at $20.26. Crude oil Crude oil futures (CLU2 & LCOV2) traded higher on Wednesday supported by a weaker dollar after the lower US inflation print gave markets a major risk on boost. Also, the weekly EIA report showed a jump in gasoline demand reversing the prior week’s sharp drop. Gasoline inventories dropped 5 million barrels to their lowest seasonal level since 2015 on a combination of strong exports and improved domestic demand while crude oil stocks rose 5.4m barrels primarily supported by a 5.3 million barrels release from SPR. Focus today on monthly Oil Market Reports from OPEC and the IEA. Dutch natural gas The Dutch TTF natural gas benchmark futures (TTFMQ2) rallied amid concerns over Russian gas supplies and falling water levels on the key Rhine River which threatens to disrupt energy shipments of fuel and coal, thereby forcing utilities and industries to consumer more pipelined gas. Dutch front month futures rose 6.9% to EUR 205.47/MWh while the October to March winter contract closed at a fresh cycle high above €200/MWH. European countries have been filling up their gas storage, largely by factories cutting back on their usage and through LNG imports, the flow of the latter likely to be challenged by increased demand from Asia into the autumn. Further demand curbs and more imports of liquefied natural gas are likely the only option for Europe ahead of the winter. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) shrug off soft July CPI data US yields at first reacted strongly to the softer-than-expected July CPI release (details below), but ended the day mostly unchanged at all points along the curve, suggesting that the market is unwilling to extend its already aggressive view that the Fed is set to reach peak policy by the end of this year and begin cutting rates. Some Fed members are pushing back strongly against that notion as noted below (particularly Kashkari). A stronger sign that yields are headed back higher for the US 10-year benchmark would be on a close above 2.87% and especially 3.00%. Yesterday’s 10-year auction saw strong demand. What is going on? US July CPI lower than expected The US CPI print came in lower than expected for both the headline and the core measures. The headline softness was driven by huge drops in energy prices from June levels, with the entire energy category marked -4.6% lower month-on-month and gasoline down -7.7%, much of the latter on record refinery margins collapsing. The ex-Food & Energy category was up only +0.3% vs. the +0.5% expected, with soft prices month-on-month for used cars and trucks (-0.4%) and especially airfares (-7.8%) dragging the most on figure. While this may be an indication that US inflation has peaked, it is still at considerably high levels compared to inflation targets of ~2% and the pace of decline from here matters more than the absolute trend. Shelter costs – the biggest component of services inflation – was up 5.7% y/y, the most since 1991. Fed pricing for the September meeting has tilted towards a 50bps rate hike but that still remains prone to volatility with another set of labor market and inflation prints due ahead of the next meeting. Fed speakers maintain hawkish message Fed speaker Evans and Kashkari were both on the hawkish side in rhetoric yesterday. Evans again hinted that tightening will continue into 2023 as inflation remains unacceptably high despite a first sign of cooling prices. The strength of the labor market continued to support the case of a soft landing. Kashkari reaffirmed the view on inflation saying that he is happy to see a downside surprise in inflation, but it remains far from declaring victory. Long thought of previously as the pre-eminent dove among Fed members, he has waxed far more hawkish of late and said yesterday that nothing has changed his view that the Fed funds rate should be at 3.9% at the end of this year (vs. market pricing of 3.5%) and 4.4% by the end 2023 (vs. market pricing of 3.1%). Siemens cuts outlook Germany’s largest industrial company is cutting its profit outlook on impairment charges related to its energy division. FY22 Q3 results (ending 30 June) show revenue of €17.9bn vs est. €17.4bn and orders are strong at €22bn vs est. €19.5bn. Orsted lifts expectations The largest renewable energy utility company in Europe reports Q2 revenue of DKK 26.3bn vs est. 21.7bn, but EBITDA misses estimates and the fiscal year guidance on EBITDA at DKK 20-22bn is significantly lower than estimates of DKK 30.4bn. However, the new EBITDA guidance range is DKK 1bn above the recently stated guidance, so Orsted is doing better than expected but the market had just become too optimistic. Disney beats on subscribers Disney reported FY22 Q3 (ending 2 July) results showing Disney+ subscribers at 152.1mn vs est. 148.4mn surprising the market as several surveys have recently indicated that Amazon Prime and Netflix are losing subscribers. The entertainment company also reported revenue for the quarter of $21.5bn vs est. $21bn with Parks & Experiences deliver the most to the upside surprise. EPS for the quarter was $1.09 vs est. $0.96. If subscribers for ESPN and Hulu are added, then Disney has surpassed Netflix on streaming subscribers. Shares were up 6% in extended trading. Despite the positive result the company lowered its 2024 target for Disney+ subscriber to 135-165mn range. Coupang lifts fiscal year EBITDA outlook The South Korean e-commerce company missed slightly on revenue in Q2 but lifted its fiscal year adjusted EBITDA from a loss of $400mn to positive which lifted shares 6% in extended trading. China’s central bank expects CPI to hover around 3% In its 2nd quarter monetary policy report released on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) expects the CPI being at around 3% for the full year of 2022 and at times exceeding 3%.  The release of pend-up demand from pandemic restrictions, the upturn of the hog-cycle, and imported inflation, in particular energy, are expected to drive consumer price inflation higher for the rest of the year in China but overall within the range acceptable by the central bank.  The PBOC expects the recent downtrend of the PPI to continue and the gap between the CPI and PPI growth rates to narrow. What are we watching next? Next signals from the Fed at Jackson Hole conference Aug 25-27 There is a considerable tension between the market’s forecast for the economy and the resulting expected path of Fed policy for the rest of this year and particularly next year, as the market believes that a cooling economy and inflation will allow the Fed to reverse course and cut rates in a “soft landing” environment (the latter presumably because financial conditions have eased aggressively since June, suggesting that markets are not fearing a hard landing/recession). Some Fed members have tried to push back against the market’s expectations for Fed rate cuts next year it was likely never the Fed’s intention to allow financial conditions to ease so swiftly and deeply as they have in recent weeks. The risks, therefore, point to a Fed that may mount a more determined pushback at the Jackson Hole forum, the Fed’s yearly gathering at Jackson Hole, Wyoming that is often used to air longer term policy guidance. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings in focus are NIO and Rivian with market running hot again on EV-makers despite challenging environment on input costs and increased competition. NIO is expected to grow revenue by 15% y/y in Q2 before seeing growth jumping to 72% y/y in Q3 as pent-up demand is released following Covid restrictions in China in the first half. Rivian, which partly owned by Amazon and makes EV trucks, is expected to deliver its first quarter with meaningful activity with revenue expected at $336mn but free cash flow is expected at $-1.8bn. Today: KBC Group, Brookfield Asset Management, Orsted, Novozymes, Siemens, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, China Mobile, Antofagasta, Zurich Insurance Group, NIO, Rivian Automotive Friday: Flutter Entertainment, Baidu Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – IEA's Monthly Oil Market Report 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – US Jul. PPI 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1700 – US Treasury to auction 30-year T-Bonds 2330 – US Fed’s Daly (Non-voter) to speak During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 11, 2022  
    The US Has Again Benefited From Military Conflicts In Other Parts Of The World, The Capital From Europe And Other Regions Goes To The US

    Is Fed Ready For It's Counter-Attack? Commodities, Earnings And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.08.2022 13:52
    Summary:  Today we look at the sharp correction in energy prices driving a softer than expected CPI print for the US in July, which saw sentiment responding by piling on to the recent rally and taking equities to new highs for the local cycle since June. Interestingly, the reaction to the CPI data has generated some tension as US treasury yields are trading sideways after erasing the knee-jerk drop in yields in the wake of yesterday's data. With financial conditions easing aggressively, the Fed faces quite a task if it wants to counter this development, with recent protests from individual Fed members failing to make an impression. Perhaps the Jackson Hole Fed forum at the end of this month is shaping up as a key event risk? Crude oil, the USD, metals, earnings and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: Soft CPI revives risk rally, but treasury reaction creates dissonance    
    Oz Minerals’ Quarterly Copper Output Hit A Record High, Brent Futures Rose

    Copper Is Smashing For The Second Time This Summer! WTI Is Back From The Dead

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 11.08.2022 14:12
    Overview: The US dollar is consolidating yesterday’s losses but is still trading with a heavier bias against the major currencies and most emerging market currencies. The US 10-year yield is soft below 2.77%, while European yields are mostly 2-4 bp higher. The peripheral premium over the core is a little narrower today. Equity markets, following the US lead, are higher today. The Hang Seng and China’s CSI 300 rose by more than 2% today. Among the large bourses, only Japan struggled, pressured by the rebound in the yen. Europe’s Stoxx 600 gained almost 0.9% yesterday and is edging higher today, while US futures are also firmer. Gold popped above $1800 yesterday but could not sustain it and its in a $5 range on both sides of $1788 today. September WTI rebounded yesterday from a low near $87.65 to close near $92.00. It is firmer today near $93.00. US natgas is 1.4%, its third successive advance and is near a two-week high. Europe’s benchmark is also rising for the third session. It is up nearly 8% this week. Iron ore rose 2% today and it is the fourth gain in five sessions. September copper is also edging higher. If sustained, it would be the fifth gain in six sessions. It is at its highest level since late June. September wheat is 1.1% higher. It has risen every session this week for a cumulative gain of around 4.25%.  Asia Pacific In its quarterly report, the People's Bank of China seemed to downplay the likelihood of dramatic rate cuts or reductions in reserve requirements. It warned that CPI could exceed 3% and ruled out massive stimulus, while promising "high-quality" support, which sounds like a targeted measure. It is not tightening policy but signaled little scope to ease. Note that the 10-year Chinese yield is at the lower end of its six-month range near 2.74%. Its two-year yield is a little above 2.15%, slightly below the middle of its six-month range. Separately, Yiwa, a city of two million people, south of Shanghai has been locked down for three days starting today due to Covid. It is a manufacturing export hub. South Korea reported its first drop (0.7%) in technology exports in two years last month. While some read this to a statement about world demand, and there is likely something there given the earnings reports from the chip sector. However, there seems to be something else at work too. South Korea figures show semiconductor equipment exports to China have been more than halved this year (-51.9%) through July. China had accounted for around 60% of South Korea's semiconductor equipment. Reports suggest the main drivers are the US-China rivalry. Semiconductor investment in China has fallen and South Korea has indicated it intensions to join the US Chip 4 semiconductor alliance. Singapore's economy unexpectedly contracted in Q2. Initially, the government estimated the economy stagnated. Instead, it contracted by 0.2%. Given Singapore's role as an entrepot, its economic performance is often seen as a microcosm of the world economy. There was a nearly a 7% decline in retail trade services, while information and communication services output also fell. After the data, the Ministry of Trade and Industry narrowed this year's GDP forecast to 3%-4% from 3%-5%. While the drop in the US 10-year yield saw the dollar tumble against the yen yesterday, the recovery in yields has not fueled a recovery in the greenback. The dollar began yesterday above JPY135- and fell to nearly JPY132.00. Today, it has been confined to a little less than around half a yen on either side of JPY132.85. The cap seen at the end of last week and early this week in the JPY135.50-60 area, and the 20-day moving average (~JPY135.30) now looks like formidable resistance. Recall that the low seen earlier this month was near JPY130.40. The Australian dollar is also consolidating near yesterday's high set slightly below $0.7110. It was the best level in two months. The $0.7050 area may now offer initial support. The next upside target is seen in the $0.7150-70 band, which houses the (50%) retracement objective of the Aussie's slide from the April high (~$0.7660) and the July low (~$0.6680), and the 200-day moving average. The broad greenback sell-off yesterday saw it ease to about CNY6.7235, its lowest level in nearly a month. Despite the less-than-dovish message from the PBOC, it seemed to signal it did not want yuan strength. It set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7324, a bit above the median (Bloomberg's survey) of CNY6.7308. Europe Germany's coalition government has begun debating over the contours of the next relief package. The center-left government has implemented two support programs to ease the cost-of-living squeeze for around 30 bln euros. A third package is under construction now. The FDP Finance Minister Linder suggested as one of the components a 10 bln euro program to offset the "bracket creep" of higher inflation putting households into a higher tax bracket. The Greens want a more targeted effort to help lower income families. More work needs to be done, but a package is expected to be ready next month. The International Energy Agency estimates that Russian oil output will fall by around a fifth early next year as the EU import ban is implemented. The IEA warns that Russian output may begin declining as early as this month and estimates 2 mln barrels a day will be shut by early 2023. The EU's ban on most Russian oil will begin in early December, and in early February, oil products shipments will also stop. Now the EU buys around 1 mln barrels a day of oil products and 1.3 mln barrels of crude. Russia boosted output in recent months, to around 10.8 mln barrels a day. The IEA estimates that in June, the PRC overtook the EU to become the top market for Russia's seaborne crude (2.1 mln bpd vs. 1.8 mln bpd). Separately, the IEA lifted its estimate of world consumption by about 380k barrels a day from its previous forecast, concentrated in the Middle East and Europe. The unusually hot weather in the Middle East, where oil is burned for electricity, has seen stronger demand. In Europe, there has been more switched from gas to oil. The euro surged to almost $1.0370 yesterday on the back of the softer than expected US CPI. It settled near $1.03. It is trading firmly in the upper end of that range today. It held above $1.0275, just below the previous high for the month (~$1.0295). Today's high, was set in the European morning, near $1.0340. There is a trendline from the February, March, and June highs found near $1.04 today. It is falling by a little less than half a cent a week. Sterling's rally yesterday stalled in front of this month's high set on August 1 slightly shy of $1.2295. It is straddling the area where it settled yesterday (~$1.2220). We suspect the market may test the lows near $1.2180, and a break could see another half-cent loss ahead of tomorrow's Q2 GDP. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.2% contraction after a 0.8% expansion in Q1.  America What the jobs data did for expectations for the Fed at next month's meeting were largely reversed by slower the expected CPI readings. On the eve of the employment data, the market was discounting a little better than a 35% chance of another 75 bp hike. It jumped to over a 75% chance after employment report but settled yesterday around a 45% chance. It is still in its early days, and the Fed will see another employment and CPI report before it has to decide. Although the market has downgraded the chances of a 75 bp hike at next month's meeting, it still has the Fed lifting rates 115 bp between now and the end of year. The market recognizes that that Fed is not done tightening no matter what trope is dragged out to use as a strawman. The truth is the market is pushing against some Fed views. Chicago Fed's Evans, who many regard as a dove from earlier cycles, said that Fed funds could finish next year in the 3.75%-4.00% area, which opined would be the terminal rate. The swaps market says that the Fed funds terminal rate is closer to 3.50% and in the next six months. More than that, the Fed funds futures are pricing in a cut late next year. At least a 25 bp cut has been discounted since the end of June. It was the Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari that surprised many with his hawkishness. Many see him as a dove because five years ago, he dissented against rate increases in 2017. However, he has been sounding more hawkish in this context and revealed yesterday that it was his "dot" in June at 3.90% this year and 4.4% next year. These were the most extreme forecasts. Perhaps it is not that he is more dovish or hawkish, labels that seemingly take a life on of their own but more activity. While neither Evans nor Kashkari vote on the FOMC this year, they do next year. San Francisco Fed President Daly seemed more willing to consider moderating the pace of tightening but still sees more work to be done. She does not vote this year or next.  Headline CPI was unchanged last month and the 0.3% rise in the core rate was less than expected. At 8.5%, the headline is rate is still too high for comfort, and the unchanged 5.9% core rate warns significant progress may be slow. Shelter is about a third of the CPI basket and it is rising about 0.5% a month. It is up 5.7% year-over-year. If everything else was unchanged, this would lift CPI to 2%. The US reports July Producer Prices. Both the core and headline readings are expected to have slowed. The headline peaked in March, 11.6% above year ago levels. It was 11.3% in June and is expected to have fallen to 10.4%. The core rate is likely to post its fourth consecutive decline. It peaked at 9.6% in March and fell to 8.2% in June. The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) is for a 7.7% year-over-year pace, which would be the lowest since last October.  Late in the North American session, Mexico's central bank is expected to deliver its second consecutive 75 bp rate hike. It will lift the overnight target rate to 8.5%. The July CPI reported Tuesday stood at 8.15% and the core 7.65%. The swaps market has a terminal rate near 9.5% in the next six months. The subdued US CPI reading, helped spur a 0.85% rally in the JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index yesterday, its largest gain in almost four weeks. The peso, often a liquid and accessible proxy, rose around 1.1%. The greenback briefly traded below MXN20.00 for the first time since late June. The move was so sharp that closed below its lower Bollinger Band (~MXN20.08) for the first time in six months. The US dollar slumped to almost CAD1.2750 yesterday to hold above the 200-day moving average (~CAD1.2745). It is the lowest level in nearly two months, and it has not traded below the 200-day moving average since June 9. Like the other pairs, it is consolidating today near the lower end of yesterday's greenback range. The swaps market downgraded the likelihood that the Bank of Canada follows last month's 100 bp hike with a 75 bp move when it meets on September 7. It is now seen as a 30% chance, less than half of what was projected at the end of last week. We suspect that the US dollar can recover into the CAD1.2800-20 area today.     Disclaimer   Source: US Dollar Soft while Consolidating Yesterday's Drop
    Eyes On Iran Nuclear Deal: Oil Case. Gold Price Is Swinging

    Eyes On Iran Nuclear Deal: Oil Case. Gold Price Is Swinging

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 11.08.2022 14:32
    Oil treading water after volatile 24 hours Needless to say, it was quite a volatile session in oil markets on Wednesday. A positive surprise on inflation was followed by a huge inventory build reported by EIA and then the highest US output since April 2020. Meanwhile, oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline resumed after a brief pause that jolted the markets. That’s a lot of information to process in the space of a couple of hours and you can see that reflected in the price action. And it keeps coming this morning, with the IEA monthly oil report forecasting stronger oil demand growth as a result of price incentivised gas to oil switching in some countries. It now sees oil demand growth of 2.1 million barrels per day this year, up 380,000. It also reported that Russian exports declined 115,000 bpd last month to 7.4 million from around 8 million at the start of the year. The net effect of all of this is that oil prices rebounded strongly on Wednesday but are pretty flat today. WTI is back above $90 but that could change if we see progress on the Iran nuclear deal. It’s seen plenty of support around $87-88 over the last month though as the tight market continues to keep the price very elevated. Gold performs handbrake turn after breakout It was really interesting to see gold’s reaction to the inflation report on Wednesday. The initial response was very positive but as it turned out, also very brief. Having broken above $1,800, it performed a swift u-turn before ending the day slightly lower. It can be difficult to gauge market reactions at the moment, in part because certain markets seem to portray far too much economic optimism considering the circumstances. With gold, the initial response looked reasonable. Less inflation means potentially less tightening. Perhaps we then saw some profit-taking or maybe some of that economic optimism crept in and rather than safe havens, traders had the appetite for something a little riskier. Either way, gold is off a little again today but I’m not convinced it’s peaked. From a technical perspective, $1,800 represents a reasonable rotation point. Fundamentally, I’m just not convinced the market is currently representative of the true outlook. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Source: Oil stablizes, gold pares gains
    Bitcoin Is Showing The Potential For The Further Downside Rotation

    Bitcoin Like Phoenix!? Crypto Community Can Breathe A Sigh Of Relief

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 11.08.2022 14:48
    Investors are certainly in a more upbeat mood as the relief from the US inflation data ripples through the markets. Positive surprises have been hard to come by on the inflation front this year and yesterday’s report was very much welcomed with open arms. While we shouldn’t get too carried away by the data, with headline inflation still running at 8.5% and core 5.9%, it’s certainly a start and one we’ve waited a long time for. Fed policymakers remain keen to stress that the tightening cycle is far from done and a policy u-turn early next year is highly unlikely. Once again, the markets are at odds with the Fed’s assessment on the outlook for interest rates but this time in such a way that could undermine its efforts so you can understand their concerns. I expect we’ll continue to see policymakers unsuccessfully push back against market expectations in the coming weeks while further driving home the message that data dependency works both ways. That said, the inflation report has further fueled the optimism already apparent in the markets and could set the tone for the rest of the summer. PBOC signals no further easing Unlike many other central banks, the PBOC has the scope to tread more carefully and continue to support the economy as it contends with lockdowns amid spikes in Covid cases. The country’s zero-Covid policy is a huge economic headwind and proving to be a drain on domestic demand. The PBOC has made clear in its quarterly monetary policy report though that it doesn’t want to find itself in the same position as many other countries right now. With inflation close to 3%, further easing via RRR or interest rates looks unlikely for the foreseeable future. Cautious targeted support looks the likely path forward as the central bank guards against inflation risks, despite the data yesterday surprising to the downside. Singapore trims growth forecasts A surprise contraction in the second quarter has forced Singapore to trim its full-year growth forecast range from 3-5% to 3-4% as the economy contends with a global slowdown, to which the country is particularly exposed, and Covid-related uncertainty in China. While the MAS has indicated monetary policy is appropriate after tightenings this year, inflation remains high so further pressures on this front may add to the headwinds for the economy. Where’s the momentum? Bitcoin took the inflation news very well and it continues to do so. Slower tightening needs and improved risk appetite is music to the ears of the crypto community who will be more confident that the worst is behind it than they’ve been at any point this year. Whether that means stellar gains lie ahead is another thing. The price hit a new two-month high today but I’m still not seeing the momentum I would expect and want. That may change of course and a break of $25,000 could bring that but we still appear to be seeing some apprehension that may hold it back in the near term. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Source: Welcome relief
    UK Budget: Short-term positives to be met with medium-term caution

    Boris Johnson Resignation Cause Further Difficulties For Pound Sterling (GBP)!? MarketTalk

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 11.08.2022 12:20
    US consumer prices eased in July, and they eased more than expected. US yields pulled lower after the CPI print, the US 10-year yield retreated, the US dollar slipped, gold gained, and the US stock markets rallied. Forex The EURUSD jumped to 1.0370 mark, as Cable made another attempt to 1.2272 but failed to extend gains into the 1.23 mark. And It will likely be hard for the pound sterling to post a meaningful recovery even if the dollar softens more, as there are too much political uncertainties in Britain following Boris Johnson’s resignation.   The sterling is under pressure, but the FTSE100 does just fine, and I will focus on why the British blue-chip companies are in a position to extend gains in this episode. Disney Elsewhere, Disney jumped on strong quarterly results, Tesla rallied despite news that Elon Musk dumped more stocks to prepare for an eventual Twitter purchase. Twitter shares gained.   Watch the full episode to find out more!   0:00 Intro 0:27 Softer-than-expected US CPI boosts appetite… 2:03 … but FOMC members warn that inflation war is far over! 3:39 FX update: USD softens, gold, euro, sterling advance 5:55 Why FTSE 100 is still interesting? 8:06 Disney jumps on strong results, Tesla, Twitter gain Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #inflation #data #Gold #XAU #USD #EUR #GBP #FTSE #Disney #earnings #Tesla #Twitter #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq   Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH Source: Stocks up on soft US CPI, but inflation war is not over! | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote
    Key Support Levels in Forex Pairs: EURUSD, GBPUSD, and EURGBP

    Apple Stock Price Hit $170 On Thursday! What About New iPhones Production? Energy Stocks: BP Increased By Over 1% Yesterday!

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 12.08.2022 10:46
    US equities could hardly consolidate gains they posted following the Wednesday’s softer-than-expected inflation data in the US, even as the producer price index printed the first monthly decline since April 2020. The barrel of US crude rebounded to $94 as the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the biggest US oil companies’ combined deficit is almost back to the historical lows, and that the soaring gas prices boosted the use of oil-power generation, and that the ‘substantial’ gas-to-oil switching is, in return, set to boost crude consumption for the rest of the year, even as demand growth from other parts of the economy slows. Technology stocks and cryptocurrencies remain on a positive path as well, for now. Apple hit $170 yesterday Oil stocks gained along with the rebound in crude prices. But technology stocks and cryptocurrencies remain on a positive path as well, for now. Apple hit $170 yesterday, as Amazon is preparing to test its 200-DMA to the upside. Elsewhere, gold remains under pressure, while Bitcoin tests $25K resistance- Ethereum’s final test before the Merge update was succesful, hinting that major cryptocurrencies could extend gains during the weekend. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:30 Post-CPI rally remains short-lived 3:33 Oil jumps as IEA warns of ‘substantial’ oil-to-gas demand shift 5:12 Oil stocks gain, tech stocks remain on positive path, too 7:55 Gold soft, Bitcoin & Ethereum up on ETH’s successful pre-Merger test #MarketNews Some stock market #bulls are watching a technical indicator for clues on whether a summer rebound in #US equities will roll on. 👇https://t.co/k7q9LZhAsZ — Swissquote (@Swissquote) August 12, 2022 Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #crude #oil #rally #IEA #warning #BP #XOM #Apple #Amazon #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Merge #test #US #inflation #data #Gold #XAU #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    Commodities Update: Strong Russian Oil Flows to China and Volatility in European Gas Market

    Natural Gas Report After Weekly US Storage - Obnoxious Results

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.08.2022 11:34
    Summary:  Today we note that the big surge in yields at the long end of the US yield curve were likely the critical factor in capping and reversing the extension of the rally in equities yesterday. The US dollar found a bit of resilience on the development as well, if only half-hearted. Elsewhere, we zoom in on global natural gas supply concerns after the latest weekly US storage yesterday, discuss the grains outlook with a key report up late today and look ahead at the fairly busy macro calendar next week, while wondering how the Fed deals with re-establishing its hawkish credibility. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please!   We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: US yields jump, capping complacency
    RBA Pauses Rates as Australian Dollar Slides; ISM Manufacturing PMI in Focus

    Dollar (USD) Became Stronger, Not Enough Yet. Fed Better Meet Expectations!

    John Hardy John Hardy 12.08.2022 14:23
    Summary:  US treasury yields at the long end of the yield curve jumped higher yesterday to multi-week highs, a challenge to widespread complacency across global markets. The USD found a modicum of support on the development, though this was insufficient to reverse the recent weakening trend. It will likely take a more determined rise in US yields and a tightening of financial conditions, possibly on further Fed pushback against market policy expectations, to spark a more significant USD comeback. FX Trading focus: US yields jump, not yet enough to reverse recent USD dip A very interesting shift in the US yield curve yesterday as long yields jumped aggressively higher, with the 30-year yield getting the most focus on a heavy block sale of US “ultra” futures and a softer than expected 30-year T-bond auction from the US treasury. The 30-year benchmark yield jumped as much as 15 basis points from the prior close, with the 10-year move a few basis points smaller. We shouldn’t over-interpret a single day’s action, but it is a technical significant development and if it extends, could be a sign of tightening liquidity as the Fed ups its sales of treasuries and even a sign that market concern is growing that the Fed will fail to get ahead of inflation. As for the market reaction, the USD found some support, but it was modest stuff – somewhat surprisingly in the case of the normally very long-US-yield-sensitive USDJPY. Overnight, a minor shuffle in Japanese PMI Kishida’s cabinet has observers figuring that there is no real determined pushback yet against the Kuroda BoJ’s YCC policy, with focus more on bringing relief to lower income households struggling with price rises for essentials. Indeed, BoJ policy is only likely to come under significant pressure again if global yields pull to new cycle highs and the JPY finds itself under siege again. As for USDJPY, it has likely only peaked if long US yields have also peaked for the cycle. Chart: EURUSD EURUSD caught in limbo here, having pulled up through the resistance in the 1.0275+ area after a long bought of tight range trading, but not yet challenging through the next key layer of resistance into 1.0350+. It wouldn’t take much of a further reversal here to freshen up the bearish interest – perhaps a dip and close below 1.0250 today, together with a bit of follow through higher in US yields and a further correction in risk sentiment. Eventually, we look for the pair to challenge down well through parity if USD yields retest their highs and beyond. Source: Saxo Group Elsewhere – watching sterling here as broader sentiment may be at risk of rolling over and as we wind our way to the conclusion of the battle to replace outgoing Boris Johnson, with Liz Truss all but crowned. Her looser stance on fiscal prudence looks a sterling negative given the risks from UK external deficits. Her instincts seem pro-supply side on taxation, but the populist drag of cost-of-living issues has shown her to be quick to change her stripes – as she has often been, having reversed her position on many issues, including Brexit (was a former remainer). Today’s reminder of the yawning trade deficit (a current run rate of around 10% of GDP) and the energy/power situation together with dire supply side restraints on the UK economy have us looking for sterling weakness – a start would be a dip below 1.2100 in GBPUSD, which would reverse the reaction earlier this week to the US July CPI release. The week ahead features an RBNZ on Wednesday (market nearly fully priced for another two meetings of 50 basis points each). NZDUSD has looked too ambitious off the lows – there is no strong external surplus angle for the kiwi like there is for the Aussie – might be a place to get contrarian to the recent price action if global risk sentiment is set to roll over again finally now that the VIX has pushed all the way to 20 (!).  A Norges Bank meeting on Thursday may see the bank hiking another 50 basis points as it continues to catch up to inflationary outcomes. The US FOMC minutes are up next Wednesday and may be a bit of a fizzle, given that the bulk of the easing financial conditions that the Fed would like to push back against came after the meeting. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The US dollar hasn’t gotten much from the latest development in yields – watching the next couple of sessions closely for direction there, while also watching for the risk of more sterling downside, while NZD looks overambitious on the upside. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. The EURGBP turn higher could follow through here – on the lookout for that development while also watching GBPUSD status in coming sessions and whether the EURUSD move higher also follows through as per comments on the chart above. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Fed’s Barkin (non-voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Preliminary University of Michigan sentiment Share Source: FX Update: US yield jump brings USD resilience if not a reversal.
    Chile's Lithium Nationalization and the Global Trend of Resource Nationalism: Implications for EV Supply Chains and Efforts to Strengthen Battery Metal Supply

    Commodities: Prices Are Rising, Heatwaves In US And China Affect The Production Of Cotton

    Ole Hansen Ole Hansen 12.08.2022 16:00
    Summary:  The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing, driven by recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked. With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support, especially across the sectors of energy and key agriculture commodities. The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing. According to the Bloomberg commodity sector indices, the correction period triggered peak to bottom moves of 41% in industrial metals, 31% in grains and 27% in energy. The main reason for the dramatic correction following a record run of strong gains was the change in focus from tight supply to worries about demand. Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver has been the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing but recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked have all helped support markets that have gone through weeks and in some cases months of sharp price declines, and with that an aggressive amount of long liquidation from financial traders as well as selling from macro-focused funds looking for a hedge against an economic downturn.With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support and problems for those who have been selling markets looking for even lower prices in anticipation of recession and lower demand. Backwardation remains elevated despite growth worries The behaviour of spot commodity prices, as seen through first month futures contracts, rarely gives us the full fundamental picture with the price action often being dictated by technical price-driven speculators and funds focusing on macroeconomic developments, as opposed to the individual fundamental situation. The result of this has been a period of aggressive selling on a combination of bullish bets being scaled back but also increased selling from funds looking to hedge an economic slowdown.An economic slowdown, or in a worst-case scenario a recession, would normally trigger a surplus of raw materials as demand falters and production is slow to respond to a downturn in demand. However, during the past three months of selling, the cost of commodities for immediate delivery has maintained a healthy premium above prices for later deliveries. The chart below shows the spread measured in percent between the first futures and the 12-month forward futures contract, and while the tightness has eased a bit, we are still seeing tightness across a majority, especially within energy and agriculture. A sign that the market has sold off on expectations more than reality, and it raises the prospect of a strong recovery once the growth outlook stabilises. Crude oil The downward trending price action in WTI and Brent for the past couple of months is showing signs of reversing on a combination of the market reassessing the demand outlook amid continued worries about supply and who will and can meet demand going forward. The recovery from below $95 in Brent and $90 in WTI this week was supported by signs of softer US inflation reducing the potential peak in the Fed fund rates, thereby improving the growth outlook. In addition, the weaker dollar and improving demand, especially in the US where gasoline prices at the pumps have fallen below $4 per gallon for the first time since March.In addition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its global consumption estimate by 380 kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch from expensive gas to fuel-based products. Meanwhile, OPEC may struggle to raise output in the coming months due to limited spare capacity. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold (XAUUSD) The recently under siege yellow metal was heading for a fourth weekly gain, supported by a weaker dollar after the lower-than-expected US CPI and PPI data helped reduce expectations for how high the Fed will allow rates to run. However, rising risk appetite as seen through surging stocks and bond yields trading higher on the week have so far prevented the yellow metal from making a decisive challenge at key resistance above $1800/oz, and the recent decline in ETF holdings and low open interest in COMEX futures points to a market that is looking for a fresh and decisive trigger. We believe the markets newfound optimism about the extent to which inflation can successfully be brought under control remains too optimistic and together with several geopolitical worries, we see no reason to exit our long-held bullish view on gold as a hedge and diversifier. Gold has found some support at the 50-day moving average line at $1783, and needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation the short-term. While some resistance is located just above $1800 gold needs a decisive break above $1829 in order to trigger the momentum needed to attract fresh buying in ETFs and managed money accounts in futures. Source: Saxo Group Industrial metals (Copper)   Copper has rebounded around 18% since hitting a 20-month low last month, thereby supporting a general recovery across industrial metals, the hardest hit sector during the recent correction. Supported by a softer dollar, data showing the US economy remains robust, easing concerns about the demand outlook in China and not least disruptions to producers in Asia, Europe as well as South America potentially curtailing supply at a time when exchange-monitored inventories remain at a decade low. All developments that have forced speculators to cut back recently established short positions.The potential for an improved demand outlook in China and BHP's recent announcement that it has made an offer for OZ Minerals and its nickel and copper-focused assets, is the latest in a series of global acquisitions aimed at shoring up supplies of essential metals for the energy transition. With its high electrical conductivity, copper supports all the electronics we use, from smartphones to medical equipment. It already underpins our existing electricity systems, and it is crucial to the electrification process needed over the coming years in order to reduce demand for energy derived from fossil fuels.Following a temporary recovery in the price of copper around the beginning of June when China began easing lockdown restrictions, the rally quickly ran out of steam and copper went on to tumble below key support before eventually stabilizing after finding support at $3.14/lb., the 61.8% retracement of the 2020 to 2022 rally. Since then, the price has recovered strongly but may temporarily pause after reaching finding resistance in the $3.70/lb area. We maintain a long-term bullish view on copper and prefer buying weakness instead of selling into strength. Source: Saxo Group The grains sector traded at a five-week high ahead of Friday’s supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture. The Bloomberg Grains Index continues to recover following its 28% June to July correction with gains this past week being led by wheat and corn in response to a weaker dollar and not least hot and dry weather in the US and another heatwave in Europe raising concerns about yield and production. Hot and dry weather at a critical stage for yield developments ahead of the soon-to-be-harvested crop has given the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report some additional attention with surveys pointing to price support with the prospect of lower yields lowering expectations for the level of available stocks ahead of the coming winter. Cotton, up 8% this month has seen the focus switch from growth and demand worries, especially in China, to deepening global supply concerns as heatwaves in the US and China hurt production prospects. Friday’s monthly supply and demand report (WASDE) from the US Department of Agriculture was expected to show lower US production driving down ending stocks by around 10% to 2.2 m bales, an 11-year low. Arabica coffee, in a downtrend since February, has also seen a steady rise since bouncing from key support below $2/lb last month. A persistent and underlying support from South American production worries has reasserted itself during the past few weeks as the current on-season crop potentially being the lowest since 2014. Brazil’s drought and cold curbed flowering last season and severe frosts in July 2021 led farmers to cut down coffee trees at a time of high costs for agricultural inputs, notably fertilizer. In addition, Columbia another top producer, has seen its crop being reduced by too much rainfall. Source: WCU: Commodity correction may have exhausted itself
    The Gold Rally Is Continuing To Stall, This Could Be A Good Year For Crude Oil

    WTI Astonishing Streak! Japan Jumps. China, Australia And South Korea Are In Trouble?

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 12.08.2022 15:15
    Overview: The markets are putting the finishing touches on this week’s activity. Japan, returning from yesterday’s holiday bought equities, and its major indices jumped more than 2%. China, South Korea, and Australia struggled. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is firmer for the third consecutive session. It is up about 1.3% this week. US futures are also firmer after reversing earlier gains yesterday to close lower on the day. The US 10-year yield is flat near 2.88%, while European benchmarks are 4-6 bp higher. The greenback is mixed. The dollar-bloc currencies and Norwegian krone are slightly firmer, while the Swedish krona, sterling, and the yen are off around 0.3%-0.6%. Emerging market currencies are also mixed, though the freely accessible currencies are mostly firmer. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is up about 1.15% this week, ahead of the Latam session, which if sustained would be the strongest performance in three months. Gold is consolidating at lower levels having been turned back from $1800 in the middle of the week. Near $1787.50, it is up less than 0.7% for the week. September WTI is edging higher for the third consecutive session, which would match the longest streak since January. US natgas surged 8.2% yesterday but has come back offered today. It is off 2.3%. Europe’s natgas benchmark is snapping a three-day advance of nearly 8% and is off 1.8% today. Iron ore rose 2.2% yesterday and it gave most of its back today, sliding almost 1.7%. September copper is unchanged after rallying more than 3.3% over the past two sessions. September wheat has a four-day rally in tow but is softer ahead of the Department of Agriculture report (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates). Asia Pacific   Japan and China will drop some market sensitive high-frequency economic data as trading begins in the new week.  Japan will release its first estimate of Q2 GDP. The median in Bloomberg's survey and the average of a dozen Japanese think tanks (cited by Jiji Press) project around a 2.7% expansion of the world's third-largest economy, after a 0.5% contraction in Q1. Consumption and business investment likely improved. Some of the demand was probably filled through inventories. They added 0.5% to Q1 growth but may have trimmed Q2 growth. Net exports were a drag on Q1 (-04%) and may be flat. The GDP deflator was -0.5% in Q1 and may have deteriorated further in Q2. Some observers see the cabinet reshuffle that was announced this week strengthening the commitment to ease monetary policy. The deflation in the deflator shows what Governor Kuroda's successor next April must address as well. China reports July consumption (retail sales), industrial output, employment (surveyed jobless rate), and investment (fixed assets and property).  The expected takeaway is that the world's second-largest economy is recovering but slowly. Industrial output and retail sales are expected to have edged up. Of note, the year-to-date retail sales compared with a year ago was negative each month in Q2 but is expected to have turned positive in July. The year-over-year pace of industrial production is expected to rise toward 4.5%, which would be the best since January. The housing market, which acted as a critical engine of growth is in reverse. New home prices (newly build commercial residential building prices in 70 cities) have been falling on a year-over-year basis starting last September, and likely continued to do so in July. Property investment (completed investment in real estate) likely fell for the fourth consecutive month. It has slowed every month beginning March 2021. The pace may have accelerated to -5.6% year-over-year after a 5.4% slide in the 12-months through June. The surveyed unemployed rate was at 4.9% last September and October. It rose to 6.1% in April and has slipped back to 5.5% in June. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey expects it to have remained there in July. Lastly, there are no fixed dates for the lending figures and the announcement of the one-year medium-term lending facility rate. Lending is expected to have slowed sharply from the surge in June, while the MLF rate is expected to be steady at 2.85%. Over the several weeks, foreign investors have bought a record amount of Japanese bonds.  Over the past six weeks, foreigners snapped up JPY6.44 trillion (~$48 bln). It may partly reflect short-covering after the run-in with the Bank of Japan who bought a record amount to defend the yield-curve control cap of 0.25% on the 10-year bond. There is another consideration. For dollar-based investors, hedging the currency risk, which one is paid to do, a return of more than 4% can be secured. At the same time, for yen-based investors, hedging the currency risk is expensive, which encourages the institutional investors to return to the domestic market. Japanese investors have mostly been selling foreign bonds this year. However, the latest Ministry of Finance data shows that they were net buyers for the third consecutive week, matching the longest streak of the year. Still, the size is small. suggesting it may not be a broad or large force yet. Although the US 10-year yield jumped 10 bp yesterday, extending its recovery from Monday's low near 2.75% for a third session, the dollar barely recovered against the yen.  After falling 1.6% on Wednesday, after the softer than expected US CPI, the greenback rose 0.1% yesterday and is edging a little higher today. Partly what has happened is that the exchange rate correlation with the 10-year yield has slackened while the correlation with the two-year has increased. In fact, the correlation of the change in the two-year and the exchange rate is a little over 0.60 and is the highest since March. The dollar appears to be trading comfortably now between two large set of options that expire today. One set is at JPY132 for $860 mln and the other at JPY134 for $1.3 bln. Around $0.7120, the Australian dollar is up about 3% this week and is near two-month highs. It reached almost $0.7140 yesterday. The next technical target is in the $0.7150-$0.7170 area. Support is seen ahead of $0.7050. Next week's data highlight is the employment data (August 18). The greenback traded in a CNY6.7235-CNY6.7600 on Wednesday and remained in that range yesterday and today. For the second consecutive week, the dollar has alternated daily between up and down sessions for a net change of a little more than 0.1%. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7413, tight to expectations (Bloomberg's survey) of CNY6.7415. Europe   The UK's economy shrank by 0.6% in June, ensuring a contraction in Q2.  The 0.1% shrinkage was a bit smaller than expected but the weakness was widespread. Consumption fell by 0.2% in the quarter, worse than expected, while government spending collapsed by 2.9% after a 1.3% pullback in Q1. A decline in Covid testing and slower retail sales were notable drags. The one bright spot was business investment was stronger than expected. The June data itself was miserable, though there was an extra holiday (Queen's jubilee). All three sectors, industrial output, services, and construction, all fell in June and the trade balance deteriorated. The market's expectation for next month's BOE meeting was unaffected by the data. The swaps market has about an 85% chance of another 50 bp hike discounted.  Industrial output in the eurozone rose by 0.7%, well above the 0.2% median forecast in Bloomberg's survey and follows a 2.1% increase in May.  The manufacturing PMI warned that an outright contraction is possible. Of the big four members, only Italy disappointed. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey anticipated a decline in German, France, and Spain. Instead, they reported gains of 0.4%, 1.4%, and 1.1% respectively. Industrial output was expected to have contracted by 0.1% in Italy and instead it reported a 2.1% drop. In aggregate, the strength of capital goods (2.6% month-over-month) and energy (0.6%) more than offset the declines in consumer goods and intermediate goods. The year-over-year rise of 2.4% is the strongest since last September. The disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the uneven Covid outbreaks and responses are as Rumsfeld might have said known unknowns.  But the disruptive force that may not be fully appreciated is about to get worse. The German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration is warning that water in the Rhine River will fall below a critical threshold this weekend. At an important waypoint, the level may fall to about 13 inches (33 centimeters). Less than around 16 inches (40 centimeters) and barges cannot navigate. An estimated 400k barrels a day of oil products are sent from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region to Germany and Switzerland. The International Energy Agency warns that the effects could last until late this year, and hits landlocked countries who rely on the Rhine the hardest. Bloomberg reported that Barge rates from Rotterdam to Basel have risen to around 267 euros a ton, a ten-fold increase in a few months. The strong surge in the euro to almost $1.0370 on Wednesday has stalled.  The euro is consolidating inside yesterday's relatively narrow range (~$1.0275-$1.0365). The momentum traders may be frustrated by the lack of follow-through. We suspect a break of $1.0265 would push more to the sidelines. The downtrend line from the February, March, and June highs comes in slightly above $1.0385 today. The broad dollar selloff in response to the July CPI saw sterling reach above $1.2275, shy of the month's high closer to $1.2295. Similar to the euro, sterling stalled. It has slipped through yesterday's low (~$1.2180). A break of the $1.2140 area could see $1.2100. That said, the $1.20 area could be the neckline of a double top and a convincing break would signal the risk of a return to the lows set a month ago near $1.1760. America   Think about the recent big US economic news.  It began last Friday with a strong employment report, more than twice what economists expected (median, Bloomberg survey) and a new cyclical low in unemployment. The job gains were broadly distributed. That was followed by a softer than expected CPI and PPI. Some observers placed emphasis on the slump in productivity and jump in unit labor costs. Those are derived from GDP figures and are not measured separately, though they are important economic concepts. Typically, when GDP is contracting, productivity contracts and by definition, unit labor costs rise. In effect, the market for goods and services adjusts quicker the labor market, and the market for money, even quicker. If the economy expands as the Atlanta Fed GDPNow tracker or the median in Bloomberg's survey project (2.5% and 2.0%, respectively), productivity will improve, and unit labor costs will fall. Barring a precipitous fall today, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ will advance for the fourth consecutive week.  The 10-year yield fell by almost 45 bp on the last three week of July and has recovered around half here in August. That includes five basis points this week despite the softer inflation readings. The two-year note yield fell almost 25 bp in the last two weeks of July and jumped 34 bp last week. It is virtually flat this week around 3.22%. The odds of a 75 bp rate hike at next month's FOMC meeting fell from about 75% to about 47%. The year-end rate expectation fell to 3.52% from 3.56%. Some pundits claim the market is pricing in a March 2023 cut, but the implied yield of the March 2023 Fed funds futures contract is 18 bp above the December 2022 contract. It matches the most since the end of June. Still, while the Federal Reserve is trying to tighten financial conditions the market is pushing back. The Bloomberg Financial Conditions Index is at least tight reading since late April. The Goldman Sachs Financial Condition index is the least tight in nearly two months.  US import and export prices are the stuff that captures the market's imagination.  However, the preliminary University of Michigan's consumer survey, and especially the inflation expectations can move the markets, especially given that Fed Chair Powell cited it as a factor encouraging the 75 bp hike in June. The Bloomberg survey shows the median expectation is for a tick lower in inflation expectations, with the one-year slipping to 5.1% from 5.2%. The 5-10-year expectation is seen easing to 2.8% from 2.9%. If accurate, it would match the lowest since April 2021. The two-year breakeven (difference between the conventional yield and the inflation-protected security) peaked in March near 5% and this week reached 2.70%, its lowest since last October. It is near 2.80% now. Mexico delivered the widely anticipated 75 bp hike yesterday.  The overnight rate target is now 8.50%. The decision was unanimous. It is the 10th consecutive hike and concerns that AMLO's appointments would be doves has proven groundless. The central bank meets again on September 29. Like other central banks, it did not pre-commit to the size of the next move, preserving some tactical flexibility. If the Fed hikes by 75 bp, it will likely match it. Peru's central bank hiked its reference rate by 50 bp, the 10th consecutive hike of that magnitude after starting the cycle last August with a 25 bp move. It is not done. Lima inflation was near 8.75% last month and the reference rate is at 6.50%. The Peruvian sol is up about 1.2% this month, coming into today. It has appreciated by around 3.25% year-to-date, making it the second-best performer in the region after Brazil's 8.1% rise. Argentina hiked its benchmark Leliq rate by 950 bp yesterday to 69.5%. It had delivered an 800 bp hike two weeks again. Argentina's inflation reached 71% last month. The Argentine peso is off nearly 23.5% so far this year, second only to the Turkish lira (~-26%). The US dollar fell slightly below CAD1.2730 yesterday, its lowest level since mid-June. The slippage in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ helped it recover to around CAD1.2775. It has not risen above that today, encouraged perhaps by the firmer US futures. Although the 200-day moving average (~CAD1.2745) is a good mile marker, the next important chart is CAD1.2700-CAD1.2720. A convincing break would target CAD1.2650 initially and then CAD1.2600. While the Canadian dollar has gained almost 1.4% against the US dollar this week (around CAD1.2755), the Mexican peso is up nearly 2.4%. The greenback is pressing against support in the MXN19.90 area. A break targets the late June lows near MXN19.82. The MXN20.00 area provides the nearby cap.       Disclaimer   Source: Heading into the Weekend, Dollar's Downside Momentum Stalls
    Central Banks' Rates Outlook: Fed Treads Cautiously, ECB Prepares for Hike

    Large Chinese Gas Companies Delisting Their American Stocks! What Is Going To Happen?

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.08.2022 08:50
    Summary:  PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, Chalco and China Life Insurance notified the New York Stock Exchange on 12 Aug 2022 of their intended application for voluntary delisting of their American depository shares and terminating the relevant ADR programs. The question now is if this is an example set for mega-cap Chinese internet and platform companies to follow. Five Chinese Central State-Owned Enterprises (“Central SOEs”) apply for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange   On August 12, 2022, after the close of the regular session of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, PetroChina (00857:xhkg/PTR:xnys), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec (00386:xhkg/SNP:xnys), Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical (00338:xhkg/SHI:xnys), Aluminum Corporation of China, also known as Chalco (02600:xhkg/ACH:xnys), and China Life Insurance (02628:xhkg/LFC:xnys) announced that they had notified the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) that they are will apply for delisting of their American depository shares (“ADSs”) from the NYSE. It is expected that the American Depository Receipt (“ADR”) programs will be terminated between September 1 and October 16, 2022, and the ADSs issued under these ADR programs can be surrendered for their underlying H shares, which will continue to trade in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (“SEHK”). PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical and Chalco are Central SOEs that are owned (80.4%, 68.8%, 32.2%, and 50.4% respectively) and controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (“SASAC”).  These, together with 93 others that are also owned and controlled by the SASAC are known as Central SOEs or “Yang Qi” in Chinese.  China Life Insurance, not one of those under the SASAC, is not a Central SOE in the strict sense but it is usually considered a Central SOE due to the fact that it is 62.4% owned and controlled by the Ministry of Finance.  All five companies are on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) conclusive list of identified entities under the HFCAA    In the U.S., the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in 2002 requires publicly traded companies to give the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) access to audit work papers. In 2009, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) issued a rule that forbids overseas regulatory authorities from inspecting Chinese auditing firms without CSRC’s prior approval and audit work papers containing state secretes from being taken outside China.  The PCAOB’s attempt to inspect the China-based affiliates of the “Big”-4” accounting firms in 2010 was rejected by the CSRC.  The SEC subsequently prosecuted these China affiliates of the Big-4 and the cases were subsequently settled. In order to tighten the enforcement of the audit work papers requirement provided in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the U.S. enacted the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”) in 2020 which provides that companies failing to make available audit work papers for inspection by the PCAOB cannot be traded in a U.S. exchange.  Since March 2022, the SEC has put 162 Chinese companies listed in a U.S. bourse first on a provisional list and then 155 of them subsequently on a conclusive list of issuers identified under the HFCAA. After rounds of negotiations, the U.S. and China have so far not been able to come to some resolutions.  While the Chinese authorities have sounded optimistic, especially earlier in April and May, about eventually reaching an agreement with the U.S., SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has expressed doubts about any eventual agreement.PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, Chalco, and China Life Insurance are among those on the conclusive list and facing the plausibility of being delisted by the U.S. regulators from the NYSE.  The deadline for delisting is in 2024 but the U.S. Congress is considering passing a bill to bring the deadline forward to 2023.  Actions were seemingly in concert  Each of the five companies notified the NYSE on the same day, August 12, and provided similar reasons for their decisions in their filing with the SEHK, namely relatively small capitalization of H shares being represented by ADSs, small ADS trading volume compared to the turnover of H shares and administrative burden for performing reporting and disclosure. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) said on Friday that the delisting decision had been made out of these companies’ own business decisions. Nonetheless, given the identical timing, similar reasons provided and status of Central SOEs, one has to wonder if they were acting in concert with coordination from the Chinese authorities.  The other two Central SOEs controlled by the SACAC and on the SEC conclusive list, China Eastern Airlines (00670:xhkg/CEA:xnys) and China Southern Airlines (01055:xhkg/ZNH:xnys) will probably apply for ADS delisting soon as well.  Chinese internet and platform companies are the focus in the coming weeks  While these Central SOEs are thinly traded on the NYSE, the shares of Chinese internet and platform private enterprises, including Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnys), Baidu (09888:xhkg/BIDU:xnas), Bilibili (09626:xhkg/BILI:xnas), JD.COM (09618:xhkg/JD:xnas), Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), Sohu (SOHU:xnas), iQiyi (IQ:xnas), KE Holdings (BEKE:xnys), Weibo (09898:xhkg/WB:xnas), Tencent Music Entertainment (TME:xnys) are widely held and actively traded on the NYSE or Nasdaq.  For examples, Bilibili and Weibo have larger average daily turnover in Nasdaq than in the SEHK and Pinduoduo, iQiyi, KE Holdings, Sohu and are listed only on Nasdaq and Tencent Music on the NYSE.  Alibaba is on the provisional list and the other names above are on the conclusive list of issuers identified under the HFCAA. All of them will be subject to mandatory delisting from the NYSE or Nasdaq if the Chinese and U.S. regulators cannot reach an agreement to resolve the audit work paper inspection issue in the coming months.  Given these internet and platform companies hold a huge amount of potentially sensitive data of hundreds of millions of Chinese individuals as well as numerous private as well as public enterprises and institutions, the plausibility of the Chinese government being willing to make a concession to the SEC and PCAOB regarding the latter’s unfiltered access to audit work papers of these companies is getting increasingly slim in the midst of pervasive Sino-American strategic competition.  Through the voluntary delisting of nstitutional money which is restricted by their investment mandates and retail investors who tend to have a home bias will unload their holdings instead of exchanging their ADSs for H shares.  In the case of those companies that do not yet have a listing in the SEHK, the uncertainty and disruption will be even more significant.  The southbound stock connect flows of money from mainland investors may mitigate somewhat the impact but some turbulence initially can probably be expected.   Source: China Update: State-owned giants seek to delist from the New York Stock Exchange
    The Commodity Sector Has Dropped Significantly

    People Are Buying Gold. SIlver And Copper Stopped? Crude Oil Weakness

    Ole Hansen Ole Hansen 16.08.2022 09:23
    Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 9. A relatively quiet week where a continued improvement in risk appetite drove stocks higher while softening the dollar. Some commodity positions, with crude oil the major exceptions, showed signs of having reached a trough following weeks of heavy selling Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 9. A relatively quiet summer holiday impacted week where stocks traded higher ahead of last week’s CPI and PPI print after better than expected economic data helped reduce US recession fears while the market was looking for inflation to roll over. The dollar traded a tad softer, bond yields firmed up while commodities showed signs of having reached a trough following weeks of heavy selling.    Commodities Hedge funds were net buyers for a second week with demand concentrated in metals and agriculture while the energy sector saw continued selling. Overall the net long across 24 major commodity futures rose for a second week after recently hitting a two-year low. Buying was concentrated in gold, platinum, corn and livestock with crude oil and wheat being to most notable contracts seeing net selling. Energy: Speculators responded to continued crude oil weakness by cutting bullish bets in WTI and Brent crude by a combined 14% to a pre-Covid low at 304.5k lots. The reductions were primarily driven by long liquidation in both contracts following a demand fear driven breakdown in prices. Gas oil and gasoline longs were also reduced. Metals: Buying of metals extended to a second week led by gold which saw a 90% jump in the net long to 58.2k lots. Overall, net short positions were maintained in silver, platinum and copper with the latter seing a small amount of fresh selling due to profit taking on recently established longs. Agriculture: Grains were mixed with corn and soybeans seeing continued buying ahead of Friday's WASDE  report while the CBOT corn net short jumped 36% to 20k lotsand the Kansas net long was cut to a two-year low. The total grain long rose for second week having stabilised around 300k lots having collapse from a near record 800k lot on April 22.Soft commodities saw elevated short positions in sugar and cocoa being maintained with price gains in coffee and not least cotton supporting a small increase in their respective net longs. This before Friday's surge in cotton which left it up 13% on the week after the US Department of Agriculture slashed the US crop forecast by 19% to a 12-year low. Driven by a high level of abandonment of fields in the drought-stricken Southwest.      Forex In the week to August 9 when the dollar traded close to unchanged against a basket of major currencies, speculators increased to three the number of weeks of continued dollar selling. The pace of selling even accelerated to the highest since January after the gross long against ten IMM futures and the Dollar Index was slashed by 20% to $17.4 billion, a nine week low. Most notable selling of the greenback was seen against GBP and JPY followed by EUR and CHF. The Japanese yen, under pressure for months as yield differentials to the dollar widened saw its net short being cut by 22% to a 17-month low.     What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming  Source: COT: Speculators cut oil long to pre-covid low
    China: PMI positively surprises the market

    Hurtful News For Chinese Economy... Is China Able To Get Up? US Use The Situation

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 16.08.2022 09:40
    Summary:  The weaker-than-expected economic data from China caught much of the attention and dragged U.S. bond yields and commodities lower. U.S. equities have been in a 4-week rally. Investors are weighing if the U.S. economy is heading into a soft-landing or a recession and if the Chinese economy can recover in the coming months. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities opened lower on weak economic data prints from China as well as a weaker-than-expected Empire State manufacturing survey but climbed towards midday and finished higher. S&P 500 rose 0.4%. Nine of its 11 sectors gained, with shares of consumer staples and utilities outperforming. Nasdaq 100 rose 0.75%, led by a 3% jump in Tesla (TSLA:xnas).  U.S. treasury yields fell Treasury yields fell across the front end to the belly of the curve after a bunch of weak economic data from China and the Empire State manufacturing survey came in at -31.3, much weaker than 5.0 expected. Two-year yields fell by 7bps to 3.17% and 10-year yields declined 5bps to 2.78%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities tried to move higher in early trading but soon reversed and turned south, Hang Seng -0.7%, CSI300 -0.1%.   The People’s Bank of China cut its policy on Monday but the unexpected move did not stir up much market excitement. The visit of another delegation of US lawmakers to Taiwan within 12 days of Speaker Pelosi’s visit stirred up concerns about the tension in the Sino-American relationship.   Container liner, Orient Overseas (00316:xhkg) plunged nearly 15%.   Stocks that have a dual listing of ADRs, in general, declined on Monday’s trading in Hong Kong following Friday’s decisions for five central SOEs to apply for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, PetroChina (00857:xhkg/PTR:xnys) -3.4%, Sinopec (00386:xhkg/SNP:xnys) -2.9%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnys) -1.2, Baidu (09888:xhkg/BIDU:xnas) -1%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg/BILI:xnas) -1%. SMIC (00981:xhkg) dropped more than 6% on analyst downgrades.  Chinese property names dropped as home prices continued to fall in China.  USD broadly firmer against G10 FX, expect JPY The US dollar started the week on the front foot, amid a weaker risk sentiment following a miss in China’s activity data and the disappointing US manufacturing and housing sentiments. The only outlier was the JPY, with USDJPY sliding to lows of 132.56 at one point before reversing the drop. The 131.50 level remains a key area of support for USDJPY and a bigger move in the US yields remains necessary to pierce through that level. The commodity currencies were the hardest hit, with AUDUSD getting in close sight of 0.7000 ahead of the RBA minutes due this morning. NZDUSD also plunged from 0.6450 to 0.6356. The Chinese yuan weakened and bond yields fell after disappointing economic data and surprising rate cuts USDCNH jumped more than 1% from 6.7380 to as high as 6.8200 on Monday following the weak credit data from last Friday, disappointing industrial production, retail sales, and fixed assets investment data released on Monday morning, and unexpected rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China. The 10-year Chinese government bond yield fell 8bps to 2.67%, the lowest level since April 2020, and about 20bps below the yield of 10-year U.S. treasury notes. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices had a variety of headwinds to deal with both on the demand and the supply side. While demand concerns were aggravated due to the weak China data, and the drop in US Empire State manufacturing – both signaling a global economic slowdown may be in the cards – supply was also seen as being possibly ramped up. There were signs of a potential breakthrough in talks with Iran as Tehran said it sent a reply to the EU's draft nuclear deal and expects a response within two days. Meanwhile, Aramco is also reportedly ramping up production. WTI futures dropped back below $90 while Brent touched $95/barrel. Metals face the biggest brunt of China data weakness Copper led the metals pack lower after China’s domestic activity weakened in July, which has raised the fears of a global economic slowdown as the zero-Covid policy is maintained. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. This could see further cuts to capacity over the coming months. Iron ore futures were also down. What to consider? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. European power price soared to record high European power prices continue to surge to fresh record highs amid gas flow vagaries, threatening a deeper plunge into recession. Next-year electricity rates in Germany advanced as much as 3.7% to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That’s almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures were up over 6%, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. China’s activity data China’s July industrial production (3.8% YoY vs consensus 4.3% & June 3.9%), retail sales (2.7% YoY vs consensus 4.9% & June 3.1%), and fixed asset investments (5.7% YTD vs consensus 6.2% & June 6.1%) released this more were weak across the board.  Property investment growth dropped to -6.4% YTD or -12.3% YoY in July, well below market expectations of -5.7% YTD.  Surprising rate cuts from the PBOC met with muted market reactions The People’s Bank of China cut its policy 1-year Medium-term Lending Facility Rate by 10bps to 2.75% from 2.85% and the 7-day reverse repo rate by 10bps to 2.0% from 2.1%.  Market reactions to the surprising move were muted as credit demand, as reflected in the aggregate financing and loan growth data was weak in China. BHP ‘s FY22 results better than expected The Australian mining giant reported FY22 results beating analyst estimates with strong EBITDA and EBITDA margin. Coal segment performance was ahead of expectations while results from the copper and iron ore segments were slightly below expectations.  The company announced a larger-than-expected dividend payout and a higher capex plan for 2023. RBA minutes due to be released this morning Earlier in the month, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised the cash rate by 50bps to 1.85% and the accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy emphasized an uncertain and data-dependent outlook. The RBA releases its minutes from the July meeting today, and the market focus will be on the range of options discussed for the August hike and any hint of future interest rate path.  US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 16, 2022
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Upcoming Bank Of Japan Meeting, A Look At Crude Oil, Copper And More

    Japanese Yen (JPY) Rise. Energy Prices Are Finally Falling!?

    John Hardy John Hardy 16.08.2022 10:05
    Summary:  Weak data out of China overnight, together with a surprise rate cut from the PBOC and collapsing energy prices later on Monday saw the Japanese yen surging higher across the board. Indeed, the two key factors behind its descent to multi-decade lows earlier this year, rising yields and surging energy prices, have eased considerably since mid-June with only modest reaction from the yen thus far. Is that about to change? FX Trading focus: JPY finding sudden support on new disinflation narrative Weaker than expected Chinese data overnight brought a surprise rate cut from the Chinese central bank and seems to have sparked a broadening sell-off in commodities, which was boosted later by a crude oil drop of some five dollars per barrel on the news that Iran will decide by midnight tonight on whether to accept a new draft on the nuclear deal forward by the Euro zone. In response, the Chinese yuan has weakened toward the highs for the cycle in USDCNH, trading 6.78+ as of this writing and  (there was a spike high to 6.381 back in May but the exchange rate has been capped by 6.80 since then), but the Japanese yen is stealing the volatility and strength crown, surging sharply across the board and following up on the move lower inspired by the soft US CPI data point. US long yields easing considerably lower after an odd spike last Thursday are a further wind at the JPY’s back here. In the bigger picture, it has been rather remarkable that the firm retreat in global long-date yields since the mid-June peak and the oil price backing down a full 25% and more from the cycle highs didn’t do more to support the yen from the yield-spread angle (Bank of Japan’s YCC policy less toxic as yields fall) and from the current account angle for Japan. Interestingly, while the JPY has surged and taken USDJPY down several notches, the US dollar is rather firm elsewhere, with the focus more on selling pro-cyclical and commodity currencies on the possible implication that China may be content to export deflation by weakening its currency now that commodity prices have come down rather than on selling the US dollar due to any marking down of Fed expectations. Still, while the USD may remain a safe haven should JPY volatility be set to run amok across markets, the focus is far more on the latter as long as USDJPY is falling Chart: EURJPY As the JPY surges here, EURJPY is falling sharply again, largely tracking the trajectory of longer European sovereign yields, which never really rose much from their recent lows from a couple of weeks back, making it tough to understand the solid rally back above 138.00 of late. After peaking above 1.90% briefly in June, the German 10-year Bund, for example, is trading about 100 basis points lower and is not far from the cycle low daily close at 77 basis points. The EURJPY chart features a rather significant pivot area at 133.50, a prior major high back in late 2021 and the recent low and 200-day moving average back at the beginning of the month. After a brief JPY volatility scare in late July and into early August that faded, are we set for a second and bigger round here that takes USDJPY down through 130.00 and EURJPY likewise? A more significant rally in long US treasuries might be required to bring about a real JPY rampage. Source: Saxo Group The focus on weak Chinese data and key commodity prices like copper suddenly losing altitude after their recent rally has the Aussie shifting to the defensive just after it was showing strength late last week in sympathy with strong risk sentiment and those higher commodity prices. Is the AUDUSD break above 0.7000-25 set for a high octane reversal here? AUDJPY is worth a look as well after it managed to surge all the way back toward the top of the range before. The idea that a weak Chine might export deflation from here might be unsettling for Aussie bulls. The US macro data focus for the week is on today’s NAHB homebuilder’s survey, which plunged to a low since 2015 in June (not including the chaotic early 2020 pandemic breakout months), the July Housing Starts and Building Permits and then the July Retail Sales and FOMC minutes on Wednesday. With a massive relief in gasoline prices from the July spike high, it will be interesting to see whether the August US data picks up again on the services side. The preliminary August University of Michigan sentiment survey release on Friday showed expectations rising sharply by over 7 points from the lowest since-1980 lows of June, while the Present Situation measure dropped a few points back toward the cycle (and record) lows from May. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The JPY is the real story today, but as our trending measures employ some averaging/smoothing, the move will need to stick what it has achieved today to show more. Watch out for a big shift in the commodity currencies in coming days as well if today’s move is the start of something. Elsewhere, the JPY comeback is merely taking CHF from strength to strength, although even the might franc has dropped against the JPY today. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. Big momentum shift afoot today and watching whether this holds and the JPY pairs and pairs like AUDUSD and USDCAD to see if we are witnessing a major momentum shift in themes here. Also note NOK pairs like USDNOK and EURNOK here. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Aug. NAHB Housing Market Index 0130 – Australia RBA Meeting Minutes Source: FX Update: JPY jumps on deflating energy prices, fresh retreat in yields.
    Saxo Bank Podcast: Natural Gas On Colder Weather, Wheat And Coffee Under Pressure, JPY Weaker And More

    Natgas Fought Back And Now Have A Solid Position! Iron And Copper Are Out Of Fashion!?

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 16.08.2022 14:19
    Overview: After retreating most of last week, the US dollar has extended yesterday’s gains today. The Canadian dollar is the most resilient, while the New Zealand dollar is leading the decline with a nearly 0.75% drop ahead of the central bank decision first thing tomorrow. The RBNZ is expected to deliver its fourth consecutive 50 bp hike. Most emerging market currencies are lower as well, led by central Europe. Equities in Asia Pacific and Europe are mostly higher today. Japan and Hong Kong were exceptions, and China was mixed with small gains in Shanghai and Shenzhen composites, but the CSI 300 slipped. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is stretching its advance for the fifth consecutive session. It is at two-month highs. US futures are softer. The US 10-year yield is slightly firmer near 2.80%, while European benchmark yields are mostly 2-4 bp higher, but Italian bonds are under more pressure and the yield is back above the 3% threshold. Gold is softer after being repulsed from the $1800 area to test $1773-$1775. A break could signal a test on the 20-day moving average near $1761. October WTI tested last week’s lows yesterday near $86 a barrel on the back of the poor Chinese data. It is straddling the 200-day moving average (~$87.95). The market is also watching what seems like the final negotiations with Iran, where a deal could also boost supply. US natgas prices are more than recouping the past two days of losses and looks set to challenge the $9 level. Europe’s benchmark leapt 11.7% yesterday and is up another 0.5% today. Iron ore has yet to a base after falling more than 5.5% in the past two sessions. It fell almost 0.65% today. September copper has fallen by almost 2.5% over the past two sessions and is steady today. Lastly, September wheat is slipping back below $8 a bushel and is trading heavily for the third consecutive session. Asia Pacific Japan's 2.2% annualized growth in Q2 does not stand in the way of a new government support package  Prime Minister Kishida has been reportedly planning new measures and has instructed the cabinet to pull it together by early next month. He wants to cushion the blow of higher energy and food prices. An extension of the subsidy to wholesalers to keep down the gasoline and kerosene prices looks likely. Kishida wants to head off a surge in wheat prices. Without a commitment to maintain current import prices of wheat that is sold to millers, the price could jump 20% in October, according to reports. Separately, and more controversially, Kishida is pushing for the re-opening of nine nuclear plants that have passed their safety protocols, which have been shut since the 2011 Fukushima accident.  The minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's meeting earlier this month signaled additional rate hikes will be forthcoming  After three half--point hikes, it says that the pace going forward will be determined by inflation expectations and the evolving economic conditions. The minutes noted that consumer spending is an element of uncertainty given the higher inflation and interest rates. Earlier today, the CBA's household spending report shows a 1.1% jump month-over-month in July and a 0.6% increase in June. The RBA wants to bring the cash target rate to neutral (~2.50%). The target rate is currently at 1.85% and the cash rate futures is pricing in about a 40% chance of a 50 bp hike at the next RBA meeting on September 6. It peaked near 60% last week. On Thursday, Australia reports July employment. Australia grew 88.4k jobs in June, of which almost 53k were full-time positions. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey envisions a 25k increase of jobs in July.  The offshore yuan slumped 1.15% yesterday  It was the biggest drop since August 2019 and was sparked by the unexpected cut in rates after a series of disappointing economic data. The US dollar reached almost CNH6.82 yesterday, its highest level in three months. It has steadied today but remains firm in the CNH6.7925-CNH6.8190 range. China's 10-year yield is still under pressure. It finished last week quietly near 2.74% and yesterday fell to 2.66% and today 2.63%. It is the lowest since May 2020. As we have noted, the dollar-yen exchange rate seems to be more sensitive to the US 2-year yield (more anchored to Fed policy) than the 10-year yield (more about growth and inflation)  The dollar is trading near four-day highs against the yen as the two-year yield trades firmer near 3.20%. Initial resistance has been encountered in Europe near JPY134.00. Above there, the JPY134.60 may offer the next cap. Support now is seen around JPY133.20-40. The Australian dollar extended yesterday's decline and slipped through the $0.7000-level where A$440 mln in options expire today. It also corresponds with a (50%) retracement of the run-up form the mid-July low (~$0.6680). The next area of support is seen in the $0.6970-80 area. The greenback rose 0.45% against the onshore yuan yesterday after gapping higher. Today it gapped higher again and rose to almost CNY6.7975, its highest level since mid-May. It reached a high then near CNY6.8125. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7730, slightly less than the median in Bloomberg's survey (CNY6.7736). The takeaway is the central bank did not seem to protest the weakness of the yuan. Europe The euro has been sold to a new seven-year low against the euro near CHF0.9600 The euro has been sold in eight of the nine weeks since the Swiss National Bank hiked its policy rate by 50 bp on June 16. Half of those weekly decline were 1% or larger. The euro has fallen around 7.4% against the franc since the hike. Swiss domestic sight deposit fell for 10 of 11 weeks through the end of July as the SNB did not appear to be intervening. However, in the last two weeks, as the franc continued to strengthen, the Swiss sight deposits have risen, and recorded their first back-to-back increase in four months. This is consistent with modest intervention. The UK added 160k jobs in Q2, almost half of the jobs gain in the three months through May, illustrating the fading momentum  Still, some 73k were added to the payrolls in July, well above expectations. In the three months through July, job vacancies in the UK fell (~19.8k) for the first time in nearly two years. Average weekly earnings, including bonuses, rose 5.1% in Q2. The median forecast was for a 4.5% increase. Yet, real pay, excluding bonuses and adjusted for inflation slid 3% in the April-June period, the most since at least 2001. The ILO measure of unemployment in Q2 was unchanged at 3.8%. The Bank of England warns it will rise to over 6%. The market still favors a 50 bp hike next month. The swaps market has it at a little better than an 80% probability. The euro is extending its retreat  It peaked last week, near $1.0365 and tested this month's low near $1.0125 in the European morning. The intraday momentum indicators are stretched, and that market does not appear to have the drive to challenge the 1.2 bln euros in options struck at $1.0075 that expire today. With yesterday's loss, the euro met the (50%) retracement objective of the bounce off the mid-July 22-year low (~$0.9950). The next retracement objective (61.8%) is near $1.0110. Nearby resistance may be met near $1.0160-70. Sterling has been sold for the fourth consecutive session. It approached the $1.20-level, which may be the neckline of a double top. If violated it could signal a return to the low seen in mid-July around $1.1760. Sterling is holding in better than the euro now. The cross peaked before the weekend in front of GBP0.8500 and is approaching GBP0.8400 today. A break would look ominous and could spur a return to the GBP0.8340 area. America The Empire State manufacturing survey and the manufacturing PMI line up well  Both bottomed in April 2020 and peaked in July 2021. The outsized decline in the August Empire State survey points to the downside risks of next week's preliminary August manufacturing PMI. Recall that the July manufacturing PMI fell to 52.2, its third consecutive decline and the lowest reading since July 2020. There was little good in the Empire survey. Orders and shipments fell dramatically. Employment was also soft. Prices paid softened to the lowest this year, but prices received edged higher. The US reports housing start and permits and industrial output today The housing market continues to slow from elevated levels. Housing starts are expected to have fallen 2% in July, matching the June decline. It would be the third consecutive decline, and the longest declining streak since 2018. Still, in terms of the absolute level of activity, anything above 1.5 mln units must still be regarded as strong. They stood at almost 1.56 mln in June. Permits fell by 10% in April-May before stabilizing in June. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey projects a 3.3% decline. Permits were running at 1.685 mln in June. From April 2007 through September 2019, permits held below 1.5 mln. The industrial production report may attract more attention Output fell in June (-0.2%) for the first time this year, and even with it, industrial product has risen on average by 0.4% a month in H1 22, slightly above the pace seen in H1 21. Helped by manufacturing and utility output, industrial production is expected to rise by around 0.3%. In the last cycle, capacity use spent four months (August-November 2018) above 80%. It had not been above 80% since the run-up to the Great Financial Crisis when it spent December 2006 through March 2008 above the threshold and peaked slightly above 81.0%. Last month was likely the fourth month in this cycle above the 80% capacity use rate. Note that the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tracker will be updated later today. The update from August 10 put Q3 GDP at 2.5%. Housing starts in Canada likely slow last month, which would be the first back-to-back decline this year  The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) calls for a 3.6% decline after an 8.4% fall in June. Still, the expected pace of 264k is still 10% higher since the end of last year. On Monday, Canada reported that July existing home sales fell by 5.3%, the fifth consecutive decline. They have fallen by more than a third since February. Canada also reports its monthly portfolios. Through May, Canada has experienced C$98.5 bln net portfolio inflows, almost double the pace seen in the first five months last year. However, the most important report today is the July CPI. A 0.1% increase, which is the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey would be the smallest of the year and the year-over-year pace to eased to 7.6% from 8.1%. If so, it is the first decline since June 2021. Similar with what the US reported, the core measures are likely to prove sticky. After the employment data on August 5, the swaps market was still leaning in favor a 75 bp hike at the September 7 meeting (64%). However, since the US CPI report, it has been hovering around a 40% chance. While the US S&P 500 rose reached almost four-month highs yesterday, the Canadian dollar found little consolation  It held in better than the other dollar-bloc currencies and Scandis, but it still suffered its biggest decline in about a month yesterday. The greenback reached almost CAD1.2935 yesterday and is consolidating in a narrow range today above CAD1.2890. The next important chart point is near CAD1.2975-85 and the CAD1.3050. After testing the MXN20.00 level yesterday, the US dollar was sold marginally through last week's low (~MXN19.8150). It is consolidating today and has not been above MXN19.8850. It has come a long way from the month's high set on August 3 near MXN20.8335. The greenback's downside momentum seems to have eased as it stalls in front of MXN19.81 for the third consecutive session.     Disclaimer   Source: Greenback Remains Firm
    USA: People Are Not Interested In Buying New Houses! Equities Are Still Trading High As The Hopes For Iran Nuclear Deal Are Still Alive

    USA: People Are Not Interested In Buying New Houses! Equities Are Still Trading High As The Hopes For Iran Nuclear Deal Are Still Alive

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 16.08.2022 14:00
    Summary:  Equities traded higher still yesterday as treasury yields fell further back into the recent range and on hopes that an Iran nuclear deal will cement yesterday’s steep drop in oil prices. The latest data out of the US was certainly nothing to celebrate as the July US Homebuilder survey showed a further sharp drop in new housing interest and a collapse in the first regional US manufacturing survey for August, the New York Fed’s Empire Manufacturing.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their gains yesterday getting closer to the 200-day moving average sitting around the 4,322 level. The US 10-year yield seems well anchored below 3% and financial conditions indicate that S&P 500 futures could in theory trade around 4,350. The news flow is light but earnings from Walmart later today could impact US equities should the largest US retailer lower their outlook for the US consumer. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities were mixed. CSI300 was flat, with electric equipment, wind power, solar and auto names gained. Hang Seng Index declined 0.5%. Energy stocks fell on lower oil price. Technology names were weak overall, Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) declined 0.9%. Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) reported worse than expected 1H22 results, revenues -14.4% YoY, net profits -49.5%, citing weakening component demand from the smartphone industry globally. The company’s gross margin plunged to 20.8% from 24.9%. Li Auto’s (02015:xhkg/LI:xnas) Q2 results were in line with expectations but Q3 guidance disappointed. The launch L9 seems cannibalizing Li ONE sales. USD: strength despite weak US data and falling treasury yields and strong risk sentiment Yesterday, the JPY tried to make hay on China cutting rates and as global yields eased back lower, with crude oil marked several dollars lower on hopes for an Iran nuclear deal. But the move didn’t stick well in USDJPY, which shrugged off these developments as the USD firmed further across the board, despite treasury yields easing lower, weak data and still strong risk sentiment/easy financial conditions. A strong US dollar is in and of itself is a tightening of financial conditions, however, and yesterday’s action has cemented a bullish reversal in some pairs, especially EURUSD and GBPUSD, where the next important levels pointing to a test of the cycle lows are 1.0100 and 1.2000, respectively. Elsewhere, USDJPY remains in limbo (strong surge above 135.00 needed to suggest upside threat), USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal but needs 1.3000 for confirmation, and AUDUSD is teetering, but needs a close back below 0.7000 to suggest a resurgent US dollar and perhaps widening concerns that a Chinese recession will temper interest in the Aussie. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) trades lower following Monday’s sharp drop that was driven by a combination softer economic data from China and the US, the world’s top consumers of oil, and after Iran signaled a nuclear deal could be reached soon, raising the prospect of more Iranian crude reaching the market. The latest developments potentially reducing demand while adding supply forced recently established longs to bail and short sellers are once again in control. Brent needs to hold support at $93 in order to avoid further weakness towards $90. Focus on Iran news. Copper Copper (COPPERUSSEP22) led the metals pack lower, without breaking any key technical levels to the downside, after China’s domestic activity weakened in July. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. HG copper jumped 19% during the past month and yesterday’s setback did not challenge any key support level with the first being around $3.50/lb. BHP, the world’s top miner meanwhile hit record profits while saying that China is likely to offer a “tail wind” to global growth (see below). EU power prices hit record high on continued surge in gas prices ... threatening a deeper plunge into recession. The latest surge being driven by low water levels on Europe’s rivers obstructing the normal passage for diesel, coal, and other fuel products, thereby forcing utilities to use more gas European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) has opened 5% higher at €231/MWh, around 15 times higher than the long-term average, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. Next-year electricity rates in Germany (DEBYF3) closed 3.7% higher to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That is almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) see long-end yields surging. Yields dipped back lower on weak US economic data, including a very weak Empire Manufacturing Survey (more below) and another sharp plunge in the NAHB survey of US home builders, suggesting a rapid slowdown in the housing market. The survey has historically proven a leading indicator on prices as well. The 10-year benchmark dipped back further into the range after threatening to break up higher last week. The choppy range extends down to 2.50% before a drop in yields becomes a more notable development, but tomorrow’s US Retail Sales and FOMC minutes offer the next test of sentiment. What is going on? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche and volatile measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. China's CATL plans to build its second battery factory in Europe CATL unveiled plans to build a renewable energy-powered factory for car battery cells and modules in Hungary. It will invest EUR 7.34 billion (USD 7.5bn) on the 100-GWh facility, which will be its second one in Europe. To power the facility CATL will use electricity from renewable energy source, such as solar power. At present, CATL is in the process of commissioning its German battery production plant, which is expected to roll out its first cells and modules by the end of 2022. Disney (DIS) shares rise on activist investor interest Daniel Loeb of Third Point announced a significant new stake in Disney yesterday, helping to send the shares some 2.2% higher in yesterday’s session. The activist investor recommended that the company spin off its ESPN business to reduce debt and take full ownership of the Hulu streaming service, among other moves. Elliott exits SoftBank Group The US activist fund sold its stake in SoftBank earlier this year in a sign that large investors are scaling back on their investments in technology growth companies with long time to break-even. In a recent comment, SoftBank’s founder Masayoshi Son used more cautious words regarding the investment company’s future investments in growth companies. BHP reports its highest ever profit, bolstered by coal BHP posted a record profit of $21.3bn supported by considerable gains in coal, nickel and copper prices during the fiscal year ending 30 June 2022. Profits jumped 26% compared to last year’s result. The biggest driver was a 271% jump in the thermal coal price, and a 43% spike in the nickel price. The world’s biggest miner sees commodity demand improving in 2023, while it also sees China emerging as a source of stable commodity demand in the year ahead. BHP sees supply covering demand in the near-term for copper and nickel. According to the company iron ore will likely remain in surplus through 2023. In an interview Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry said: Long-term outlook for copper, nickel and potash is really strong because of “unstoppable global trends: decarbonization, electrification, population growth, increasing standards of living,” What are we watching next? Australia Q2 Wage Index tonight to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out overnight showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, tonight sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35 bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move tonight? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 44 bps for the October meeting after tonight’s 50 bps hike and another 36 bps for the November meeting. US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.   Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot with analysts expecting Walmart to report 7% revenue growth y/y and 8% decline y/y in EPS as the US retailer is facing difficulties passing on rising input costs. Home Depot is expected to report 6% growth y/y in revenue and 10% growth y/y in EPS as the US housing market is still robust driving demand for home improvement products. Sea Ltd, the fast-growing e-commerce and gaming company, is expected to report revenue growth of 30% y/y in Q2 but worsening EBITDA margin at -16.2%. The previous winning company is facing headwinds in its gaming division and cash flow from operations have gone from positive $318mn in Q1 2021 to negative $724mn in Q1 2022. Today: China Telecom, Walmart, Agilent Technologies, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Tencent, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Analog Devices, Cisco Systems, Synopsys, Lowe’s, CSL, Target, TJX, Coloplast, Carlsberg, Wolfspeed Thursday: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Aug. ZEW Survey 0900 – Eurozone Jun. Trade Balance 1200 – Poland Jul. Core CPI 1215 – Canada Jul. Housing Starts 1230 – US Jul. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1230 – Canada Jul. CPI 2030 – API Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 2350 – Japan Jul. Trade Balance 0130 – Australia Q2 Wage Index 0200 – New Zealand RBNZ Official Cash Rate announcement 0300 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr Press Conference  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 16, 2022
    Volume Of Crude Oil Rose For The Second Session In A Row

    The Cheapest Oil In Six Months!!! How Will It Affect The Global Economics?

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 16.08.2022 11:55
    The price of WTI crude oil remained below $90 per barrel at the beginning of the week, the level before Russia's attack on Ukraine. Oil today is the cheapest in six months. It seems that the topic of a global economic slowdown or recession and how long it may last may be important for the oil market. Chinese and U.S. economic data seem to show a weaker condition in both economies and thus could affect the decline in oil demand. This, in turn, could put downward pressure on prices. According to published data, factory activity in China declined enough in July to force the central bank to cut lending rates to keep demand from collapsing. In the United States, on the other hand, the market may have been taken by surprise by the second-largest drop in the history of the New York Empire State Manufacturing Index. The above indicators may affect the market from the demand side, but this is only one part of the puzzle. On the supply side, long-awaited changes may be brewing. Once the embargo is lifted, oil from Iran may start flowing into the market again. Iran has responded to the European Union's proposal. It may seek to re-implement the 2015 nuclear agreement. The EU is also calling on the US to show more flexibility in implementing the agreement. Saudi Arabia may also be preparing to increase its oil supply. The chairman of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, stated over the weekend that his company is ready to increase production to 12 million barrels per day, the company's current production capacity limit. Only a decision by the Saudi Arabian government is needed to increase production. According to the EIA agency's forecast, the United States can also increase its production. US oil production in the August forecast averages 11.9 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2022. It could rise to 12.7 million b/d in 2023. If this forecast comes true, the US could set a production record next year. The current one is 12.3 million b/d and was set in 2019.   Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Source: Oil near six-month lows
    Walmart And Home Depot Did Better Than Expected. S&P 500 Reaches The 4,3k Level

    Walmart And Home Depot Did Better Than Expected. S&P 500 Reaches The 4,3k Level

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 17.08.2022 08:35
    Summary:  S&P500 index broke above the key 4,300 resistance level while the NASDAQ pushed lower amid mixed economic data and better-than-feared earnings from Walmart and Home Depot. US housing data continues to worsen, but the focus now turns to FOMC minutes due later today, as well as the US retail sales which will be next test of the strength of the US consumer. Asia session may have trouble finding a clear direction, but Australia’s wage price index and RBNZ’s rate hike may help to provide some bounce. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities were mixed. Tech names had an initial pullback, followed by short-coverings that narrowed the loss of the Nasdaq 100 to 0.23% at the close. S&P500 edged up 0.19% to 4,305 on better-than-feared results from retailers, moving towards its 200-day moving average (4,326). Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported Q2 results beating analyst estimates. Walmart gained 5% on strong same-store sales growth and a deceleration in inventory growth. Home Depot climbed 4% after reporting better than expected EPS and same-store sales but with an acceleration in inventory buildup. The declines in housing starts and building permits released on Monday and the downbeat comments about the U.S. housing market from the management of Compass (COMP:xnys), an online real estate brokerage, highlighted the challenges faced in the housing sector.  Short-end U.S. treasury yields rose as the long-end little changed The bigger than expected increases in July industrial production (+0.6% MoM), manufacturing production (+0.7% MoM), and business equipment production (+0.6%) triggered some selling in the short-end of U.S. treasury curve, pushing the 2-year yield 8 bps higher to 3.25% as 10-year yield edged up 1bp.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China internet stocks were sold off on Tuesday afternoon after Reuters ran a story suggesting that Tencent (00700:xhkg) plans to divest its 17% stake (USD24 billion) in Meituan (03690:xhkg).  The shares of Meituan collapsed 9% while Tencent gained 0.9%.  After the close of the Hong Kong market, Chinese media, citing sources “close to the matter” suggested that the divesture story is not true. However, the ADRs of Meituan managed to recover only 1.7% in New York trading. The newswire story also triggered selling on Kuaishou (01024:xhkg), -4.4%, which has Tencent as a major investor. The decline in internet stocks dragged the Hang Seng Index 1% lower. On the other hand, Chinese developers soared on another newswire report that state-owned China Bond Insurance is going to provide guarantees to new onshore debts issued by several “high quality” developers, including Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +9%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) +12%, CIFI (00884:xhkg) +12.9%, and Seazen (01030:xhkg) +7.6%.  Shares of Chinese property management services also surged higher.  GBPUSD bounced off the 1.2000 support, NZD eyeing RBNZ A mixed overnight session for FX as the US yields wobbled. Risk sentiment held up with the mixed US data accompanied by a less bad outcome in the US retailer earnings than what was expected. This made the safe-haven yen a clear underperformer, and USDJPY rose back above 134. But a clear trend in the pair is still missing and a break above 135 is needed to reverse the downtrend. Cable got lower to remain in close sight of the 1.2000 big figure, but rose above 1.2100 subsequently. UK CPI report due today may confirm the need for further BOE action after labor data showed wage pressures. NZDUSD remains near lows of 0.6320 but may see a knee-jerk higher if RBNZ surprises on the hawkish side. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices remain under pressure due to the prospect of Iran nuclear deal, and printed fresh lows since the Ukraine invasion. Some respite was seen in early Asian session, and WTI futures were last seen at $87/barrel and Brent is below $93. The EU submitted a final proposal to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, and prospects of more energy supply are dampening the price momentum. It has been reported that Iran’s response was constructive, and they are now consulting with the US on a way ahead for the protracted talks. The API reported crude inventories fell by 448,000 barrels last week, while gasoline stockpiles increased by more than 4 million barrels. Government data is due later Wednesday. European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) touched €250/MWh, but has cooled off slightly recently, but still signals the heavy price that Europe is paying for the dependence on Russian gas. Copper holding up well despite China slowdown concerns Despite reports of weaker financing and activity data from China earlier this week, Copper remains well supported and registered only modest declines. BHP’s results provided some offset, as did the supply side issues in Europe. Only a break below the key 350 support will turn the focus lower. Meanwhile, zinc rallied amid concerns of smelter closures in Europe. What to consider? US housing scare broadens, industrial production upbeat Housing starts fell 9.6% in July to 1.446 mn, well beneath the prior 1.599 mn and the expected 1.537 mn. Housing starts are now down for five consecutive months, and suggest a cooling housing market in the wake of higher borrowing costs and higher inflation. Meanwhile, building permits declined 1.3% in July to 1.674 mn from 1.696 mn, but printed above the expected 1.65 mn. There will be potentially more scaling back in construction activity as demand weakens and inventory levels rise. On the other hand, industrial production was better than expected at 0.6% m/m (prev: -0.2%) possibly underpinned by holiday demand but the outlook is still murky amid persistent inflation and supply chain issues. US retailer earnings come in better than feared Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported better-than-feared results on Tuesday. Walmart’s Q2 revenues came in at USD152.9 billion (+8.4% YoY, consensus USD150.5bn). Same-store sales increased 8.4% YoY (vs consensus +6.0% YoY).  EPS of USD1.77, down 0.8% from a year ago quarter but better than the consensus estimate of USD1.63. While inventories increased 25.5% in Q2, the rate of increase has moderated from the prior quarter’s +32.0%. The company cited falls in gas prices, market share gain in grocery, and back-to-school shopping key reasons behind the strength in sales.  Home Depot reported Q2 revenues of USD43.9 billion (vs consensus USD43.4bn), +6.5% YoY.  Same-store sales grew 5.8%, beating analyst estimates (+4.9%).  EPS rose 11.5% to $5.05, ahead of analyst estimates (USD4.95). However, inventories grew 38% YoY in Q2, which was an acceleration from the prior quarter. The management cited inflation and pulling forward inventory purchases given supply chain challenges as reasons for the larger inventory build-up. Target (TGT:xnys) is scheduled to report on Wednesday. Eyes on US retail sales US retail sales will be next test of the US consumer after less bad retailer earnings last night. Retail sales should have been more resilient given the lower prices at pump improved the spending power of the average American household, and Amazon Prime Day in the month possibly attracted bargain hunters as well. However, consensus expectations are modest at 0.1% m/m compared to last month’s 1.0%. A cooling labor market in the UK UK labor market showed signs of cooling as job vacancies fell for the first time since August 2020 and real wages dropped at the fastest pace in history. Unemployment rate was steady at 3.8%, and the number of people in employment grew by 160,000 in the April-June period as against 256,000 expected. There was also a sprinkle of good news, with the number of employees on payrolls rising 73,000 in July, almost triple the pace expected. Also, wage growth was strong at 4.7% in the June quarter from 4.4% in the three months to May, which may be key for the BOE amid persistent wage pressures. Australia Q2 Wage Index to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out on Tuesday showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, today sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move today? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 45bps for the October meeting after today’s 50bps hike and another 37bps for the November meeting. FOMC minutes to be parsed for hints on future Fed moves The Federal Reserve had lifted rates by 75bps to bring the Fed Funds rate at the level that they consider is neutral at the July meeting, but stayed away from providing any forward guidance. Meeting minutes will be out today, and member comments will be watched closely for any hints on the expectation for September rate hike or the terminal Fed rate. The hot jobs report and the cooling inflation number has further confused the markets since the Fed meeting, even as Fed speakers continue to push against any expectations of rate cuts at least in ‘early’ 2023. We only have Kansas City Fed President Esther George (voter in 2022) and Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari (non-voter in 2022) speaking this week at separate events on Thursday, so the bigger focus will remain on Jackson Hole next week for any updated Fed views.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 17, 2022
    Online Sales Are Becoming A Part Of Everyday Life. Supermarkets Are Having A Good Time

    Online Sales Are Becoming A Part Of Everyday Life. Supermarkets Are Having A Good Time

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 17.08.2022 09:15
    Home Depot (HD) and Walmart (WMT) are among the largest US retailers whose results seem to show the attitude of the average American consumer towards spending money. HD is a chain of large-format home improvement shops, very similar to Europe's Leroy Merlin. WMT, on the other hand, is the largest US retail chain. Last month, Walmart spooked markets by lowering its profit forecasts and warned of a rapid decline in demand. However, the results announced today said sales were up more than 8% year-on-year to $152.9 billion against expectations of $150.8 billion. Online sales alone rose by as much as 12%. The company is struggling with a gigantic inventory problem (worth $61 billion at the end of Q1), prominent among the backlog of products is apparel, for example. To deal with this, discounts have been introduced on many products, thereby boosting sales by stimulating demand. At present, the value of stock amounts to USD 59.9 billion. However, the increased sales do not translate directly into profits. "The actions we’ve taken to improve inventory levels in the US, along with a heavier mix of sales in grocery, put pressure on the profit margin for Q2 and our outlook for the year," - CEO Doug McMillon said. Walmart's second-quarter net income rose to $5.15bn, or $1.77 per share (EPS) against Wall Street analysts' estimates of $1.62. In the same period a year ago, net income was $4.28bn, or $1.52 per share (EPS). Walmart maintained its forecast for the second half of the year. It expects US shop sales to grow by about 3% (excluding fuel), in the second half of the year, or about 4 per cent for the full year. It expects adjusted earnings per share to decline 9% for the year. Home Depot also announced a 5.8% increase in sales, to 43.8 billion against expectations of $43.36 billion. Net sales were up 6.5% year-over-year, marking the highest quarterly sales in the company's history. "Our team has done a fantastic job serving our customers while continuing to navigate a challenging and dynamic environment," - CEO Ted Decker said, commenting on the company's results. Net income increased to $5.17 billion, up 7.6% year-over-year. EPS was $5.05 against analysts' forecasts of $4.94. Walmart and Home Depot gain 4.7% and 1.9%, respectively, on the market open. The retailers' results show that, despite the looming recession, consumers are spending money and the situation could be not that bad in the short term. However, at the same time, the figures for financing this spending are alarming. A large proportion of Americans are covering higher prices with credit cards, which must eventually be repaid, according to data published by Bloomberg. The worsening outlook for economic health, alarming PMI levels and the bond yield curve all translate into possible future deterioration in consumer health.   Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.  Source: Retailers announce strong results - shares rise
    Investors Selling Down Companies That Face Balance Sheet Tightening From Runaway Inflation

    Let's See S&P 500, Nasdaq, WWE And Other Stocks Performance

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 17.08.2022 12:00
    Relevance up to 05:00 2022-08-18 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results.   As it became known from the report of the US Department of Commerce, the number of houses, the construction of which was started in the country in July, decreased by 9.6% compared to the previous month and amounted to 1.446 million in annual terms. The figure was the lowest since February last year. According to the revised data, in June the number of new buildings amounted to 1.599 million, and not 1.559 million, as previously reported. Experts predicted a decline to 1.54 million from the previously announced level in June. US industrial output rose 0.6% month-on-month in July, doubling the 0.3% rise expected by analysts. According to the revised data, industrial production did not change in June, while a decrease of 0.2% was previously reported. Production in the processing industry increased by 0.7% compared to June, while experts expected a more moderate growth of 0.2%. A month earlier, the indicator fell by 0.4%, and not by 0.5%, as previously reported. In addition, investors are waiting for the publication of the minutes of the July meeting of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday and the report on retail sales in the US on Friday. Also this week, many leading US retailers publish quarterly reports. AJ Bell financial analyst Danny Hewson noted that many US investors have taken a wait-and-see attitude, hoping to get new information from the Fed's minutes and retailers' reports, on the basis of which it is possible to understand what exactly consumers are saving on during a period of high inflation. The value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 16:47 GMT+3 increased by 0.05% - up to 33930.76 points. Standard & Poor's 500 has fallen 0.11% since the market opened to 4292.49 points. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.35% to 13,081.46. Shares of Walmart Inc. jumped by 5.5%, being the leader of growth in the Dow Jones index. The largest US retailer posted a strong quarterly report and improved its full-year outlook. Walmart's adjusted earnings for the fiscal quarter ended July 31 were $1.77 per share, above analysts' forecast of $1.62 per share. Revenue increased by 8.4% and reached $152.86 billion, while experts on average predicted the figure at $150.99 billion. Quotes Home Depot Inc. increase by 1.4%. The US-leading home improvement chain posted record revenues and net income in the quarter, even though the number of purchases at its stores fell by 3%. Target and Lowe's will report on Wednesday, while department store chain Kohl's will report on Thursday. World Wrestling Entertainment's share price is up 3.2% after the wrestling tournament organizer increased net profit and revenue slightly more than market expectations in the second quarter of 2022. Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery shed 0.3% on rumors of new cost-cutting measures. In particular, the staff of the subsidiary streaming service HBO will be reduced by about 14%. Zoom Video Communications' capitalization fell 5.6% after Citi analysts downgraded the recommendation for the company's shares to "sell" from "neutral" levels.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/288768
    Increase In Interest Of Nuclear Energy Around The World

    Decision On Closing Three German Nuclear Plants Is Not Made Yet. In France Wind Generation And Hydropower Stations Results Are Below Norms

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 17.08.2022 15:00
    Overview: The biggest development today in the capital markets is the jump in benchmark interest rates.  The US 10-year yield is up five basis points to 2.86%, which is about 10 bp above Monday’s low.  European yields are up 9-10 bp.  The 10-year German Bund yield was near 0.88% on Monday and is now near 1.07%.  Italy’s premium over German is near 2.18%, the most in nearly three weeks.  Although Asia Pacific equities rallied, led by Japan’s 1.2% gain, but did not include South Korea, European equities are lower as are US futures.  The Stoxx 600 is struggled to extend a five-day rally.  The Antipodeans are the weakest of the majors, but most of the major currencies are softer. The euro and sterling are straddling unchanged levels near midday in Europe.  Gold is soft in yesterday’s range, near its lowest level since August 5.  While $1750 offers support, ahead of it there may be bids around $1765. October WTI is pinned near its lows around $85.50-$86.00.  The drop in Chinese demand is a major weight, while the market is closely monitoring developments with the Iranian negotiations.  US natgas is edging higher after yesterday 6.9% surge to approach last month’s peak.  Europe’s benchmark is 4.5% stronger today after yesterday’s 2.7% pullback.  Iron ore fell (3.9%) for the fourth consecutive decline. The September contract that trades in Singapore is at its lowest level since July 22.  September copper is a little heavier but is still inside Monday’s range.  September wheat is extending its pullback for the fourth consecutive session.  It had risen in the first four sessions last week. It is moving sideways in the trough carved over the past month.    Asia Pacific   The Reserve Bank of New Zealand delivered the anticipated 50 bp rate hike and signaled it would continue to tighten policy    It did not help the New Zealand dollar, which is posting an outside day by trading on both sides of yesterday's range.  The close is the key and below yesterday's low (~$0.6315) would be a bearish technical development that could spur another cent decline.  It is the RBNZ's fourth consecutive half-point hike, which followed three quarter-point moves.  The cash target rate is at 3.0%.  Inflation (Q2) was stronger than expected rising 7.3% year-over-year.  The central bank does not meet again until October 5, and the swaps market has a little more than a 90% chance of another 50 bp discounted.    Japan's July trade balance deteriorated more than expected    The shortfall of JPY1.44 trillion (~$10.7 bln) form JPY1.40 trillion in June.  Exports slowed to a still impressive 19% year-over-year from 19.3% previously, while imports rose 47.2% from 46.1% in June.  The terms-of-trade shock is significant in both Japan and Europe.  Japan's ran an average monthly trade deficit of about JPY1.32 trillion in H1 22 compared with an average monthly surplus of JPY130 bln in H1 21.  The eurozone reported an average shortfall of 23.4 bln euros in H1 22 compared with a 16.8 bln average monthly surplus in H1 21.  The two US rivals, China, and Russia, have been hobbled by their own actions, while the two main US economic competitors, the eurozone and Japan are experiencing a dramatic deterioration of their external balance,     The 11 bp rise in the US two-year yield between yesterday and today has helped lift the US dollar to almost JPY135.00, a five-day high   It has met the (50%) retracement target of the downtrend since the multiyear peak in mid-July near JPY139.40.  The next target is the high from earlier this month around JPY135.60.  and then JPY136.00.  Initial support now is seen near JPY134.40.  After recovering a bit in the North American session yesterday, the Australian dollar has come under renewed selling pressure and is trading at five-day lows below the 20-day moving average (~$0.6990).  It has broken support in the $0.6970-80 area to test the trendline off the mid-July low found near $0.6965.  A break could signal a move toward $0.6900-10.  The gap created by yesterday's high US dollar opening against the Chinese yuan was closed today as yuan recovered for the first day in three sessions.  Monday's high was CNY6.775 and yesterday's low was CNY6.7825.  Today's low is about CNY6.7690.  For the second consecutive session, the PBOC set the dollar's reference rate a little lower than the market (median in Bloomberg's survey) expected (CNY6.7863 vs. CNY6.7877).  The dollar has risen to almost CNH6.82 in the past two sessions and still trading a little above CNH6.80 today but was sold to nearly CNH6.7755 where is has found new bids.      Europe   The UK's headline CPI accelerated to 10.1% last month from 9.4% in June    It was above market expectations and the Bank of England's forecast for a 9.9% increase.  Although the rise in food prices (2.3% on the month and 12.7% year-over-year) lifted the headline, the core rate, which excludes food, energy, alcohol, and tobacco rose to 6.2% from 5.8% and was also above expectations (median forecast in Bloomberg's survey was for 5.9%).  Producer input prices slowed, posting a 0.1% gain last month for a 22.6% year-over-year pace (24.1% in June).  However, output prices jumped 1.6% after a 1.4% gain in June.  This puts the year-over-year pace at 17.1%, up from 16.4% previously.  The bottom line is that although the UK economy contracted in Q2 and the BOE sees a sustained contraction beginning soon, the market recognize that the monetary policy will continue to tighten.  The market swaps market is fully pricing in a 50 bp hike at the mid-September meeting and is toying with the idea of a larger move (53 bp of tightening is discounted).    What a year of reversals for Germany    After years of pressure from the United States and some allies in Europe, Germany finally nixed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia.  Putin also got Germany to do something that several American presidents failed to achieve and that is boost is defense sending in line with NATO commitments. The energy crunch manufactured by Russia is forcing Germany to abandon is previous strategy of reducing coal and closing down its nuclear plants.  Ironically, the Greens ae in the coalition government and recognize little choice.  A formal decision on three nuclear plants that were to be shuttered before the end of the year has yet to be made, but reports confirm it is being discussed at the highest levels.     Germany's one-year forward electricity rose by 11% to 530.50 euros a megawatt-hour in the futures market years, a gain of more than 500%     France, whose nuclear plants are key to the regional power grid, is set to be the lowest in decades, according to reports.  France has become a net importer of electricity, while the extreme weather has cut hydropower output and wind generation is below seasonal norms.  The low level of the Rhine also disrupts this important conduit for barges of coal and oil. Starting in October, German households will have a new gas tax (2.4-euro cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas) until 1 April 2024. Economic Minister Habeck estimated that for the average single household the gas tax could be almost 100 euros a month, while a couple would pay around 195 euros.  Also, starting in October, utilities will be able to through to consumers the higher costs associated with the reduction of gas supply from Russia.  This poses upside risk to German inflation.     The euro held technical support near $1.0110 yesterday and is trading quietly today in a narrow (~$1.0150-$1.0185) range today    Yesterday was the first session since July 15 that the euro did not trade above $1.02.  The decline since peaking last week a little shy of $1.0370 has seen the five- and 20-day moving averages converge and could cross today or tomorrow for the first time since late July. We note that the US 2-year premium over German is testing the 2.60% area.  It has not closed below there since July 22.  Sterling held key support at $1.20 yesterday and traded to almost $1.2145 today, which met the (50%) retracement objective of the fall from last week's $1.2275 high.  The next retracement (61.8%) is closer to $1.2175.  The UK reported employment yesterday, CPI today, and retail sales ahead of the weekend.  Retail sales, excluding gasoline have fallen consistently since last July with the exception of October 2021 and June 2022.  Retail sales are expected to have slipped by around 0.3% last month.     America   The Empire State manufacturing August survey on Monday and yesterday's July housing starts pick up a thread first picked up in the July composite PMI, which fell from 52.3 to 47.7 of some abrupt slowing of economic activity  The Empire State survey imploded from 11.1 to -31.3.  Housing starts fell 9.6%, more than four-times the pace expected (median Bloomberg survey -2.1%).  It was small comfort that the June series was revised up 2.4% from initially a 2.0% decline.  The 1.45 mln unit pace is the weakest since February 2021 and is about 9% lower than July 2021.  However, offsetting this has been the strong July jobs report and yesterday' industrial production figures.  The 0.6% was twice the median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) and the June decline (-0.2%) was revised away. The auto sector continues to recover from supply chain disruptions, and this may be distorting typically seasonal patterns.  Sales are rose in June and July, the first back-to-back gain in over a year. To some extent, supply is limiting sales, which would seem to encourage production.  Outside of autos, output slowed (year-over-year) for the third consecutive month in July.     Today's highlights include July retail sales and the FOMC minutes     Retail sales are reported in nominal terms, which means that the 13% drop in the average retail price of gasoline will weigh on the broadest of measures.  However, excluding auto, gasoline, building materials, and food services, the core retail sales will likely rise by around 0.6% after a 0.8% gain in June.  The most important thing than many want to know from the FOMC minutes is where the is bar to another 75 bp rate hike.  The Fed funds futures market has it nearly 50/50.     Canada's July CPI was spot on forecasts for a 0.1% month-over-month increase and a 7.6% year-over-year pace (down from 8.1%)     However, the core rates were firm than average increased.  The market quickly concluded that this increases the likelihood that the central bank that surprised the market with a 100 bp hike last month will lift the target rate by another 75 bp when it meets on September 7.  In fact, the swaps market sees it as a an almost 65% probability, the most since July 20.  Canada reports June retail sales at the end of the week.  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.4% gain, but even if it is weaker, it is unlikely to offset the firm core inflation readings.     The dollar-bloc currencies are under pressure today, but the Canadian dollar is faring best, off about 0.25% in late morning trading in Europe     The Aussie is off closer to 0.75% and the Kiwi is down around 0.5%.  US equities are softer. The greenback found support near CAD1.2830 and is near CAD1.2880.  Monday and Tuesday's highs were in the CAD1.2930-5 area and a break above there would target CAD1.2985-CAD1.3000.  However, the intraday momentum indicators are overextended, and initial support is seen in the CAD1.2840-60 area. The greenback has forged a shelf near MXN19.81 in recent days.  It has been sold from the MXN20.83 area seen earlier this month.  It has not been above MXN20.05 for the past five sessions.  A move above there, initially targets around MXN20.20.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the third consecutive session. If sustained, it would be the longest losing streak since July 20-22.     Disclaimer   Source: Markets Look for Direction
    Summer's End: An Anxious Outlook for the Global Economy

    Crypto Market Is Dependent On Stock Market. The Correlation Between Nasdaq 100 And BTC

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 17.08.2022 15:27
    Michael Burry is a well-known US investor who became famous for betting on the collapse of the US real estate market and the burst of the bubble in 2008. On 15 August, he filed a 13F form with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), revealing the positions of his fund, Scion Asset Management. To the surprise of many, the investment portfolio turned out to be almost completely empty. Burry held shares worth 165 million at the end of the first quarter. These included companies such as Google, Meta and Stellantis. However, the latest report filed with the regulator revealed that all of it had been sold and the glorified investor's only long position is in GeoGroup, a company involved in running private prisons, but the value of the position is negligible at just under $3.31 million. The investor has recently been posting a number of tweets suggesting the end of the bear market rally. This has sent shock waves across the market, as the investment manager has usually been successful in predicting the market moves, famous for his incisiveness. If there were to be large declines in the broad traditional market, e.g. equities, what could this mean for crypto? The correlation between BTC and the Nasdaq 100 seems to be apparent, but after the last all-time high reading of 0.84 in May, it dropped to around 0.48 at the end of June. What is unfortunate, however, is that the correlation has been rising with subsequent waves of declines and peaked near local lows. If the stock market were to actually experience a crash, a strong reaction from the crypto market can be expected. The recent increase in correlation may be due to the increasing participation of token trading institutions. Michael Burry's attitude was addressed by Mati Greenspan CEO of Quantum Economic, stating that predicting the timing and scale of a crash is almost impossible. "Predicting a stock crash is a lot like predicting an earthquake. You know one will happen every so often but you can never tell exactly when or how severe it will be" - Greenspan said. On the Conotoxia MT5 platform, BTC is seeing its fourth day of decline, losing more than 0.7% at 10:30 GMT+3, while ETH is gaining less than 0.3%, drawing its first upward candle in three days. Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Michael Burry closed almost all his positions - what could another stock market crash mean for crypto?
    Saxo Bank Podcast: US Equities Continue To Trade Up, Natural Gas In Europe, Bank of Japan Meeting Ahead And More

    Natural Gas Is More Valuable Than Crude Oil!? Carbon Emission Is Almost The Highest In History!!!

    Kim Cramer Larsson Kim Cramer Larsson 17.08.2022 16:02
    Dutch TTF Gas is resuming uptrend taking out July peak testing the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement at around €242.75.RSI has broken its falling trend and is likely to trade out/cancel the divergence since mid-July. If Dutch gas closes above the 0.618 retracement the 0.764 retracement at around 281.82 is next level likely to be reached. The upper rising trend line is likely to be reached and possibly broken in a gas price that seems to accelerate.To reverse the uptrend a close below 187.50 is needed.However, a correction over the next couple of days is not unlikely given the Spinning Top Candle formed yesterday. IT is often a top and reversal indicator but needs to be confirmed by a bearish candle the following day. IF Dutch Gas closes above its peak the potential top and reversal is demolished. Source: Saxo Group Henry Hub Gas has taken out resistance at the 0.618 retracement at around $8.90 and now also 0.764 retracement indicating previous highs at $9.66-9.75 are likely to be tested. If Henry Hub Gas closes above previous highs new price targets Source: Saxo Group Brent Crude oil continue its downtrend closing in on support at around $90. RSI is testing previous lows. There is divergence indicating a weakening of the downtrend but if RSI makes a new low the $90 support could be broken. Next support would be at around the 0.764 retracement at 85.76To set the downtrend on pause a close above 100.38. That will most likely not reverse the trend but merely just put it on pause. Source: Saxo Group WTI Crude oil was rejected at the short-term falling trendline and is now back below the 0.618 retracement. Next support at 81.90. There is divergence on RSI indication the downtrend is weakening. However, if RSI closes below If WTI closes back above the 200 SMA i.e. above $95 thereby also breaking above the short-term falling trendline, a larger correction to around 105-110 is likely. Source: Saxo Group Carbon Emissions broke its falling trendline last week and has now also broken above resistance at 92.75 closing in on its all-time high just below €100. RSI is entering over-bought territory but there is no divergence indicating higher levels (above 100) is likely. However, do expect a correction from just below previous highs.            Source: Saxo Group   Source: Technical Update - Natural Gas powers higher. Oil downtrend weakening, close to and end? Carbon Emission close to all-time highs
    Nuclear Power Emerges as Top Theme for 2023, Bubble Stocks Under Pressure

    We Need To Build Our Green Energy Future. Here Is Why

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 17.08.2022 16:26
    Summary:  We are used to not think about the energy sector, but the galloping global energy crisis has illuminated our deficits in primary energy due to years of underinvestment in fossil fuels and renewable energy sources inability to scale fast enough with the green transformation and electrification of our economy. It seems more likely now that the non-renewable and the renewable energy sector will both provide attractive returns as we will need both to overcome our short-term energy crisis and long-term aspirations of a greener energy future. The energy crisis keeps getting worse Electricity prices in Europe are nine times higher than the historical average since 2007 as lack of investments and cutting the ties to Russia’s energy supplies are severely constraining available energy in society. Since before the pandemic we have written many equity notes on the green transformation which involves building out renewable energy sources and electrifying everything in the economy to reduce the carbon emissions involved with our current living standard. Switching a large part of the transportation sector to electricity or green fuels, switching the heating source from natural gas to renewable energy through electrification (air-to-water heat pumps) etc. is very difficult as our rising wealth (measured by GDP) is finely mapped to carbon emissions over the past 300 years. We described this in our note The inconvenient truth on energy and GDP. Decoupling our wealth generating function from that of carbon emissions is probably the greatest task humans has ever set out to do. German baseload electricity 1 year forward | Source: Bloomberg There is not ‘one solution’ that fixes our energy crisis As BP’s 2022 Statistical Review of World Energy pictures primary energy demand in 2021 eclipsed 2019 suggesting the world’s demand for energy is now higher than before the pandemic and the usage of fossil fuels (82%) is only slightly down compared to five years ago (85%). We very much still live in a fossil fuel based economy. Things will change over time and the share of fossil fuels will likely decline, but the idea that the world can do the green transformation by electrifying everything based on renewable energy sources is naïve. Investors should also remember that the change in primary energy demand is mostly driven by the non-OECD countries. Renewable energy does not scale fast enough for a complete transition due to the speed on electrification and recently the CEOs of Orsted and Vestas complained about bureaucracy related to get new offshore wind power projects approved. The recent Climate & Tax Bill is acknowledging that we will need oil and gas for longer than expected just three years ago and thus our current energy crisis will allow both renewable energy and fossil fuel energy to be good investments in parallel. Renewable energy is the third best theme basket this year while the commodities basket (which includes oil & gas and mining companies) is the best performer. Our view of the future of energy is that there is no ‘one solution’ to our energy problem. We must move to a mindset of energy diversification. We will need many different sources of energy and never rely too much on one source. Germany’s reliance on natural gas for its economic model has proved fragile. Even France’s concentrated bet on nuclear power has proved to be fragile due to corrosion and now too hot rivers. The world must invest in all types of energy and thus our view is that investors mut get broad exposure to energy going forward. The non-renewable energy sector at a glance In this equity note we will focus on the non-renewable energy because this is the part of the energy sector which has changed the most relative to market pricing and expectations and where there is more room for valuations changing. Despite high oil and gas prices the energy sector is still relatively cheap as we described already back in May in our note Global energy stocks are the cheapest in 27 years where we measured valuation on the free cash flow yield. The high oil and gas prices have also led to record profits for refiners and recently the highest quarterly profit ever recorded in the global energy sector which we described in our note Earnings hit new all-time high as inflation lifts all boats. The global energy sector (defined by GICS and being the non-renewable energy sector) is still cheap relative to the global equity market with the 12-month EV/EBITDA being two standard deviations below the average valuation spread since 2005. In terms of total return the global energy sector has delivered a higher return than the global equity market since 1995 (see chart). It is also worth noting that measured on the 12-month forward EV/EBITDA the renewable energy sector has twice the valuation level compared to the non-renewable energy sector reflecting the different in expectations for the future priced in the market. As we described in our Q1 Outlook the current dividend yield and expected dividend growth suggest that the global energy sector has an expected long-term return of 10% annualised subject of course to a large degree of uncertainty related to equity valuation compression in the industry or lower dividend growth in the future than expected today. Global energy vs global equities | Source: Bloomberg The easiest way to invest in the energy sector is through ETFs tracking the sector and most investors should do that. A different approach is investing in specific parts of the non-renewable energy sector. The tables below show the top five company on market value in each of the GICS industries in the GICS energy sector. As the five-year total returns in USD column show, the industries related only to drilling and providing equipment for drilling activities have done the worst because the decline in capital expenditures since 2015 has dried up activity for this industry. The integrated oil and gas majors have done better due to refining and trading businesses. Over the past five years, the best performing industries in the energy sector have been refining and marketing due to the crack spreads (the difference between crude oil and refined products) have expanded during the pandemic. The global coal industry has also done very well which in terms of climate change and reducing carbon emissions is a sad observation but we should be aware of that the primary fuel source for power generation globally is still coal. GICS industries in the energy sector | Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Source: How to invest in energy and the unfolding energy crisis?
    US: Drivers Demand Of Oil The Highest This Year! Silver Lost Almost The Half Of Its Recent Gaines

    US: Drivers Demand Of Oil The Highest This Year! Silver Lost Almost The Half Of Its Recent Gaines

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 18.08.2022 10:50
    Summary:  US equities traded a bit lower yesterday after the S&P 500 challenged the 200-day moving average from below the prior day for the first time since April in the steep comeback from the June lows. Sentiment was not buoyed by the FOMC minutes of the July meeting suggesting the Fed would like to slow the pace of tightening at some point. Crude oil rose from a six-month low on bullish news from the US and OPEC.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rolled over yesterday wiping out the gains from the two previous sessions and the index futures are continuing lower this morning trading around the 4,270 level. US retail sales for July were weak and added to worries of the economic slowdown in real terms in the US. The 10-year yield is slowing crawling back towards the 3% level sitting at 2.87% this morning. A move to 3% and potentially beyond would be negative for equities. The next levels to watch on the downside in S&P 500 futures are 4,249 and then 4,200 Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Shares in the Hong Kong and mainland China markets declined. China internet stocks were weak across the board with Tencent (00700:xhkg) +2.7% and Meituan (03690:xhkg) +1%, being the positive outliers. Tencent reported a revenue decline of 3% y/y in Q2, weak, but in line with market expectations. Non-GAAP operating profit was down 14% y/y to RMB 36.7bn, and EPS fell 17% y/y to RMB 2.90 but beating analyst estimates. Revenues from advertising at -18% y/y were better than expected. In the game segment, weaker mobile game revenues were offset by stronger PC game revenues. Beer makers outperformed China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) +3.8%, Tsingtao Brewery (00168:xhkg) +1.7%. COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) made a new high at the open on strong crude oil tanker freight rates before giving back some gains. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally broadened out yesterday, as USDJPY retook the 135.00 area, but needs to follow through above 135.50-136.00 to take the momentum back higher. Elsewhere, AUDUSD has broken down again on the move down through 0.7000 and USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal, needing 1.3000 for more upside confirmation. The GBPUSD pair looks heavy despite a massive reset higher in UK rates in the wake of recent UK inflation data, with a close below 1.2000 indicating a possible run on the sub-1.1800 lows, while EURUSD is rather stuck tactically, as price has remained bottled up above the 1.0100 range low. USDCNH, as discussed below, may be a key pair for whether the USD rally broadens out even more aggressively, and long US treasury yields and risk sentiment are other factors in the mix that could support the greenback, should the 10-year US treasury benchmark move higher toward 3.00% again or sentiment roll over for whatever reason. Certainly, tightening USD liquidity could prove a concern for sentiment as the Fed turns up the pace of quantitative tightening – something it seems behind schedule in doing if we look at the latest weekly Fed balance sheet data.  USDCNH The exchange rate edged higher again to above 6.80 overnight after a brief spike higher earlier this week as China’s PBOC moved to stimulate with a small 10-basis point rate cut of the key lending rate. There is no real drama in the exchange rate yet after the significant rally this spring from below 6.40 to 6.80+, but traders should keep an eye on this very important exchange rate for larger volatility and significant break above 6.83, as China’s exchange rate policy shifts can provoke significant volatility across markets. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) bounced from a six-month low on Wednesday in response to a bullish US inventory report that saw big declines in gasoline and crude oil stocks as demand from US motorist climbed to the highest this year while crude exports reached a record $5 million barrels per day. The prospect for an Iran nuclear deal continues to weigh while OPEC’s new Secretary-General said spare capacity was becoming scarce. US strategic reserves are now at the lowest level since 1985 and the government has by now sold around 90% of what was initially offered in order to bring down prices. While demand concerns remain a key driver for macroeconomic focused funds selling crude oil as a hedge we notice a renewed surge in refinery margins, especially diesel, supported by increased demand from gas-to-fuel switching Gold and silver Gold has so far managed to find support at $1759, the 38.2% retracement of the July to August bounce, after trading weaker in response to a stronger dollar and rising yields. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile has almost retraced half of its recent strong gains with focus now on support at $19.50. The latest driver being the FOMC minutes which signaled ongoing interest-rate hikes and eventually at a slower pace than the current. The short-term direction has been driven by speculators reducing bullish bets following a two-week buying spree in the weeks to August 9 which lifted the net by 63k lots, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication investor, for now, trusts the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe   What is going on? Financial conditions are tightening, if modestly. Recent days have brough a rise in short US treasury yields, but more importantly it looks as though some of the risk indicators like corporate credit spreads may have bottomed out here after a sharp retreat from early July highs – one Bloomberg high yield credit spreads to US treasuries peaked out above 5.75% and was as low as 4.08% earlier this week before rising to 4.19% yesterday, with high yield bond ETFs like HYG and JNK suffering a sharp mark-down yesterday of over a percent. Factors that could further aggravate financial conditions include a significant CNH weakening, higher US long treasury yields (10-year yield moving back toward 3.00%, for example) or further USD strength. Adyen sees margin squeeze. One of Europe’s largest payment companies reports first-half revenue of €609mn vs est. €615mn despite processed volume came significantly above estimates at €346bn suggesting the payments industry is experiencing pricing pressures. Cisco outlook surprises. The US manufacturer of networking equipment surprised to the upside on both revenue and earnings in its fiscal Q4 (ending 30 July), but more importantly, the company is guiding revenue growth in the current fiscal quarter of 2-4% vs est. -0.2% and revenue growth for the current fiscal year of 4-6% vs est. 3.3%. Cisco said that supply constraints are beginning to ease and that customer cancellations are running below pre-pandemic levels, and that the company’s growth will be a function of availability. Stale FOMC minutes hint at sustained restrictive policy, but caution on pace of tightening. Fed’s meeting minutes from the July meeting were released last night, and officials agreed to move to restrictive policy, with some noting that restrictive rates will have to be maintained for some time to bring inflation back to the 2% target. Still, there was also talk of slowing the pace of rate hikes ‘at some point’, despite pushing back against easing expectations for next year. The minutes were broadly in-line with the market’s thinking, and lacked fresh impetus needed to bring up the pricing of Fed’s rate hikes. Chairman Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium next week will be keenly watched for further inputs. US retail sales were a mixed bag. July US retail sales were a little softer at the headline level than the market expected (0% growth versus the +0.1% consensus) but the ex-auto came in stronger at 0.4% (vs. -0.1% expected). June’s growth was revised down to 0.8% from 1%. The mixed data confirmed that the US consumers are feeling the pinch from higher prices, but have remained resilient so far and that could give the Fed more room to continue with its aggressive rate hikes. Lower pump prices and further improvements in supply chain could further lift up retail spending in August. The iron ore miners are resilient despite price pressures Despite China planning more fiscal stimulus to fund infrastructure investment, the iron ore (SCOA, SCOU2) price paired back 8% this week, retreating to its lowest equal level in five weeks at $101.65, a level the iron ore price was last at in December 2021. Since March, the iron ore price has retreated 37%, with the most recent pull back being fueled by concerns China’s Covid cases are surging again with cases at a three-month high, as the outbreak worsens in the tropical Hainan province. Despite iron ore pulling back, shares in iron ore majors like BHP, remain elevated, up off their lows, with BHP’s shares trading 14% up of its July low, and moving further above its 200-day moving average, on hopes of commodity demand picking up. What are we watching next? Norway’s central bank guidance on further tightening. The Norges Bank is expected to hike 50 basis points today to take the policy rate to 1.75% despite an indication from the bank in June that the bank would prefer to shift back to hiking rates by 25 basis points, as a tight labour market and soaring inflation weigh. The path of tightening for the central bank has been an odd one, as it was the first G10 bank to actually hike rates in 2021, but finds itself with a far lower policy rate than the US, for example, which started much later with a faster pace of hikes. But NOK may react more to the direction in risk sentiment rather than guidance from the Norges Bank from here, assuming no major surprises. The EURNOK downtrend has slowed of late – focusing on 10.00 if the price action continues to back up. Japan’s inflation will surge further. Japan’s nationwide CPI for July is due on Friday. July producer prices came in slightly above expectations at 8.6% y/y (vs. estimates of 8.4% y/y) while the m/m figure was as expected at 0.4%. The continued surge reflects that Japanese businesses are grappling with high input price pressures, and these are likely to get passed on to the consumers, suggesting further increases in CPI remain likely. More government relief measures are likely to be announced, while signs of any Bank of Japan pivot away from its low rates and yield-curve-control policy are lacking. Bloomberg consensus estimates are calling for Japan’s CPI to accelerate to 2.6% y/y from 2.4% previously, with the ex-fresh food number seen at 2.4% y/y vs. 2.2% earlier.   Earnings to watch In Europe this morning, the key earnings focus is Adyen which has already reported (see review above) and Estee Lauder which is deliver a significant slowdown in figures and increased margin pressure due to rising input costs. Today’s US earnings to watch are Applied Materials and NetEase, with the former potentially delivering an upside surprise like Cisco yesterday on improved supply chains. NetEase, one of China’s largest gaming companies, is expected to deliver Q2 revenue growth of 12% y/y as growth continues to slow down for companies in China. Today: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Norway Deposit Rates 0900 – Eurozone Final Jul. CPI 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – Canada Jul. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1230 – US Philadelphia Fed Survey 1400 – US Jul. Existing Home Sales 1430 – EIAs Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1720 – US Fed’s George (Voter) to speak 1745 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Non-voter) to speak 2301 – UK Aug. GfK Consumer Confidence 2330 – Japan Jul. National CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 18, 2022
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    Fed Reptesentatives Are Committed To Holding Back Price Growing And Control The Inflation According To Expectations

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 18.08.2022 13:17
    Last night's publication of the minutes of the last Fed meeting, which took place at the end of July, may have affected the US dollar's trading. The policymakers touched on the regulation of the digital asset market for the first time at such a meeting. According to the published minutes, Fed officials remain very attentive to inflation risks and are committed to lowering price growth and keeping inflation expectations under control. A commitment to tightening monetary policy can take place, even if it comes at the expense of economic growth, the FOMC minutes show. The July discussion touched on the possible risks of too many and too large interest rate hikes. There was also talk that the Fed may be pursuing too much restrictive monetary policy than is necessary to restore price stability in the economy. The Fed, for the moment, seems unconcerned about GDP data and the risk of a sustained slowdown or official recession, as officials said the economy is stable for now, pointing to strong job growth, a low unemployment rate and elevated wage growth. Moreover, there was also discussion of the possibility of a later upward revision of earlier GDP readings, which are revised over time. There was also a statement regarding possible further action by the Federal Reserve. Policymakers discussed the possibility of slowing the pace of interest rate hikes at some point, but this will require data readings that can be considered satisfactory in terms of the impact of current hikes on slowing inflation. Meanwhile, for the moment, it may be crucial to maintain a restrictive stance to avoid a loosening of inflation expectations. Initially, after the release of the minutes, the EUR/USD exchange rate rose to 1.0200, before retreating to the region of 1.0150 this morning. The reaction thus appears to be mixed, without leading to a major impulse, and the exchange rate of the main currency pair has remained in consolidation since the morning of August 16. On Wall Street, on the other hand, indexes were down after the publication. The S&P500 fell 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.6 percent. The committee also turned its attention to the world of digital assets. Participants recognized the growing importance of digital assets and their increasing interconnectedness with other segments of the financial system, underscoring the need to establish a robust supervisory and regulatory framework for the sector to adequately mitigate potential systemic risks. Several participants mentioned the need to strengthen supervision and regulation of certain types of non-bank financial institutions, according to published minutes. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Highlights from the Fed minutes
    The Commodities Feed: China's 2023 growth target underwhelms markets

    Apple Concentrated On Vietnam Productions As China Having Problems With Energy Supply

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 18.08.2022 14:03
    Overview: The sell-off in European bonds continues today. The 10-year German Bund yield is around four basis points higher to bring three-day increase to about 22 bp. The Italian premium over Germany has risen by almost 18 bp over these three sessions. Its two-year premium is widening for the fifth consecutive session and is above 90 bp for the first time in almost three weeks. The 10-year US Treasury yield is a little softer near 2.88%. Most of the large Asia Pacific equity markets fell, with India a notable exception. Europe’s Stoxx 600 snapped a five-day rally yesterday with a 0.9% loss. It is slightly firmer today, while US futures are hovering around yesterday’s closing levels. The greenback is firm against most of the major currencies. The Australian and Canadian dollars  and Norwegian krone and sterling are the most resilient today. The Philippines, like Norway hiked 50 bp but unlike Norway, the currency has not been bought. Most emerging market currencies are softer today. Gold is trying to break a three-day slide after approaching $1760. It settled last week at $1802. October WTI found a base a little below $85.50 and is around $88.50 near midday in Europe. The week’s high was set Monday by $91.50. US natgas is up 1.1% to recoup yesterday’s loss in full. Europe’s benchmark is extended this week’s run. It finished last week near 205.85 and now is around 232.00, a 12.7% gain after 6% last week. Iron ore ended a four-day 8% slide. September copper is recovering from the early drop to near two-week lows ($354.20) and is now near 362.00. A move above yesterday’s high (~$365) would be constructive. The sell-ff in September wheat has accelerated. It is off for the fifth consecutive session and is at its lowest level since January. After falling around 3% in three days from last Friday, it is off more than 5% between yesterday and today. Asia Pacific For good reasons, Beijing and Washington suspect the other of trying to change that status quo over Taiwan  The visits by US legislators may be only the initial efforts by Congress to force a more aggressive US position. It could come to a head in the fall when a bill that wants to recognize Taiwan as a major non-NATO ally and to foster Taiwan's membership in international forums will draw more attention. Meanwhile, US-Taiwan trade talks will begin later this year that was first aired a couple of months ago. At the same time, the Biden administration has been considering lifting some of the tariffs levied by the previous administration, but China's militaristic response to the visits makes it more difficult. Biden wants to lift the tariffs not to reward Beijing but to ease the costs to Americans. The Consumer Technology Association, an industry group, estimated that the tariffs have boosted the bill for American consumer technology companies by around $32 bln. The tariffs are paid to the US government. It seems that in lieu of lifting the tariffs, a broad exclusion process is possible. Related but separately, the Nikkei Asia reported that Apple is in talks to produce its watches and computers in Vietnam for the first time  Two suppliers have been producing Apple Watches in northern Vietnam. A couple of months ago, reports indicated that Apple would more some production of its tablets to Vietnam. Apple's ecosystem is establishing a presence in Vietnam, with nearly two dozen suppliers have factories now, almost doubling since 2018. As a result of these forces and the movement of capacity outside of China, Vietnam's trade surplus with the US is exploding. The $33 bln surplus in 2016 ballooned to $91 bln last year and was nearly $58 bln in the first half. For the past five years, the dollar has traded in a roughly 2% band around VND23000. The greenback is near the upper end of the range. Australia's July jobs report was disappointing  It lost almost 87k full-time positions after gaining nearly 53k in June. Part-time positions increased (46k), leading to a 40.9k loss of overall jobs. The median forecast (Bloomberg survey) was for a gain of 25k jobs. The unemployment rate slipped to a new record low of 3.4% (from 3.5%) but this was due to a sharp drop in the participation rate (66.4% from 66.8%). Ostensibly, this could give the central bank space to be more flexible at its September 6 meeting. However, the futures market as taken it in stride that has left the odds of a 50 bp hike next month essentially unchanged around 57%. This is essentially where it was at the end of last week and the week before. Many are now familiar with China's rolling lockdowns to combat Covid and the implosion of property market, a key engine of growth and accumulation  A new threat has emerged. The extreme weather has seen water levels in Sichuan's hydropower reserves as much as 50% this month, according to report, prompting the shuttering of factories (hub for solar panels, cement, and urea). Dazhou, a city of nearly 3.5 mln people, imposed a 2 1/2-hour power cuts this week that were expanded to three hours yesterday. Office buildings in Chengdu, the provincial capital, were barred from using air conditioning. Many areas in central and northern China imposed emergency measures to ensure the availability of drinking water. The heat and drought threaten summer crops and risk greater food-driven inflation. At the same time, Shanxi, which provides about a quarter of China's coal is worried about floods, it has suspended the operation of more than 100 mines since June. The government-imposed measures to boost output and Shanxi coal output rose by around 16% in H1.  The dollar is confined to a narrow range, straddling the JPY135 area  It has held `below last week's high around JPY135.60 and above the JPY134.55, where options for $700 mln expire today. The Australian dollar has been sold aggressively this week. It began near $0.7115 and tested $0.6900 today, meeting the (50%) retracement objective of the rally from the mid-July low (~$0.6880). It was only able to make a marginal new low today, suggesting that the selling pressure has abated. The next retracement (61.8%) is closer to $0.6855. Initial resistance is seen around $0.6950. After slipping a little yesterday, the greenback returned to its recent highs against the Chinese yuan around CNY6.7960. This year's high was set in May near CNY6.8125. Between Covid lockdowns, the weather disruptions, and the continued unwinding of the property bubble, a weaker yuan may the path of least resistance. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7802 compared with expectations from Bloomberg's survey of CNY6.7806. The yuan is falling for the sixth consecutive month against the dollar. Europe The eurozone may not have completed its banking and monetary union, but the ECB said that it would harmonize how banks offer crypto assets and have sufficient capital and expertise  Crypto companies have negotiated with national authorities in several EMU member countries, but common EU licensing rules are unlikely any time soon. There is a patchwork of differing national rules, and in some countries, some types of crypto activity may require a banking license, for example. Norway's central bank hiked its deposit rate by 50 bp and indicated it would "most likely" lift rates again next month What makes today's move somewhat more aggressive that it may appear is that the hike took place at a meeting that did not include an economic update and projections for the future path of policy. Norges Bank acknowledged that the policy rate trajectory would be faster than projected in June and the inflation risks being higher for longer. The deposit rate now sits at 1.75%. Another 50 bp hike next month (September 22) seems likely followed by a 25 bp move in November, the last meeting of the year. The euro briefly popped a little above $1.02 on what was initially seen as dovish FOMC minutes in the North American afternoon yesterday  However, it returned to yesterday's lows low near $1.0145 before finding a bid. The week's low was set Tuesday slightly below $1.0125, which is ahead of the retracement objective we identified near $1.0110. The euro is consolidating as the US two-year premium over Germany falls to its lowest level in a nearly a month (2.54%), and almost 25 bp below the peak seen after the US jobs data on August 5. Labor disputes are crippling UK trains, buses, subways, and a key container port today. Sterling slipped to $1.1995, its lowest level since July 26. The nicking of the neckline of a possible double top was not a convincing violation and sterling has recovered to the $1.2060 area in the London morning. If this is not the peak in sterling, it seems close. Tomorrow, the UK is expected to report a decline in July retail sales, excluding gasoline. This measure of retail sales rose by 0.4% in June, the first increase since last October. The median forecast (Bloomberg survey) is for a 0.3% fall. The swaps market is pricing in a 50 bp hike at the mid-September BOE meeting and about a 1-in-5 chance of a 75 bp move. America US interest rates softened and dragged the dollar lower following the release of the FOMC minutes  The market seems to have focused on the concern of "many" members that it could over-tighten but there was no sign that this was going to prevent them for raising rates further. Indeed, it suggest that the risk of inflation expectations becoming embedded was greater. More hikes were appropriate, the minutes said, and a restrictive stance may be required for "some time". The minutes also played the recent pullback in commodity prices as an indicator of lower inflation, which it still says the evidence is lacking. When everything was said and done the September Fed funds futures were unchanged for the fourth consecutive session. Autos and gasoline held by retail sales in July, but excluding them, retail sales rose by 0.7%, matching the June increase  The core measure, which also excludes building materials and food services rose a solid 0.8%. Retail sales account for around 40% of personal consumption expenditures. The July PCE is due next week (August 26) and picks up service consumption too. The early call is for it to rise by 0.5%. However, it too is a nominal report, and in real terms, a 0.3%-0.4% gain would be a strong showing. The retail sales report lent credence to anecdotal stories about department stores discounting prices to move inventory. Amazon's Prime Day (July 12-13) was claimed to be the biggest so far. Online sales overall surged 2.7%. Today's data includes weekly jobless claims, the Philadelphia Fed survey, existing home sale, and the index of Leading Economic Indicators  Th four-week average of weekly jobless claims rose to 252k in the week ending August 5. Recall the four-week moving average, used to smooth out some of the noise bottomed in the week ending April 1 at 170.5k. They averaged around 238k in December 2019, which was the highest since the first half of January 2018. Continuing claims have edged higher in recent weeks, but at 1.428 mln, they are roughly 20% below the peak at the start of this year. The Philadelphia Fed survey is particularly interesting today because of the disastrous Empire State survey. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a -5 reading after -12.3 in July. Meanwhile, existing home sales have fallen for five months through June. In fact, new home sales have been fallen every quarter since the end of 2020, with the exception of Q3 21. They fell by an average of 1.7% in Q1 22 and 3.8% in Q2 22. The median forecast is for a nearly 5% decline in July. The market tends not to get excited about the leading economic index series. Economists expected the fifth consecutive decline. The only month it rose this year was February. The US dollar extended its recovery against the Canadian dollar to reach almost CAD1.2950, its highest level since August 8 today  It was pressed lower by new offers in the European morning that drove it back to almost CAD1.2900. The market may take its cues from the S&P 500 and the general risk appetites in the North American session. With the intraday momentum indicators stretched, yesterday's post-FOMC minutes low near CAD1.2880 may offer sufficient support. The greenback rose to a five-day high against the Mexican peso yesterday around MXN20.09. It is consolidating and straddling the MXN20.00 area. Our reading of the technical condition favors the dollar's upside, and the first important target is near MXN20.20. The US dollar gapped higher against the Brazilian real yesterday and approached the BRL5.22 area, where the 20-day and 200-day moving averages converge. The opening gap was closed late on the pullback spurred by the reading of FOMC minute headlines. The price action is similar to the peso, where the dollar has traded heavily since last month but appears to have found a bottom. A break above BRL5.22 would target the month's high near BRL5.3150.       Disclaimer   Source: Fed Minutes were Not as Dovish as Initially Read
    West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Price Analysis: The Oil Price Has Corrected And Dropped

    Crude Oil Price Probably Not Reach 100$(USD) Shortly

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 18.08.2022 15:56
    The equity rally in the US didn’t pick up momentum after the Federal Reserve (Fed) released its latest meeting minutes, which sounded more hawkish-than-expected, or more hawkish-than-what-was-needed-to-give-another-boost to the US stock markets. The biggest take was that the Fed will continue tightening its policy until it sees that inflation is ‘firmly on path back to 2%’. The S&P500 fell 0.72% as Nasdaq gave back 1.20%, although the jump in the US 2-year yield was relatively soft, and the Fed funds futures scaled back the expectation of a 75 bp hike in the next meeting. Crude price completed an ABCD pattern, and it is more likely than not we see the price rebound to the $100 level in the medium run. In China, Tencent announced its first ever revenue drop as government crackdown continued taking a toll on its sales, and the pound couldn’t gain even after the above 10% inflation data boosted the Bank of England (BoE) hawks and the call fall steeper rate hikes to tame inflation in the UK. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 As expected, Fed minutes were more hawkish-than-expected 3:39 Crude oil has more chance to rebound than to fall 6:02 Tencent posts first-ever revenue drop 7:14 Apple extends gains, but technicals warn of correction 8:38 Pound unable to extend gains despite rising Fed hawks’ voices Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #minutes #USD #GBP #inflation #Tencent #Alibaba #earnings #crude #oil #natural #gas #coal #futures #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Oil Is An Indicator Of The Health Of The Global Economy

    Crude Oil Has A Selling Weariness? Europe Prefers Oil Over Gas!?

    Ole Hansen Ole Hansen 18.08.2022 16:14
    Summary:  Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being an increased gas-to-fuel switching supporting the demand outlook for crude oil. Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driving by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks, and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates, were the main drivers behind the selling seen across commodities in recent months. Crude oil with its strong underlying fundamentals, with tight supply driven by Russia sanctions and OPEC struggling to lift production, was the last shoe to drop and since the mid-June peak, speculators and macroeconomic focused funds have been net sellers of both WTI and Brent crude oil futures. With most of these market participants using the front of the futures curve, the selling has seen the forward curve flatten, a development that is normally viewed as price negative as it signals reduced tightness in the market. However, for that to ring true we should see inventory levels of crude oil and fuel products rise while refinery margins should ease. None of these developments have occurred and it strengthens our belief that the weakness sign has more to do with position adjustments and short positions being implemented by traders focusing on macro instead of micro.  In the week to August 9, the combined net long in Brent and WTI slumped to 304k lots a level last seen in April 2020, and 209k lots below the mid-June peak.  While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being surging gas prices as utilities are forced to buy more gas to keep the turbines running. This week the cost of Dutch TTF benchmark gas reached $400 per barrel of crude oil equivalent. Such a wide gap between oil and gas has and will continue to attract increased demand for fuel-based product at the expense of gas and this switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins, so called crack spreads (EU diesel crack shown below as an example) As mentioned, the recent selling pressure together with a deteriorating macro-economic backdrop have been the main drivers behind crude oils near 40-dollar slump since mid-June. The WTI chart below points to support at $85.50, a level almost reached on Tuesday. The price action is currently confined within a declining wedge and a break to the upside could trigger a strong buying response. For that to happen the price first needs to go back above $92 and the 21-day simple moving average, currently at $92.85. Source: Saxo Bank   How to invest in energy and the unfolding energy crisis? By Peter Garnry, Head of Equity StrategySummary:  We are used to not think about the energy sector, but the galloping global energy crisis has illuminated our deficits in primary energy due to years of underinvestment in fossil fuels and renewable energy sources inability to scale fast enough with the green transformation and electrification of our economy. It seems more likely now that the non-renewable and the renewable energy sector will both provide attractive returns as we will need both to overcome our short-term energy crisis and long-term aspirations of a greener energy future.   Source: Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude
    Saxo Bank Podcast: Nvidia And Siemens Earnings, The Budget Statement From UK And More

    Online Gaming Is Still The Biggest Source Of Income. Diablo Immortal Is The Most Downoloaded Game On The IOS

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 18.08.2022 17:14
    NetEase is a Chinese technology company that operates in three segments - online games, search engine (Youdao) and online music (Cloud Music). The company operates both in China and internationally. It is famous for games such as 'The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War', 'Vikingard', 'Lifeafter' and 'Knives Out'. Its shares have fallen more than 10% since the beginning of the year, along with other companies in the Chinese technology sector, by the Chinese government's ambiguous action in the area of interference in their operations, fears of delisting in the US and deteriorating economic indicators in China. However, it is fair to say that its price has still proved to be far more resilient to the issues mentioned above than those of Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu. The company's revenue was 23.2 billion renminbi (US$3.5 billion) in the second quarter, growing 12.8 % year-on-year, slightly beating Wall Street analysts' expectations. Cloud Music revenue grew the most to 2.2 billion renminbi ($327.2 million), rising 29.5% year on year. Online gaming remains the most important revenue stream, with Q2 revenue of 18.1 billion renminbi ($2.7 billion). This increased by 15% compared to the same period a year ago. This was mainly due to the debut of Diablo Immortal, co-developed by NetEase with Blizzard Entertainment. According to the company's report, it became the most downloaded game on the IOS platform in some regions. Major franchise titles had their longevity extended, including the fantasy series Westward Journey and Westward Journey Online, as well as Identity V and Infinite Lagrange. "Players continued to gravitate to our longstanding games in the second quarter, highlighting our strength in game operations longevity. Moreover, the launch of Diablo® Immortal™ attracted the attention of gamers around the world, showcasing our exceptional mobile game development capabilities" - stated CEO William Ding. Revenue fell sharply in the Youdao area, down 29.5% year on year. However, this is the smallest source of revenue and only amounted to 956.2 million renminbi ($142.8 million) in the quarter. Q2 saw a net profit of $790 million, due to lower costs of player retention costs compared to new player acquisitions. Earnings per share (EPS) for those listed in New York were $1.22 on an adjusted basis, beating analysts' estimates by 17 cents. NetEase shares gained almost 3% before the market opened. Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: NetEase increases profits despite declining revenues
    German Business Confidence Dips, ECB's Lagarde Hosts Central Banking Conference in Portugal, EUR/USD Drifts Higher

    Fed's Plan Is To Push For More Rate Hikes To Boost Dollar (USD)!?

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 19.08.2022 10:37
    Summary:  Better than expected economic data continued to support sentiment in US in contrast to Europe, where ECB’s Schnabel's warning on the growth/inflation picture aggravated concerns. Fed speakers meanwhile continued to push for more rate hikes this year, aiding dollar strength despite lack of a clear direction in long end yields. EUR and GBP broke below key support levels, but oil prices climbed higher amid improving demand outlook but sustained supply issues. Focus now on Jackson Hole next week. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  In its second lightest volume session of the year, U.S. equities edged modestly higher, S&P 500 +0.23%, Nasdaq 100 +0.26%. As WTI crude climbed 2.7%, rebounding back above $90, the energy space was a top gainer aside from technology. Exxon Mobil (XOM:xnys) gained 2.4%.  Cisco (CSCO:xnas) surged 5.8% after reporting better-than-expected revenues. Nvidia (NVDA:xnas), +2.4% was another top contributor to the gain of the S&P 500 on Wednesday.  95% of S&P 500 companies have reported Q2 results, with about three-quarters of them managing to beat analyst estimates. On Friday there is a large number of options set to expire.  The U.S. treasury yield curve bull steepened on goldilocks hope The U.S. 2-10-year curve steepened 7bps to -32bps, driven by a 9bp decline in the 2-year yield.  In spite of hawkish Fed official comments and the August Philadelphia Fed Index bouncing back to positive territory, the market took note of the falls in the prices paid diffusion index and the prices received index from the survey and sent the short-end yields lower.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Both Hang Seng Index and CSI300 declined about 0.8%.  Tencent (00700:xhkg) rose 3.1% after reporting results that beat estimates as a result of better cost control and adverting revenues. Other China internet stocks traded lower, Bilibili (09626:xhkg) -4.2%, Baidu (09888:xhkg) -4.5%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) -2.1%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) -2.5%. The surge of Covid cases in China to a three-month high and the Hainan outbreak unabated after a 2-week lockdown, pressured consumer stocks.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) led the charge lower in autos, plunging near 6%.  Other automakers fell 2% to 4%.  Geely (00175:xhkg) fell 3.1% after reporting 1H earnings missing estimates.  A share Chinese liquor names declined, Kweichow Moutai (600519:xssc) -1.2%, Wuliangye Yibin (000858:xsec) -1.6%. Chinese brewers were outliner gainers in the consumer space, China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) +4.8%, Tsingtao Brewery (00168:xhkg) +1.9%. Chinese property developers traded lower with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) losing the most, -5.2% , after warning that 1H earnings may have been down as much as 70%. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) is looking at the quality of real estate loan portfolios at some financial institutions.  EURUSD and GBPUSD break through key support levels Dollar strength prevailed into the end of the week with upbeat US economic data and a continued hawkish Fedspeak which continued to suggest more Fed rate hikes remain in the pipeline compared to what the market is currently pricing in. EUR and GBP were the biggest loser, with both of them breaking below key support levels. EURUSD slid below 1.0100 handle while GBPUSD broke below 1.2000 despite a selling in EGBs and Gilts. USDJPY also broke above 136 in early Asian trading hours despite lack of a clear direction in US 10-year yields and a slide in 2-year yields. AUDUSD testing a break below 0.6900 as NZDUSD drops below 0.6240. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Oil prices reversed their drop with WTI futures back above $90/barrel and Brent futures above $96. Upbeat US economic data has supported the demand side sentiment in recent days. Moreover, President Xi’s comment that China will continue to open up the domestic economy also aided the demand equation. Supply concerns, meanwhile, were aggravated by geopolitical tension around a potential incident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Shell hinted at reducing the capacity of Rhineland oil refinery due to the lower water level on the Rhine river and said the situation regarding supply is challenging but carefully managed. Gold (XAUUSD) still facing mixed signals The fate of gold has been turned lower again this week with the yellow metal facing decline of 2.5% so far in the week and breaking below the $1759 support, the 38.2% retracement of the July to August bounce. Stronger dollar, along with Fed’s continued hawkish rhetoric, weighed. Silver (XAGUSD) is also below the key support at $19.50, retracing half of its recent gains. The short-term direction has been driven by speculators reducing bullish bets, but with inflation remaining higher-for-longer, the precious metals can continue to see upside in the long run. What to consider? Existing home sales flags another red for the US housing market US existing home sales fell in July for a sixth straight month to 4.81 mn from 5.11 mn, now at the slowest pace since May 2020, and beneath the expected 4.89 mn. Inventory levels again continued to be a big concern, with supply rising to 3.3 months equivalent from 2.9 in June. This continues to suggest that the weakening demand momentum and high inventory levels may weigh on construction activity. US economic data continues to be upbeat The Philly Fed survey outperformed expectations, with the headline index rising to +6.2 (exp. -5.0, prev. -12.3), while prices paid fell to 43.6 (prev. 52.2) and prices received dropped to 23.3 (prev. 30.3). new orders were still negative at -5.1, but considerably better than last month’s -24.8 and employment came in at 24.1 from 19.4 previously. While this may be a good signal, survey data tends to be volatile and a long-term trend is key to make any reasonable conclusions. Jobless claims also slid to 250k still suggesting that the labor market remains tight. Fed speakers push for more rate hikes St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard flagged another 75 basis point rate hike at the September meeting and hinted at 3.75-4% Fed funds rate by the end of the year with more front-loading in 2022. Fed’s George, much like Fed’s Daly, said that last month’s inflation is not a victory and hardly comforting. Bullard and George vote in 2022. Fed’s Kahskari said that he is not sure if the Fed can avoid a recession and that there is more work to be done to bring inflation down, but noted economic fundamentals are strong. Overall, all messages remain old and eyes remain on Fed Chair Powell speaking at the Jackson Hole conference on August 25. Japan’s inflation came in as-expected Japan’s nationwide CPI for July accelerated to 2.6% y/y, as expected, from 2.4% y/y in June. The core measure was up 2.4% y/y from 2.2% previously, staying above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target and coming in at the strongest levels since 2008. Upside pressures remain as Japan continues to face a deeper energy crisis threat into the winter with LNG supplies possibly getting diverted to Europe for better prices. Still, Bank of Japan may continue to hold its dovish yield curve control policy unless wage inflation surprises consistently to the upside. Cisco’s revenues came in flat, beating a previously feared decline Cisco Systems reports July 2022 quarter revenues of USD13.1 billion, down 0.2% YoY but better than the consensus of a 3% decline.  Net income came in at USD3.4 billion, -3.2% YoY but more than 1 percentage point above consensus.  The fall in product order was also smaller than feared.  The company guided the fiscal year 2023 revenue growth of +4% to +6%, ahead of the 3% expected and FY23 EPS of USD3.49 to USD3.56, in line with expectations as gross margin pressures are expected to offset the impact of higher sales.  NetEase’s Q2 results beat NetEase (09999:xhkg/NTES:xnas) reported above-consensus Q2 revenues, +13% YoY, and net profit from continuing operations, +28%.  PC online game revenues were above expectations, driven by Naraka Bladepoint content updates and the launch of Xbox version.  Mobile game segment performance was in line.  Geely Automobile 1H earnings missed estimates on higher costs Chinese automaker Geely reported higher-than-expected revenue growth of 29%YoY in 1H22 but a 35% YoY decline in net profit which was worse than analyst estimates.  The weakness in profit was mainly a result of a 2.6 percentage point compression of gross margin to 14.6% due to higher material costs and production disruption, higher research and development costs, and the initial ramping-up of production of the Zeekr model.  The company maintains its sales volume target of 1.65 million units, an growth of 24% YoY, for the full year of 2022.    For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 19, 2022
    Ukraine Saves The Day For The World As The Corridor Shipping Crops Is Opened. Other Countries Harvest Is Quite Low Therefore To Weather Issues

    Ukraine Saves The Day For The World As The Corridor Shipping Crops Is Opened. Other Countries Harvest Is Quite Low Therefore To Weather Issues

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 19.08.2022 11:33
    Summary:  Equity markets managed a quiet session yesterday, a day when the focus is elsewhere, especially on the surging US dollar as EURUSD is on its way to threatening parity once again, GBPUSD plunged well below 1.2000 and the Chinese renminbi is perched at its weakest levels against the US dollar for the cycle. Also in play are the range highs in longer US treasury yields, with any significant pull to the upside in yields likely to spell the end to the recent extended bout of market complacency.   What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures bounced back a bit yesterday potentially impacted by the July US retail sales showing that the consumer is holding up in nominal terms. The key market to watch for equity investors is the US Treasury market as the US 10-year yield seems to be on a trajectory to hit 3%. In this case we would expect a drop in S&P 500 futures to test the 4,200 level and if we get pushed higher in VIX above the 20 level then US equities could accelerate to the downside. Fed’s Bullard comments that he is leaning towards a 75 basis point rate hike at the September meeting should also negatively equities here relative to the expectations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index edged up by 0.4% and CSI300 was little changed. As WTI Crude bounced back above $90/brl, energy stocks outperformed, rising 2-4%. Technology names in Hong Kong gained with Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) up 0.6%. Investors are expecting Chinese banks to cut loan prime rates on Monday, following the central bank’s rate cut earlier this week. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) is looking at the quality of real estate loan portfolios and reviewing lending practices at some Chinese banks. The shares of NetEase (09999:xhkg/NTES:xnas) dropped more than 3% despite reporting above-consensus Q2 revenue up 13% y/y, and net profit from continuing operations up 28%.  PC online game revenue was above expectations, driven by Naraka Bladepoint content updates and the launch of Xbox version. Mobile game segment performance was in line. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally is finding its legs after follow up action yesterday that took EURUSD below the key range low of 1.0100, setting up a run at the psychologically pivotal parity, while GBPUSD slipped well south of the key 1.2000 and USDJPY ripped up through 135.50 resistance. An accelerator of that move may be applied if US long treasury yields pull come further unmoored from the recent range and pull toward 3.00%+. A complete sweep of USD strength would arrive with a significant USDCNH move as discussed below, and the US dollar “wrecking ball” will likely become a key focus and driver of risk sentiment as it is the premiere measure of global liquidity. The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with next Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell. USDCNH The exchange rate is trading at the highs of the cycle this morning, and all traders should keep an eye out here for whether China allows a significant move in the exchange rate toward 7.00, and particularly whether CNH weakness more than mirrors USD strength (in other words, if CNH is trading lower versus a basket of currencies), which would point to a more determined devaluation move that could spook risk sentiment globally, something we have seen in the past when China shows signs of shifting its exchange rate regime from passive management versus the USD. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) remains on track for a weekly loss with talks of an Iran nuclear deal and global demand concerns being partly offset by signs of robust demand for fuel products. Not least diesel which is seeing increasing demand from energy consumers switching from punitively expensive gas. Earlier in the week Dutch TTF benchmark gas at one point traded above $400 per barrel crude oil equivalent. So far this month the EU diesel crack spread, the margin refineries achieve when turning crude into diesel, has jumped by more than 40% while stateside, the equivalent spread is up around 25%, both pointing to a crude-supportive strength in demand. US natural gas US natural gas (NGU2) ended a touch lower on Thursday after trading within a 7% range. It almost reached a fresh multi-year high at $9.66/MMBtu after spiking on a lower-than-expected stock build before attention turned to production which is currently up 4.8% y/y and cooler temperatures across the country lowering what until recently had driven very strong demand from utilities. LNG shipments out of Freeport, the stricken export plant may suffer further delays, thereby keeping more gas at home. Stockpiles trail the 5-yr avg. by 13%. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) The focus on US Treasury yields may be set to intensify if the 10-year treasury benchmark yield, trading near 2.90% this morning, comes unmoored from its recent range and trades toward 3.00%, possibly on the Fed’s increase in the pace of its quantitative tightening and/or on US economic data in the coming week(s). Yesterday’s US jobless claims data was better than expected and the August Philadelphia Fed’s business survey was far more positive than expected, suggesting expansion after the volatile Empire Fed survey a few days earlier posted a negative reading.   What is going on?   Global wheat prices continue to tumble ... with a record Russian crop, continued flows of Ukrainian grain and the stronger dollar pushing down prices. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat (ZWZ2) futures contract touch a January on Thursday after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. Existing home sales flags another red for the US housing market while other US economic data continues to be upbeat US existing home sales fell in July for a sixth straight month to 4.81 mn from 5.11 mn, now at the slowest pace since May 2020, and beneath the expected 4.89 mn. Inventory levels again continued to be a big concern, with supply rising to 3.3 months equivalent from 2.9 in June. This continues to suggest that the weakening demand momentum and high inventory levels may weigh on construction activity. The Philly Fed survey meanwhile outperformed expectations, with the headline index rising to +6.2 (exp. -5.0, prev. -12.3), while prices paid fell to 43.6 (prev. 52.2) and prices received dropped to 23.3 (prev. 30.3). New orders were still negative at -5.1, but considerably better than last month’s -24.8 and employment came in at 24.1 from 19.4 previously Fed speakers push for more rate hikes St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard 2.6% with more front-loading in 2022. Fed’s George, much like Fed’s Daly, said that last month’s inflation is not a victory and hardly comforting. Bullard and George vote in 2022. Fed’s Kashkari said that he is not sure if the Fed can avoid a recession and that there is more work to be done to bring inflation down, but noted economic fundamentals are strong. Overall, all messages remain old and eyes remain on Fed Chair Powell speaking at the Jackson Hole conference on August 26, next Friday.  Japan’s inflation came in as expected Japan’s nationwide CPI for July accelerated to 2.6% y/y, as expected, from 2.4% y/y in June. The core measure was up 2.4% y/y from 2.2% previously, staying above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target and coming in at the strongest levels since 2008. Upside pressures remain as Japan continues to face a deeper energy crisis threat into the winter with LNG supplies possibly getting diverted to Europe for better prices. Still, Bank of Japan may continue to hold its dovish yield curve control policy unless wage inflation surprises consistently to the upside.   What are we watching next?   Strong US dollar to unsettle markets – and Jackson Hole Fed conference next week? The US dollar continues to pull higher here, threatening the cycle highs versus sterling, the euro and on the comeback trail against the Japanese yen as well. The US dollar is a barometer of global liquidity, and a continued rise would eventually snuff out the improvement in financial conditions we have seen since the June lows in equity markets, particularly if longer US treasury yields are also unmoored from their recent range and rise back to 3.00% or higher.  The focus on the strong US dollar will intensify should the USDCNH exchange rate, which has pulled to the highs of the cycle above 6.80, lurch toward 7.00 in coming sessions as it would indicate that China is unwilling to allow its currency to track USD direction. As well, the Fed seems bent on pushing back against market expectations for Fed rate cuts next year and may have to spell this out a bit more forcefully at next week’s Jackson Hole conference starting on Thursday (Fed Chair Powell to speak Friday). Earnings to watch The two earnings releases to watch today are from Xiaomi and Deere. The Chinese consumer is challenged over falling real estate prices and input cost pressures on food and energy, and as a result consumer stocks have been doing bad this year. Xiaomi is one the biggest sellers of smartphones in China and is expected to report a 20% drop in revenue compared to last year. Deere sits in the booming agricultural sector, being one of the biggest manufacturers of farming equipment, and analysts expect a 12% gain in revenue in FY22 Q3 (ending 31 July).   Today: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – Canada Jun. Retail Sales 1300 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 19, 2022
    Commodities: Deglobalization, Green Transformation, Urbanization And Other Things That Got Involved

    Commodities: Deglobalization, Green Transformation, Urbanization And Other Things That Got Involved

    Ole Hansen Ole Hansen 19.08.2022 15:50
    Summary:  Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. Overall, however, we do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time, with some of the main reasons being underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. The dollar found renewed strength and bond yields rose while the month-long bear-market bounce across US stocks showed signs of running out of steam.The trigger being comments from Federal Reserve officials reiterating their resolve to continue hiking rates until inflation eases back to their yet-to-be revised higher long-term target of around 2%. Those comments put to rest expectations that a string of recent weak economic data would encourage the Fed to reduce the projected pace of future rate hikes.The result of these developments being an elevated risk of a global economic slowdown gathering pace as the battle against inflation remains far from won, not least considering the risk of persistent high energy prices, from gasoline and diesel to coal and especially gas. A clear sign that the battle between macro and micro developments continues, the result of which is likely to be a prolonged period of uncertainty with regards to the short- and medium-term outlook.Overall, however, these developments do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time. In my quarterly webinar, held earlier this week, I highlighted some of the reasons why we see the so-called old economy, or tangible assets, performing well over the coming years, driven by underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Returning to this past week’s performance, we find the 2.3% drop in the Bloomberg Commodity Index, seen above, being in line with the rise in the dollar where gains were recorded against all the ten currencies, including the Chinese renminbi, represented in the index. It is worth noting that EU TTF gas and power prices, which jumped around 23% and 20% respectively, and Paris Milling wheat, which slumped, are not members of the mentioned commodity index.Overall gains in energy led by the refined products of diesel and US natural gas were more than offset by losses across the other sectors, most notably grains led by the slump in global wheat prices and precious metals which took a hit from the mentioned dollar and yield rise. Combating inflation and its impact on growth remains top of mind Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver for commodities recently has been the macro-economic outlook currently being dictated by the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing and the longer the process takes to succeed, the bigger the risk of an economic fallout. US inflation expectations in a year have already seen a dramatic slump but despite this the medium- and long-term expectations remain anchored around 3%, still well above the Fed’s 2% target.Even reaching the 3% level at this point looks challenging, not least considering elevated input costs from energy. Failure to achieve the target remains the biggest short-term risk to commodity prices with higher rates killing growth, while eroding risk appetite as stock markets resume their decline. These developments, however, remain one of the reasons why we find gold and eventually also silver attractive as hedges against a so-called policy mistake. Global wheat prices tumble The prospect for a record Russian crop and continued flows of Ukrainian grain together with the stronger dollar helped push prices lower in Paris and Chicago. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace, it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat futures contract touched a January low after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. With most of the uncertainties driving panic buying back in March now removed, calmer conditions should return with the biggest unknown still the war in Ukraine and with that the country’s ability to produce and export key food commodities from corn and wheat to sunflower oil. EU gas reaches $73/MMBtu or $415 per barrel of oil equivalent Natural gas in Europe headed for the longest run of weekly gains this year, intensifying the pain for industries and households, while at the same time increasingly threatening to push economies across the region into recession. The recent jump on top of already elevated prices of gas and power, due to low supplies from Russia, has been driven by an August heatwave raising demand while lowering water levels on the river Rhine. This development has increasingly prevented the safe passage of barges transporting coal, diesel and other essentials, while refineries such as Shell’s Rhineland oil refinery in Germany have been forced to cut production. In addition, half of Europe’s zinc and aluminum smelting capacity has been shut, thereby adding support to these metals at a time the market is worried about the demand outlook.An abundance of rain and lower temperatures may in the short term remove some of the recent price strength but overall, the coming winter months remain a major worry from a supply perspective. Not least considering the risk of increased competition from Asia for LNG shipments. Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude oil Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driven by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates were the main drivers behind the selling since March across other commodity sectors before eventually also catching up with crude oil around the middle of June. Since then, the price of Brent has gone through a $28 dollar top to bottom correction. While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The mentioned energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, the result being surging gas prices making fuel-based products increasingly attractive. This gas-to-fuel switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published, the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. In addition, the previously mentioned increased demand for fuel-based products to replace expensive gas. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold and silver struggle amid rising dollar and yields Both metals, especially silver, were heading for a weekly loss after hawkish sounding comments from several FOMC members helped boost the dollar while sending US ten-year bond yields higher towards 3%. It was the lull in both that helped trigger the recovery in recent weeks, and with stock markets having rallied as well during the same time, the demand for gold has mostly been driven by momentum following speculators in the futures market. The turnaround this past week has, as a result of speculators' positioning, been driven by the need to reduce bullish bets following a two-week buying spree which lifted the net futures long by 63k lots or 6.3 million ounces, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication that investors, for now, trust the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe. An investor having doubts about this should maintain a long position as a hedge against a policy mistake. Some investors may feel hard done by gold’s negative year-to-date performance in dollars, but taking into account it had to deal with the biggest jump in real yields since 2013 and a surging dollar, its performance, especially for non-dollar investors relative to the losses in bonds and stocks, remains acceptable. In other words, a hedge in gold against a policy mistake or other unforeseen geopolitical events has so far been almost cost free.   Source: WCU: Bearish macro, bullish micro regime persists
    Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) Shares Gained +300% But Can Lose It All!

    Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) Shares Gained +300% But Can Lose It All!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 19.08.2022 16:55
    Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) shares have gained 300% since the beginning of August after many previously opened short positions were closed. According to Seeking Alpha data, the short interest on BBBY currently stands at a whopping 41.9% (nearly half of the shares available for trading are sold short). At its peak, BBBY shares reached a price of $30. Today, however, they appear to be down almost 45% ahead of the market opening at 14:00 GMT+3 - this could be the company's worst day since its IPO in 1992. BBBY shares were already down almost 20% yesterday, as investors began to realise potential gains. One of those investors is celebrity billionaire investor Ryan Cohen. He sold his shares, earning $68.1 million (56% on invested capital). According to a report filed with the SEC, Cohen's RC Ventures sold millions of shares on Tuesday and Wednesday in a price range of $18.68 to $29.21. Since then, according to Bloomberg data, the activist investor has asked the company to consider selling the business, reached an agreement to add three independent directors to the board and pushed for the departure of CEO Mark Tritton. Shares also peaked in March 2022, when Cohen first disclosed a 9.8% stake in the company. "The ailing retailer’s share price rise of late has defied logic," - said Danni Hewson, an analyst at AJ Bell. The company has hired the law firm, Kirkland & Ellis, to help it deal with its hard-to-manage debt, media reports said yesterday. Kirkland & Ellis is a well-known advisory firm that plans to help its client by raising new funds and refinancing debt. Other so-called 'meme stocks' also fell on Friday before the open. GameStop (GME) lost 6.5% and AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) 4.7% at 14:00 GMT+3. Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Bed Bath & Beyond loses more than 45% before the open - the end of the short squeeze?
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    Retail traders saved markets by keeping trades open during tough times

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.08.2022 15:44
    Relevance up to 19:00 2022-08-24 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. After the spring fever, which ended with a global sell-off of all indices and a bearish reversal, many retail traders again tried to get back into the game. However, before the S&P 500 had time to accelerate, a new blow from the meme-stock market brought new losses to the bulls. However, the survey showed that traders are not ready to follow the bearish trend. Retail traders saved markets by keeping trades open during tough times According to analysts, this time it was a fairly large army of "mom-dad" investors that suffered, that is, traders with little trading experience and without a strong educational base. Wall Street was talking about this type of investor when they tried to explain the July rise in cryptocurrencies. Now they are suspected of provoking the latest global surge in US indices.In my opinion, if this reflects the real state of affairs, then only partially. Yes, one cannot but agree that the retail investor base has changed dramatically in recent years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise of social media (hello Reddit) and online trading sites and apps has created younger and more market-savvy individuals who complement the more traditional older investors who make monthly contributions to their pension funds. This army of traders, if it can be suspected of naivety, then after the last two extremely volatile years of trading, they have clearly gained experience and are in no hurry to part with their money. Wall Street analysts paint us a portrait of a fickle, speculative day trader who just wants to make a quick buck, especially in the riskier and more complex parts of financial markets like cryptocurrencies. To some extent this is true, let's not deny the obvious. This is also a direct consequence of the surge in liquidity in financial markets after the pandemic, which the Federal Reserve is now trying to reverse. Yet research shows that retail investors are not as easy-going as institutional investors might have thought.For example, a survey of 1,000 retail investors in the United States conducted by the social investment platform eToro in June, when the market was in a bearish peak, showed that 80% of them buy or sell assets monthly or less often. At the time of the survey, about 65% of respondents were holding their investments, 29% were holding and buying more, and only 6% had sold. These numbers give us a completely different picture of what is happening in small trades. According to the traditional school of investing, young investors are less likely to keep their investments. Yet 42% of investors aged 18 to 34 did just that, and 43% held and bought more. Sold only 15% of the total. Typically, retail investors are late to the peak of profitable deals and exit them last and with the worst hangover. Many of them lost some headroom earlier this year, when the S&P 500 (.SPX) posted its worst first half performance in more than half a century. Of course, one might think that retail investors are generally not the most sophisticated or nimble, and that they probably suffered huge losses as the market went against them for months on end. But if they had given up and sold them, the market crash could have been even worse. And more importantly, according to this survey, they never really left. They kept their positions in the trades, not allowing the market to collapse even more. And it's impressive. Therefore, the sharks of Wall Street immediately suspected these hurry-ups that it was they who were now pulling the markets up. Just this week, retail investors were again taken aback by the wild swings in shares of home improvement retailer Bed Bath & Beyond. Meme shares soared over 130% at the start of the week, but fell 20% on Thursday and 40% in early trading on Friday. It comes after billionaire Ryan Cohen suddenly sold his stake in troubled retailer Bed Bath & Beyond - just days after he went bullish on stock options. For Cohen himself, the deal could bring in between $55 million and $60 million. But the traders, who hurried to invest in the newly popular funds, did not do well. Not good for other meme companies. Retail favorites GameStop and AMC Entertainment continued their decline on Friday, leaving most of their weekly profits behind. GameStop and AMC Entertainment lost between 4% and 6%. E-commerce firm Vinco Ventures plunged 17%. Interestingly, Cohen also owns a stake in GameStop. And yet, despite the current dip, BBBY and call option buying volumes by retail investors are up more than 70 times their all-time average, with current five-day net buying up to $188 million on Wednesday.     However, the market is still on a positive wave: step away from meme stocks and look towards the luminaries: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rebounded almost 20% and 25%, respectively, from their mid-June lows. This has certainly been helped by the strong growth in retail investor buying, which currently averages $1.36 billion per day, with a 21-day moving average of over $27 billion. Moreover, the data shows that retail investors remained active buyers throughout the January-June market downturn. Yes, the 21-day moving average fell to $23 billion over the summer, but it's still well above last year's low of about $21 billion. What does this tell us? That the markets don't want to accept the reality of a bearish downturn, preferring to hold positions and bet on the bulls as soon as there is the slightest opportunity for growth. According to the technical data, the bearish decline is already in full swing. Thus, Citi analysts have identified 22 bear market rallies since the 1920s, lasting from two to 128 trading days and ranging in size from 11% to 47%. There were three such episodes from 2001 to 2002, four in the period 2008-2009, and two this year. However, I want to caution you. The influence of retail traders on the markets is largely seasonal. It's August now, when liquidity is low and the big investment companies usually take their staff on vacation, so it's the off season... and an opportunity for the retail bulls, who have increased their influence due to this factor. In late August - early September, the market of large investors will revive, and the game will follow different rules. The real economy is slow to recover, a recession is waving a red flag in China, the conflict in Ukraine is dragging on, and the coronavirus promises us a fresh strain this season. So there are not so many grounds for optimism. With this in mind, we can expect a rather difficult autumn-winter season, including for traders.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319451
    China Rolled Out A Special Loan Program! Fed's News

    China Rolled Out A Special Loan Program! Fed's News

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 22.08.2022 12:33
    Summary:  Equities closed last week on the defensive as a rising US dollar and especially US treasuries weighed. The US 10-year yield is threatening the 3.00% level for the first time in a month ahead of the important US July PCE inflation data and Fed Chair Powell’s speech on Friday. How forcefully will Powell push back against the virtual melt-up in financial conditions after the market felt the Fed pivoted to less tightening at the July meeting?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are still rolling over as the US 10-year yield zoomed to 3% on Friday with the index futures trading just above the 4,200 level this morning. The next levels on the downside sit around the 4,100 to 4,170 range, but in the longer term the 4,000 level is the big level to watch. Energy markets are still sending inflationary signals which is key to watch for sentiment this week. In terms of earnings, Palo Alto Networks and Zoom Video will report earnings. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 were moderately higher, +0.2% and +0.8% respectively. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and last Friday’s report that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to roll out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects. Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%. In A-shares, auto names were among stocks that outperformed. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3% after reporting Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, largely in line with expectations.  US dollar dominates focus in forex this week The US dollar rally picked up speed last week, with key levels falling in a number of USD pairs last week that now serve as resistance, including 1.0100 in EURUSD and 1.2000 in GBPUSD, both of which now serve as resistance/USD support. A significant break of EURUSD parity will likely add further psychological impact, and more practically, an upside break in yields at the longer end of the US yield curve is playing a supportive roll, one that will intensify its driving roll if the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield follows through higher above the 3.00% level it touched in trading overnight. A complete sweep of USD strength also threatens on any significant follow through higher in USDCNH as it threatens an upside break here (more below). The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with this Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell (preview below). USDCNH Broad USD strength is helping to drive a move to new cycle highs above 6.84 as the week gets underway, but CNH is not weak in other pairings with G10 currencies, quite the contrary. Still, a move in this critical exchange rate will remain a focus, and the contrast between an easing PBOC (moving once again overnight) and tightening central banks nearly everywhere else is stark. The USDCNH moving higher will receive considerable additional focus if the 7.00 level. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil turned lower in the Asian overnight after modest gains last week as the focus continues to alter between demand destruction fears and persistent supply shortages. Fears of an economic slowdown reducing demand remains invisible in the physical market but it has nevertheless seen crude oil give up all the post Russia invasion gains while speculators or hedge funds have cut bullish bets on WTI and Brent to the lowest since April 2020. WTI futures trades back below $90/barrel while Brent futures dipped below $96. Still, the gas-to-fuel switch led by record gas prices in Europe has seen refinery margins strengthen again lately and it now adds to the fundamental price-supportive factors. Focus may turn back to Iranian supply early in the week though, with reports that a deal is ‘imminent’. Cryptocurrencies The crypto market took a major hit on Friday with the total crypto market cap diving by more than 9 %, but prices have stabilized over the weekend. The total market cap is now close to the psychological $1 trillion level. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) Rising US Treasury yields are pushing back against the strong improvement in financial conditions of recent weeks after the US 10-year Treasury yield benchmark jumped to new highs on Friday, well clear of the prior range after a few teases higher earlier in the week and bumping up against the psychologically key 3.00% level. Any follow through higher toward the 3.50% area highs of the cycle would likely add further pressure to financial conditions and risk sentiment more broadly. What is going on? German PPI shocks on the upside Germany’s July PPI smashed expectations to come in at 5.3% MoM, the biggest single gain since the Federal Republic started compiling its data in 1949 and above the consensus estimate of 0.7%. The data suggests potentially a lot more room on the upside to Eurozone inflation, and a lot more pain for German industries. European PMIs due this week will gather attention, as will Germany’s IFO numbers. Berkshire Hathaway wins approval to acquire Occidental Petroleum Warren Buffett’s industrial conglomerate that recently increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum to over 20% following the US Climate & Tax bill which adds more runway for oil and gas companies has now won regulatory approval for acquiring more than 50% the oil and gas company. This means that Berkshire Hathaway is warming up to its biggest acquisition since its Burlington acquisition. The power shortage in China China is currently being hit by a heatwave with a large part of the country experiencing -degree Celsius temperatures since the beginning of August. The surge in air conditioning caused electricity consumption to soar. To make things worse, drought has reduced hydropower output.  Some provinces and municipalities, especially Sichuan, are curbing electricity supply to industrial users in order to ensure electricity supply for residential use. This has caused disruptions to manufacturing production and added to the headwinds faced by the Chinese economy. China cut its 5-year loan prime rate loan prime more than expected China’s National Interbank Fund Center, based on quotes from banks and under the supervision of the PBoC, fixed the 1-year loan prime rate (“LPR”) 5 bps lower at 3.60% and the 5-year loan prime rates (“LPR”) 15 basis points lower at 4.30%. The larger-than-expected reduction in the 5-year LPR, which is the benchmark against which mortgage loan rates in China are set at a spread, may signal stronger support from the PBoC to the housing market.  The Chinese authorities are coming to the developers’ aid in delivering pre-sold homes Last Friday the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and the PBoC, according to Xinhua News, jointly rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of presold residential housing projects which are facing difficulties in completion due to lack of funding.  Investors will monitor closely this week to gauge if there is additional information about the size of the program and if the PBoC will print money to fund it.  The resurgence of Covid cases in China Daily locally transmitted new cases of Covid-19 in China persistently stated above 2,000 since August 12, 2022, with Hainan, Tibet, and Xinjiang being the regions most impacted. The constituent companies of the Hang Seng Index will increase to 73 from 69 Hang Seng Indexes Company announced last Friday to add China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg), Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03693:xhkg), and Baidu (09888:xhkg) to the Hang Seng Index, bringing the latter’s number of constituent companies to 73 from 69. The changes will take effect on September 5, 2022. In addition, SenseTime (00020:xhkg) will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  Australian share market at a pivotal point After rising for five straight weeks including last week's 1.2% lift, many market participants hold their breath this rally will continue. However, standing in the way are profit results from a quarter of the ASX200 companies to be released this week. For the final week of profit results, we hear from Qantas (Australia's largest airline), Whitehaven Coal (Australia's largest coal company), as well as other stocks that are typically held in Australian superannuation funds; including Coles, Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Endeavour. And lastly about 20 companies trade ex-dividend this week, however they are not expected to move the market's needle. Money managers increased their commodity exposure for a third week to August 16 The Commitment of Traders (COT) Report covering positions and changes made by money managers in commodities to the week ending August 16 showed a third week of net buying with funds adding 123k lots to 988k lots, a seven-week high. The buying was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling concentrated in crude oil and gold. More in our weekly update out later. Prior to the latest recovery in price and positions hedge funds had been net sellers for months after holding 2.6 million lots at the start of the year. What are we watching next? USD and US Treasury yields as Jackson Hole Fed conference is the macro event risk of the week Friday The US dollar strengthened sharply, with EURUSD challenging near parity, USDCNH breaking higher today after another PBOC rate cut, and USDJPY not far from cycle highs. US Treasury yields have supported the move with the entire curve lifting over the last couple of weeks and longer yields pulling to new local highs last week. The Fed has pushed back consistently against the market’s pricing of a Fed turnaround to easing rates next year with partial success, as expectations for rate cuts have shifted farther out the curve and from higher levels. This week, the key test for markets is up on Friday as the US reports the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the July PCE inflation data, while Fed Chair Powell will also speak on Friday, offering the most important guidance on how the Fed feels about how it feels the market understands its intentions.   Earnings to watch Plenty of important earnings releases this week with the largest ones listed below. Today’s key focus is Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, and XPeng. Cyber security stocks have done reasonably well over the past year despite valuations coming down as demand is still red hot, Analysts expect Palo Alto Networks to report revenue growth of 27% y/y. Zoom Video, which was the pandemic superstar, is also reporting today with estimates looking for 9% revenue growth, down considerably from 54% y/y growth just a year ago. Monday: Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, XPeng Tuesday: CATL, Intuit, Medtronic, JD.com Wednesday: LONGi Green Energy, Royal Bank of Canada, PetroChina, Ping An Insurance Group, Nongfu Spring, Mowi, Nvidia, Salesforce, Pinduoduo, Snowflake, Autodesk Thursday: South32, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Delivery Hero, AIA Group, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, CRH, Dollar General, Vmware, Marvell Technology, Workday, Dollar Tree, Dell Technologies, NIO Friday: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Switzerland SNB weekly sight deposits 1230 – US Jul. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 2300 – Australia Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI 0030 – Japan Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 22, 2022
    Oil Price Surges Above $91 as Double Bottom Support Holds

    All Eyes On Fed Chair Powell's Speech. Latest Natural Gas Developments

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.08.2022 12:52
    Summary:  The US dollar wrecking ball is in full swing, taking even USDCNH to new highs for the cycle after another rate cut in China overnight. Longer US treasury yields are also pressuring financial conditions and risk sentiment as the 10-year benchmark yield threatens 3.00% again. The chief event risk for the week will be the Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech from Fed Chair Powell. We also discuss the latest natural gas developments in Europe, speculative positioning in the commodities markets, the long term perspective for tangible vs. intangible stock returns over the last couple of decades, upcoming earnings, & more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: USD and US yields brewing up trouble ahead of Jackson Hole
    Gold Has A Chance For Further Downside Movement - 30.12.2022

    Gold Is At Risk Of Being Liquidated!? Ukraine Shipment Accelerates

    Ole Hansen Ole Hansen 22.08.2022 13:47
    Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calmly before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with funds being net buyers of most contracts, the major exceptions being gold and crude oil Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks with the S&P 500 reversing lower after reaching a four-month high, and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calm before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with all sectors, except precious metals and grains recording gains. Commodities Hedge funds were net buyers for a third week with the total net long across the 24 major commodity futures tracked in this update rising by 14% to reach a seven week high at 988k lots. Some 56% below the recent peak reached in late February before Russia’s attack on Ukraine drove an across-the-board volatility spike which forced funds to reduce their exposure. Since then and up until early July, worries about a global economic slowdown, caused by a succession of rapid rate hikes in order to kill inflation, was one of the key reasons for the slump in speculative length.Returning to last week, the 123k lot increase was split equally between new longs being added and short positions being scaled back, and overall the net increase was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling being concentrated in crude oil and gold. Energy: Weeks of crude oil selling continued with the combined net long in WTI and Brent falling by 26k lots to 278k lots, the lowest belief in rising prices since April 2020. Back then the market had only just began recovering the Covid related energy shock which briefly sent prices spiraling lower. While funds continued to sell crude oil in anticipation of an economic slowdown the refined product market was sending another signal with refinery margins on the rise again, partly due surging gas prices making refined alternatives, such as diesel, look cheap. As a result, the net long in ICE gas oil was lifted by 24% to 62k lots while RBOB gasoline and to a lesser extent ULSD also saw net buying. The net short in Henry Hub natural gas futures was cut by 55% as the price jumped by 19%. Metals: Renewed weakness across investment metals triggered a mixed response from traders with gold seeing a small reduction in recently established longs while continued short covering reduced bearish bets in silver, platinum and palladium. With gold resuming its down move after failing to find support above $1800, the metal has been left exposed to long liquidation from funds which in the previous two weeks had bought 63.3k lots. Copper’s small 1% gain on the week supported some additional short covering, but overall the net short has stayed relatively stable around 16k lots for the past six weeks. Agriculture: Speculators were net buyers of grains despite continued price weakness following the latest supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture on August 12, and after shipments of grains from Ukraine continued to pick up speed. From a near record high above 800k lots on April 19, the net long across six major crop futures went on to slump by 64% before buyers began dipping their toes back in to the market some three weeks ago. Buying was concentrated in bean oil and corn while the wheat sector remained challenged with the net long in Kansas wheat falling to a 2-year low. The four major softs contract saw strong buying led by sugar after funds flipped their position back to a 13.4k lots net long. The cocoa short was reduced by 10% while the coffee long received a 25% boost. Cotton’s 18% surge during the week helped lift the long by 35% to 44.7k lots.     Forex A mixed week in forex left the speculative dollar long close to unchanged against ten IMM futures and the DXY. Selling of euro saw the net short reach a fresh 2-1/2-year high at 42.8k lots or €5.3 billion equivalent while renewed selling of JPY, despite trading higher during the reporting week, made up most of the increase in dollar length. Against these we saw short covering reduce CHF, GBP and MXN short while CAD net long reached a 14-month high.    What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Source: COT: Gold and oil left out as funds return to commodities
    Japan's Prime Minister Tested Covid Positive. Gazprom Confirmed Gas Shipment Would Be Stopped!

    Japan's Prime Minister Tested Covid Positive. Gazprom Confirmed Gas Shipment Would Be Stopped!

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 22.08.2022 16:28
    Overview: The euro traded below parity for the second time this year and sterling extended last week’s 2.5% slide. While the dollar is higher against nearly all the emerging market currencies, it is more mixed against the majors. The European currencies have suffered the most, except the Norwegian krone. The dollar-bloc and yen are also slightly firmer. The week has begun off with a risk-off bias. Nearly all the large Asia Pacific equity markets were sold. Chinese indices were a notable exception following a cut in the loan prime rates. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off by around 1.20%, the most in a month. US futures are more than 1% lower. The Asia Pacific yield rose partly in catch-up to the pre-weekend advance in US yields, while today, US and European benchmark 10-year yields are slightly lower. The UK Gilt stands out with a small gain. Gold is being sold for the sixth consecutive session and has approached the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month’s low (~$1680) that is found near $1730. October WTI is soft below $90, but still inside the previous session’s range. US natgas is up 2.4% to build on the 1.6% gain seen before the weekend. It could set a new closing high for the year. Gazprom’s announcement of another shutdown of its Nord Stream 1 for maintenance sent the European benchmark up over 15% today. It rose almost 20.3% last week. Iron ore rose for the first time in six sessions, while September copper is giving back most of the gains scored over the past two sessions. September wheat rallied almost 3% before the weekend and is off almost 1% now.  Asia Pacific Following the 10 bp reduction in benchmark one-year Medium-Term Lending Facility Rate at the start of last week, most observers expected Chinese banks to follow-up with a cut in the loan prime rates today  They delivered but in a way that was still surprising. The one-year loan prime rate was shaved by five basis points to 3.65%, not even matching the MLF reduction. On the other hand, the five-year loan prime rate was cut 15 bp to 4.30%. This seems to signal the emphasis on the property market, as mortgages are tied to the five-year rate, while short-term corporate loans are linked to the shorter tenor. The five-year rate was last cut in May and also by 15 bp. Still, these are small moves, and given continued pressures on the property sector, further action is likely, even if not immediately. In addition to the challenges from the property market and the ongoing zero-Covid policy, the extreme weather is a new headwind to the economy. The focus is on Sichuan, one of the most populous provinces and a key hub for manufacturing, especially EV batteries and solar panels. It appears that the aluminum smelters (one million tons of capacity) have been completed halted. The drought is exacerbating a local power shortage. Rainfall along the Yangtze River is nearly half of what is normally expected. Hydropower accounts for a little more than 80% of Sichuan power generation and the output has been halved. Officials have extended the power cuts that were to have ended on August 20 to August 25. Factories in Jiangsu and Chongqing are also facing outages. According to reports, Shanghai's Bund District turned off its light along the waterfront. Japan's Prime Minister Kishida tested positive for Covid over the weekend  He will stay in quarantine until the end of the month. In addition to his physical health, Kishida's political health may become an issue. Support for his government has plunged around 16 percentage points from a month ago to slightly more than 35% according to a Mainchi newspaper poll conducted over the weekend. The drag appears not to be coming from the economy but from the LDP's ties with the Unification Church. Meanwhile, Covid cases remain near record-highs in Japan, with almost 24.8k case found in Tokyo alone yesterday. Others are also wrestling with a surge in Covid cases. Hong Kong's infections reached a new five-month high, for example. The dollar reached nearly JPY137.45 in Tokyo before pulling back to JPY136.70 in early European turnover  It is the fifth session of higher highs and lows for the greenback. The upper Bollinger Band (two standard deviations above the 20-day moving average) is near JPY137.55 today. We suspect the dollar can re-challenge the session high in North America today. The Australian dollar is proving resilient today after plunging 3.45% last week. It is inside the pre-weekend range (~$0.6860-$0.6920). Still, we like it lower. Initial support is now seen around $0.6880, and a break could spur another test on the lows. That pre-weekend low coincides with the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month's low (~$0.6680) to the high on August 11 (~$0.7135). The Chinese yuan slumped to new lows for the year today. For the second consecutive session, the dollar gapped higher and pushed through CNY6.84. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8198. While this was lower than the CNY6.8213, it is not seen as much as a protest as an at attempt to keep the adjustment orderly. Europe Gazprom gave notice at the end of last week that gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would be stopped for three days (August 31-September 2) for maintenance  The European benchmark rose nearly 20.3% last week and 27% this month. It rose 35.2% last month and 65.5% in June. The year-to-date surge has been almost 380%. The energy shock seems sure to drive Europe into a recession. The flash August PMI out tomorrow is expected to see the composite falling further below the 50 boom/bust level. Bundesbank President Nagel, who will be attending the Jackson Hole symposium at the end of this week recognized the risk of recession but still argued for the ECB rate increases to anchor inflation expectations. The record from last month's ECB meeting will be published on Thursday. There are two keys here. First, is the color than can be gleaned from the threshold for using the new Transmission Protection Instrument. Second, the ECB lifted its forward guidance, which we argue is itself a type of forward guidance. Is there any insight into how it is leaning? The swaps market prices in another 50 bp hike, but a slight chance of a 75 bp move. The German 10-year breakeven (difference between the yield of the inflation linked bond and the conventional security) has been rising since last July and approached 2.50% last week  It has peaked in early May near 3% before dropping to almost 2% by the end of June. It is notable that Italy's 10-year breakeven, which has begun rising again since the third week of July, is almost 25 bp less than Germany. Several European countries, including Germany and Italy, have offered subsidies or VAT tax cut on gasoline that have offset some of the inflation pressures. Nagel, like Fed Chair Powell, BOE Governor Bailey, and BOJ Governor Kuroda place much emphasis on lowering wages to bring inflation down. Yet wages are rising less than inflation, and the cost-of-living squeeze is serious. They take for granted that business are simply passing on rising input costs, including labor costs, but if that were true, corporate earnings would not be rising, which they have. Costs are being passed through. Later this week, the UK regulator will announce the new gas cap for three months starting in October  Some reports warn of as much as an 80% increase. It is behind the Bank of England's warning that CPI could hit 13% then. The UK's wholesale benchmark has soared 47.5% this month after an 83.7% surge last month. Gas prices in the UK have nearly tripled this year. The UK's 10-year breakeven rose by 38 bp last week to 4.29%, a new three-month high. Although the UK economy shrank slightly in Q2 (0.1%), the BOE warned earlier this month that a five-quarter recession will likely begin in the fourth quarter. Unlike the eurozone, the UK's composite PMI has held above the 50 boom/bust level. Still, it is expected to have slowed for the fourth month in the past five when the August preliminary figures are presented tomorrow. The euro and sterling extended their pre-weekend declines  The euro slipped below parity to $0.9990. The multiyear low set last month was near $0.9950. The break of parity came in the early European turnover. Only a recovery of the $1.0050-60 area helps stabilizes the tone. Speculators in the futures market extended their next short euro position in the week through August 16 to a new two-year extreme and this was before the euro's breakdown in the second half of last week. The eurozone's preliminary August composite PMI due tomorrow is expected to show the contraction in output deepened while the market is expecting the Fed's Powell to reinforce a hawkish message on US rates. After falling to almost $1.1790 before the weekend, sterling made a marginal new low today, closer to $1.1780. The two-year low set last month was near $1.1760. The $1.1850-60 area offers an initial cap. Strike activity that hobbled the trains and underground spread to the UK's largest container port, Felixstowe, which handles about half of the country's containers. An eight-day strike began yesterday. Industrial activity is poised to spread, and this is prompting Truss and Sunak who are locked in a leadership challenge, to toughen their rhetoric against labor. America This is a busy week for the US  First, there is supply. Today features $96 bln in bills. Tomorrow sees a $60 bln three-week cash management bill and $44 bln 2-year notes. On Wednesday, the government sell another $22 bln of an existing two-year floating rate note, and $45 bln five-year note. Thursdays sale includes four- and eight-week bills and $37 bln seven-year notes. There are no long maturities being sold until mid-September. The economic data highlights include the preliminary PMI, where the estimate for services is forecast (median in Bloomberg's survey) to recover from the drop below the 50 boom/bust level. In the middle of the week, the preliminary estimate of July durable goods is expected. Shipments, which feed into GDP models is expected to rise by 0.3%. The revision of Q2 GDP the following day tends not to be a `big market movers. Friday is the big day. July merchandise trade and personal income and consumption measures are featured. Like we saw with the CPI, the headline PCE deflator is likely to ease while the core measure proves a bit stickier. Shortly after they are released, Powell addresses the Jackson Hole gathering.  Canada has a light economic diary this week, but Mexico's a bit busier  The highlight for Mexico will be the biweekly CPI on Wednesday. Price pressures are likely to have increased and this will encourage views that Banxico will likely hike by another 75 bp when it meets late next month (September 29). The July trade balance is due at the end of the week. It has been deteriorating sharply since February and likely continued.    The US dollar rose more than 1% against the Canadian dollar over the past three sessions. It edged a little higher today but stopped shy of the CAD1.3035 retracement objective. Initial support is seen near CAD1.2975-80. With sharp opening losses expected for US equities, it may discourage buying of the Canadian dollar in the early North American activity. The greenback is rising against the Mexican peso for the fifth consecutive session. However, it has not taken out the pre-weekend high near MXN20.2670. Still, the next important upside technical target is closer to MXN20.3230, which corresponds to the middle of this month's range. Support is now seen near MXN20.12.    Disclaimer   Source: No Relief for the Euro or Sterling
    iPhones Banned in Chinese Offices: Tech Tensions Escalate

    China's Plan For Dying Property Markets. Nasdaq 100 And S&P 500

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 23.08.2022 08:37
    Summary:  Equities were sold off on Monday, continuing a slide from their summer rally high, in the midst of position adjustments ahead of the Jackson Hole central banker event later this week. U.S. 10-year yields returned to above 3%. China cut its 5-year loan prime rates and plans to extend special loans to boost the ailing property markets. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities lost ground and continued to retrace from the high of the latest rally since mid-June.  The market sentiment has become more cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium and a heavy economic data calendar, S&P 500 – 2.1%, Nasdaq 100 -2.7%.  The rise of U.S. 10-year bond yield back to above 3% added to the selling pressures in equities.  Zoom Video (ZM:xnas) fell 8% in after-hours trading as the company reported Q2 revenues and earnings missing estimates and cut its full year revenues guidance. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Bonds were sold off as traders adjusted positions ahead of the Jackson Hole.  The treasury yield curve bear flattened with 2-year yields surging 8bps to 3.30% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.01%, above the closely watched 3% handle.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng fell 0.6% while CSI300 climbed 0.7% on Monday. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and the Chinese authorities plan to provide special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects, CIFI (00883:xhkg) +11.5%, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +3.2%.  China extended EV waivers from vehicle purchase tax and other fees to the end of 2023, but the share price reactions of Chinese EV makers traded in Hong Kong were mixed.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%, benefiting from launching a new model that has a 1,000km per charge battery while Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto(02015:xhkg) fell 4.2% and 1.4% respectively. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, on lower smartphone shipments (-26% YoY).  Smartphone parts suppliers, AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) declined 5.6% and 4.2% respectively.  The share price performance of the four companies that will be added to the Hang Seng Index was mixed, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +0.9%, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) +2.1%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) +3.2% but Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) -0.6%.  SenseTime (00020:xhkg) gained 4.2% as the company will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) -2.8% as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  ENN Energy (02688:xhkg) plunged more than 14% after reporting H1 results below market expectations.  China retailer Gome (00493) collapsed 20% after resuming trading from suspension and a plan t buy from the controlling shareholder a stake in China property assets.  EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows of 0.9926. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. Also on the radar will be Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole later this week, with a fresh selloff in the pair likely to target 0.9500 next. USDCNH heading to further highs After PBOC’s easing measures on Monday, the scope for further yuan weakness has increased. USDCNH broke above 6.8600 overnight and potentially more US dollar strength this week on the back of a pushback from Fed officials on easing expectations for next year could mean a test of 7.00 for USDCNH. Still, the move in yuan is isolated, coming from China moving to prevent the yuan from tracking aggravated USD strength rather than showing signs of desiring a broader weakening. EURCNH has plunged to over 1-month lows of 6.8216 on the back of broader EUR weakness. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a recovery overnight despite the strength in the US dollar. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. Diesel and refinery margins have also been supported as a result, with Asia diesel crack rising to its previous high of $63 amid low inventory levels. WTI futures reversed back to the $90/barrel levels and Brent were back above $96. Comments from Saudi Energy Minister threatening to dial back supply also lifted prices, but these were mis-read and in fact, focused more on the mismatch between the tightness in the futures and the physical market. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support and is now eying $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July.   What to consider?   German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 8% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more.  Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. China’s plan to provide loans to ensure delivery of presold residential projects is said to be of the size of RMB 200 billion Last Friday, Xinhua News reported that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects but the size of the program was not mentioned.   A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the support lending program could be as large as RMB 200 billion.  Beijing municipal government rolled out initiatives to promote hydrogen vehicles The municipal government of Beijing announced support for the construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations with RMB500 million for each station, aiming at building 37 new stations by 2023 and bringing the adoption of fuel-cell cars to over 10,000 units in the capital. Earlier in the month, the Guangdong province released a plan to build 200 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by 2025. Since last year, there have been 13 provinces and municipalities rolling out policies to promote the development of the hydrogen vehicle industry.  Earnings on tap Reportedly there have been shorts being built up in Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) as traders are expecting that discount retailer missing when reporting this Thursday.   On the other hand, investors are expecting Dollar General (DG:xnys) results to come in more favourably, , which also reports this Thursday.  Key earnings scheduled to release today including Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618.xhkg/JD.xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (02888:xhkg), and Kuishaou (01023:xhkg). Singapore reports July inflation figures today Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 23, 2022
    Market Risk Sentiment Adjusts as Investors Eye US Inflation Data

    US Equities Falling Down, EURUSD Is On The Topic

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 23.08.2022 11:01
    Summary:  US equities continued to push sharply lower yesterday as the strong US dollar is in focus as EURUSD dropped well below parity yesterday. US Treasury yields are playing their part in pressuring sentiment as the US 10-year yield benchmark rose above 3.00%. The next important event risk is this Friday’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech from Fed Chair Powell, as the Fed is expected to remind the market that it remains in full inflation-fighting mode, pushing back against the impression that it may be set to cut rates next year.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their losses yesterday as the US 10-year yield moved above the 3% level and the Fed Funds futures curve moved lower across the whole curve (meaning less rate cuts expected next year). Markets are beginning to second-guess their aggressive bets in July on inflation cooling fast enough to warrant rate cuts next year as the galloping energy crisis makes it difficult for inflation to cool. Tangibles-driven themes such as commodities, logistics, energy storage and financials were the relative winners in yesterday’s session. S&P 500 futures are now in the support zone from before the last leg up that started on 10 August; we see the 4,100 level as the next level to watch on the downside and then the 100-day moving average at 4,085. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 were both down about 0.6%. A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the central bank and other authorities’ support lending program to developers could be as large as RMB 200bn. The reaction of the share prices of Chinese Property developers were mixed, Country Garden (02007:hkg) +3.1%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) -1.4%. Postal Savings Bank of China (01658:xhkg) plunged 5.5% after the Chinese bank reported net profit miss with a 10 bps y/y fall in net interest margin to 2.27% in H1. Gross loans grew 13% y/y in H1 but at a more tepid growth of 3% q/q.  Non-performing loans ratio overall was steady at 0.8% but mortgage NPL ratio climbed by 8 bps to 0.52%. US dollar rally following through The US dollar rally continued apace yesterday, as EURUSD traded well below parity and closed at its lowest level in nearly twenty years yesterday. GBPUSD has teased below 1.1760, its lowest level since a one-off pandemic-outbreak spike in early 2020, while other USD pairs are not yet at extremes of the cycle, including AUDUSD, still well above the sub-0.6700 lows of July, and USDJPY, which has not yet challenged the cycle high north of 139.00. There is clearly a reflexive situation at the moment in the US dollar, risk sentiment and US treasury yields. USDCNH Broad USD strength remains behind the weaker CNH in the USDCNH exchange rate as the CNH continues to rise versus, for example, the EUR, while the CNHJPY exchange rate trades near the important 20.00 area. Any more significant move in this critical exchange rate could quickly steal some of the focus away from the US dollar. The contrast between an easing PBOC (moving once again earlier this week) and tightening central banks nearly everywhere else is stark. The next important level for the pair is 7.00, with the range high of the last decade near 7.20. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a sharp U-turn higher on Monday after the Saudi Energy Minister talked about a potential production cut after saying the futures market has become increasingly disconnected from underlying fundamental developments, a view that we share. His comment supported the market on a day where risk appetite generally took a knock from the stronger dollar and falling equity markets. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and heatwaves in China. Diesel prices trades higher supported by refinery margins, the so-called crack spread hitting seasonal highs around the world. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support on Monday before finding support at $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July. German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 13% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields rose yesterday, with the 10-year benchmark closing above 3.00% for the first time in over a month yesterday. Rising yields are likely an important driver of weaker risk sentiment after the melt-up in the wake of the late July FOMC meeting, but practically, a move toward the cycle highs from June near 3.50% (in the lead-up to the FOMC meeting on June 16) is needed to seize the spotlight. The behavior of the treasury market in the wake of the Jackson Hole conference speech from fed Chair Powell this Friday is an important next step, particularly if Powell provides strong guidance on the pace or importance of the Fed’s balance sheet tightening (QT). What is going on? EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows in the low 0.9900’s this morning. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. The next step for the US dollar is the Fed Chair Powell speech this Friday as discussed below. Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Palo Alto outlook remains strong The cyber security company reported last night Q4 revenue and EPS above estimates and Q1 outlook is slightly above estimates while the FY outlook is well above consensus estimates. Q4 networks billing growth was 44% vs est. 25% suggesting demand is accelerating and bolstering our view that the cyber security industry is a high growth and counter-cyclical industry in the years to come. Shares were up 9% in extended trading. Zoom shares were down 8% in extended trading The popular video conferencing software that rose to prominence during the pandemic is lowering its FY outlook relative to previous announcements. The slowdown in their business is due to slower enterprise growth which could be a function of Microsoft and other major technology companies that have entered the enterprise business for video conference. What are we watching next? Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution. The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. USD and US Treasury yields as Jackson Hole Fed conference is the macro event risk of the week Friday The US dollar and yields are setting risk sentiment on edge as EURUSD has plunged well through parity. US Treasury yields have supported the USD rally with the entire curve lifting over the last couple of weeks and longer yields closing at new one-month highs. The Fed has pushed back consistently against the market’s pricing of a Fed turnaround to easing rates next year with partial success, as expectations for rate cuts have shifted farther out the curve and from higher levels. The next focus is this Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell, who is expected to stay on message and maintain credibility on fighting inflation after the two large 75 basis point hikes at the last two meetings. The Fed’s attitude toward quantitative tightening may be a focus in the speech as well, with the pace of QT supposedly set to pick up in coming weeks to $95B/month. So far, the QT has been slow out of the gates, with the balance sheet currently only some $115B smaller than at its mid-April peak. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is on CATL and JD.com, with especially CATL being important as the world’s largest battery manufacturer to the car industry and thus pivotal for the electrification of the transportation sector. CATL is expected to report revenue growth of 126% y/y in Q2 as EV adoption is accelerating, but key risks ahead are rising input costs across lithium and energy. JD.com is expected to report 3% revenue growth in Q2 as growth is grinding to a halt on very weak consumer confidence in China. Today: CATL, Intuit, Medtronic, JD.com Wednesday: LONGi Green Energy, Royal Bank of Canada, PetroChina, Ping An Insurance Group, Nongfu Spring, Mowi, Nvidia, Salesforce, Pinduoduo, Snowflake, Autodesk Thursday: South32, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Delivery Hero, AIA Group, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, CRH, Dollar General, Vmware, Marvell Technology, Workday, Dollar Tree, Dell Technologies, NIO Friday: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 – Eurozone Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0830 – UK Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1000 – UK Aug. CBI Trends in Total Orders and Selling Prices 1100 – ECB's Panetta to speak 1345 – US Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1400 – US Aug. Richmond Fed Manufacturing 1400 – Eurozone Aug. Flash Consumer Confidence 1400 – US Jul. New Home Sales 2300 – US Fed’s Kashkari (non-voter) to speak  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 23, 2022
    The Metaverse Will Offer Everyone Endless Possibilities

    Snapchat Lost Even More Than Expected! TikTok Is One Of The Reasons. Microsoft Stays Positive

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 23.08.2022 11:16
    We've had arguably one of the busiest quarterly earnings seasons in history, which showed how companies are behaving in a rapidly changing inflationary environment. The overall findings seem to have been positive, and likely contributed to a bear market rally in the broad stock market, accompanied by dovish Fed signals and a lower US CPI inflation reading. How did technology companies perform? Companies in this category typically base their high valuations on the prospect of growth and increasing profits. That's why analysts were especially curious to see how well-known brands would behave in a difficult environment and what resilience they would show.  Alphabet (GOOG) and Meta (META) are advertising giants, but the characteristics of their businesses are quite different. The former (Google's parent company) makes its money largely from SEO and the latter from social media campaigns such as Facebook and Instagram. The companies' results showed that SEO seems to be more of a priority for customers, and therefore revenue along with GOOG's profits appeared to be more stable. Google's revenue rose 12.6% year-on-year, while Meta's fell by less than 1%, while profits fell 13.6% and 35.7%, respectively. Despite passing some Wall Street analysts' estimates, Microsoft proved more recession-proof than expected. Bill Gates' company reported $51.9 billion in Q2 revenue (up 12.4% year-on-year) and net income of $16.7 billion (up 1.7% year-on-year).  "We continue to expect double-digit revenue and operating profit growth in constant currency and U.S. dollars," - said Microsoft CFO Amy Hood, at the earnings conference. She added that Microsoft will extend the life of its server and network hardware to six years from four years. The company made a similar move in 2020, intending to cut costs.   The biggest problems for technology companies also producing hardware, such as Microsoft (manufacturing Xbox) in addition to high exchange rates volatility, may remain rising production costs and a hard-to-quantify drop in demand due to the recession. One company that may have disappointed many with its results and caused a big drop in its stock price was Snapchat. The platform's shares lost 39% in a single session after the results were released.  Snapchat reported a drop in revenue to $1.11 billion, compared to the expected $1.14 billion. However, earnings per share, to which investors seem to pay the most attention, instead of falling by 1 cent, slipped twice as much, by 2 cents per share. This happened despite an increase in the number of active daily users - 3.2 million more than estimated. Snapchat, despite becoming increasingly unpopular in Central and Eastern Europe is still frequently used in Western Europe and the United States, but it has long struggled with relatively sizable revenue fluctuations and problems maintaining growth rates through app monetization issues. Additionally, with increasing competition from other platforms like TikTok, the company's future may not look too rosy. Most of the leading technology companies, despite an apparent slowdown in growth, maybe in relatively good shape. Their revenues are usually stable, and the biggest challenge is cost containment - hence the companies' announcements about layoffs and cost optimization, and focusing on their most profitable areas of business. According to CNBC, about 50% of technology companies are already planning to carry out layoffs, which appears to be related to the macroeconomic situation.   Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Technology companies earnings recap - what do they signal?
    What Should We Expect Before Winter? Will Energy Crisis Come?

    What Should We Expect Before Winter? Will Energy Crisis Come?

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 22.08.2022 18:44
    Summary:  Financial conditions loosening over the past six weeks were a natural evolution of the US economy improving in July, but the Fed is poised to hike potentially 75 basis points at the September meeting to tighten financial conditions even more as the nominal economy is still running too hot to get inflation meaningfully lower. The most likely scenario is weaker equities as winter approaching as the energy crisis will hurt. Financial conditions will soon begin tightening again S&P 500 futures are trading 3.4% lower from their high last week touching the 200-day moving average before rolling over again. Sentiment has shifted as the market is slowly pricing less rate cuts for next year with Fed Funds futures curve on Friday (the blue line) has shifted lower compared to a week ago (the purple line) as inflationary pressures are expected to ease as much as betted on by the market over the past month. Fed member Bullard recently said that he was leaning towards 75 basis points rate cut at the September FOMC meeting to cool the economy further. If the Fed goes with 75 basis points while the real economy is seeing lower activity it will mean that financial conditions will begin tightening more relative to the economic backdrop. Financial conditions have been loosening since June but expectation is that we will see another leg of tightening to levels eclipsing the prior high and with that US equities will likely roll over. S&P 500 futures are now well below the 4,200 level and currently in the congestion zone from before the last leg higher. The next gravitational point to the downside is the 4,100 and below that just above 4,000. December put options on the S&P 500 are currently bid around $208 which roughly a 5% premium for getting three-month downside protection at-the-money. S&P 500 futures | Source: Saxo Group   Fed Funds futures forward curve | Source: Bloomberg   US financial conditions | Source: Bloomberg The US is headed for a recession, but when? US financial conditions eased in July lifting equities and with good reasons we can see. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (the broadest measure of economic activity) rose to 0.27 in July from -0.25 in June suggesting a significant rebound in economic activity. The rebound was broad-based across all the four major sub categories in the index with the production index rising the most. The three-month average is still -0.09 with -0.7 being the statistical threshold for when this indicator suggests that the US economy is in a recession. The probability is therefore still elevated for a recession but the slowdown in the US economy has eased which is positive factor for US equity markets. Predicting the economy is difficult but our thesis going into the winter months on the Northern hemisphere is that it is very difficult to avoid a recession, at least in real terms, when the economy is facing an energy crisis. The most likely scenario is that the US economy will slide into a nominal recession but continue at a fast clip in nominal terms.          China is facing a 2008-style rescue of its real estate sector We have written earlier this year about the downfall of Evergrande and the other Chinese real estate developers. The stress in China’s real estate sector was a big theme earlier this year but has since faded, but recently the Chinese central bank has eased rates and today the government is planning a $29bn rescue package of special loans for troubled developers. Tensions in Chinese real estate are weighing down on the economy through lower consumer confidence and investors are increasingly reducing exposure to China has we have highlighted in our daily podcast. The PBoC (central bank) is urging banks to maintain steady growth of lending, but with the market value of banks relative to assets having declined for many years the market is no longer viewing the credit extension as driven by sound credit analysis, but more as an extended policy tool of the government with unknown but likely less good credit quality.   Source: Equities are rolling over as conditions are set to tighten
    Switch Splatoon 3 Broke All Previous Sales Records, The Closer To Winter The More Visible Crisis

    Tech Stocks Market: Nvidia May Release Its Growth Rate. People Are Not Interested In Playing Games Anymore?

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 23.08.2022 14:17
    Summary:  Nvidia, Salesforce, and Snowflake report earnings tomorrow providing more clarity on technology spending and the outlook for the overall technology sector. Nvidia is expected to report a big drop in its growth rate due to weakening demand in gaming and more importantly crypto mining. Salesforce is expected to show solid growth and here investors will focus on the Slack integration and what it means for growth ahead. Snowflake's growth rate is coming down and thus investors will demand improvements in the operating income. Nvidia: turbulence to continue Earlier this month Nvidia cut its outlook, which we covered in an equity update, driving by excess inventory of GPUs leading to price pressures in GPUs. Lower demand for GPUs, which we believe is mainly driven by less favourable dynamics for crypto mining, is forcing Nvidia to lower its sales outlook, cutting prices, and writing down its existing inventory. Nvidia has gone to great length explaining off the weakness as due to a slowdown in gaming, but the companies in gaming are not showing the decline in demand consistent with the slowdown Nvidia is experiencing. Because Nvidia does not know very well the end-use cases of their GPUs it is difficult for them to segment revenue, but in our view the economics of crypto mining tied to the Bitcoin price is the best explanation for the historical variance in revenue. Nvidia’s slowdown is tied to cryptocurrencies and thus higher interest rates is not only a key risk to Nvidia’s equity valuation, but it is also a risk to their demand as higher interest rates could lower cryptocurrency prices substantially from current levels. Nvidia is expected on Wednesday to report only 3% y/y revenue growth in FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) down from 46% y/y in FY23 Q1 (ending 1 May) which is an abrupt slowdown in growth. It also highlights Nvidia’s biggest business risk. The chipmaker does not fully understand its demand function which can lead to a mismatch in supply and demand. The key question for investors is to what extent Nvidia expects growth to come back but more importantly whether they will change their outlook for operating margins. Nvidia financials | Source: Bloomberg Salesforce: can Slack sustain the growth? Salesforce is reporting FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) results on Wednesday with analysts estimating revenue growth of 21% y/y which is in line with the long-term growth rate the company has enjoyed for 10 years. The Slack acquisition which has now been fully integrated is one of the key drivers for future growth and an acquisition that has expanded the company’s addressable market and market position in cloud business application software. Salesforce is competing against Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP, and has shown over the years that it gain market share plowing back a lot of its profits back into growth. With rising interest rates the pressure is on Salesforce to lift its operating margin and investors are likely demanding a surprise on operating margin rather than revenue in tomorrow’s earnings release. Salesforce financials | Source: Bloomberg Snowflake: consumption model vs economic uncertainty It is rare for Berkshire Hathaway to engage in technology companies let alone IPOs, but that is exactly what the investment firm did with Snowflake back in 2020. The company sits in the data analytics and cloud intersection providing a novel approach to data warehousing on the cloud at a low costs. The company has grown revenue from $97mn in 2018 to around $1.2bn in 2021 and revenue growth is expected at 72% y/y in FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) but down from 104% y/y a year ago, but this should be expected as all high growth companies always see their growth rate coming down. The question is to what degree the growth rate is decaying over time. The company has recently disappointed analysts and there might be a downside risk to Snowflake’s results as the business model is centered around consumption which means that if technology spending is slowing down then it will hit Snowflake’s growth rate immediately. Secondly, the company’s high equity valuation relative to revenue means that investors will want to see a big improvement in operating income. Snowflake financials | Source: Bloomberg Source: Earnings preview: Nvidia, Salesforce, and Snowflake
    The Canadian Dollar Gains Momentum as Crude Oil Prices Surge

    Wall Street: The Worst Day Since June. Bitcoin (BTC) And Ethereum (ETH) Can Feel The Tension In The Air

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 23.08.2022 14:35
    According to Coinmarketcap data, the total capitalization of cryptocurrencies has fallen to nearly $1 trillion, showing a major shift in sentiment among traders and investors in recent days. The last time market capitalization was at this level was in late July. The possible trend reversal does not only apply to cryptocurrencies. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 have fallen from their local highs of August 16 by 5.7% and 3.8%, respectively. This is a significant change for such large indexes. Interest rates on U.S. 5-year Treasury bonds, after recording a local low of 2.55% on August 1, have risen to 3.17% in recent weeks, as Fed policymakers' statements proved more hawkish than expected. These are potential signs of a deteriorating outlook again, which should not be ignored. A chart of the Crypto Fear & Greed Index may show a decline in crypto market sentiment and an increase in investor fear. As recently as last week, the index showed a reading of 44, and now it is 28 points. Despite the partial decrease in the correlation between bitcoin and the S&P 500, it still seems to be high. Especially since it has historically risen during crashes - the last peak in the correlation was reached in mid-May, when both markets were down. BTC and ETH, despite finding support at $20,700 and $25,300, respectively, could be more exposed to the downside due to deteriorating economic data and market sentiment.  On the Conotoxia MT5 platform as of 12:00 GMT+3, one of the strongest falling tokens is EOS, which is losing nearly 9% after a 7-day gain of 48%. EOS is the native token of the EOSIO network. In practice, the project provides blockchain developers with a set of necessary tools and services to build and scale decentralized applications. The project's first whitepaper was released in 2017, and the team conducted an ICO, securing more than $4 billion in investment. It was one of the largest crowdfunding events in the history of cryptocurrencies.   Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Source: Does data signal more short-term declines in the crypto market?
    In Germany, The Next-Year Prices For Energy Are Astonishing! Why?

    In Germany The Next-Year Prices For Energy Are Astonishing! Why?

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 24.08.2022 09:03
    Summary:  Equities were sold off on Monday, continuing a slide from their summer rally high, in the midst of position adjustments ahead of the Jackson Hole central banker event later this week. U.S. 10-year yields returned to above 3%. China cut its 5-year loan prime rates and plans to extend special loans to boost the ailing property markets. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities lost ground and continued to retrace from the high of the latest rally since mid-June.  The market sentiment has become more cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium and a heavy economic data calendar, S&P 500 – 2.1%, Nasdaq 100 -2.7%.  The rise of U.S. 10-year bond yield back to above 3% added to the selling pressures in equities.  Zoom Video (ZM:xnas) fell 8% in after-hours trading as the company reported Q2 revenues and earnings missing estimates and cut its full year revenues guidance. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Bonds were sold off as traders adjusted positions ahead of the Jackson Hole.  The treasury yield curve bear flattened with 2-year yields surging 8bps to 3.30% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.01%, above the closely watched 3% handle.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng fell 0.6% while CSI300 climbed 0.7% on Monday. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and the Chinese authorities plan to provide special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects, CIFI (00883:xhkg) +11.5%, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +3.2%.  China extended EV waivers from vehicle purchase tax and other fees to the end of 2023, but the share price reactions of Chinese EV makers traded in Hong Kong were mixed.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%, benefiting from launching a new model that has a 1,000km per charge battery while Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto(02015:xhkg) fell 4.2% and 1.4% respectively. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, on lower smartphone shipments (-26% YoY).  Smartphone parts suppliers, AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) declined 5.6% and 4.2% respectively.  The share price performance of the four companies that will be added to the Hang Seng Index was mixed, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +0.9%, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) +2.1%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) +3.2% but Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) -0.6%.  SenseTime (00020:xhkg) gained 4.2% as the company will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) -2.8% as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  ENN Energy (02688:xhkg) plunged more than 14% after reporting H1 results below market expectations.  China retailer Gome (00493) collapsed 20% after resuming trading from suspension and a plan t buy from the controlling shareholder a stake in China property assets.  EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows of 0.9926. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. Also on the radar will be Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole later this week, with a fresh selloff in the pair likely to target 0.9500 next. USDCNH heading to further highs After PBOC’s easing measures on Monday, the scope for further yuan weakness has increased. USDCNH broke above 6.8600 overnight and potentially more US dollar strength this week on the back of a pushback from Fed officials on easing expectations for next year could mean a test of 7.00 for USDCNH. Still, the move in yuan is isolated, coming from China moving to prevent the yuan from tracking aggravated USD strength rather than showing signs of desiring a broader weakening. EURCNH has plunged to over 1-month lows of 6.8216 on the back of broader EUR weakness. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a recovery overnight despite the strength in the US dollar. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. Diesel and refinery margins have also been supported as a result, with Asia diesel crack rising to its previous high of $63 amid low inventory levels. WTI futures reversed back to the $90/barrel levels and Brent were back above $96. Comments from Saudi Energy Minister threatening to dial back supply also lifted prices, but these were mis-read and in fact, focused more on the mismatch between the tightness in the futures and the physical market. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support and is now eying $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July.   What to consider? German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 8% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more.  Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. China’s plan to provide loans to ensure delivery of presold residential projects is said to be of the size of RMB 200 billion Last Frida, Xinhua News reported that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects but the size of the program was not mentioned.   A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the support lending program could be as large as RMB 200 billion.  Beijing municipal government rolled out initiatives to promote hydrogen vehicles The municipal government of Beijing announced support for the construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations with RMB500 million for each station, aiming at building 37 new stations by 2023 and bringing the adoption of fuel-cell cars to over 10,000 units in the capital. Earlier in the month, the Guangdong province released a plan to build 200 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by 2025. Since last year, there have been 13 provinces and municipalities rolling out policies to promote the development of the hydrogen vehicle industry.  Earnings on tap Reportedly there have been shorts being built up in Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) as traders are expecting that discount retailer missing when reporting this Thursday.   On the other hand, investors are expecting Dollar General (DG:xnys) results to come in more favourably, , which also reports this Thursday.  Key earnings scheduled to release today including Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618.xhkg/JD.xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (02888:xhkg), and Kuishaou (01023:xhkg). Singapore reports July inflation figures today Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 23, 2022
    Coffee Is In Danger As Its Suppliers Have Troubles With Crops

    Coffee Is In Danger As Its Suppliers Have Troubles With Crops

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.08.2022 12:30
    Summary:  A zany day for US data as the August flash S&P Global Services PMI suggests a deepening contraction is afoot in the US services sector after an already weak July reading that contrasted with strength in the ISM Services survey for July. What are we supposed to believe. Elsewhere, crude oil has cemented its comeback with an extension higher yesterday and coffee is at risk of a further rise on supply woes. In equities, we look at the latest in the Tesla/Twitter saga, earnings ahead including NVidia after the close today, and an interesting company in the EV batter supply chain in Europe. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Crude oil bounce extends. Zany mismatch in US Services sector surveys
    OPEC+ Are Expected To Keeping Oil Production Unchanged, AUD/USD Trades At Its Highest Levels

    Saudi's Are Threatening The World By Reducing Oil Supply!?

    Marc Chandler Marc Chandler 24.08.2022 12:57
    Overview:  A simply dreadful flash US PMI stopped the dollar's four-day rally in its tracks. It followed news that the eurozone, Japan, and Australia's composite PMIs are below 50 boom/bust level. However, the dollar recovered, even if not fully as the market seemed unconvinced that the data could change Fed Chair Powell's message at Jackson Hole on Friday. A consolidative tone is evident today. Asia Pacific equities were mixed. China and Hong Kong fell more than 1% while South Korea, Australia, and India posted gains. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off for the fourth consecutive session, the longest spill in a couple of months. US futures are straddling unchanged levels. The US 10-year yield is around 3.04%, little changed, while European benchmark rates are 2-4 bp higher. Japan’s 10-eyar yield edged up near 0.22% is once again drawing close to the cap. Gold is firm near $1750, but unable to build much on yesterday’s nearly $12 rally. October WTI is extending its rally since the Saudi’s threatened to reduce supply and Israel is pushing back against the US-Iran deal. US natgas fell 5% yesterday and is about 1.75% firmer today. The European natgas benchmark has jumped almost 7% today to recoup fully yesterday’s 6.5% pullback, which snapped a four-day rally. Iron ore rose 0.5%. It was the third advancing session, the longest rally this month. September copper is giving back about half of yesterday’s 1.2% gain. September wheat is up 2% to bring the gain to 9% since last Thursday.   Asia Pacific In addition to the usual corporate analysis and credit, ESG ratings and investment orientation have become increasingly important. However, the meaning of ESG and ratings not uniform. Arguably, it is where "organic" was a couple of decades ago, and it is still evolving. Some of dismissive and suggest it is a "woke” fad. Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the largest pension fund in the world, reports that seven of the eight ESG funds it invests in beat the benchmarks in the fiscal year that ended in March. Over the past five years, it said that all eight funds have outperformed. Since US Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, a few other US elected officials have visited Taiwan. UK officials and Japanese officials have either visited or planned to visit Taipei. China has continued its aerial harassment of the island. and repeatedly crossing the median line in the Taiwan Straits. In a recent report, the Atlantic Council argued that one of the lessons from Ukraine, is that the US "strategic ambiguity" is not an effective deterrence, and that the US should be unequivocal in its support. These developments, alongside reports that US military advisors have been in Taiwan since before the 2020 election and the number of "misstatements" by President Biden that were clear signs of support that were "walked back", all play into the hardliners in Beijing who think the US is trying to change the status quo. Congress is considering a bill that would codify some of it. The US strategic ambiguity is ostensibly not about one-China but on how the US would respond to Beijing's use of military power to unite the country. This was not meant to deter China as the military planners would have to game out the US response no matter its declaratory policy. The chief function is to deter Taiwan from declaring independence unilaterally and dragging the US into a war of its making. However, Taiwan, as it stands now, is not a member of organizations based on state sovereignty, like the UN and IMF. The bill that is likely to get more attention in Q4 proposes to recognize Taiwan as an important non-NATO ally and seek to promote Taiwan's membership in international forums. Both sides are giving the other reason to think that they are trying to change the status quo. The dollar is in a narrow range against the Japanese yen today of around a third of a yen on either side of yesterday's settlement, which was slightly above JPY136.75. US yields are slightly softer, and the dollar is closer to session lows (~JPY136.35) in the European morning. The greenback can spend the North American session on the JPY136-handle. The Australian dollar is also in a narrow range as the market awaits fresh news. It has spent most of the local session and the European morning below yesterday's $0.6930 settlement. Meanwhile, the greenback has edged higher against the Chinese yuan. It made a marginal two-year high almost at CNY6.8680. In the past two week, the yuan has fallen by a little more than 2% against the dollar, which has risen broadly. The setting of the PBOC's reference rate today could be the first sign that officials want the market to go slowly. The dollar fix was at CNY6.8388, a wider than usual gap and below the market (Bloomberg survey) estimate for CNY6.8511. Of note, the US dollar did not make a new high against the offshore yuan today. Yesterday's high of almost CNH6.8850 held. Europe On top of the energy crisis, and extreme weather, an economy seemingly slipping inexorably toward a recession, while inflation is still accelerating, Italy's national election is a month away. The three-party alliance on the right continues to dominate drawing about 47% support. The Brothers of Italy remains the largest, accounting for a little more than half that support. Many observers assume that the success of the right reflects a shift in the Italian politics. However, the simpler explanation is the disarray of the center-left. The Democratic Party draws second highest support, less than half a percentage point (within the margins of error) of the Brothers of Italy. The problem is that the center-left has been unable to form a pact like the right has done. The once populist power, the Five Star Movement, the largest party in the current parliament, appears to have lost its way, a partly the cause and effect of its fragmentation. There are several other small groupings that would be more at home with the center-left but have been able to coalesce into an alliance. Still, it is notable that Brothers of Italy leader Meloni argued for more Europe in her debate with the Democratic Party leader Letta. Letta sounded like the nationalist, advocating a temporary price control for gas. Meloni backed an EU-wide cap, which Draghi supported. As Benjamin Franklin told the thirteen colonies on the east coast of the North American continent they prepared to fight against the greatest empire at the time, "hang together or hang separately."  Italy's 10-year premium over Germany is near 2.35%. It reached a two-year high in mid-June slightly above 2.40%. In late July, it also tested 2.40%. Italy offers around 100 bp more than Germany for two-year borrowing. The peak since the Covid panic in March 2020, was set late last month near 1.30%. The extra that is demanded from Italy is not about inflation. Italy's two-year breakeven (difference between the conventional yield and inflation-protected security) is about 4.40% compared with Germany's two-year breakeven near 7.10%. Italy's 10-year breakeven is slightly below 2.25%. Germany's is near 2.45%. Both report August's EU harmonized CPI next week. In July, Italy's inflation stood at 8.4%, just below Germany's 8.5%. Not only is Italian inflation lower than Germany's and is expected to remain so, but it is also growing faster. On a workday adjusted basis, the Germany economy grow 1.4% year-over-year in Q2. Italy expanded by 4.6%. The UK's online paper, The Independent, reported that UK imports from Russia have plummeted by nearly 97% since the invasion. They totaled GBP33 mln in June, it noted, citing data from the Office of National Statistics. The collapse reflected government sanctions and actions of companies seeking alternatives to Russian goods beyond the official sanctions. Today' s is Ukraine's Independence Day and marks the sixth month since the Russian invasion. Reports suggest the US will announce a new $3 bln arms package for Kyiv. The euro was squeezed to almost $1.0020 yesterday after the disappointing US data, but it was short-lived, and it finished the North Americans session near $0.9970. The single currency is in about a third of a cent range today and has not been able to resurface above $1.0, where there are large options that expire there tomorrow (2 bln euros) and Friday (1 bln euros). An expiry today for 720 mln euros at $0.9950 has likely been neutralized. Sterling traded in a broad range yesterday (~$1.1720-$1.1880) and exceeded both sides of Monday's range. However, the close was neutral, well within Monday's range, which set the tone for today's quiet session. Sterling has been confined to less than half a cent range above $1.1800. It settled near $1.1835 and has spent most of the Asian session and the European morning below it. The next level of support is seen in the $1.1760-80 band. America There can no explaining away the weakest composite US PMI since May 2020 and drop in new home sales five-times more than the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey. Yet did not seem to be bipolar as conventional wisdom has it, swinging between recession and inflation anxiety. The implied yield of the October Fed funds contract rose two basis points to 2.95%, unchanged on the week. Another way to look at it, the odds of a 75 bp hike in September stands at almost 60% compared with 52% at the end of last week and slightly less than 50% the prior week (August 12). Nor did equities recover from Monday's gap lower opening. Indeed, while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ largely traded within Monday's range, the Dow Industrials continued to sell off. It is approaching the (38.2%) retracement of the rally off the mid-July low (~30144) found near 32700. A similar retracement in the S&P 500 is near 4095. The NASDAQ found support near its retracement around 12350. The US reports the preliminary estimate of July durable goods orders. The real sector data has held up better than the survey data. One element of durable goods orders that may not be appreciated by economists yet is what appears to be a surge in US arms sales abroad. There seems to be a synchronized arms build-up and demand for US-made weapons is clear. Separately, today's report will be flattered by the jump in Boeing orders. The company reported 130 orders last month, the most since June 2021 after 50 orders in June. Of those orders 27 came from foreign companies up from 20 in June, and the most since January. On the other hand, its deliveries fell to 26 from 51, the least since February. The focus is on the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium that begins tomorrow. Fed Chair Powell is set to speak Friday (10 am ET). Some observers expect him to play up the element in the minutes that recognized the risk that the central bank would tighten too much. However, in the minutes, it was set up in contrast to the bigger risk that inflation getting embedded into business and household expectations. We recognize the market's penchant for reading/hearing a dovish twist to Powell and the Fed even though they are tightening policy faster than most observers had imagined even a few months ago. The pace of the balance sheet adjustment is also set to double starting next month. Separate from the FOMC minutes, the minutes from the discount rate meeting were reported yesterday, and both the Minneapolis and St. Louis Feds called for 100 bp hike in the discount rate before the July 26-27 FOMC meeting but did not convince their colleagues. Nine favored a 75 bp increase, while the KC Fed called for a 50 bp increase. George, the President of the KC Fed supported a 75 bp increases in the Fed funds target at last month's meeting.   The US dollar posted a big outside down day yesterday against the Canadian dollar, trading on both sides of Monday's range and settling below Monday's low. However, there has been no follow-through today and a consolidative tone is evident. It settled near CAD1.2955 and has spent no time below it so far today. It has been capped around CAD1.2985. With softer equities, we ae inclined to see the greenback push back above CAD1.3000 and see resistance near CAD1.3020-30. The US dollar fell yesterday for the second day against the Mexican peso. Its 0.80% drop was the most in nearly two weeks. Selling today has extended its loss to around MXN19.9365, a four-day low. Mexico reports CPI for the first half of August. It is expected have accelerated, with the year-over-year rate rising to 8.55% form 8.14%. The core rate is seen slightly above 7.8% from 7.75%. The central bank meets late next month and another 75 bp hike seems most likely.      Disclaimer   Source: New Recession Worry Stalls Dollar Express but Doesn't Derail It
    Detailed Analysis of GBP/USD 5-Minute Chart

    Nike, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci And Adidas Selling Their Collections. Results? See For Yourself!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 24.08.2022 13:54
    The NFT, even after huge declines in trading volume in recent months, seems to have attracted the interest of investors - speculators in this market can still look for potential investment opportunities, and NFT projects are outdoing themselves with more and better unveilings of their venture. Strong interest in NFT has naturally attracted the world's best-known apparel and accessories brands. According to data from Dune Analytics, Nike, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Tiffany earned a total of $260 million from the sale of their NFTs.  Nike received the most revenue from NFT sales. Collections were sold for as much as $185.3 mln, with a secondary market turnover of $1.3 bln and more than 67,000 concluded transactions. In second place is Dolce & Gabbana, which earned $25.7 mln. They are followed by Tiffany ($12.6 mln), Gucci ($11.6 mln) and Adidas ($10.9 mln). After the rise of the first big collections, such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and Crypto Punks, which generated billions of dollars in sales, it was the turn for global fashion brands. They began experimenting with technology to reach more customers and generate new revenue streams. There are minimal costs involved in selling NFTs, especially for companies with a such large following as Nike and Adidas, for example. Therefore, margins from token sales can be very high, and revenues mostly turn into pure profit.  Despite waning interest in NFTs, they can still have a significant impact on new trends in corporate branding. Nike and Adidas have already indicated that they intend to develop NFTs in the Metaverse, which could affect the perception of these brands as innovative and unique, also in the virtual world.  It's worth remembering, however, that an alarmingly large number of projects can't sustain a sufficient level of interest. After its peak at the first offering, excitement tends to drop in the secondary market, and with its prices. NFTs seem to have more resilience to decline if they are the equivalent of something real and have additional functionality. One of the few success stories on the market is the collection of entrepreneur and influencer Gary Vee. VeeFrieds, despite the questionable quality of the graphics, produced a great return on investment. The print price of one NFT ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 ETH, and at the current value of the collection, early investors were able to make between 300 and 1,000% gains. In addition, the token gives the holder the right to participate in one of the leading NFT events - Beacon, organized by Gary Vee. The businessman also enjoys a very loyal following, who believe in the words and vision of the idol, so they are rather reluctant to sell their ownership rights, represented by the token.  RafaÅ‚ Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Source: Nike, Gucci and other big brands make millions from NFT sales despite falling interest
    The US Dollar Index Is Expected A Pullback Rally At Least In The Near Term

    Doubts On The Health Of US Consumers After Dollar Tree Comments

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 26.08.2022 09:47
    Summary:  U.S. equities rallied ahead of the Jackson Hole Powell keynote. Comments from discount retailer Dollar Tree about pressures to cut prices and customers shifting to “needs-based consumable products” cast doubts on the health of U.S. consumers. The market chatters and then a WSJ article on a potential deal between the U.S. and China on access to audit working papers and avoiding Chinese ADR delisting sent the share prices of China internet stocks and ADRs soaring. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities rallied for the second day in a row ahead of the much anticipated Powell speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday, S&P 500 +1.4%, Nasdaq 100 +1.8%.  Discount retailers, Dollar General (DG:xnys) and Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) reported Q2 results.  Discount General beat the relatively high expectations and finished the session down modestly -0.6%.  Peer Dollar Tree’s results fared weaker with in-line Q2 results but a downward revision of full-year EPS due to its plan to cut prices sent its share price 10.2% lower.   U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) U.S. treasury yield fell 7 to 8 basis points from the belly to the long-end of the curve after a strong 7-year auction. The change in 2-year yields was relatively modest, -2bps. Flows were light ahead of Chair Powell’s keynote speech at the Jackson Hole event on Friday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China internet stocks rallied dramatically in a typhoon-shortened session in Hong Kong on Thursday, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) +11%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg) +10.3%, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +9.2%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) +8.8%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) +8%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) +4.8%.  Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) surged 6%.  Investors found optimism in the 19-point stimulus package as well as chatters among traders about unverified progress on resolving the audit working papers access issue in the heart of the Chinese ADR delisting risk.  During New York hours, the Wall Street Journal ran an article, suggesting that the U.S. and China are nearing a deal to allow American regulators to inspect in Hong Kong the audit working papers of Chinese companies listed in the U.S.  The NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index soared 6.3%. Compared to their respective Hong Kong closing levels, Alibaba +4.5%, Meituan +4.0%, Tencent +2.1%.  Chinese property names rallied across the board by 2% to 5%.   The performance in A-shares was more measured, CSI 300 fluctuated between gains and losses and finished the session 0.8% higher.   Coal miners, oil and gas, and crude tankers stocks surged in Hong Kong as well as mainland bourses.  Mainland investors did not participate much in the sharp move higher as southbound flows registered a net outflow. AUDUSD on the backfoot in early Asian hours The USD rebound returned in early Asian hours on Friday amid a sustained hawkish tilt inn Fed commentaries ahead of Powell taking the stage at the Jackson Hole summit. AUDUSD saw downside pressures and slid to sub-0.6960 from an overnight high of 0.6991. AUDNZD found support at 1.1200 and may be looking at new highs of the cycle with the current account differentials at play. USDJPY caught a bid early as well, and rose to 136.70 with focus squarely on high Powell’s comments can take the US yields. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Hawkish Fed comments and further prospects of Iran deal saw crude oil reversing lower in the overnight session. However, modest gains have returned this morning with the supply side remaining a key focus with Brent futures close to $100 and WTI at $93+. Saudi Arabia was joined by Libya and Congo in supporting the view that supply curbs may be needed to stabilise the oil market. Further concerns on Kazakhstan’s supply also emerged amid repair works required on three damage moorings at the port facility. What to consider? Some more hawkish Fed comments before we get to Powell Several Fed speakers were on the wires echoing the same message on inflation and more rate hikes. The markets are still holding their breath for wat Powell has to say later today. James Bullard (2022 voter) reiterated his year-end target of 3.75% to 4% and market expectation is not too far from that now. Esther George (2022 voter) was more open about rates going above 4%, but stayed away from a specific guidance for the September meeting. Patrick Harker (2023 voter) said rates need to be lifted into restrictive territory. Raphael Bostic (2024 voter) told the WSJ it's too soon to call inflation’s peak and that he hasn't decided yet on a 50 or 75bps rate hike next month. Tokyo CPI surprises to the upside Japan’s Tokyo inflation for August has come in close sight of the 3% mark, with headline at 2.9% y/y vs. expectations for 2.6%. The core measure was also above expectations at 2.6% y/y, coming in despite measures to help cool price pressures. Further gains can be expected later in the year as cheaper cell phone fees are reversed, and we also see threats of an energy crisis in Japan as LNG imports get diverted to Europe. This will continue to erode the purchasing power and keep the risk of a BOJ pivot alive. Europe’s energy woes French power prices soared 15% to EUR 900/MWh, more than 10x last year’s price amid expanding nuclear outages. Meanwhile in Germany, power prices for next year soared as much as 23% to an all-time high of EUR 792/MWh. UK and Italy also recorded fresh highs in power prices while Spain's parliament approved a law aimed at cutting energy use. The UK will announce its financial commitment for a new nuclear plant, Sizewell C, next week. The U.S. and China are said to nearing a deal in resolving the Chinese ADR audit papers inspection issue According to a Wall Street Journal article, Chinese securities regulators “are making arrangements for U.S.-listed Chinese companies and their accounting firms to transfer their audit working papers and other data from mainland China to Hong Kong” and “would allow American accounting regulators to travel to Hong Kong to inspect the audit records”. It is important to note that an agreement has yet to be reached and the regulators from both sides remain silent about it so far.  One of the hurdles to the proposed arrangement of transfer of audit working papers from the mainland to Hong Kong can satisfy the U.S. regulators, particularly the U.S. SEC Chair Gensler who has emphasized “full access”.  If this turns out to happen, it will not only benefit the Chinese companies that are listed in the U.S. but also sets the U.S. and China in a more conciliatory mood at least in some financial matters, and shows case the uniqueness of the position of Hong Kong.  German business sentiment is not that bad in August The headline reading is out at 88.5 versus expected 86.8 and prior 88.6. This is only a bit softer than the previous month. The same goes as well for the current conditions (out at 97.5 in August versus prior 97.7) and the expectations (80.3, unchanged compared to July). Overall, business sentiment remains soft. But given the quick economic deterioration, it could have been much worse. We still expect sentiment to further fall in the coming months as the German economy sinks into a recession. The energy crisis is hitting very hard consumers and companies – thus leading to lower demand and corporate investment. Yesterday, Germany’s benchmark year-end power kept rising (+13% in one day) to a new record of EU725/MWH. So far, the German government has spent roughly €60bn to limit the impact of higher energy prices on households and corporations. This represents about 1.7% of GDP according to the calculations of the Belgium-based think tank Bruegel. In percentage of GDP, this is still much less than many other European countries (3.7 % of GDP for Greece, 2.8 % for Italy and 2.3 % for Spain, for instance). In any case, this is unsustainable, of course. Softer July US PCE print would not derail Fed’s tightening After a softer CPI report in July, focus will turn to the PCE measure – the version of the CPI that is tracked by the Fed to gauge price pressures. Lower gasoline prices mean that PCE prints could also see some relief, although we still upside pressures to inflation given that energy shortages will likely persist and easing financial conditions mean that inflation could return. We would suggest not to read too much into a softer PCE print this week, as the stickier shelter and services prices mean that the 2% inflation target of the Fed remains unachievable into then next year. This suggests that the aggressive tightening by the Fed will likely continue, despite any likely softness in the PCE this week. U.S. discount retailers reported mixed Q2 results, highlighting pricing pressures ahead Dollar General (DG:xnys) reported revenue growth of 9% YoY to $9.4 billion, in line with the consensus estimate, and EPS of $2.98, +10.6% YoY, above the consensus estimate of $2.94.  Same-store sales in Q2 grew 4.6% YoY, above the consensus at +3.8%.  In the company’s guidance for 2022, revenue growth was raised to +11% from previously +10.0-10.5% and the same-store-sales growth was raised to +4.0-4.5% from +3.0-3.5%.  Q2 results from another discount retailer, Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) were however weaker, with revenue growth of 6.7% YoY to $6.77 billion, slightly below the consensus estimate of $6.79 billion.  EPS came in at $1.60, in line with expectations.  Same-store-sale for the quarter was +4.9%, below the consensus estimate at +5.0%.  The company lowered its 2022 full-year EPS guidance to $7.10-$7.40 and said that 60% of the cut was due to cutting prices.  The management said that they “expect the combination of this pricing investment at Family Dollar and the shoppers’ heightened focus on needs-based consumable products will pressure gross margins in the back half of the year”.  The comments from Dollar Tree casts a shawdow over the health of consumers in the U.S. in general.  Earnings on the tap Meituan (03690:xhkg) is scheduled to report Q2 results on Friday after the market close.  Analysts are upbeat about the food and grocery delivery platform’s potential in being benefited from the recovery of consumer demand amid the reopening and cost control initiatives.  The consensus estimate (as per the Bloomberg survey) for Q2 revenue is to grow 11% YoY to RMB48.59billion and adjusted net loss of RMB2.17 billion.  Coal miner China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) and oil and gas company Sinopec (00386:xhkg) are also scheduled to report on Friday.      For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 26, 2022
    German Business Confidence Dips, ECB's Lagarde Hosts Central Banking Conference in Portugal, EUR/USD Drifts Higher

    The US Dollar Trades Near Cycle Highs Ahead Of The Speech

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 26.08.2022 09:55
    Summary:  Markets are steady ahead of a widely anticipated speech at the US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming conference from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, although he may do little more than remain on message on the Fed’s plans for tightening policy. The US dollar trades near cycle highs ahead of the speech, with US treasury yields having eased back a bit yesterday on a strong 7-year treasury auction. In Europe, power and natural gas prices continue their ascent from already dire levels, thereby supporting demand for fuel-based products.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures bounced back 1.4% to the 4,200 level in what seems to have been a technical move ahead of Jerome Powell’s keynote speech at Jackson Hole which is expected today. For equities the main question is how central banks are seeing structural in the years to come because that will be linked to the terminal rate the Fed sees as neutral for the economy and inflation. The US 10-year yield is trading around the 3.05% level this morning and we expect a quiet session in US equities unless Powell’s speech delivers a hawkish tone which could then erase yesterday’s gains. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) After staging an impressive bounce from the trough of a 2-month losing streak yesterday, Hong Kong equities opened higher before giving back much of its gains to end the morning session 0.7% higher. Yesterday’s 3.6% rally in the Hang Seng Index and 6% surge in Hang Seng TECH Index were fueled by initially chatters among traders about unverified progress on resolving the audit working papers access issue in the heart of the Chinese ADR delisting risk. During New York hours, the Wall Street Journal ran an article, suggesting that the U.S. and China are nearing a deal to allow American regulators to inspect in Hong Kong the audit working papers of Chinese companies listed in the U.S. The news sent Chinese ADRs soaring, the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index +6.3%. US dollar steady on the strong side ahead of Jackson Hole Yesterday saw some tactical chopiness in USD pairs, as the greenback sold off to support in places and criss-crossed parity in EURUSD terms before settling back to the strong side ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole conference today. Powell is widely expected to stay on message on the Fed’s hopes to get ahead of the curve, but surprises are possible if his language is a bit more pointed than expected or he brings stronger guidance on the importance of QT, etc. Next event risks for the USD in the wake of today’s Powell speech (and July PCE inflation print as noted below) are next Friday’s payrolls/earnings report, the Sep 13 Aug. CPI data release, and then the Sep 21 FOMC decision. AUDNZD The Antipodean currency pair closed yesterday at its highest level since 2017 in a bid to escape the range that has prevailed since then, with a bit more range toward 1.1300 that stretches all the way back to 2013. If the pair can make a notable foray above these levels, it might suggest that traders are viewing the pair from a current account perspective, as Australia has been running record surpluses on its formidable complex of commodity exports, while New ZEaland is running unprecedented deficits on rising costs for energy imports. In the longer term perspective, AUDNZD has traded above 1.3500 as recently as 2011. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOV2) Crude oil trades steady with Brent trading around $100 per barrel with a tightening supply outlook offsetting the recessionary drums that have been banging ever louder in recent weeks. Focus on today’s Jackson Hole speech from Fed Chair Powell and its potential impact on bond and currency markets, and with that the general level of risk appetite in the market. EU gas and power reached new peaks on Thursday on worries about Russian gas supplies following the upcoming 3-day maintenance supporting demand for crude-based products like diesel and heating oil. The prospect of a revived Iran nuclear deal still receiving some attention although a deal may only have a small immediate impact, small change compared with the soon to expire US SPR release program which saw 8 million barrels pumped into the market last week. In Brent, the next level of upside interest can be found at $102.50. Copper (COPPERUSDEC22) Copper has settled into a $3.55 to $3.73 range after making a steady recovery from the June/July +30% collapse. The primary focus remains on China and the government’s efforts to shore up its troubled property sector and its slowing economy in general. This past week we have seen rate cuts and the announcement of a 1 trillion-yuan economic stimulus program, including a 300-billion-yuan investment in infrastructure projects, which will boost the consumption of industrial metals, including copper. Above the current range copper may target $3.85/lb next but it will likely require a rally above $4/lb before speculators reverse the net short they have held since April. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fel back a few basis points, but the 10-year benchmark still trades above 3.00% today ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech. (More below – special focus on longer end of the yield curve on any QT guidance in the speech). A strong auction of 7-year treasuries yesterday helped bring support to the market after the weak 5-year auction the prior day. What is going on? ECB meeting minutes suggest another 50-basis points hike The meeting minutes point to another 50-basis point hike at the September 8 ECB meeting, a move that is actually more than fully priced in by the market. At the same time, the ECB minutes noted that it saw “no evidence of significant second round effects” in which wages drive an inflationary spiral. The central bank’s “TPI” or Transmission Protection Instrument meant to prevent peripheral sovereign yield spreads from widening excessively was widely discussed and is clearly a hot potato politically. An FT article noted that hedge funds have built up a nearly EUR 40 billion speculative short in Italian BTPs Additional hawkish Fed comments before we get to Powell Several Fed speakers were on the wires echoing the same message on inflation and more rate hikes. The markets are still holding their breath for what Powell has to say later today. James Bullard (2022 voter) reiterated his year-end target of 3.75% to 4% and market expectation is not too far from that now. Esther George (2022 voter) was more open about rates going above 4% but stayed away from a specific guidance for the September meeting. Patrick Harker (2023 voter) said rates need to be lifted into restrictive territory. Raphael Bostic (2024 voter) told the WSJ it's too soon to call inflation’s peak and that he hasn't decided yet on a 50 or 75bps rate hike next month. German business sentiment is not that bad in August The headline IFO Survey reading was out at 88.5 versus 86.8 expected and 88.6 prior. This is only a bit softer than the previous month. The same goes as well for the current conditions (out at 97.5 in August versus prior 97.7) and expectations (80.3, unchanged compared to July). Overall, business sentiment remains soft. But given the quick economic deterioration, it could have been much worse. We still expect sentiment to further fall in the coming months as the German economy sinks into a recession. The energy crisis is hitting consumers and companies very hard – thus leading to lower demand and corporate investment. Yesterday, Germany’s benchmark year-end power kept rising (+13% in one day) to a new record of EU725/MWH. So far, the German government has spent roughly €60bn to limit the impact of higher energy prices on households and corporations. This represents about 1.7% of GDP according to the calculations of the Belgium-based think tank Bruegel. In percentage of GDP, this is still much less than many other European countries (3.7 % of GDP for Greece, 2.8 % for Italy and 2.3 % for Spain, for instance). In any case, this is unsustainable, of course. The US and China are getting closer to resolve Chinese ADR audit papers inspection issue According to a Wall Street Journal article, Chinese securities regulators “are making arrangements for US-listed Chinese companies and their accounting firms to transfer their audit working papers and other data from mainland China to Hong Kong” and “would allow American accounting regulators to travel to Hong Kong to inspect the audit records”. It is important to note that an agreement has yet to be reached and the regulators on both sides remain silent about it so far. One of the hurdles to the proposed arrangement of transfer of audit working papers from the mainland to Hong Kong will be whether it can satisfy the US regulators, particularly the SEC Chair Gensler who has emphasized “full access”. If this turns out to happen, it will not only benefit the Chinese companies that are listed in the US but also sets the US and China in a more conciliatory mood at least in some financial matters, and shows case the uniqueness of the position of Hong Kong U.S. discount retailers reported mixed Q2 results, highlighting pricing pressures ahead Dollar General (DG:xnys) reported revenue growth of 9% y/y to $9.4bn, in line with the consensus estimate, and EPS of $2.98, +10.6% y/y, above the consensus estimate of $2.94.  Same-store sales in Q2 grew 4.6% y/y, above the consensus at +3.8%. In the company’s guidance for 2022, revenue growth was raised to +11% from previously +10.0-10.5% and the same-store-sales growth was raised to +4.0-4.5% from +3.0-3.5%. Q2 results from another discount retailer, Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) were however weaker, with revenue growth of 6.7% y/y to $6.77bn, slightly below the consensus estimate of $6.79bn.  EPS came in at $1.60, in line with expectations. Same-store-sale for the quarter was +4.9%, below the consensus estimate at +5.0%.  The company lowered its 2022 full-year EPS guidance to $7.10-$7.40 and said that 60% of the cut was due to cutting prices. The management said that they “expect the combination of this pricing investment at Family Dollar and the shoppers’ heightened focus on needs-based consumable products will pressure gross margins in the back half of the year”. The comments from Dollar Tree cast a shadow over the health of consumers in the US in general.  Meituan is scheduled to report Meituan (03690:xhkg) is scheduled to report Q2 results on Friday after the market close. Analysts are upbeat about the food and grocery delivery platform’s potential benefitting from the recovery of consumer demand amid the reopening and cost control initiatives.  The consensus estimate (as per the Bloomberg survey) for Q2 revenue is to grow 11% YoY to RMB48.59 billion and an adjusted net loss of RMB2.17 billion What are we watching next? The Kansas City Fed hosts its annual symposium in Jackson Hole This year’s theme is “Reassessing Constraints on the Economy and Policy”. The symposium will last until Saturady. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will speak today. Given the loosening of financial conditions since the June FOMC meeting, the market has been concerned that Powell will echo the pushback against the notion that the Fed knows that it is set to materially slow its pace of policy tightening after the September 21 FOMC rate decision (majority looking for another 75 basis points). Data dependency will likely be underlined in his speech, but any guidance on the Fed’s approach to QT could also garner considerable attention as longer treasury yields pull back higher toward the cycle highs from June. Softer July US PCE print would not derail Fed’s tightening After a softer CPI report in July, focus will turn to the PCE measure – the version of the CPI that is tracked by the Fed to gauge price pressures. Lower gasoline prices mean that PCE prints could also see some relief, although we still upside pressures to inflation given that energy shortages will likely persist and easing financial conditions mean that inflation could return. We would suggest not to read too much into a softer PCE print this week, as the stickier shelter and services prices mean that the 2% inflation target of the Fed remains unachievable into then next year. This suggests that the aggressive tightening by the Fed will likely continue, despite any likely softness in the PCE this week. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Meituan which is expected to see 11% y/y revenue growth with estimates expecting to see growth accelerating into Q3, so this will be the market’s focus in today’s earnings release. The latest stimulus efforts by the Chinese government and lifting of mobility restrictions could provide tailwind for the consumer into Q3. Today: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Next week’s earnings releases: Monday: Fortescue Metals, Haier Smart Home, Foshan Haitian Flavouring, Agricultural Bank of China, BYD, Pinduoduo, Trip.com, DiDi Global Tuesday: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Italy Aug. Consumer/Manufacturing Confidence surveys 1230 – US Jul. Personal Income/Spending 1230 – US Jul. PCE Inflation 1400 – US Fed Chair Powell to speak at Jackson Hole, Wyoming 1400 – US Aug. Final University of Michigan Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 26, 2022
    Cross-Chain Interoperability Solutions Have The Potential To Significantly Improve

    Samsung Securities Announced About Setting Up Its Crypto Exchange!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 26.08.2022 14:50
    Samsung Securities, a company engaged in asset management, stock issuance and other financial services, has announced that it will set up its crypto exchange in 2023. The company is expected to start in Korea and later plans to expand to other markets.   The division mentioned above of the company is part of Samsung's large-scale structure, which is part of the so-called chaebols (giant Korean conglomerates). It operates in a wide range of sectors of the global economy - from producing weapons and smartphones to selling clothing or even providing financial services.   The "Securities" division already has experience in implementing crypto-related investment technologies and products. It established the first blockchain ETF (exchange-traded fund) in Asia in June, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It gives investors exposure to companies developing and investing in crypto technology.   The company is in talks with regulators and authorities to obtain the necessary approvals and licenses to establish the foundation of the exchange. Mirae Asset Securities and five other domestic companies are also planning to launch their investment platforms, but they do not have as much experience as the rival Samsung.   Earlier this month, the Securities division was one of three financial institutions in South Korea to partner with the country's largest exchange, Bithumb. The partnership meant Samsung Securities customers could indirectly invest in cryptocurrencies through the company's app.   Despite its inflexibility, chaebol has an established market position with enormous outreach and influence. For this reason, acquiring more clients on attractive terms may be easy for the firm, and it could be a significant competitor to Coinbase, Binance FTX or KuCoin.    South Korea seems to be aspiring to become a technology leader in the market. In early August, a "Korea Blockchain Week" event was held in Seoul, bringing together industry leaders, crypto regulation projects revealed are relatively lenient compared to those proposed by authorities in the US, and local companies are interested in further investments in blockchain technology in the DeFi and system infrastructure segments, among others. These plans could make South Korea a hub for the development of crypto technology and companies.  Market losses after recent days of sideways movement   On the Conotoxia MT5 platform, bitcoin and ethereum are losing 1% and 3%, respectively, today at 11 GMT+3. The leading tokens have been outside the previously drawn price channel for a week. The local possible support levels for BTC and ETH are $20700 and $1530, respectively. Their crossing could mean further declines. The continuation of the correction may be indicated by technical indicators such as the MACD, whose histogram for ETH has been falling steadily for a week and a half and now is near zero. In contrast, BTC reached the negative area a few days ago and seems to be falling lower and lower each consecutive day.    The EOS token seems to be losing the most heavily on the trading platform, recording a daily decline of 6.5% at 11:00 GMT+3. EOS is the native token of the EOSIO network, where the project provides blockchain developers with a set of essential tools and services for building and scaling decentralized applications (dApps). Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service)   Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.   CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Samsung plans to open a cryptocurrency exchange - will it succeed in dominating another sector? Market losses after several days of stabilization.
    Sterling Underperformance: Anticipation Builds Ahead of BoE Announcement

    Life After Fed Chair Powell's Speech: Focus On August Jobs Report, Strong Dollar And More

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 29.08.2022 10:00
    Summary:  After a hawkish message from Fed Chair Powell at Jackson Hole on Friday, and the focus is squarely on the US jobs report this week and August CPI due on September 13 to move the needle on the magnitude of the September rate hike. Still, the deliberation will now move to where the terminal rates are seen and how long they would be held there. We also get a further update on US economic momentum from the ISM indices and consumer confidence on the radar. European energy crisis situation and the ECB rate hike expectations will develop with the Eurozone CPI prints and the progress on Nord Stream maintenance. China’s manufacturing PMI will be key given the recent heatwaves, as will be Australia’s final manufacturing PMI.   From Powell to jobs After a hawkish message by Fed Chair Powell at the Jackson Hole conference on Friday, focus shifts to the August jobs report in the US to steer between a 50 vs. 75 basis points rate hike at the September meeting. Last month’s robust employment gains of 528k outperformed market expectations boosted the dollar, although the gains were reversed a few days later with a soft CPI report. Both of these reports have to send out a consistent message this time to seal the deal on a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting. Consensus expectations are for gains of 300k on nonfarm payrolls for August, with a steady unemployment rate of 3.5% and slight weakness in average earnings to 0.4% MoM from 0.5% earlier. Meeting or slightly exceeding these forecasts would put the ball in the court of the CPI release, but another strong outperformance could bump up the tightening expectations. Still, our sense is that that the deliberation should now move to how long the Fed will stay at the peak rate, as well as Quantitative Tightening which goes into full gear from September. US economic momentum has likely improved with lower gasoline prices Lower prices at the pump has seemingly helped the US economy reverse from the slowdown concerns, with Chairman Powell also getting the confidence to say that the economic momentum is strong. Consumer confidence, due on Tuesday should likely show a pickup with lower gasoline prices. The easing of financial conditions last month, in contrast to the Fed’s goal of tightening, may also have supported consumer sentiment. ISM manufacturing, which is scheduled to be reported on Thursday, may reflect the weakness seen in the S&P survey, but will still be lifted by the backlog in auto vehicle production. Housing sales may continue to moderate, but housing prices continue to rise and no systemic risks are seen. China manufacturing PMIs expected to decelerate in the midst of heatwaves The median forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect China’s official NBS manufacturing PMI to edge up to 49.3 in August from 49.0 in July but remains firmly in the contractionary territory and the Caixin manufacturing PMI to slide to 50.1 in August from 50.4 in July, approaching the threshold between expansion and contraction. The heatwaves and drought-induced power curbs caused Sichuan and Chongqing to shut-down manufacturing activities for six days and eight days in August respectively. The province of Sichuan accounts for 4.2% of China’s industrial production and is an important manufacturing hub for semiconductor and solar panel industries. Both Sichuan and the municipality of Chongqing, which accounts for 2.1% of China’s industrial production, are crucial manufacturing centres for industrial components, including auto parts. During the month, a Covid outbreak hit Yiwu, an export-focussed manufacturing hub in Zhejiang, and could have contributed to dragging on the Caixin manufacturing PMI, which has a higher weight for SMEs in the eastern coastal region. The median forecast for the August official NBS non-manufacturing PMI is 52.2, down from last month’s 53.8 but remains in the expansionary territory.  The key Australian economic data to watch, and why key stocks will move in response On the same day China releases manufacturing data, which will be watched closely by commodity investors and Australian investors alike, given key commodities such iron ore, copper, nickel, coal are essential to Chinese manufacturing, investors will then quickly turn their attention to Australia’s August manufacturing indicators. Although Australia is not manufacturing economy, given services contribute 70% to GDP, manufacturing is still closely looked at as many top ASX companies are key producers and manufacturers. This includes energy companies like Woodside, Caltex, Viva Energy, as well as global packaging company, Amcor and global vaccine maker CSL, as well as global mining juggernauts BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue. So, when manufacturing data comes out, if its stronger than expected, (above a read of 51), then you might see an increase in buying in some of Australia’s key manufacturers. That being said, it’s really important to note that last month’s gauges pointed to slower growth in factory activity with higher interest rates, higher wages, and a lack of workers slowing activity. So it will be key to see if manufacturing continues to slow. Eurozone inflation and Nord Stream maintenance will be key for the ECB There is no question on the direction in Eurozone inflation, given the extensive reports on gas prices and power costs in the region over the last few days. However, some softening may be warranted after an all-time high of 8.9% was reached on the Eurozone inflation print in July, given the easing in pump prices in August. Still, gas supply concerns continue to remain top-of-mind for Germany with Gazprom announcing another leg of maintenance for the Nord Stream pipeline this week. Food prices are also seeing another pickup, and further gains in the headline print in Q4 cannot be ruled out. Calls for a 75 basis points rate hike by the European Central Bank have already picked up, and these could gain further traction if we see a strong CPI print this week. However, if Nord Stream supply comes back on time after its 3-day scheduled maintenance, and with some potential increases in capacity as has been hinted, that could mean a substantial decline in European gas prices and relief in utility costs in the months to come. India/South Korea GDP will re-affirm Asia’s steady growth India and South Korea GDP report GDP growth in Asia this week, along with inflation figures as well in South Korea. A double-digit GDP growth print is expected for India, with consensus at 15.2% YoY amid a strong recovery in services demand, albeit on a weak base. Commodity price gains are however likely to return and weigh on growth recovery going forward, as will slower global demand. But the RBI remains in a position to push further with its rate hikes to get a grip on inflation. South Korea’s Q2 GDP is however likely to remain steady, and focus will instead be on August inflation as that remains a bigger problem with over 6% prints being seen lately.   Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday 29 August United Kingdom Market Holiday Australia Retail Sales (Jul) Japan Coincident Index Final (Jun), Unemployment rate (Jul)   Tuesday 30 August Thailand Industrial Production (Jul) Germany Import Prices (Jul), Inflation (Aug) Spain Inflation Rate (Aug), Business Confidence (Aug) United Kingdom Mortgage Approvals (Jul) Eurozone Consumer Confidence Final (Aug) US House Price Index (Jun), US Conference Board Consumer Confidence (Aug)   Wednesday 31 August South Korea Industrial Production (Jul) Japan Industrial Production (Jul) China NBS Manufacturing PMI (Aug) France Inflation Rate (Aug) Germany Unemployment Rate (Aug) Hong Kong Retail Sales (Jul) Eurozone Core Inflation Rate (Aug) Italy Inflation Rate (Aug) United States MBA Mortgage Applications (26 Aug), United States ADP Employment Change (Jun) India GDP (Q2) Canada GDP (Q2)   Thursday 1 September S&P Worldwide Manufacturing PMIs South Korea GDP Growth Rate (Q2), Exports (Aug) Japan Capital Spending (Q2) Australia Home Loans (Jul) Indonesia Inflation Rate (Aug) Germany Retail Sales (Jul) United Kingdom Nationwide Housing Prices (Aug) Italy GDP Growth Rate (Q2), Unemployment Rate (Jul) Eurozone Unemployment Rate (Jul) United States Jobless Claims (Aug)   Friday 2 September South Korea Inflation (Aug) Germany Balance of Trade (Jul) United States Non-Farm Payrolls (Aug) Unemployment Rate (Aug), Factory Orders (Jul)   Key earnings releases this week Monday: Haier Smart Home, Foshan Haitian Flavouring, Agricultural Bank of China, BYD, Pinduoduo, Trip.com, DiDi Global, CITIC Securities Tuesday: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Muyuan Foods, SF Holdings, Shaanxi Coal, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Ganfeng Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems   Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis   Source: Saxo Spotlight: What’s on investors and traders radars this week?
    USDA's WASDE Update: Wheat Tightens, Corn Loosens

    The US 2-year Treasury Yield Reached The Highest Since 2007!

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 29.08.2022 10:20
    Summary:  Equity markets plunged on Friday in the wake of Fed Chair Powell’s speech, in which he invoked famed Fed inflation fighter Volcker and warned against a premature easing of policy. While US yields are only modestly higher in the wake of the speech, the US dollar is soaring, bringing a new unwelcome tightening on global liquidity. Particularly intense focus on USDJPY as the Bank of Japan faces a new challenge from JPY weakness as it insists on maintaining its maximum easing policy.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities posted their worst session since at least June in the wake of Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech on Friday, with the S&P 500 losing over 3% on the session and trading lower still overnight to start the week, with the psychologically key 4,000 level looming into view. The Nasdaq sliced over 4% lower and traded near its 55-day moving average overnight, in the 12,400 area. Sentiment looks fragile, with any further rise in treasury yields and the US dollar the key risk for driving a possible worsening of sentiment this week. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After having staged an impressive bounce from the trough of a 2-month losing streak last week on the back of reports that the U.S. and China regulators were reaching a deal to avoid the delisting of Chinese companies from U.S. bourses, Hang Seng Index fell nearly 1% on Monday following the post-Jackson Hole selloff in U.S. equities. In addition, in statements from the U.S. and China regulators last Friday regarding access to audit work papers, the interpretations looked rather different in some key aspects. According to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the agreement gives the U.S. regulator, “complete access to the audit work papers, audit personnel, and other information”. On the other hand, in its announcement and Q&As with reporters, China Securities Regulatory Commission emphasized that audit work papers and other information will be “obtained by and transferred through Chinese regulators”. Meituan (03690:xhkg) outperformed, +3.7% after reporting a solid Q2 and continuous order growth in June and August. CSI 300 dropped 0.7%.  US dollar and especially USDCNH in the wake of Fed Chair Powell’s speech A forceful new USD rally was set in motion in reaction to Fed Chair Powell’s speech on Friday, with more aggravated strength versus Asian currencies on Monday as yields rose and the JPY weakened (more on USDJPY below), but also as China allowed its currency to drop versus the US dollar, a key development in cementing the impact of this USD move globally. The most salient potential driver for further USD strength this week would be strong US data (especially on Friday’s August US jobs and earnings report) that drives Treasury yields higher. USDJPY While the focus is generally on the US dollar this week already and the broader fallout should the greenback continue its aggravated ascent, the stakes are very high for USDJPY, which risks a new upward spiral that will challenge the Kuroda-led Bank of Japan as it insists on maintaining it accommodative policy in the face of rising yields elsewhere.  A massive bout of volatility may lie ahead if market participants decide to take on the BoJ, which will eventually likely cave at some unknown level higher, perhaps 150 in USDJPY if it rises that far? Crude oil prices (CLV2 & LCOV2) Crude oil trades higher extending last week’s gain with supply concerns more than offsetting the potential negative growth/demand impact of Powell’s higher-for-longer interest rate speech on Friday at Jackson Hole. An Iran nuclear deal has yet to be reached with a breakthrough unlikely to add much in terms of additional barrels before next year. Libya, one of OPEC’s most volatile producers saw deadly clashes in the capital over the weekend sparking fears over supply to an energy starved Europe. In a addition high gas prices in Europe and Asia will continue to underpin demand and prices for diesel and heating oil. Brent is currently stuck in a range around $100 with resistance around $103 and support at $98. Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD), platinum (XPTUSD) and copper (COPPERUSDED22) ... have tumbled the most since Friday after Fed’s Powell signaled that interest rates would keep rising and remain elevated for longer. The US 2-year Treasury yield reached the highest since 2007 with additional headwinds seen from the stronger dollar. The markets belief in the Fed’s ability to combat inflation helped drive the one-year inflation swap down to 3.06%, a one-year low. We maintain the view of gold being a hedge against the belief the Fed will be successful in lowering inflation without hurting economic growth to the point where the focus returns to central bank support but given the renewed breakdown on Friday and continuation today, the price may in the short term once again look at critical support below $1700. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields rose across the board on Friday, actually quite modestly relative to the attention given to Fed Chair Powell’s speech, but the move followed through further in the Asian session Monday as the US dollar also rose, a toxic combination for risk sentiment. The US 10-year benchmark yields trades near the highs last week above 3.10% this morning, with the chief focus on the 3.50% area high established in mid-June if yields continue to rise. This week features important US data through Friday’s US jobs report. What is going on? Powell’s message at Jackson Hole gets serious While Powell still stayed away from clearly defining a rate path or the expected terminal rates for the Fed, his strong message did suggest that the fight against inflation is far from over. Powell reiterated that the decision on September 21st on whether the Fed will lift rates by 50bps or 75bps will be driven by the “totality” of data since the July meeting. That puts a great deal of emphasis on the US jobs report due on September 2nd, and the US CPI report due September 13th. There was also some emphasis on rates being held at the peak rate for some time, but there isn’t a substantial change to the market’s expectation of the Fed path yet, with cuts still seen for next year by the money markets. Other Fed speakers still see higher terminal rates Inflation remains the overarching theme in all the Fed talk, and no comfort is being taken from the softening in July inflation. Mester (2022 voter) accepted that the Fed hasn’t reached neutral rates yet and said that rates need to go above 4% and held there for some time. Bostic (2024 voter) also suggested a higher terminal rate of 3.5-4.75% compared to what was reflected in the June dot plot, and said rates need to be held there for some time and rate cut talks are premature. Soft US July PCE inflation confirms the dip in the CPI data Lower petrol prices cooled price pressures in July, and this has been re-confirmed by the PCE print on Friday. The headline came in at 6.3% YoY (vs. 6.8% expected) while core was at 4.6% YoY (vs. 4.7% expected). The market reaction to these softer numbers was however restrained as the hawkish message from Powell at Jackson Hole took the limelight. The magnitude of the September rate hike still remains a coinflip, but the Fed members have refused to take comfort with the softer CPI print and continue to push for an aggressive fight against inflation. ECB speakers remain committed to inflation fight despite recession risks A host of ECB speakers at the weekend continued to push for aggressive rate hikes to fight inflation. Schnabel, speaking at Jackson Hole, said rates must be raised, even into a recession. Kazaks also emphasised the need for further front-loading of rate hikes after the 50bps rate hike announced by the central bank in July. In fact, there were hints of a 75bps rate hike. There were also some concerns on a weaker EUR, as that fuels further inflationary pressures and the benefit of cheaper exports is diminished by supply chain disruption. Villeroy said that the neutral rate should be reached before the end of the year while Kazaks said he would get there in the first quarter of next year. Energy prices continue to climb in France Last Friday, the French 1-year electricity forward was close to €1,000 per MWh (versus €900 per MWh for Germany). This represents an increase of +1000 % compared with the long-term average of 2010-2020. Since Autumn 2021, the French government has capped electricity and gas prices (electricity price increase was capped at +4 % this year). But this is very costly for public finances (about €20bn so far this year). The cap on energy prices will expire at the end of the year for gas and in February 2023 for electricity. The government is not planning to extend it further. More targeted measures to help the poorest part of the population to cope with higher energy prices is the most likely scenario. The risk of electricity shortage is real in France this winter. During the summer, electricity demand is around 45 GWh. During the winter, higher consumption will push electricity demand around 80-90 GWh. This will put under tension all the electricity infrastructure, thus increasing the risk of shortage. We think that France is certainly in a worse position than Germany when it comes to energy supply (in the short-term). The world's fourth largest iron ore miner, Fortescue releases 2nd highest profit on record Fortuecue Metals (FMG) posted a 40% drop in full-year profits, mirroring the steep declines in iron ore prices. Despite iron ore shipments hitting a record, Fortescue posted a A$6.2 billion profit, down from the A$10.35 billion last year. So what’s next? It’s pledged another record year of iron ore shipments (187-192mt) and wants to accelerate its push into clean energy, aiming to produce an initial 15 million tons a year of green hydrogen by 2030, to help its heavy industry and long-distance transport decarbonize. It will spend $600-$700 million to do so this financial year. As we covered last week in our BHP interview, iron ore demand is likely to slow over the coming 30 years (that’s where Fortescue’s income comes from). Meanwhile, the world requires double the amount of green metals. So the question remains; can Fortescue diversify its business in time? Fortescue’s shares are up 21% from their July low, with investors hoping China infrastructure stimulus will support iron ore demand and boost the company’s earnings.  What are we watching next? The US dollar is the wrecking ball here for risk sentiment – any rise in US yields would make things worse The rising US dollar is bad enough for global markets as the greenback is a financial condition unto itself, but if US treasury yields continue to rise this week, this could prove double trouble for global markets and potentially aggravate the sudden downside momentum tilt set in motion on Friday by Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole conference.   China manufacturing PMIs, scheduled to release this week, are expected to decelerate in the midst of power curbs The median forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect China’s official NBS manufacturing PMI to edge up to 49.3 in August from 49.0 in July but remains firmly in the contractionary territory and the Caixin manufacturing PMI to slide to 50.1 in August from 50.4 in July, approaching the threshold between expansion and contraction. The heatwaves and drought-induced power curbs caused Sichuan and Chongqing to shut-down manufacturing activities for six days and eight days in August, respectively. The median forecast for the August official NBS non-manufacturing PMI is 52.2, down from last month’s 53.8 but remains in the expansionary territory.  Earnings to watch This week’s earnings will tilt towards a Chinese focus, but from a macro perspective we are watching Lululemon on Thursday to get an update on the US consumer. Expectations are still looking for a +20% y/y revenue growth in the current quarter so the bar is set high on the outlook. Monday: Haier Smart Home, Foshan Haitian Flavouring, Agricultural Bank of China, BYD, Pinduoduo, Trip.com, DiDi Global, CITIC Securities Tuesday: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Muyuan Foods, SF Holdings, Shaanxi Coal, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Ganfeng Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Switzerland SNB Weekly Sight Deposits 1300 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak 1430 – US Aug. Dallas Fed Manufacturing survey 1815 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to speak 2330 – Japan Jul. Jobless Rate 0130 – Australia Jul. Building Approvals Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 29, 2022
    Speech At Jackson Hole Triggered Masacric Slide In Equities! US Treasury Yields Reaction

    Speech At Jackson Hole Triggered Masacric Slide In Equities! US Treasury Yields Reaction

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.08.2022 10:46
    Summary:  Fed Chair Powell's Jackson Hole speech was credited with triggering the ugly slide in equities and broader risk sentiment on Friday, but the modest reaction in US treasury yields suggests that the Fed was only moderately more hawkish than anticipated. Regardless, the market slide has already developed ugly momentum and could test next supports if US data this week continues to support higher yields and a stronger US dollar, an important financial condition in its own right. We also discuss the latest commodity price developments and weak precious metals on the stronger US dollar and remarkably persistent view that hefty disinflation is just around the corner. Today's pod features Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Markets stumble after Powell's Jackson Hole speech
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    US Stock Market Strongly Recovers Without Any Predispositions!

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.08.2022 12:46
    Relevance up to 05:00 2022-08-30 UTC+2 Key US stock market indexes, the Dow Jones, the NASDAQ, and the S&P 500, dropped sharply on Friday and closed in negative territory. Over the past month, the US stock market strongly recovered from its decline of the previous several months. This was a rather paradoxical recovery, as there was nothing that could have triggered it. Now, everything falls into place. Friday's only key event on the economic calendar was a speech by Fed chairman Jerome Powell at the meeting in Jackson Hole. The US personal spending and income data, which was slightly below expectations, could not have caused Friday's slump. Powell assured the market that monetary tightening would continue and that a period of high interest rates would be longer than previously expected. He did not give any new information, and it was clear that one single monthly decrease of inflation could not indicate a downtrend. For example, the CPI decreased in May, only to surge in the following months. It remains unclear why investors went long on US stocks. It might have been a capital outflow from the EU to the US - the EU is also expected to enter a recession. However, the recession has already begun in the US - investors might have found the US economy to be more stable amid the difficult geopolitical situation in the EU. In addition, the Federal Reserve is actually taking steps to fight inflation, unlike the ECB. Jerome Powell noted on Friday that the regulator would be closely following macroeconomic data, indicating that the pace of interest rate increase could be slowed down in the near future. However, interest rates would still be hiked from the current level of 2.5%. The Fed funds rate is expected to reach 3.5% at the very least, which would weigh down on US risky assets. The strange upsurge in the US stock market could have possibly been a bull trap, deliberately triggered by major market players to sell their stocks at higher prices. Now, equities and US stock indexes are likely to drop once again and hit new yearly lows. In the meantime, the Fed is likely to increase interest rates at least until the end of 2022. Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Jerome Powell triggers slump in US stock market  
    Bayer Invented A New Drug For Type II Diabetes. Astonishing Revenue!

    Bayer Invented A New Drug For Type II Diabetes. Astonishing Revenue!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 29.08.2022 15:16
    The medical giant is after another phase of testing a new drug for type II diabetes and chronic kidney disease. The test results proved positive, and analysts have issued further favourable investment recommendations. Bayer is a German medical company that produces medical equipment, drugs and supplements. It operates globally and has about 100,000 employees, generating more than 44 billion euros in revenue last fiscal year.  In the last quarter, the company announced a whopping €12.8 billion in revenue (an 18.1% year-on-year increase) thanks to favourable currency movements and price increases. Despite a significant increase in net profit (up 87%), the company still posted a loss of €298 million. Despite a significant reduction in costs in the last quarter, the corporation is still struggling to optimize them. This applies especially to the high price of energy, materials and the war in Ukraine. Dealing with intense competition from companies such as Pfizer, Roche, and Novartis remains problematic.  Last year, the company spent as much as 5.4 billion euros on research and development. This enormous amount is used to develop more breakthrough devices and drugs. One of them is Kerendia (finerenone). It's a medicine to treat type II diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Today, the results of the third phase of clinical trials were released, showing that the use of the drug allows a significant decrease in the mortality rate of the mentioned diseases. Kerendia has thus been approved for distribution in the US, Europe and China and could become an essential source of revenue for the company in the coming years.  Bayer has also begun new clinical trials of a thrombosis drug (asundexian). The company said on Sunday that the next phase will test the effectiveness and safety of asundexian in patients with atrial fibrillation and those suffering from certain types of stroke. According to Bloomberg, this is the next step in the company's plan to refresh its drug portfolio, which is under threat from low-cost competitors.  JPMorgan and Barclays have issued a buy recommendation for the German giant, maintaining their previous target price of €75 and €90, respectively. According to MarketScreener data, the current average target price is 78.91 euros for all 24 recommendations. This implies a possible increase in the share price of more than 46%, while the lowest and highest target prices are 55 and 106 euros, respectively. At the close of trading on Friday, the company's share price was €53.70.    Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Bayer’s drug effective - a medical giant with new recommendations from investment banks
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    After The Speech Global Equity Markets Are Not Risking Anymore! Nasdaq 100 Below Its 50-day Average!

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 30.08.2022 09:06
    Summary:  The rise in U.S. treasury yields pressured growth stocks with the Nasdaq 100 falling below its 50-day average, which puts it back in a precarious position. Fed Kashkari said he was glad to see the markets fell after Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech to tighten financial conditions. Global equity markets have certainly got the message and are in a risk-off mood. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  US Stocks fell for the second day, but modestly compared to Friday’s sell-off that was triggered by Fed Chair Powell vowing rates will stay higher for longer to cool runaway inflation while suggesting there will be no pivot to cutting rates in 2023, S&P 500 -0.7%, Nasdaq 100 -1%.  Minneapolis Fed president Kashkari said that “he certainly was not exited to see the stock market rallying” after the last FOMC meeting and “people now understand the seriousness of our commitment to getting inflation back down to 2%.” Tech stocks dragged the markets lower, Nvidia -2.8%, Tesla -1.1%.  Twitter (TWTR:xnys) dropped 1.1% after Elon Musk ad subpoenaed a Twitter whistleblower to share information.  Meanwhile, gains in value stocks somewhat held up the market last night, with the oil, gas, and agricultural sectors rising 1-2%. It comes as Oil prices rose 4% on Monday as potential OPEC+ output cuts and conflict in Libya helped to offset a strong U.S. dollar. While the Ag sectors were supported higher after the wheat price jumped 4.9% and corn rose 2.2% (at its highest level in 2 months) after heat damage worsened US crops more than expected. As such it appears markets are back to their risk off modus operandi, selling down growth names (which are based on future earnings which gets diminished amid higher rates), and instead, buying value (commodities), with rising cashflows. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yield rose across the curve.  The 2-year yield rose to as high as 3.48% during the day, the highest level since November 2007, before paring the rise to settle 3bps higher at 3.42%.  The 10-year yield rose 7bps to 3.11%,  taking the 2-10 year curve steepened by 3bps to -32bps.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equities traded relatively calm in the midst of a large post-Jackson Hole selloff in the U.S., Hang Seng Index -0.7%, CSI 300 -0.4%.  The deal made between the U.S. and China regulators last Friday regarding access to audit work papers did not trigger much new buying in China internet stocks on Monday as it had already been well wired before the official announcement.  Further, there is much remained to be seen if the agreement will be implemented to the satisfaction of both sides as the U.S. and China regulators seem to differ in their interpretation.  Meituan (03690:xhkg) gained 2.6% after reporting solid Q2 results, which Hang Seng Tech Index dropped 1.2%. China’s industrial profits slumped to contracting 14.5% YoY from (v.s. +1.1% in June) and a fall of 11.3% sequentially from June.  The weakness was mainly driven by upstream sectors.  Coal mining stocks initially slumped but rallied later in the days and finished higher in Hong Kong and mainland bourses.   Geely (00175:xhkg) rose 1.7% as the automaker’s Zeekr line of EVs will be the first to use a new battery from CATL that provides over 1,000km range per charge.  SMIC (00981:xhkg), -2.1%, announced spending USD7.5 billion to build a plant in Tianjin to make 12-inch wafers. Chinese banks traded weak as Reuters reported that China’s central bank and bank regulators had been making calls to banks to push them to make more lending to support the real economy than put their funds in financial investments.  USDJPY weakness to bring back pressure on Bank of Japan USDJPY is back to testing its record July highs despite little change in money market pricing of the Fed rate path following Powell’s hawkish speech at Jackson Hole. The peak Fed funds rate is still priced in at 3.8%, while some of the Fed speakers have started to suggest 4%+ levels that may be needed to combat inflation. This brings the September dot plot in focus, but we get the jobs and CPI data before that as well. Any further upward re-pricing of the Fed path, if resulting in gains in US 10-year yields, could very well take USDJPY to new highs with Japanese yields still remaining capped due to the Bank of Japan’s yield curve control policy. If however, US data underwhelms, the room on the downside for USDJPY is tremendous. USDCNH made a new high at 6.9327 Wider interest rate differentials between the U.S. dollar and the renminbi and a weaker economic outlook in China continued to pressure the renminbi weaker. USDCNH surged to as high as 6.9327 on Monday during Asian hours before paring it as the greenback fell against most of the G10 and emerging market currencies in London hours.  In Asia this morning, USDCNH is trading at 6.9066. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices saw their best day in a month amid threats of a decline in supply from OPEC cuts and production outages in Libya. Brent futures rose above $105/barrel although some softening was seen in the Asian morning, while WTI rose to $97/barrel. This follows news from last week that Kazakhstan’s exports of crude may be impacted for months because of damage to its port facility. Meanwhile, negotiations between Iran and the US over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal could drag on for weeks, easing fears of an imminent surge in supply. What to consider? The volatility index rises to its highest level in 9 weeks, suggesting more volatility is coming. And the fundamentals back this up with US yields spiking After the Fed’s 8-minute Jackson Hole speech, the volatility index surged to its highest level in 9-weeks, forming an uptrend pattern, suggesting more market volatility is ahead. We believe the market is only just beginning to price in higher for longer interest rates and inflation. The bond market is affirming this with yields spiking again. But what is also alarming, is that the futures market is still pricing in that the Fed will cut rates in 2023. This is despite the Fed suggesting it won’t pivot to cutting rates. The other issue is keeping markets on notice is that; if the Fed makes more hawkish remarks and hikes rates more than expected, then the market will face further volatility, and selling in growth sectors and names that are interest rate sensitive, are likely to come under pressure. Shell CEO cautions against a prolonged European gas crisis Shell CEO Ben van Beurden gave comments from Norway’s ONS conference, suggesting that Europe could face gas shortages for a number of winters. This disproves reports suggesting that Europe has already built reserves for the winter demand, and reaffirms our belief that a move to broad-based energy supply will continue to be top of mind in the long run. In the near term, demand destruction appears to be the only possible solution, and Van Beurden stressed need for efficiency savings as well as rationing. Eurozone inflation and Nord Stream maintenance will be key for the ECB There is no question on the direction in Eurozone inflation, given the extensive reports on gas prices and power costs in the region over the last few days. However, some softening may be warranted after an all-time high of 8.9% was reached on the Eurozone inflation print in July, given the easing in pump prices in August. Still, gas supply concerns continue to remain top-of-mind for Germany with Gazprom announcing another leg of maintenance for the Nord Stream pipeline this week. Food prices are also seeing another pickup, and further gains in the headline print in Q4 cannot be ruled out. Calls for a 75 basis points rate hike by the European Central Bank have already picked up, and these could gain further traction if we see a strong CPI print this week. However, if Nord Stream supply comes back on time after its 3-day scheduled maintenance, and with some potential increases in capacity as has been hinted, that could mean a substantial decline in European gas prices and relief in utility costs in the months to come. ECB Lane tones dials back on jumbo rate hike expectations ECB chief economist Lane was on the wires on Monday, and hinted at a more steady pace of rate hikes in a “step-by-step” manner rather than jumbo rate hikes. This appears to be a pushback against calls for a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting, as he made the case to allow the financial system to absorb the rate changes. Moreover, on inflation, Lane said long-term inflation expectations remain close to the two per cent target, while near-term inflation expectations are quite elevated. BYD reported 1H earnings at the high end of the preannounced range Chinse auto maker BYD (01211) reported 1H revenues growing 66% YoY to RMB 151 billion.  In terms of segments, auto revenues surged 130% YoY while mobile handset revenues contracted 4.8% YoY. Net profits jumped 206% to rMB3.595 billion, at the top end of the preannounced range of CNY2.8-3.6 billion. Volume growth (353K new energy passenger vehicles in 2Q, +265% YoY) beat market expectations despite two rounds of price increases in 2022 and supply chain disruptions.  The company’s EV market share rose to 29% (vs 17% in 2021).  Pinduoduo delivered Q2 results showing stronger than peer sales growth Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), a leading eCommerce platform with strong penetration into agricultural products and online shoppers from rural areas., reported 1H total revenue growing at 36% YoY, far exceeding the 3% YoY consensus estimate.  The company attributed the revenue growth to a recovery in consumption since mid-May, successful promotion campaigns, and 48-hour daily necessity supply packs for people facing lockdown.  The company’s strong market position in rural areas and agriculture-related products also help it stand out from its rivals.  In Q2, the company achieved a 20 percentage point improvement in margins, reaching 33.5%, but the management cautioned investors that the margin compression was attributed to temporary cost savings early in the quarter and spending had increased since mid-May.  Non-GAAP EPS came in at Rmb7.54, +161% Uranium companies and other nuclear-related companies are back in the spotlight  Elon Musk said countries should not shut down existing nuclear power plants as Europe grapples with an energy crisis “If you have a well-designed nuclear plant, you should not shut it down - especially right now”, said Musk during an energy conference in Norway. That resulted in the Global X Uranium ETF climbing 7.4% on Monday to its highest level since June 8, supported by US uranium stocks rising. Uranium stocks in the Asia-Pacific region to watch include Australia’s Paladin, Deep Yellow and Boss Energy, as well Japan’s Kansai Electric Power and Tokyo Electric Power, as well as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. In South Korea watch Doosan Enerbility, Kepco. And in Europe, monitor Yellow Cake and Kazatomprom.      For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 30, 2022
    Natural Gas Prices Extended The Recovery

    Natural Gas Prices Still Fell Besides Russia Shuts The Key Nord Stream Pipeline Down. Dependence Coming To An End?

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 30.08.2022 09:18
    Summary:  Markets traded mostly sideways yesterday as the US dollar’s advance was stymied and US yields pushed back slightly lower. China continues to allow its currency to trade toward the lows for the cycle versus the US dollar as the 7.00 area nears in USDCNH. The euro bobbed back up toward parity versus the US dollar yesterday as natural gas prices fell even as Russia shuts the key Nord Stream pipeline down for a purported few days of maintenance.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities stabilised yesterday following that knee-jerk reaction on Friday to the Jackson Hole presentations with S&P 500 futures touching and bouncing off the 50-day moving average closing above the critical 4,000 level. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 4,044 level this morning sandwiched between the 100-day moving average above this level and the 50-day moving average below suggesting a bigger move is shaping up in either direction. The next big shift in sentiment will be when we get the US August CPI print on 13 September as that is the key data point to shape expectations from current levels. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equities pulled back moderately, Hang Seng Index -0.9%. Tech names were weak. Hang Seng Tech Index plunged as much as 3% before bouncing off the lows to finish the morning session down 1.7%.  According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, smartphone sales in China fell 2.9% YoY in the period between Jan and July. Despite reporting solid 1H results, China automaker, BYD (01211:xhg) slid 0.6%. In A-shares, mining stocks, gas, electric equipment, and auto parts underperformed, CSI 300 -0.5%. Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), a leading Chinese eCommerce platform listed on Nasdaq reported strong 2Q results, showing stronger than peer gross merchandise value growth and better-than-expected margin improvement. US dollar and especially USDCNH The US dollar tried higher, but failed to follow through as risk sentiment stabilized and US Treasury yields eased back lower. The USDCNH rate, however, continues to push toward the high of the cycle, trading near 6.92 this morning. EURUSD trades near parity this morning after natural gas prices fell sharply in Europe yesterday and despite ECB Chief Economist Lane arguing for steady rate increases (pushing back against the pricing of a possible 75 basis point move at next week’s ECB meeting). Incoming data this week will be critical for USD direction. JPY weakness to bring back pressure on Bank of Japan USDJPY is back to testing its record July highs despite little change in money market pricing of the Fed rate path following Powell’s hawkish speech at Jackson Hole. The peak Fed funds rate is still priced in at 3.8%, while some of the Fed speakers have started to suggest 4%+ levels that may be needed to combat inflation. This brings the September dot plot in focus, but we get the jobs and CPI data before that as well. Any further upward re-pricing of the Fed path, if resulting in gains in US 10-year yields, could very well take USDJPY to new highs with Japanese yields still remaining capped due to the Bank of Japan’s yield curve control policy. If, however, US data underwhelms, the room on the downside for USDJPY is tremendous. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices saw their best day in six weeks amid threats of a decline in supply from OPEC and production outages in Libya. Brent futures rose above $105/barrel although some softening was seen in Asia overnight, while WTI rose to $97/barrel. This follows news from last week that Kazakhstan’s exports of crude may be impacted for months because of damage to its port facility. Meanwhile, negotiations between Iran and the US over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal could drag on for weeks, easing fears of an imminent surge in supply. Pro Farmer tour see lowest US corn production since 2019 The just completed Pro Farmer tour across the US grain belt helped drive corn futures in Chicago to a two-month high on Monday after the tour saw the US corn crop at 13.76 bn bushels, below USDA forecasts for 14.36 billion bushels. Pro Farmer predicted a soybean crop of 4.54 billion, in line with the USDA’s latest forecast. Wheat, supported by corn’s rally, touched its highest since July 12 despite news that Ukraine agricultural exports could rise to 6.5 million ton in October, double the volume in August.  The soybean vs corn ratio needs to stay low (favouring corn) ahead of the South American planting season in order to persuade farmers there to plant more of the fertilizer intensive crop. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields eased lower yesterday. An interesting paper presented at the Jackson Hole conference at the weekend suggests that the Fed will have a hard time delivering on quantitative tightening without causing harm to financial market functioning, which could mean less supply of treasuries from the Fed if its shies away from reducing its balance sheet at the previously touted pace of $95 billion/month. Otherwise, incoming US data is the focus through the August CPI release on September 13. What is going on? Shell CEO warns of prolonged European gas crisis Shell CEO Ben van Beurden gave comments from Norway’s ONS conference, suggesting that Europe could face gas shortages for a number of winters. This disproves reports suggesting that Europe has already built reserves for the winter demand and reaffirms our belief that a move to broad-based energy supply will continue to be top of mind in the long run. In the near term, demand destruction appears to be the only possible solution, and Van Beurden stressed the need for efficiency savings as well as rationing. ECB Lane dials back on jumbo rate hike expectations ECB chief economist Lane was on the wires on Monday and hinted at a steady pace of rate hikes in a “step-by-step” manner rather than jumbo rate hikes. This appears to be a pushback against calls for a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting, as he made the case to allow the financial system to absorb the rate changes. Moreover, on inflation, Lane said long-term inflation expectations remain close to the two per cent target, while near-term inflation expectations are quite elevated. BYD reported 1H earnings at the high end of the preannounced range Chinese automaker BYD (01211) reported 1H revenue up 66% y/y to RMB 151bn. In terms of segments, auto revenue surged 130% y/y while mobile handset revenues contracted 4.8% y/y. Net profits jumped 206% to RMB 3.6bn, at the top end of the preannounced range of RMB 2.8-3.6bn. Volume growth (353K new energy passenger vehicles in 2Q, +265% y/y) beating market expectations despite two rounds of price increases in 2022 and supply chain disruptions. The company’s EV market share rose to 29% (vs 17% in 2021). Pinduoduo delivered Q2 results showing stronger than peer sales growth Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), a leading eCommerce platform with strong penetration into agricultural products and online shoppers from rural areas, reported 1H total revenue up 36% y/y, far exceeding the 3% y/y consensus estimate. The company attributed the revenue growth to a recovery in consumption since mid-May, successful promotion campaigns, and 48-hour daily necessity supply packs for people facing lockdown. The company’s strong market position in rural areas and agriculture-related products also help it stand out from its rivals. In Q2, the company achieved a 20 %-point improvement in margin, reaching 33.5%, but the management cautioned investors that the margin compression was attributed to temporary cost savings early in the quarter and spending had increased since mid-May. Non-GAAP EPS came in at RMB 7.54, +161% y/y. Shares in Uranium companies and other nuclear-related companies are back in the spotlight Japan has signaled its openness to more nuclear power, at the same time, Tesla founder Elon Musk has applauded uranium as an energy alternative, during an energy conference in Norway. Uranium stocks moved higher as a result on Monday in the US, which boosted the Global X Uranium ETF up 7%, to its highest level since June 8. Shares in the Asia-Pacific region followed. Australian stocks saw the most significant moves given the country has the largest uranium reserves globally. Australia’s Paladin rose 11%, Deep Yellow 15% and Boss Energy 10%, while Rio Tinto (which owns a deposit) rose over 1%. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Tokyo Electric Power gained 3%. Companies to watch in Europe, include Yellow Cake and Kazatomprom. What are we watching next? August U.S. job report is out on Friday There should not be a major surprise. The economist consensus expects a 300,000 payrolls increase in August and a stable unemployment rate at 3.5 % - this is a five-decade low. If this is confirmed, it all points to a healthy labor market (despite the moderate pace of job increases). Today, the U.S. government will also release July data on vacancies and quits. Expect job openings to remain elevated, thus pointing to resilient demand for labor. These figures are unlikely to play a major role at the September FOMC meeting since it is well-known that labor market data are lagged indicators. Inflation remains the main point of concern, as mentioned by Fed Chair Jerome Powell last week at Jackson Hole Symposium. August EZ CPI will be painfully high The consensus expects a new increase of 9 % year-over-year when the data will be released on Wednesday. This should convince European Central Bank (ECB) policy makers to raise borrowing costs by a sizable increase on September 8. At Jackson Hole, ECB’s executive board member Isabel Schnabel indicated the central bank has no other choice but to act with ‘determination’. This is a matter of credibility. According to Bloomberg, traders now price a 50 % chance of a 75-basis points rate hike in September. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is China are lithium miners Tianqi Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium as the growth in electric vehicles sales is putting enourmous pressure on availability of lithium and prices of lithium carbonate. Baidu is another Chinese earnings release to watch today as the company’s footprint in online advertising will give insights into economic activity. Later in the US, earnings to watch are Crowdstrike in the cyber security industry and HP in computing hardware. Today: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Muyuan Foods, SF Holdings, Shaanxi Coal, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Ganfeng Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – Spain Flash Aug. CPI 0830 – UK Jul. Net Consumer Credit 0830 – UK Jul. Mortgage Approvals 0900 – Euro Zone Aug. Confidence Surveys 1115 – ECB's Vasle to speak 1200 – Hungary Rate Decision 1200 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) to speak 1200 – Germany Aug. Flash CPI 1300 – US Jun. S&P CoreLogic Home Price Index 1400 – US Aug. Consumer Confidence 1400 – US Jul. JOLTS Job Openings 1500 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1600 – ECB Speakers Holzmann and others 2030 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 0130 – China Aug. Manufacturing/Non-manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 30, 2022
    The US Dollar Index Is Expected A Pullback Rally At Least In The Near Term

    Markets Finally Catch Their Breath After The Speech As Dollar Stops Growing

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.08.2022 11:31
    Summary:  Today we look at the lackluster session yesterday as risk sentiment found relief after the brief wipeout in the wake of the Fed Chair Powell speech on Friday. Helping to ease pressure on sentiment were the USD halting its rise and US yields easing back lower. In commodities, we look at the latest on the natural gas situation in Europe as Russia is set to shut down a key pipeline for purported maintenance. The corn and wheat outlook, pressure on discretionary spending and related stocks due to soaring energy prices, upcoming earnings reports and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: High energy costs will crowd out discretionary spending
    Canadian Dollar Falters as USD/CAD Tests Key Support Amidst Rising Oil Prices and Economic Data

    "Fight Against Inflation Is Our Primary Concern..." Central Banks Predicate

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 30.08.2022 16:05
    Stock markets are bouncing back on Tuesday following a rocky couple of weeks as investors grew nervous about the economic impact of tightening. Fed Chair Jerome Powell could not have been more clear on Friday on the central bank’s tightening stance and unlike the warnings from his colleagues, the message appeared to have finally gotten through. Which makes today’s move all the more curious. It’s not the fact that we’re seeing a rebound as equity markets don’t move in straight lines, rather it’s the strength of it that is interesting. Prior to Friday’s speech, investors appeared determined to cast aside warnings in favour of the dovish pivot narrative and today’s moves may suggest the same could still be true after a brief pullback. With a 75 basis point rate hike now viewed as the more likely outcome from the Fed in a few weeks and ECB officials putting a similar move on the table ahead of its meeting next week, how strong of a recovery can we really expect in equity markets? Central banks have made it perfectly clear now that the fight against inflation is their primary concern and a hard landing may just be the price to pay. While that may change if we see any significant improvement on the inflation front over the coming months, the risks still appear more tilted to the downside for the economy. A big moment for bitcoin Bitcoin is enjoying a slight recovery today after surviving a brief dip below $20,000 over the weekend. The hawkish sentiment by Powell took its toll at the end of the week but crypto bulls are fighting back to defend what could be a key level. We may need to see more of the resilience displayed in recent months as a failure to do so could quickly see bitcoin retesting the June lows. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.   Source: A curious rebound
    Taiwanese Soldiers Shooting At Civilian Drons And Other Factors Affecting  Stock Markets

    Taiwanese Soldiers Shooting At Civilian Drons And Other Factors Affecting Stock Markets

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 31.08.2022 10:06
    Summary:  Whiplash in global sentiment as the US equity market ended yesterday on a sour note at new local lows, only to see the mood brighten considerably in Asia, perhaps in part due to a massive plunge in crude oil prices. Sentiment toward the euro has certainly improved this week, as the single currency posted strong gains nearly across the board yesterday on another steep drop in natural gas prices and fresh hawkish rhetoric from an ECB member ahead of next Thursday’s meeting.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures reversed hard yesterday after pushing through above the 100-day moving average closing below the 4,000 level at 3,987. The culprit was more hawkish comments from both the Fed and ECB on top of very strong JOLTS Job Openings supporting the view that the labour market remains tight, likely leading to more wage pressures. Also, the S&P CoreLogic house index for June showed that house prices slowed down significantly on m/m basis highlighting the negative impact from higher mortgage rates. S&P 500 futures are trading back above the 4,000 level this morning with the 50-day moving average sitting around the 4,017 level is a key support level to watch today. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) In U.S. trading the night before, Hang Seng Index Futures tumbled 2.3% in a confluence of factors including Taiwanese soldiers on front-line islands firing shots at civilian drones believed flying from mainland China, a newswire report saying the U.S. regulator, PCAOB, selected Alibaba (BABA:xnys/09988:xhkg) for audit inspection commencing in September, Berkshire Hathaway reducing holdings in BYD, Covid-related lockdown concerns, and the continuous decline of the U.S. equity markets. Hang Seng Index gapped down by nearly 2% at the Asian market open but managed to crawl back all the loss and turn to a gain of 0.5% at the time of writing. The tech space led the charge higher, Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) surged by 2.4%. In A shares, CSI 300 reversed the downtrend in the morning and bounced to 0.8% higher. Surging euro take the single currency higher across the board The EURUSD exchange rate was stable-to-stronger as the EU continues to build natural gas supplies ahead of the winter and as the price for gas dropped sharply yesterday again. More hawkish comments from the ECB, this time from Nagel, who argued for “front-loading” rate hikes, also helped the euro higher. The Euro was higher across the board, with EURCHF surging nearly to 0.9800 and EURUSD staying above parity despite the USD strength elsewhere. The bigger level in the latter is toward the 1.0100 local range high and former range low. Next Thursday’s ECB will be critical for the euro outlook, with the market leaning for a 75 basis point hike. Selling pressure in GBP ramps up Pessimism built in sterling after Goldman Sachs hinted that peak inflation in the UK could reach 22% in early 2023 and downgraded its GDP forecast. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1622 before settling around 1.1660.  EURGBP pushed higher to 0.8600, its strongest level since early July. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil on track for a third monthly drop took a 7.5% tumble on Tuesday after recording the best day in six weeks on Monday. Both highlight a market suffering from low liquidity and lack of direction. Brent has returned to $100 with the slower growth and demand narrative once attracting sellers. In addition, a two-day plunge in EU gas prices also weighing on sentiment while new Covid infections and the worst heatwaves in decades in China added to the negative sentiment. On the supply side the Iraq turmoil is not having any impact on oil supplies while an Iran nuclear deal still lingers. Ahead of today’s EIA weekly stock report, the API last night reported a 600k barrels increase in oil stocks with big draws seen in gasoline and diesel. Further volatility can be expected in European gas prices over the coming days, and that could spill over to crude oil as well. EU Gas traders watch Nord Stream 1 and political initiatives to suppress power prices Dutch TTF benchmark gas which touched €350/MWh on Friday trades €270/MWh on the opening with focus on Gazprom’s announced 3-day closure of the NordStream 1 pipeline for maintenance, and whether it will reopen on September 3 or remain shut as part of Putin’s gas war against Europe. The closure coinciding with maintenance in Norway, including at the giant Troll fields. NordStream 1 currently supplies Europe with 33 mcm/day compared with its capacity of 167 mcm/day. A re-opening on September 3 could send prices tumbling further towards €200/MWh, a level still high enough to curb demand. Gas has also been losing altitude in response to rapidly filling storage sites, although daily flows will be needed throughout the winter, and signs the EU is preparing to intervene to dampen soaring power prices. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold remains troubled by the recent hawkish shift by the US Federal Reserve, but the downside pressure has eased a bit by a weaker dollar and geopolitical tensions. The price nevertheless trades below support-turned-resistance at $1729/oz with $1715/oz support preventing another attempt to challenge key support at $1680/oz. A host of Fed speakers were on the wires yesterday, and all of them focused on inflation, suggesting aggressive action from the Fed will continue. Meanwhile, Taiwanese soldiers fired shots to ward off civilian drones flying close to islands near China, spooking fears that tensions could escalate. What is going on? First shipment of wheat out of Ukraine arrives in Africa The first export of wheat from Ukraine since the invasion of Russia in February has arrived in Djibouti, east Africa. The 23,000-ton shipment is bound for Ethiopia which is struggling with ongoing drought and conflict. A recent agreement between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the UN and Turkey, has allowed 50 ships to resume shopping grain around the world. Wheat harvest was also seen picking up in Canada as yields improved amid better weather conditions, helping to ease supply worries in the key agricultural crop. US consumer confidence and JOLTS data came in better-than-expected US consumer confidence rose to its highest level in three months to come in at 103.2 in August from 95.7 previously. Both the expectation index and present situation index saw improvements, rising to 75.1 (prev. 65.6) and 145.4 (prev.139.7), respectively. This could be partly driven by lower pump prices, but also signals that a healthy job market report may be coming this week. The 1-year ahead inflation expectation fell to 7.0% (prev. 7.4%), which was a seven-month low. Meanwhile, US JOLTS rose to 11.239mln in July, above the expected 10.45mln and previous 10.698mln, hinting that the labor market remains tight. German CPI’s upside surprise, ECB still leaning towards front-loading Germany CPI came in higher than expected at 7.9% YoY (vs. 7.5% prev and 7.8% expected) while the MoM print was slightly softer at 0.3% (vs. 0.9% prev and 0.4% expected). Food and energy price gains underpinned, but fuel rebate helped to take some pressure off. Meanwhile, ECB speakers continued to push for more front-loaded rate hikes, in contrast to ECB’s Lane calling for more step-by-step increases on Monday and signaling recession concerns yesterday. THe ECB’s Nagel argued for front-loading rate tightening and Knot clearly said he’s leaning towards a 75bp hike in September, but he is open to a discussion, as did Muller. Wunsch also vouched for rates in restrictive territory, and Vasle (non-voter) said the September rate hike should exceed 50bps. Pricing for the ECB meeting next Thursday closed yesterday around +65 basis points. Taiwan shot at drones flying close to its offshore islands Taiwan’s authorities said in a statement Taiwanese soldiers fired shots in three incidents on Tuesday to ward off drones flying close to small offshore islands controlled by Taiwan. The statement did not identify where these civilian drones were from but said that the drones flew away in direction of Xiamen, a coastal city in mainland China. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen previously urged Taiwan’s military force to take “appropriate by necessary” actions to drive away civilian drones having been buzzing Taiwan’s military installations on its front-line islands. Crowdstrike reports better than expected results Shares were higher in US extended trading, following a 0.7% rise in the regular session after reporting second-quarter results that topped expectations, while it also raised its forecasts for the year. The cyber security giant reported revenue rose to $535mn, up from $337.7mn last year. Annual recurring revenue grew 59% to $2.14bn compared to the same time last year. This is a somewhat of a testament that cyber security is a defensive industry, as it is able to somewhat thrive regardless of economic conditions weakening. Chinese lithium miners are seeing explosive growth Tiangqi and Ganfeng, two of the world’s largest lithium miners, both reported very strong results seeing net income increasing multiples times from last year as lithium carbonate prices have risen 80% this year in China driven by supply shortages of lithium and extremely rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles. What are we watching next? The EU will hold an emerging energy meeting on 9 September This happens while the EU is set to meet its gas storage filling goal (80 %) two months ahead of target. Germany, which is one of the largest European economies most dependent on Russian gas, is also on track to meet its national storage goal before the deadline expires. In recent weeks, the EU has scaled up efforts in order to avoid energy rationing this winter. On this emergency meeting, Spain is expected to propose that the entire EU apply the ‘Iberian exception’ to set electricity prices. In mid-April 2022, the European Commission agreed that Spain and Portugal create a temporary mechanism to decouple the price of gas from that of electricity for a period of 12 months. Concretely, the price of gas was capped to an average of €50 per megawatt-hour. This resulted in electricity bills being halved for about 40 % of Spanish and Portuguese consumers with regulated rates. This could be applied at the EU scale. The Chinese Communist Party national congress commences on Oct. 16 The politburo decided to propose to schedule the next once-every-five-year National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”) for Oct 16, 2022.  The 2,300-odd delegates attending the National Congress will elect the CCP’s Central Committee which consists of 205 full (voting) members and 170 alternate (non-voting) members. The full members of the Central Committee will elect among themselves the 25 members of the Politburo and the members of the Politburo will then choose among themselves the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, who are the highest leaders of the CCP.  The National Congress will review the CCP’s work over the past five years and formulate policy directions and action plans for the next five years.  Today is the first report of US ADP Payrolls Change using new methodology The ADP Research Institute and Stanford Digital Economy Lab have revised the methodology for the ADP’s monthly employment report, arguing that the new report will offer a better view on the labor market, with breakdowns of weekly data for the prior month and more data on changes in pay. Only time will tell whether the market will begin to trust this data more than the official nonfarm payrolls “establishment” survey. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is MongoDB expected to report 42% y/y revenue growth in FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) with operating profit getting very close to break-even. The database company has been running positive cash flow from operations over the past two quarters, but investors would like to see operating income (includes share-based compensation) break-even as well. Today: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0755 – Germany Aug. Unemployment Change/Rate 0800 – Poland Flash Aug. CPI 0900 – Eurozone Flash Aug. CPI 1200 – US Fed’s Mester (voter) to speak 1215 – US Aug. ADP Private Payroll change 1230 – Canada Jun. GDP 1345 – US Aug. Chicago PMI 1430 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2300 – South Korea Q2 GDP 0145 – China Aug. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 31, 2022
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Tech Stocks: Could Tesla Stock Price Reach $300?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 30.08.2022 16:17
    Tesla falls to the first point of support. TSLA should bounce on Tuesday as markets recover. Tesla stock still looking overvalued as the sector rerates. A more or less normal day for stock markets on Monday took place after the sharp sell-off on Friday. Monday's performance was somewhat better than expected or less bad than many feared. Equity markets held up relatively well with the main indices losing less than 1%. Fears of capitulation were short-lived. This should set up a recovery rally for Tuesday and Wednesday and then probably markets will flatline ahead of Friday's employment report. Also read: Tesla Stock Deep Dive: Price target at $400 on China headwinds, margin compression, lower deliveries Tesla stock news The good news for bulls was that Monday's price action opened on the lows at $280, retested it in the first half, and then put in place a double bottom on an intraday basis that set Tesla (TSLA) stock higher for the remainder of the session. Overall, it was a pretty boring day. Tesla had a range of about $7 on the day, but there was no follow-through from Friday's sell-off. Is this consolidation just a holding pattern before further falls or a base building for a recovery? Tesla stock forecast TSLA stock longer-term view remains bearish with the series of lower tops identified by our trendline below. As we can see, Tesla is stuck in a high-volume area (grey bars on the right). High-volume areas are stabilization zones, and markets tend to move from one to another. Below $281 and above $314, volume thins out, so we would expect Tesla to move quickly through those zones. The recent Fed hawkish commentary from Powell puts the risk-reward in favor of the downside in my view, so I would be looking for TSLA stock to break $281 and a swift move through light volume until we reach the next high volume zone at $240. However, ahead of Friday, there is likely to be some recovery and then stabilization around $300. TSLA 1-day chart
    Analyst Favorites: Sunrun, Block, and Nvidia Lead the Pack Among Saxo's Top Traded Stocks with 17% Upside Potential

    European Central Bank - There Is A Need To Strengthen Measures That Curb Inflation

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 31.08.2022 15:18
    Relevance up to 10:00 UTC+2 The more euro falls, the more often European policymakers say there is a need to strengthen measures that curb inflation. ECB board member Joachim Nagel even stated that the next rate hike should not be delayed for fear of a potential recession. Unsurprisingly, these comments fueled speculation on how much the European Central Bank needs to raise interest rates at its meeting next week to keep the balance between the economy sliding into recession and countering further inflation. With the figure already at a record 8.9%, markets are divided over whether policymakers will raise rates by 50 basis points straight away or resort to changing them by 75 basis points at once. If the ECB increases rates by 75 points, euro will correct upwards, which will allow buyers to keep parity under their control. However, there are policymakers calling for restraint in the tightening of monetary policy. Executive Board member Fabio Panetta recently said the current rate hike will ease inflationary pressures anyway, while Chief Economist Philip Lane pointed out that sustained economic growth is more important than the observed inflationary pressures associated with the energy crisis. Although much of the surge in inflation is due to energy problems, there are fears that it could spread to other areas. Nagel mentioned that he supported last month's decision to raise rates by 50 basis points because a larger move minimizes the risk of future price increases being out of control. In terms of the forex market, there is a risk of further sharp fall in EUR/USD. Buyers need to hold above 1.0000 because moving down will make it hard for the pair to recover. Meanwhile, going beyond 1.0050 will give confidence to buyers in pushing the quote to 1.0090 and 1.0130. If euro falls below 1.0000, the bear market will continue, which would push the quote to 0.9970, 0.9940, 0.9905 and 0.9860. Pound is currently below the 17th figure, which creates certain difficulties for buyers. There is very little chance of a strong upward correction, especially if sellers take control of 1.1650. If buyers fail to stay above this level, there will be another set of sell-offs towards 1.1590. Then, its breakdown will lead to subsequent declines to 1.1530 and 1.1480. Only a rise above 1.1720 will bring the pair to 1.1760 and 1.1840. Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: ECB members are calling for tighter monetary policy
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    The ECB Is Paying The Price For Its Decision. Risk Assets Are Struggling In The Aftermath Of Powell’s Speech.

    Kenny Fisher Kenny Fisher 31.08.2022 15:34
    Stock markets in Europe turned lower again on Wednesday while US futures are more mixed, similar to what we saw in Asia overnight. Conditions remain choppy in the aftermath of Jackson Hole last week. There’s clearly a lack of conviction in the markets following a lot of hawkish central bank commentary in recent days. The narrative that investors want to believe is that inflation has peaked and is falling in the US and that a soft landing is plausible. That doesn’t necessarily align with what we’re hearing. Add to that the increasingly hawkish language from other central banks amid severe economic headwinds and the reality of the situation is seemingly becoming impossible to ignore. With 75 basis point hikes now on the table for the US, EU and UK next month, among others, it may not be entirely surprising that investors are taking a more cautious stance. ECB paying the price for dragging its feet amid record inflation The inflation data from the eurozone this morning won’t have hurt the odds of a 75 basis point hike, that’s for sure. Inflation in the bloc rose 9.1% in August, up from the previous record of 8.9% in July. With core inflation also jumping to 4.3% from 4%, the pressure is seriously mounting on the ECB to be more aggressive. The central bank is paying the price for its decision to leave the deposit rate at -0.5% for as long as it did and may have to be much more forceful now as a result. Price pressures are becoming more widespread, with energy increases easing slightly but food, alcohol and tobacco inflation accelerating to 10.6%. The inflation situation is, unfortunately, going to get worse, perhaps much worse, before it gets better, considering what’s to come with energy this winter. Gas flows halted, nervy few days ahead Gas flows through Nord Stream One have now paused for the three-day maintenance period. While Europe is keen to stress its storage levels are well ahead of schedule, the failure of flows resuming on Saturday would be a massive blow ahead of what is already going to be a nervy and expensive winter. European gas prices are near their recent highs and will likely remain so over the coming days until flows resume. If they don’t, prices could rise much further. Can bitcoin hold out much longer? Risk assets are struggling in the aftermath of Powell’s speech at Jackson Hole, the only exception arguably being bitcoin which fell heavily in the immediate aftermath but has now found its feet. In fact, it’s posting gains of more than 1% today, bucking the trend we’re seeing elsewhere, with risk assets generally underperforming. Once more we’re seeing resilience in bitcoin around $20,000; the question is how long can it hold out if sentiment doesn’t improve? For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    EUR/USD Faces Ongoing Decline Amid Budget and Market Turbulence

    Avalanche (AVAX) Lost 12% After Being Accused Of Paying For Slander Reputation!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 31.08.2022 17:08
    Avalanche (AVAX) on 29 August, lost almost 12% on a day when a new whistleblower accused it of paying lawyers to attack its competitors' reputations. Since the bottom two days ago, the cryptocurrency's price now seems to have recovered some of its losses, rising by around 10 per cent, presumably after the accusations lost credibility in the eyes of investors. CryptoLeaks is a young news site that aspires to become WikiLeaks - known for shedding light on the crimes of governments. Two days ago, the site published an article accusing Ava Labs of paying lawyers from the Roche Freedman law firm to damage the reputation of its competitors.  The alleged evidence was a statement by one of the insiders. However, the claims made in the article appear to be exaggerated, and the evidence is too weak to support allegations of a deliberate and paid legal battle against competitors.  According to Santiment data, Avalanche became the most searched token (by keywords) shortly after the article's release.   How did the AVAX price react? Most likely, as a result of CryptoLeaks, the AVAX token fell by a whopping 12%, but shortly after scepticism about the article began to gain traction, the listing rebounded. At the end of the day, the cryptocurrency had lost just 3.1%, and the token recovered all of its losses the following day. Furthermore, the price declines of 29 August coincided with a correction in other currencies, making it reasonable to believe that the accusations' impact on sentiment was much smaller.  Today on the Conotoxia MT5 platform at 11:00 GMT+3, AVAX is trading at $19.35, losing 1.4%. The price is below the 10, 20, 50, and 100-day moving averages. The MACD indicator may point to a potential trend reversal after the histogram started to turn back from negative territory. Although not yet in the overbought zone (below 30 points), the RSI signal line seems to be relatively low (less than 35 points), which could indicate a possible trend reversal. On the other hand, looking at the chart from a broader perspective, it seems that it may still be in a downtrend. It seems that there are still storm clouds looming over the cryptocurrency market in the form of a hawkish Fed, an economic slowdown, an energy crisis and a big unknown in the form of inflation.   Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Avalanche recovers after accusations against the project are met with scepticism
    Earnings, Soft PMIs, and Market Dynamics: Impact on Yields, Dollar, and Key Developments

    Amazing Year For Disney! A 26% Increase In Revenue And A Whopping 53% Increase In Net Profits Year-on-year

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 31.08.2022 17:23
    August seemed to be a month of high volatility, most likely due to the turbulent economic environment and a relatively good quarterly earnings season. We seem to be in for a very interesting bear market rally, with a possible peak in the middle of last month. At that time, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices fell 3.2% and 3.9%, respectively. They set a peak (in mid-August), gaining 17.4% and 23.3% (the average historical magnitude of a bear market rally) from their local low (mid-June).    Disney (DIS) The entertainment market giant posted a 1-month gain of 5.9%. The stock had been declining for a year and a half, most likely influenced by extreme pessimism about the company's ability to continue to grow. As a result, the recession and lower consumer spending may have posed an additional threat to revenue from theme parks and streaming platforms. Since its peak in early 2021, Disney shares have fallen by 52.2%.  A short-term trend reversal occurred when Disney announced solid Q3 results (the financial year starts earlier than the calendar year for Disney). There was a 26% increase in revenue and a whopping 53% increase in net profits year-on-year. Net earnings per share were 10 per cent higher than expected. Among the main reasons for such a phenomenal jump in results is the expansion of owned streaming services, namely Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.   Charles Schwab (SCHW) SCHW is a leading financial company engaged in brokerage, market making, investment banking, consulting and investment advisory services. Its share price rose by 5.5% last month. As for the stock price of other companies, Q2 results proved to be crucial the previous month.  The company reported an increase of as much as 31 per cent in interest income, which is the company's primary source of revenue (more than 50 per cent). Thus, SCHW's revenue and net profit increased by 11.7% and 41.7%, respectively. EPS (earnings per share) turned out to be 6.6% higher than Wall Street analysts' expectations. As a result, expectations of further possible interest rate rises and rising volatility (from which the brokerage business may benefit) appear to push the stock even higher.   Disney and Charles Schwab may be among the more interesting companies of August due to their phenomenal earnings despite the deteriorating macroeconomic environment.    Source: Leaders among the giants — stocks of the month?
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    Necessary Points That Must Happened For S&P 500 Index to Rise

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 31.08.2022 15:38
    Relevance up to 14:00 UTC+2 Stock futures are trading mixed on Wednesday after a sharp fall yesterday. Investors are worried about the ultra-tight monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve aimed at curbing inflation. The US dollar index and Treasury yields moved higher. The Dow Jones futures gained 0.2%, while the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ futures lost 0.1% and 0.2% respectively. European stock indices also slipped to trade at their lowest level in more than six weeks. This decline was caused by the eurozone inflation report and the downbeat data from France and Germany. Rising inflation in the eurozone is viewed as the number one problem by the European Central Bank. The regulator is very likely to announce further rate hikes next week in order to limit soaring prices. When pursuing tighter monetary policy, the ECB will have to find the balance between fighting inflation and pushing the economy into a recession. The inflation rate in the eurozone has already reached a record level of 9.1% and is seen to accelerate further. Yet, analysts wonder whether the regulator will raise the rate by 50 basis points or straight by 75 basis points. In the commodities market, oil has slightly lost ground and is now set to test monthly lows for the third time. The price of natural gas also went up. Hopes that the US central bank will ease its monetary tightening are gradually fading away, which is a bearish factor for stocks and bonds. Of course, investors consider the incoming data when looking for clues regarding monetary policy. Yet, the jobs report from the US will most likely cause another massive sell-off in the stock market. Meanwhile, Asian stocks are trading in positive territory thanks to tech companies. At the same time, Japan's stock indices have dropped. Shares of Chinese EV maker BYD Co. tumbled the most after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trimmed its stake in the company. As for the S&P 500 technical outlook, buyers may get a small chance for an upward correction. For this, they will have to break above the level of $4,003. If the fundamental data from the US is positive, this level may be the key point to watch. Depending on a successful breakout of this range, the S&P 500 index may continue to rise. Otherwise, it may return to monthly lows and extend its fall. If the downtrend continues, a breakout below $3,968 will push the quote to the next downward target of $3,940. This will open the way towards the area of $3,905 where the downward pressure may slightly ease. An upside movement will be confirmed only when bulls take control over the resistance of $4,003. Then, the level of $4,038 will serve as the next target. Only then will the price move further to $4,064 where large sellers will return to the market. Some of you may want to take profit on long positions. The level of $4,091 will act as a more distant target. Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: US premarket trading on August 31, 2022. Stock market enters correction after yesterday's fall  
    Investors Selling Down Companies That Face Balance Sheet Tightening From Runaway Inflation

    Investors Selling Down Companies That Face Balance Sheet Tightening From Runaway Inflation

    Saxo Strategy Team Saxo Strategy Team 01.09.2022 08:54
    Summary:  The S&P500 fell 4.2% in August, erasing half of July’s rally, with investors selling down companies that face balance sheet tightening from runaway inflation and higher for longer interest rates. Meanwhile, in August, investors bought into sectors contributing to inflation. At Saxo, we think these trends will probably continue. We cover everything you need to know about what is happening in markets today and what to consider next. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities declined for the fourth day in a row, with S&P 500 down 0.78%, the Nasdaq 100 falling 0.57%.The month of August ended with S&P 500 losing 4.24% and Nasdaq 100 down 5.22%.  The markets were in a risk-off mood with the focus being fixed on rising bond yields and the hawkish stance of the central bank in the U.S. and across the pond in Europe, and with an eye on the job report coming out of the U.S. tomorrow.  Chewy (CHWY:xnys) dropped 7.9%, as the pet retailer lowered guidance for 2022 revenues, citing customer pulling back on discretionary items. The consumer trade-down echoed the general trend found in other U.S. retailers.   Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY:xnas) tumbled 21.3% after announcing a plan to close about 150 stores. Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) plunged 5% in extended hours after the company warned that the new U.S. rules restricting the export of artificial intelligence may substantially affect the company’s sales to China.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas)   Yields took a blip lower initially after the weaker-than-expected ADP Employment report but surged higher to finish the day at the high.  The benchmark 10-year note yield closed at 3.19%.  Cleveland Fed President Mester joined the recent chorus of hawkish fedspeaks vowed to get inflation down “even if the economy were to go into recession” and “it will be necessary” to raise the Fed fund rate to “above 4% by early next year and hold it there”.  The U.S. treasury yield curve bear steepened, with the 2-year yield +5bps as the belly to the long-end yields jumped 8bps to 9bps. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg)   Hang Seng Index gapped down by nearly 2% at the open but managed to crawl back all the losses to finish the day flat.  China consumption stocks led the market higher in anticipation of incremental policy stimuli and recovery of consumer demand during the mid-autumn festival, Xiabuxiabu Catering (00520:xhkg) +9.4%, Haidilao (06862:xhkg) +6.5%, China Tourism Group Duty Free (01880:xhkg) +7.1%, Li Ning (02331:xhkg) +3.9%, Anta Sports (02020:xhkg) +1.5%.  In the auto space, BYD (01211:xhkg) tumbled nearly 8%, following news of Berkshire Hathaway reducing its stake in the company. On the other hand, Nio (09866:xhkg) and XPeng (09868:xhkg) rose more than 2%.  Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) gained 1%, with performance divergence among stocks.  Tencent (00700:xhkg) gained 1.1% while Baidu (09888:xhkg) dropped by 3.3% on operating margin contraction. China banking shares traded in Hong Kong were mixed after ICBC (01398:xhkg), China Construction Bank (00939:xhkg), and Bank of China (03988:xhkg) reported growth in revenues and profits but higher non-performing loan ratios. Coal mining and oil stocks fell on the Hong Kong bourse as well as the mainland bourses on weaker energy prices.  CSI 300 bounced from the early sell-off and closed little changed.     Australia's ASX200 (ASX:XASX) closes higher for the 2nd month, but on the first day of September equities unwind the August rally and cut July’s rally  Australia’s market has rallied for two straight months. But the rally is likely to run out of steam iin September, with Aussie equites to face selling pressure. September is historically the worst month for equities, with the ASX200 losing 0.6% each month on average since the index was formed. The reason for this? Companies pay out their yearly dividends in September. Today, many major companies go ex-dividend, transferring the dividend right to shareholders. Companies going ex-dividend include BHP, Whitehaven Coal, AGL and Credit Corp. This month, the ASX faces a host of extra issues. The RBA is tipped to hike interest rates at its September meeting next Tuesday, front loading rate hikes for the next few months. This comes at a time when home prices marked their steepest decline in four decades and building approvals for private homes, fell to their lowest level since 2012. This means banks will face selling pressure. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2)   EIA reported a decline in crude oil inventory of 3.3 million and gasoline inventory of 1.1 million with SPR slowing to 3 million barrels, so resulting in an overall draw of 6.4 mb/d, but the reaction in the oil market remained muted. Production was adjusted higher by 0.1 mb/d to 12.1 mb/d. No change in net trade with imports and exports both declining 0.2 mb/d. WTI futures still trading below $90/barrel in Asian morning as focus shifts back to demand concerns, and Brent futures were below $96. USDJPY heading to 140   The late move higher in US 10-year yields has come back to haunt the yen, with Bank of Japan still remaining committed to keeping its 10-year yields capped at 0.25%. USDJPY rose to fresh 24-year highs of 139.44 in early Asian trading hours, and heading straight to 140 unless we see some verbal intervention coming through from the Japanese officials today. Risk abound with US jobs data due on Friday, and dollar momentum remaining strong. EURUSD still above parity with ECB’s rate hike in focus for next week, beyond the vagaries of gas supplies. GBPUSD however made fresh 2022 lows at 1.1586 as economic weakness remains in focus.    What to consider?  Fed’s Mester calls for over 4% Fed funds rate Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester backed rates to go above 4% early next year and holding it there, while also clearly calling for no rate cuts in 2023. On inflation, Mester noted it is too soon to say inflation has peaked and wage pressures show little sign of abating, while the fight against inflation will be a long one. This message should get stronger if jobs, and more importantly CPI, data continues to be strong. At the same time, we now have Quantitative Tightening going to its full pace and Mester said that balance sheet reduction could take three years or so. New US ADP jobs data disappointed, but wage data remain upbeat While it is hard to trust estimates on the US ADP report given that it is using a new methodology and market impact/trust is only likely to build over time, it was notable that the headline came in at less than the half of the median estimate. Employment change for August was 132k vs expectations of 300k – clearly putting Friday’s NFP release in focus. ADP said that the data suggests a shift toward a more conservative pace of hiring. ADP noted that the median change in annual pay (ADP matched person sample) was +7.6% YoY for Job-Stayers, and +16.1% YoY for Job-Changers, still suggesting a pretty tight labor market.    Eurozone August CPI continues to climb According to the preliminary estimate, it was out at 9.1% year-over-year versus prior 8.9% and expected 9.0%. Core CPI, which is highly watched by the European Central Bank (ECB), is still uncomfortably high at 4.3% year-over-year. This is likely that double-digit inflation in the eurozone will become a reality by year-end. The Bundesbank has already warned that German inflation could peak around 10% year-over-year in the coming months. Expect a lively debate among the ECB Governing Council about the pace of tightening on 8 September. Several governors are leaning towards an aggressive hike (meaning 75 basis points) while a minority of governors and the ECB chief economist Philip Lane would rather prefer a step-by-step increase in order to take into consideration the risk of recession. US stocks wipe out half of the July rally, what is behind this and what’s next? The S&P500 fell 4.2% in August, erasing half of July’s rally, with investors selling down companies that face balance sheet tightening from runaway inflation and higher for longer interest rates. Meanwhile, in August, investors bought into sectors contributing to inflation (The Oil & Gas sector rose 9%, Agricultural 6%, Fertilizers 5%, and Food Retailers 3%). Meanwhile, investors topped up exposure to stocks/sectors that benefit from higher rates, which is why Insurance rose 3%. Inversely, the most selling was in sectors that will likely suffer from slower growth, higher rates, and inflation (Home Furniture fell 14% in August, Semiconductors lost 10%, Office REITs slid 10%). Notably, the S&P500 closed under its 200-day moving average for the 100th day. The last time this occurred was in the GFC. And since then, this is also the only time the S&P500 and Nasdaq have not made a typical V-shape recovery. This is something Saxo’s strategists Peter Garnry and Jessica Amir warned of, and recently highlighted in the Quarterly Outlook. As uncertainty remains, and comments from Fed and ECB speakers are increasingly bearish; we think growth sectors (tech, consumer spending, and REITs) will face further pressure given their futures earnings will dimmish. Inversely we expect commodities to continue to outperform.     China’s official manufacturing PMI edged up but remained in contractionary territory  China’s official NBS manufacturing PMI edged up to 49.4 in August from 49.0 in July, above expectations but remaining in contractionary territory. The improvement was largely driven by the rise of the new orders sub-index to 49.8 in August from 48.5 in July and helped by strong activities in the food and beverage industries ahead of the mid-autumn festival.  Covid-related disruptions and energy rationing were negative factors pressuring manufacturing activities.  Heatwaves and drought-induced power curbs have caused Sichuan and Chongqing to shut-down manufacturing activities for six days and eight days in August respectively. The stepping up of pandemic controls in quite a number of cities affected the survey negatively. The non-manufacturing PMI decelerated to 52.6 in August from 53.8 in July.  Both the services sector and the construction sector weakened.     Caixin China Manufacturing PMI is expected to fall to 50.0 The median forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the Caixin manufacturing PMI to slide to 50.0 in August from 50.4 in July, right at the threshold between expansion and contraction.  The official NBS Manufacturing PMI released yesterday showed that improvements were found in large and medium-sized enterprises but the activities in small businesses decelerated t a 47.6 reading in August from 47.9 in July.  Moreover, during the survey month, a Covid-19 outbreak hit Yiwu, an export-focussed manufacturing hub in Zhejiang, and might drag on the Caixin manufacturing PMI, which has a higher weight for medium and small-sized businesses in the eastern coastal region.   Australian manufacturing data falls, pressured by higher rates, wages, and scarcity of staff  Manufacturing only contributes 30% to GDP, however, two key sets of weaker manufacturing data will be reflected on by professional investors today. Manufacturing data released by AI Group showed activity fell into contractionary territory, following six months of expansion. The drop in Australian PMI to 49.3 in August was triggered by slower growth in factory activity from higher interest rates and wages, and a lack of workers. The other set of manufacturing data released from S&P Global showed manufacturing fell to a reading of 53.8 in August, down from 55.7 in July. Significantly, the reading was revised lower from the flash (preview reading) and was the lowest read in a year. As such, investors may see selling pressures in key manufacturing stocks. ASX manufacturers and producers to watch include; Woodside, Caltex, Woodside, Whitehaven and Viva Energy, in energy, which may also see profit-taking after gaining a post as some of this year’s best ASX performers. Other companies to watch include Amcor, the global packaging giant. CSL, the global vaccine, and blood therapy business. As well as BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue, global mining producers.  US ISM manufacturing data due today Lower prices at the pump has seemingly helped the US economy reverse from the slowdown concerns, with Chairman Powell also getting the confidence to say that the economic momentum is strong. ISM manufacturing, which is scheduled to be reported on Thursday, may reflect the weakness seen in the S&P survey, but will still be lifted by the backlog in auto vehicle production. Consensus estimates expect ISM manufacturing to cool slightly from July’s 52.8 and come in at 51.9 in August, still remaining in expansionary territory. ISM employment will also be key to watch ahead of the NFP data due on Friday.  Singapore’s first digital bank launch Grab and Singtel have entered an alliance to roll out a banking app next week in Singapore called GXS, that will be Singapore's first digital bank. This is mostly targeted to younger users and small businesses, tapping on Grab's food and ride-hailing customers, in order to improve the penetration of financial services in Singapore. A savings account is also in the offering, with no minimum balance requirement, in direct competition to the traditional banks.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets, what to consider – September 1, 2022
    Assessing China's Economic Challenges: A Closer Look Beyond the Japanification Hypothesis"

    US Close: Another strong employment report, Wages growth slows, Stocks volatile, Oil rallies, Gold steadies

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 06.05.2022 23:33
    US stocks appear to be on a permanent rollercoaster ride as investors debate continued signs of a strong economy alongside rising rates, which remains a drag on higher valuation companies. For Wall Street to remain fully confident in piling back into stocks, inflation needs to be showing signs it is easing and that is not happening yet. ​ ​   Market conditions look dangerous but some of these discounts are looking very attractive. ​ It seems that the base case is still that the inflation peak is in place and that the Fed will look to signal a gradual tightening path. Unless inflation shocks prove otherwise, the risk-reward ratios for some of the beloved mega-cap tech stocks are looking attractive. ​ It won’t happen immediately, but when the economy starts to show signs of weakness, that will give investors the green light to buy stocks.   Investors just can’t confidently buy stocks as too much uncertainty persists with what will happen with global growth and how far the Fed will take tightening beyond the summer. ​   NFP The US labor market remains strong as broadbased hiring continues. The economy added 428,000 in April, much more than the analysts estimate of 380,000, also matching the slight downward revision in the prior month. Wage pressures might be showing signs of easing as average hourly earnings ticked lower. ​ Still most signs suggest the labor market is tight and that wage pressures are not quite ready to post a meaningful drop. ​ ​ The labor market remains robust and that should keep the Fed’s half-point tightening on cruise control until the Jackson Hole Symposium.   Oil Crude prices just want to head higher as energy traders completely fixate over the looming European sanctions on Russian oil. ​ No one wants to be on the wrong side of a major crude supply disruption headline, so whatever oil price dips that happen will be short-lived. ​ US oil rig counts continue to rise, but that has not led to increased production. ​ The weekly Baker Hughes report showed oil rig counts rose by 5 to 557 rigs. ​   Gold Gold prices are still licking their wounds following the bond market selloff. ​ Eventually investors will need additional safe-havens, so gold might start to attract some flows if the dollar softens as the global bond market selloff extends. The dollar is slightly softer today, but that doesn’t mean it is ready to lose its crown. ​ Gold could still remain vulnerable to further downward pressure if inflation does not show further signs of peaking next. ​   Gold is trending right between the 50- and -200 day simple moving averages but still looks like it isn’t quite ready to rally. ​ Next week will be pivotal for inflation expectations and for Fed speak that could confirm their commitment to tightening by half a point per meeting until the Jackson Hole Symposium. ​   Read on Oanda This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    Navigating GBP/USD: Analysis, Levels, and Indicators

    Volatile Markets: US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British Pound (GBP), Russian Ruble (RUB)

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 07.05.2022 14:21
    Every asset class has been on a rollercoaster ride as investors are watching central bankers all around globe tighten monetary policy to fight inflation.  Financial conditions are starting to tighten and the risks of slower growth are accelerating.   The focus for the upcoming week will naturally be a wrath of Fed speak and the latest US CPI data which is expected to show inflation decelerated sharply last month. A sharper decline with prices could vindicate Fed Chair Powell’s decision to remove a 75 basis-point rate increase at the next couple policy meetings.   A close eye will also stay on energy markets which has shown traders remain convinced that the market will remain tight given OPEC+ will stick to their gradual output increase strategy and as US production struggles to ramp up despite rising rig counts.  Energy traders will continue to watch for developments with the EU nearing a Russian energy ban. US inflation expected to drop Oil rallies as EU nears Russian energy ban Gold remains vulnerable if bond market selloff accelerates US Market volatility following the FOMC decision won’t ease up anytime soon as traders will look to the next inflation report to see if policymakers made a mistake in removing even more aggressive rate hikes off the table over the next couple of meetings.  The April CPI report is expected to show further signs that peak inflation is in place.  The month-over-month reading is expected to decline from 1.2% to 0.2%, while the year-over-year data is forecasted to decrease from 8.5% to 8.1%. The producer prices report comes out the next day and is also expected to show pricing pressure are moderating.  On Friday, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment report for the month of May should show continued weakness. The upcoming week is filled with Fed speak that could show a divide from where Fed Chair Powell stands with tightening at the June and July meetings.  On Tuesday, Fed’s Williams, Barkin, Waller, Kashkari, Mester, and Bostic speak.  Wednesday will have another appearance by Bostic. Thursday contains a speech from the Fed’s Daly.  On Friday, Fed’s Kashkari and Mester speak.   UK The Bank of England delivered a 0.25% rate hike at this week’s meeting. This brings the benchmark rate to 1.00%, its highest since 2009. At the same time, the BoE painted a grim economic picture at the meeting, as it revised its inflation forecast to above 10% and warned of a recession. The UK releases GDP for Q1 on Thursday. The consensus estimate stands at 1.0% after a 1.3% gain in Q4 of 2021. A loss of momentum in the economy could mean a contraction in the second quarter, raising the likelihood of stagflation. The only new data in the GDP report will be the March figures, as January and February were already published. The estimate for March is for a flat reading, after gains of 0.1% in February and 0.8% in January.   EU The Russia/Ukraine war and the sanctions against Russia have dampened economic activity in the eurozone. Germany, the largest economy in the bloc has been posting weak numbers as the war goes on. With the EU announcing it will end Russian energy imports by the end of the year, there are concerns that the German economy could tip into a recession. On Tuesday Germany releases ZEW Survey Expectations, which surveys financial professionals. Economic Sentiment is expected to decline to -42.5 in May, down from -41.0 in April. On Friday, the Eurozone releases Industrial Production for March. The Ukraine conflict has exacerbated supply line disruptions, which is weighing on industrial production. The sharp drop in German Industrial Production (-3.9%), suggests that the Eurozone release will also show a contraction. The March estimate is -1.8%, following a gain of 0.7% in February.    Russia Russia’s inflation has been accelerating sharply since the invasion of Ukraine. In March, CPI rose to 16.7% (YoY) and is expected to climb to 18.1% in April. The driver behind the sharp upswing has been Western sanctions, which have reduced the availability of consumer imports and key components for domestic products. CPI is expected to continue to climb in the coming months.   China China releases its Balance of Trade on Monday and Inflation on Tuesday. Both have downside risks given the disruption to business and the collapse in property sales and sentiment due to the covid-zero policy. Restrictions continue tightening in Beijing and the covid-zero policy has become the biggest headwind to a China recovery. The government reaffirmed its commitment to the policy Friday, sending China stocks lower. Additionally, US-listed China stocks face new delisting risk from US regulators that is weighing on Hong Kong markets especially, where most dual listings live. Negative headlines around Covid 19 or US delisting over the weekend could send China equities sharply lower into the start of the week. USD/CNY and USD/CNH have now risen from  6.4000 to 6.7000 in just two weeks. The PBOC remains comfortable at this stage, being a back door stimulus to manufacturers. The PBOC USD/CNY fixing will be the key indicator as to whether the authorities have said Yuan depreciation has gone far enough.   India The Reserve Bank of India sprung a surprise rate hike on markets this past week, sending the Sensex lower whilst providing some support to the INR temporarily. India’s CPI inflation release on Thursday will be this week’s key risk event. If the data comes in above expectations at 7.30%, expectations will rise of a faster more aggressive hiking cycle from the RBI which was quite hawkish in its guidance after the hike. THat will send Indian equities sharply lower once again, while possibly mollifying the impact on the INR from a rampant US Dollar.   Australia Australia could be a correlation trade for the tier-1 PMI releases from China over the weekend. Poor China data could see the AUD and local equities pressured with most of Asia, ex-Japan closed.SImilarly, a decent showing by the China PMIs will have a positive impact. Markets, especially currency markets, could face liquidity issues and see sharp moves if the weekend news wire is heavy as Australia and Japan will be the only two major centres open. Most attention will be focused on Tuesday’s RBA rate decision. A 0.15% hike is fully priced by markets and the clouds from Ukraine and China are weighing heavily on AUD/USD anyway. If the RBA does not hike AUD/USD could fall sharply in the short-term. If the RBA hikes and adjusts its guidance to a more hawkish, AUD/USD could potentially see a big move higher.   New Zealand NZ Retail Card Spending has downside risks and the Food Price Index, upside risks this week. The cost of living has become the central issue in New Zealand at the moment and a high FPI will heap pressure on the RBNZ to accelerate rate hikes as the economy starts to show signs of stress elsewhere. NZD/USD has traded very heavy in past two weeks as investors price in a hard landing and an RBNZ behind the curve, and as risk sentiment sours internationally. NZD/USD is closing at the weeks lows and could test 0.6200 this week.   Japan Japan releases a raft of second tier data this week. THe 10 and 30-year JGB auctions will be closely watched, if only for signs of poor cover ratio given the BOJ JGB intervention and weakening Yen. THe centre of attention will remain the USD/JPY as the US/Japan rate differential widens. USD/JPY could well test 135.00 in the week ahead if the negative sentiment sweeping markets on Friday spills into next week. Higher oil prices will also weigh onthe Yen. We expect the noise to increase from Tokyo but little chance of USD/JPY intervention at these levels.   Singapore No significant data. The currency remains under pressure as a proxy for China and also because the MAS meets six monthly to determine monetary policy. The next meeting will not be until October to determine if monetary policy gets tightened once again.      Markets OilCrude prices are steadily rising as the EU is making progress towards its Russia oil sanctions ban. The oil market will remain tight going forward now that OPEC+ is set on delivering meager output increases and as US production struggles despite rising rig counts. The biggest uncertainty for the crude demand outlook remains the outlook for the Chinese economy. China won’t be abandoning their zero-COVID policy anytime soon and that will keep the short-term crude demand outlook vulnerable. China’s COVID situation might not be improving anytime soon and now that the data is showing the impact of business restrictions is more widespread than just to Shanghai and Beijing. Oil will remain a volatile trade going forward with most of the fundamentals still pointing to higher prices. GoldJust when gold seems to be showing signs it is getting its luster back, the bond market says ‘not so fast’.  Gold continues to struggle in this current environment of surging global bond yields and that might last a little while longer as some central banks for the purpose of defeating inflation might be willing to send their respective economies into a recession. Gold’s awful few weeks of trade has seen a collapse of the $1900 level and that should prove to be key resistance now.  If the bond market selloff accelerates and the dollar surges, gold could be vulnerable to a drop towards $1835 and if that does not hold, $1800 might be targeted. Bitcoin Confidence in crypto markets is waning after Bitcoin tumbled below the $37,000 level following the surge in global bond yields.  If risk appetite does not return, Bitcoin could be vulnerable to a significant drop towards the $30,000 level.  Choppy trading between $35,000 and $40,000 could be where Bitcoin settles if Wall Street does not price in much more tighter monetary policy by the Fed.
    Let's See S&P 500 (SPX) And Credit Market's Performance

    Let's See S&P 500 (SPX) And Credit Market's Performance

    Monica Kingsley Monica Kingsley 01.09.2022 15:14
    S&P 500 dicey premarket upswing fizzled out right after the open, volume picked up, and market breadth correspondigly deteriorated. Bonds confirmed, and the higher yields didn‘t even send the dollar much upwards. Together with the sea of red in commodities and precious metals, this smacks of deleveraging, still of the relatively orderly flavor if you look at the well behaved VIX at 26 only. The steep post Jackson Hole downswing will pause, but there isn‘t a sign that would happen precisely today yet. Looking at the daily chart of CRB Index, crude oil, gold and silver with the miners, odds are that we would see a repeat of yesterday‘s action today as well – to a good degree. Not much has really change since my yesterday‘s review of real assets and cryptos, and especially the crude oil setback (reinforced by the Iran deal speculation Europe is pinning its eyes on) is generally worrying. The Fed keeps hammering the same message, and short end of the curve keeps duly rising. Tombstone reminder for those overstaying in the S&P 500 rally to the 200-day moving average, would be „don‘t fight the Fed – the central bank doesn‘t have your bank now, and would act on the out of control inflation“. I hope you‘re enjoying the very lively Twitter feed, which comes on top of getting the key analytics right into your mailbox. Plenty gets addressed there, but the analyses over email are the bedrock. Still, the next days would feature generally shorter analyses per the legal update on my homepage. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 bears still have the undeniable strategic initiative, and the pace of the downswing is really all that‘s being questioned. Earnings are still to deteriorate, and P/E to go down – inflation isn‘t declining fast enough, so equities react appropriately. CFA material 101. Read next: FX: GBP/USD May Catch Us By Surprise Soon! Tomorrow's US NFP May Let Boost USD (US Dollar) Or Arouse Concerns Over Fed's Strategy| FXMAG.COM Credit Markets HYG rested a little only on intraday basis, and objectively speaking it‘s downswing didn‘t trigger a genuine bloodbath in stocks. This can change but the steady dollar kind of doesn‘t hint at that right next. The S&P 500 bears should take it easy, because the coming days would be and feel like a consolidation compared to what we have been just through.
    Apple Stock Price (APPL) May Be Fluctuating Next Week As iPhone 14 Is Said To Be Revealed

    Apple Stock Price (APPL) May Be Fluctuating Next Week As iPhone 14 Is Said To Be Revealed

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 01.09.2022 16:33
    AAPL stock falls again on Wednesday as the sell-off continues. Equities remain under pressure ahead of the employment report on Friday. AAPL stock also waiting for next week's iPhone 14 release details. Apple (AAPL) stock continued its recent run of poor form as the stock once again closed lower on Wednesday. Apple has now registered three straight days of losses as equity markets come to terms with Fed Chair Jerome Powell utilizing himself last week. The doveish tilt that the market seemed to imply was firmly rebutted by Powell, and the equity market has been under continued selling pressure ever since. Also read: Apple Stock Deep Dive: AAPL price target at $100 on falling 2023 revenues Apple stock news Apple investors are now looking to next week for a catalyst to stem recent losses. September 7 is when most observers expect the iPhone 14 to be released. Details around pricing will be the key aspect, and as ever Wall Street analysts have been coming out with more and more bullish prospects. The latest from Bank of America says a price hike for the iPhone 14 over the iPhone 13 could see a boost to earnings in the region of $0.10 to $0.20 on EPS. It seems demand for iPhones will remain inelastic in the eyes of Wall Street, while clearly, the consumer looks to be shifting to lower-cost goods from what we have seen recently from retailers. iPhones are a luxury good and should see a slowdown in demand based on price hikes and inflationary trends. Margins will come under pressure from rising input costs, and the situation in China looks increasingly bearish. The property sector is beginning to falter alarmingly. The only Apple bullish caveat to add is the potential for massive monetary easing from China. We saw how the loose US policy juiced financial assets during the pandemic, and China may embark on its own financial juicing if the economy continues to decline. We do not think this will be enough to stem earnings compression for Apple though. The strong US dollar is another headwind for a firm that does business globally but reports in dollars. Apple stock forecast Enough of the long-term prognosis. How are we shaping up for some swing trading? Ok, first take a look at the AAPL stock daily chart. The downtrend continues with failure at the 200-day moving average, a continued sell-off from the overbought Relative Strength Index (RSI) and now support from the 50-day moving average. Below $171 looks bearish. AAPL daily chart The AAPL stock 15-minute chart below shows the areas of stability and high volume. Current levels around $158 are seeing stabilization. A move above $162 or below $156 will see further buying or selling pressure, so this range is key to playing a breakout scenario. AAPL 15-minute
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Increases on the New York Stock Market. Fall In Raw Materials

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 02.09.2022 08:42
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.46%, the S&P 500 rose 0.30%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.26%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Johnson & Johnson, which gained 4.00 points or 2.48% to close at 165.34. Amgen Inc rose 5.20 points or 2.16% to close at 245.50. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.79 points or 2.10% to close at 87.15. The losers were Boeing Co shares, which lost 6.59 points or 4.11% to end the session at 153.66. Dow Inc. gained 2.04% or 1.04 points to close at 49.96, while Salesforce.com Inc shed 1.66% or 2.59 points to close at 153. .53. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were DXC Technology Co, which rose 7.75% to hit 26.70, General Holdings Inc, which gained 5.72% to close at 233.01, and also Moderna Inc, which rose 5.05% to end the session at 138.95. The losers were shares of NVIDIA Corporation, which lost 7.67% to close at 139.37. Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation shed 6.56% to end the session at 46.98. Quotes of Monolithic Power Systems Inc decreased in price by 6.11% to 425.47. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Hempacco Co Inc, which rose 63.41% to hit 8.35, GigaCloud Technology Inc, which gained 61.43% to close at 23.65, and also shares of Virax Biolabs Group Ltd, which rose 58.69% to end the session at 5.57. American Virtual Cloud Technologies Inc was the biggest loser, shedding 52.17% to close at 0.22. Shares of Newage Inc lost 46.87% and ended the session at 0.12. Quotes of Okta Inc decreased in price by 33.70% to 60.60. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2231) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (901), while quotes of 101 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,416 companies fell in price, 1,333 rose, and 244 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.20% to 25.56. Gold futures for December delivery lost 1.13%, or 19.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 3.54%, or 3.17, to $86.38 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 3.71%, or 3.55, to $92.09 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 1.11% to hit 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 0.89% to hit 140.20. Futures on the USD index rose 0.91% to 109.65.         Relevance up to 04:00 2022-09-03 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291092
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    Tech Stocks: Apple Stock Price (APPL) - Bulls May Reach Almost $190!

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 05.09.2022 12:55
      AAPL (Apple Stock): Wave ⑤ is the final leg in a large cycle impulse a. As in the previous review, which was a few weeks ago, AAPL suggests the development of the primary fifth wave, taking the form of an ending diagonal (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5) of the intermediate degree. Wave ⑤ is the final leg in a large cycle impulse a. Most likely, the market has completed the construction of an intermediate correction (4) in the form of a minor triple zigzag W-X-Y-X-Z. Thus, now the price is moving up, in the intermediate wave (5). It is assumed that wave (5) will take the form of a standard zigzag A-B-C, as shown on the chart, where wave A is a minute impulse. It is possible that the bulls in wave (5) will go to 189.34. At that level, wave (5) will be equal to wave (3). Alternative Scenario An alternative scenario assumes that the cycle wave a is fully completed. Thus, in the last section of the chart, we see a downward corrective movement of the stock price in a cycle wave b, which may take the form of a double zigzag â“Œ-Ⓧ-â“Ž of the primary degree. It seems that the first two primary sub-waves â“Œ-Ⓧ have already been formed. There is a high probability that the bears in the final sub-wave â“Ž, in the form of an intermediate simple zigzag, will be able to bring the market to 118.80. At that level, primary wave â“Ž will be at 100% of wave â“Œ. We will add this pair on our watchlist.
    Are There Any Chances That Amazon Will Find Itself Under Another Downward Pressure?

    Tech Stocks: (AMZN) Amazon Stock Price Nearing $160?

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 06.09.2022 10:10
    Could Amazon Stock Price draw a zigzag?  AMZN shares are expected to develop a zigzag, which consists of sub-waves a-b-c of the cycle degree. Perhaps the market has completed the formation of the first major wave a, it represents a bullish 5-wave impulse. Since the end of last year, there has been a decline in the price, which may indicate the beginning of the construction of a bearish correction b. This correction may take the form of a zigzag â’¶-â’·-â’¸. Most likely, in the near future we will see a continuation of the depreciation of stocks in the final intermediate wave (5), which may end the primary impulse wave at 93.41. At that level, wave (5) will be at 76.4% of previous impulse (3). Read next: Russia Suspends Flow Through The Nord Stream 1 Pipeline, Cotton Futures, Gold Prices Increase For The First Time In 3-weeks| FXMAG.COM After the end of the impulse wave â’¶, the stock is expected to rise in the primary correction â’·. Another scenatio for AMZN Let's consider a scenario in which the market has completed the formation of the primary wave â’¶. According to this markup, the wave â’¶ has the form of a leading diagonal (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5). In this case, in the last section of the chart, we see a price increase within the bullish correction â’·. It is assumed that the correction wave â’· will take the form of an intermediate double zigzag (W)-(X)-(Y), where the actionary wave (W) is also a double zigzag W-X-Y of a lesser degree. It is possible that the correction â’· will be at 61.8% of wave â’¶. Thus, its completion is expected to reach the level of 154.91. An approximate scheme of possible future movement is shown on the chart.
    Apple's Stock Price Reaction To The Release Of New Products

    Apple Stock Price Plunged On Friday! When Is The iPhone 14 Coming Out? iPhone 14 Is Expected To Be Announced Next Week!

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 30.08.2022 02:25
    AAPL stock falls nearly 4% Friday on global equity sell-off. Jackson Hole hawkish tilt behind sell-off. Apple sends out invites for an event on September 7. Apple (AAPL) stock fell sharply on Friday in line with a global rout in equities. The strongly worded hawkish missive from Fed Chair Powell did the trick and sent equity markets into a risk-off tailspin. Not just equity markets, but all risk assets took a hit as the Nasdaq was the worst performer. Now over the weekend Bitcoin cracked below $20,000. Apple stock news Some conflicting positive and negative news for Apple has appeared over the past few sessions. Susquehanna was quite bullish last week in estimating iPhone 13 production would rise to 100 million from a previous 88 million. Overall Susquehanna looks for about an 8% sales growth versus last year for the iPhone. Meanwhile, Politico reported late last week that the DOJ is in the early stages of making an antitrust complaint against Apple and could bring a lawsuit as early as this year. Finally, September 7 looks like the launch date for the new iPhone 14. Reports claim Apple has sent out media invitations to an event on September 7, which it is widely assumed will be the product launch announcement. Apple stock forecast Equity markets look likely to be in for a tough Autumn after Powell carefully scripted the narrative on Friday. Remember, he had most of the summer to plan out what he wanted to say. So he knew the importance of citing Vockler, and he knew what he wanted to achieve when he used words like "pain" and "below trend growth". The plan was well thought out. He wants equity markets lower to hit demand and so bring inflation down. Whatever Apple does may struggle to overcome such a challenging macro backdrop. Apple does remain above its 200-day moving average but has failed at the trend line and to test previous highs above $179. First, we have a failure, but we need confirmation of a bearish trend now. That will come with a break of the 200-day moving average. Once that is in place, then the target needs to be a break of $129, the June lows. That is needed to maintain food for the bears. September is historically not a great one for Apple, and interestingly neither are product launches much of a catalyst for the share price. Apple stock chart, daily
    US and European Equity Futures Mixed Amid Economic Concerns and Yield Surge

    Demand For Platinum In the Automotive Sector Is Above 2018 And 2019 Levels

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 06.09.2022 13:27
    In the precious metals sector, platinum has struggled to capture the attention of investors. The precious metal managed to hold its critical long-term support at around $800 an ounce. The World Platinum Investment Council drew attention to the growing dichotomy in the market for platinum as a precious metal. According to the WPIC Platinum Quarterly report, the precious metal had a surplus of 349,000 ounces in the second quarter. The report says total surplus may increase to 974,000 ounces for the year, compared to a previous estimate of 627,000 ounces. The council noted that the outflow of funds from exchange-traded funds backed by platinum affected prices. However, despite the growing surplus, the market is still tight. Platinum remains undervalued by investors who only look at supply and demand factors. Investment demand has the most significant impact on demand for platinum, as the market experienced significant outflows in the second quarter. The report also noted that the outflow of ETFs outpaces the drop in supply by 8%. According to the WPIC, 89,000 ounces of platinum leaked from the ETF markets between April and June. The council said that the demand for bullion and coins is mixed, with purchases in North America rising to a new high of 292,000 ounces after quarantine. However, the weak yen in Japan prompted some investors to sell their physical metal. According to analysts, this year, the total demand for bullion and coins will fall by 47,000 ounces, which is 14% less than in 2021. In addition to investment demand, WPIC said that industry demand for platinum remains stable. And in the second quarter, automotive demand for platinum increased 8% to 50,000 ounces. Even with the global recession, demand for platinum in the automotive sector is above 2018 and 2019 levels. Platinum remains an important metal in automotive catalytic converters, which are used to remove harmful emissions from gasoline and diesel engines. Automotive demand makes up a significant portion of the platinum market. WPIC expects total industrial demand to fall 15% to 2.132 million ounces. At the same time, industrial demand continues to outpace global economic growth. Although there will be a significant surplus of platinum this year, demand from China remains a major surprise and a main driver of the market shortfall. WPIC noted that information on platinum imports to China is limited. However, they estimate that China received 1.3 million ounces in the first half of this year. However, this estimate is not included in the official supply and demand forecast. Significant levels of negative demand for ETFs and an outflow of stocks were enough to meet China's demand for imports and keep prices from rising. WPIC was able to test the demand from China: the current surplus will turn into a deficit. While platinum prices have fluctuated for most of 2022, the WPIC said that robust demand is expected to provide some support for the precious metal.     Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320919
    Oil Is An Indicator Of The Health Of The Global Economy

    Liz Truss As The New Party Leader. OPEC+ And Production Cut

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.09.2022 09:50
    Summary:  While the US markets were closed overnight for Labor Day, the futures this morning in Asia are indicating some respite after weeks of red. The US dollar was also softer in early Asian hours, while the focus remains on the European energy crisis and the EU emergency meeting scheduled for Friday. A token cut by OPEC+ and diminishing hope of a revival of the Iran nuclear deal supported oil prices, although China’s tightening restrictions continue to pose demand concerns. Sterling made a sharp recovery after new UK PM Liz Truss announced plans to freeze energy bills, easing some short-term concerns. Consensus expects another 50 basis points rate hike from Reserve Bank of Australia today, and US ISM services will be on the radar later. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. stock markets were closed for Labor Day. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The treasury market was closed for Labor Day. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) plunged 1.9% as a Bloomberg story, citing people familiar with the matter, said that the Biden administration is considering imposing restrictions on US investments in Chinese technology companies, Bilibili (09626:xhkg) -3.2%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) -3.0%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) -2.9%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) -2.4%. Hang Seng Index fell 1.2%. Chengdu, the largest city in western China, extended its pandemic control lockdown for another three days. The spread of Covid-19 cases and pandemic control measures fueled risk-off sentiment in the market.  Over the weekend, the U.S. Trade Representative said that it received requests from more than 350 American companies to plead for keeping the “Section 301” tariff on goods imported from China, and the Biden administration will remain in place during the review. BYD (01211:xhkg) fell 5.9%, as exchange filing showed that Berkshire Hathaway continued to off-load its stake in BYD.  Other car makers lost as well, Geely (00175) -7%, NIO -6,9, Li Auto 02.3(August).  Thermal coal prices surged in China, following the news that Russia’s Gazprom suspended the supply of natural gas to Germany on the Nord Stream pipeline.  Share prices of coal miners gained, Yancoal Australia (03668:xhkg) +6.6%, Yankuan (01171:xhkg) +12.2%, China Coal (01898:xhkg) +8.3%.  Caixin China Services PMI came in at 55.0, edging down slightly from 55.5 in July but above market expectations. CSI300 spent the day in range-bound trading.  GBPUSD falls to fresh lows, EUR in focus this week The USD lost some ground early in Asia on Tuesday with GBPUSD making the most gains to rise towards 1.1600 as the appointment of new Prime Minister and her plan to freeze energy bills spelled some short-term relief. EURUSD saw a brief drop to 20-year lows below 0.99 yesterday but rose back to 0.9960+ levels in early Asian trading. EURGBP seen sliding slower to 0.8600 but downside may be limited if ECB decides to go for a 75bps rate hike today. But the energy situation and the EU summit on Friday certainly garners more attention with some tough decision ahead. USDJPY retreated from Friday’s 24-year highs of 140.80 to 140.30-levels with Japan’s household spending underperforming expectations at 3.4% y/y vs. expectations of 4.6% y/y. Wage pressures, which remain a key focus for Bank of Japan, also eased with labor cash earnings up 1.8% y/y from last month’s 2.0% y/y. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices rose on Monday as OPEC+ announced an output cut of 100k bpd in October (more details below). The intention appears to be to keep Brent prices capped at $100/barrels. WTI futures rose to $89/barrel while Brent was above $95/barrel. Price action was also supported by a diminishing hope of a revival of the Iran nuclear deal. US and Iranian positions have diverged in recent days, and it is now expected that the negotiations could stretch beyond the US midterm elections in November. Still, it is key to watch the demand concerns picking up as well, particularly as China lockdowns were extended and will likely remain strict ahead of the CCP meeting on October 16. What to consider? OPEC+ announced a production cut by 100k bpd A token cut by OPEC+ last night of 100k barrels per day just reverses the output increase agreed to last month. The decision was ‘symbolic’, with the new quotas taking effect for October. The amount is significantly small compared to a 100 million bpd market but it shows that OPEC+ wants to set a floor near $100/barrel in Brent. Saudi Arabian oil minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman had warned last week that a cut was a possibility given what he said was a disconnect between financial and physical oil markets. The RBA meets today, and is expected to raise rates to 2.35% regardless of the property market struggling Consensus expects the RBA to hike rates by 0.5% which will take Australia’s official interest rate to 2.35%. That will be the highest rate since 2015. However, interest rates futures are pricing in a smaller hike, of just 0.4%. The RBA will likely then proceed to rise rates over the rest of 2022 and then continue to rise rates into the 2023, in a bid to stave off inflation. The issue is, the RBA only has one tool to fight inflation, which is rising rates. But the property market is already struggling to absorb the 1.75% in hikes from May, with property prices falling at their quickest pace since the 80s and construction seeing its biggest decline since 2016. This has seen banks margins (profits) be squeezed, and they face a further squeeze. Why? Australia has one of the highest debt levels in the world (Debt to GPD is 126%). So if the RBA keeps rising rates to slow inflation, it could cause a credit issue and debt to income levels are at risk of hitting GFC highs. RBA outcomes for investors, traders and the macro landscape We highlighted sectors to watch and why yesterday in the Saxo Spotlight. That's worth a quick read. Today, we will be watching what the RBA estimates inflation to be, at the end of the year, remembering the RBA previously said it expects inflation to peak at under 8%. But consider, we traditionally see peak energy (coal) demand later this year, which is likely to support coal prices higher. As such, we think the RBA will rise its inflation target and may allude to commentary about keeping rates higher. For investors and traders, we will be watching energy stocks, which will likely get extra bids today and see momentum rise (not only because of the energy crisis in Europe), but also because Australian energy prices (coal) remains supported, with Australian energy reserves expected to also run out next year. For traders, the currency pair that we are watching is the AUDEUR for an extension to the upside, on the basis that Europe will need to increase energy imports and its balance of trade will likely continue to worsen, vs the Australian balance of trade, likely to hit another record high, with Australian LNG and coal exports to see a lift in demand.    PBOC cuts FX deposit reserve requirement ratio by 200 bps to restrain yuan weakness The PBoC announced that the central bank is cutting the reserve requirement ratio for foreign exchange deposits (the “FX RRR”) to 6% from 8%, effective September 15.  The cut is expected to release about USD19 billion (2% of the USD954 billion FX deposits outstanding) in FX liquidity for banks to make loans in foreign currencies.   The PBoC last cut the FX RRR to 8% from 9% on May 15, in an attempt to send a signal to the market to put a pause to the depreciation of the USDCNY which had weakened from 6.40 to 6.80 in one month (April 15 to May 13, 2022).  After the surge of the USDCNY from 6.75 to above 6.90 in about half a month since Aug 15, the PBoC apparently wants to send a signal again to the market to slow the speed of the renminbi depreciation against the U.S. dollar. Liz Truss won the contest to become the next UK Prime Minister In the UK, the Conservative party has voted for Liz Truss as the new party leader, making her the UK’s next Prime Minister. Her promises range from quick action on energy security to alleviating the cost-of-living crisis for the hardest hit by price rises, all while cutting corporate and other taxes. She has announced a GBP 130bn plan to freeze energy bills, a recipe for ballooning fiscal deficits, an issue that is already an ingredient in sterling’s steep fall this year, so an even steeper recession is in the wings. This could come either from a drop in real GDP due to soaring inflation aggravated by further sterling declines or as demand is crushed by a steep recession due to the need for the Bank of England to accelerate its pace of rate hikes or more likely a combination of the two. Longer term, investments in fracking shale gas and new North Sea exploration could pay dividends. Russia makes a clear case of weaponizing gas supplies While the Kremlin had earlier said that they were halting gas supplies on Nord Stream 1 for a technical fault, it has now clearly said that gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will not resume in full until the “collective west” lifts sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia is still supplying gas to Europe via Soviet-era pipelines through Ukraine that have remained open despite the invasion, as well as the South Stream pipeline via Turkey. But supplies along the northern pipeline routes, including Nord Stream 1 and the pipelines through Ukraine, have fallen by more than 90% since September last year. Higher supplies from Norway, the UK, north Africa and increased imports of LNG have helped to an extent offset the loss of Russian supplies. Energy summit in EU on Friday EU leaders will meet this Friday to discuss a cap on energy prices across EU countries to limit the disruptions from soaring and illiquid pricing markets, although given limits on generation capacity, much of them due to Russia’s cutting off of gas supplies - possibly semi-permanently in the case of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline – some sort of rationing plan may be required. See our colleague Christopher Dembik’s piece on at the difficult choices Europe faces on this issue here. US ISM services PMI due today With the services sector of the US economy slowing, there are expectations of a slight retreat in August US ISM services, but it should still remain above the 50-mark which differentiates between expansion and contraction. The S&P services PMI for August had also shown a slight decline to 44.1, with the payroll data hinting at still-strong labor market conditions in the services economy.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-6-sept-2022-06092022
    Stock Market: Could Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) Stock Price Plunge To $10?

    Stock Market: Could Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) Stock Price Plunge To $10?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 06.09.2022 15:52
    Merger between DWAC and Trump Media & Technology Group on the rocks. 1-year extension of merger requires 65% affirmation vote from shareholders. DWAC still under investigation by the SEC. You heard it hear first, folks. Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) shares might soon trade more than 50% lower at $10. That is because $10 was the initial price that shares traded at before DWAC announced its merger with the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). The whole reason DWAC has traded much higher than $10 over the past year is that it was slated to merge with TMTG, the owner of Donald Trump's TRUTH Social app, a sort of social media substitute for the MAGA world. That deal looks to be in limbo however. Reuters is reporting that the largely retail base of investors in DWAC have not voted on their proxy statements to extend the merger agreement by one year. The extension is necessary as the Securities & Exchange Commission is continuing to review the merger and is looking into whether the merger was agreed to prior to DWAC's formation. If so, executives at DWAC would be in serious legal jeopardy. DWAC shares are down more than 21% in Tuesday's premarkat at $19.25. DWAC needs 65% of shareholders to approve the merger extension, but a Reuters source told the news outlet that as of Monday night they were no where close to that figure. Digital World officials are scheduled to announce the vote results on September 6. DWAC stock forecast If the extension fails to get approval, then the chart below serves little point. DWAC is trading at $19.25 in the premarket, well below the low from June 30 at $22. A list minute extension approval would however mean that shares would at least spike to resistance at $32 to $33. DWAC daily chart
    The Commodities Feed: China's 2023 growth target underwhelms markets

    Rate Hike Didn't Turn AUD Upside Down. S&P 500 (SPX) Decreased By 0.41%, Nasdaq Lost 0.74%.

    ING Economics ING Economics 07.09.2022 08:28
    Surging bond yields won't help risk sentiment Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global: US equities returned from their holiday yesterday, but the mood remained gloomy, with the S&P500 dropping 0.41% and the NASDAQ falling 0.74%. The session wasn’t particularly brutal. Both indices just fell at the open and stayed low. Equity futures remain in the red today, so the slow bleed in equities looks like it will continue today. However, given the sharp pick up in 2Y US Treasury yields (+11.6bp), it is a bit surprising that equities didn’t fall even more. 10Y yields also added 16bp, taking them to 3.349%. There is probably still some more upside here, but after these moves, we may see a bit of consolidation. Bond futures aren’t suggesting much direction currently. The EUR continues to lose ground to the USD, and EURUSD is now 0.9894. The AUD also took no comfort from yesterday’s 50bp rate hike from the Reserve Bank of Australia and has slid to 0.6729. At 1.1508, Cable is also well down and we are probably looking at a 1.14 handle before long. The JPY has also continued its ascent, rising to 143.24. It’s not clear what or how this dollar rampage will be ended. The USD is looking a bit overbought right now, so like bonds, we may see a pause in the carnage before too long. The CNY led the other Asia Pacific currencies in retreat yesterday, moving to 6.9545. G-7 Macro: European labour market and revised 2Q22 GDP figures are on today’s calendar, together with German July industrial production (-0.6%MoM fall expected). These are followed later by the US Trade numbers for July which are expected to show the trade deficit narrowing to USD70.2bn. Markets may withhold some of their firepower for tomorrow's ECB meeting.  Australia: At 0930 SGT, Australia releases its 2Q22 GDP numbers. We are looking for a slightly stronger than consensus 1.0%QoQ figure (consensus is 0.9%QoQ). Yesterday’s net export contribution and last week’s capex figures both indicate some upside to the consensus forecast. The GDP numbers won’t directly affect the RBA’s rate-setting thinking, but they will highlight the scale of the job that needs to be done to get inflation back down to target. China: China will release trade data today. We expect export growth to exceed import growth, leading to a trade balance of nearly USD100bn in August. Our expectation of almost no growth in imports reflects the weakness of the domestic economy, though the big trade balance could help support GDP growth slightly. Taiwan: Taiwan will also release trade data today. We should see a similar picture to that in Mainland China with exports growing faster than imports. The key detail to watch is semiconductor-related exports and imports. This is especially important for imports, which will provide a hint about the growth prospects of semiconductor exports that are so important for Taiwan’s economy. Korea: The current account balance recorded a surplus of USD 1.1bn in July but the goods trade account turned to a deficit of USD -1.2 bn, the first time it has done so since April 2012. This is mostly due to higher energy prices, but also, export growth slowed due to weak IT demand and weak exports to China.  In the financial account, domestic stock equity investments by foreigners declined for the sixth straight month, while bond investment continued its increase from January 2020. Japan: USDJPY slid to 143 for the first time since 1998. Rate differential widening is the main reason for this depreciation. The recent better-than-expected US data probably also pushed the yen weaker. USDJPY may show some correction this morning, but the trend direction is not likely to change any time soon. We expect there will be more verbal intervention but this is unlikely to be effective at this point. Japan’s last intervention to curb depreciation was in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. Despite the yen’s rapid depreciation, we still don’t believe it will trigger a policy shift by the Bank of Japan. What to look out for: China trade data and ECB meeting Australia GDP (7 September) China trade (7 September) Taiwan trade (7 September) US trade balance (7 September) Japan GDP (8 September) Australia trade balance (8 September) ECB policy meeting (8 September) US initial jobless claims (8 September) Philippines trade (9 September) China CPI inflation (9 September) US wholesale trade (9 September) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange, The Number Of Securities Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.09.2022 08:33
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.55% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 0.41%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.74%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Visa Inc Class A, which gained 0.88 points (0.45%) to close at 198.64. Boeing Co rose 0.57 points (0.38%) to close at 152.39. Johnson & Johnson rose 0.44 points or 0.27% to close at 163.18. The losers were 3M Company, which shed 5.05 points or 4.15% to end the session at 116.60. Intel Corporation was up 2.75% or 0.86 points to close at 30.36, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc was down 1.51% or 4.99 points to close at 326. .49. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Rollins Inc, which rose 6.05% to 35.78, Enphase Energy Inc, which gained 4.93% to close at 292.82, and SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which rose 4.22% to end the session at 278.38. The biggest losers were Moderna Inc, which shed 6.13% to close at 130.08. Shares of Church & Dwight Company Inc shed 4.69% to end the session at 80.23. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 91.28% to hit 28.50, IVERIC bio Inc, which gained 66.31% to close at 15.70, and also shares of HyreCar Inc, which rose 58.12% to end the session at 1.27. Shares of Creatd Inc were the biggest losers, losing 48.11% to close at 0.19. Shares of Addentax Group Corp lost 39.52% and ended the session at 5.80. Quotes of Rigetti Computing Inc decreased in price by 37.09% to 2.29. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2121) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1009), while quotes of 117 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,468 companies fell in price, 1,299 rose, and 194 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 3.54% to 26.91, hitting a new monthly high. Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.62%, or 10.75, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 0.14%, or 0.12, to $86.75 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 3.19%, or 3.05, to $92.69 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.24% to 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 1.58% to hit 142.80. Futures on the USD index rose 0.66% to 110.24. Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291695
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    The US Stock Market Has Been Bearish For Three Weeks Now

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.09.2022 09:24
    The main US stock indices – DOW Jones, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 – closed lower on Tuesday. Overall, the US stock market has been bearish for three weeks now, in line with our expectations. The upward correction of stock indices a month ago raised a lot of questions. The current movement, however, makes sense. The Fed will remain hawkish and will be hiking rates for a longer period of time than expected previously. It remains to be seen whether inflation slows down further. Under the QT program, almost $100 billion will be withdrawn from the US economy every month. Naturally, in light of all these factors, demand for risk assets decreases but increases for safe havens. That is why bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies cannot show any growth. In our view, the latest macro reports were quite strong. Thus, the ISM Services PMI and NonFarm Payrolls exceeded market forecasts. Meanwhile, unemployment somewhat increased, but the overall situation remains quite stable to sound the alarm. Although a recession in the United States seems inevitable, the state of the economy is not as bad as it might seem. Anyway, positive macro results are not enough to keep the stock market from falling. We see the main US indices hitting yearly lows by the end of 2022. What happens afterward will depend solely on the FOMC's rhetoric. US inflation for August is due on September 14. In case of a significant slowdown, monetary pressure on the economy could be eased. The Fed does not want the economy to slide into a recession but its main priority now is fighting inflation. If recession risks could be minimized, the regulator would not miss a chance to do that. If inflation keeps going down, there will be no need for 0.75% rate hikes as well as for more aggressive actions. For the stock market, inflation results for August mean almost nothing because the Fed still remains hawkish. We suggest that the bear market will stop when the regulator starts to hint at the end of the rate hike cycle, that is as early as December 2022. As for the tightening cycle itself, it may end in the first six months of next year. In other words, indices still have plenty of time to fall.       Relevance up to 06:00 2022-09-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/321003
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    The Number Of Securities That Rose In Price On New York Market

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 08.09.2022 08:22
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.40%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.83%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 2.14%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was 3M Company, which gained 3.95 points or 3.39% to close at 120.55. Nike Inc rose 3.33 points or 3.17% to close at 108.48. Home Depot Inc rose 2.74% or 7.93 points to close at 297.47. The biggest losers were Chevron Corp, which shed 2.01 points or 1.28% to end the session at 155.11. Verizon Communications Inc was up 0.02 points (0.05%) to close at 41.08, while Caterpillar Inc was up 0.20 points (0.11%) to close at 180. 86. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which rose 11.85% to 311.36, Enphase Energy Inc, which gained 8.02% to close at 316.31, and also shares of DexCom Inc, which rose 7.73% to end the session at 88.37. The biggest losers were APA Corporation, which shed 3.04% to close at 36.67. Shares of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc shed 2.95% to end the session at 263.98. Quotes of Halliburton Company decreased in price by 2.85% to 28.68. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Imara Inc, which rose 71.79% to hit 2.01, Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 27.72% to close at 36.40, and shares of Spero Therapeutics Inc, which rose 26.55% to end the session at 1.43. The biggest losers were Cleantech Acquisition Corp, which shed 28.36% to close at 6.77. Shares of Newage Inc lost 25.20% and ended the session at 0.09. First Wave BioPharma Inc (NASDAQ:FWBI) was down 23.22% to 3.24. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2,400) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (723), while quotes of 131 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2715 companies rose in price, 1027 fell, and 217 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 8.44% to 24.64. Gold futures for December delivery added 0.92%, or 15.70, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 5.96%, or 5.18, to $81.70 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 5.70%, or 5.29, to $87.54 a barrel. Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 1.08% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY edged up 0.72% to hit 143.82. Futures on the USD index fell 0.62% to 109.52.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-09 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291873
    USD Stable as Oil Prices Rebound Ahead of US CPI Report Release

    Bearish Is Dominating Market Sentiment Among Individual Investors

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.09.2022 13:29
    Summary:  Going back to 1987 individual investors have only been this bearish in less than 2% of the time. Extreme pessimism is often a good starting point for being contrarian and betting on a rebound. In today's equity note we test whether history has shown that it is a good idea to bet on being long equities when bearishness is dominating market sentiment among individual investors. Extreme pessimism is often fuel for a good rebound The American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) asks their members every about their sentiment using the question ”I fell that the direction of the stock market over the next 6 months will be”. From these answers AAII compute the percentage of their members that answered this question in terms of bullish, neutral, or bearish. The spread between the percentages being bullish vs bearish declined today to -35.2% which is an extremely negative reading only observed in less than 2% of the time. The question is whether this statistics have any information value for traders and investors. While the question is examining expectation over a 6-month horizon, it is more interesting to observe whether it has any predictive power over a shorter time horizon. First we identify all the weeks when the bull-bear spread has been lower than -30, which is 37 times since 1987. Three of these observations have been within the last 12 weeks. In our analysis we then calculate the forward 1, 4, 8, and 12-week return going long the S&P 500 Index if the spread is below -30. The table below shows the excess return over S&P 500 on such a strategy which is done by subtracting the average S&P 500 return since 1987 for these different time horizons. If a signal has any informational value then it should be able to beat the passive returns by just being invested in US equities. The average excess return in percentage is -0.11% for the 1-week holding period but then jumps to 1.33% for the 4-week horizon and 1.29% and 1.49% for the 8-week and 12-week holding period respectively. This looks good at first sight, but the average always comes with variance and if we apply a standard t-test on the samples of each holding period scenario then we see that the probability of these different samples being statistically significant from zero excess return is not very high. The best test statistic is for the 4-week holding period at t = 1.28 which correspond to a p-value of 0.21, which is not statistically significant under normal circumstances. In a low signal-to-noise process such as the equity market the question is whether the odds are good enough to bet on. The confidence interval is -0.79% to 3.46% after all, so we let each trader decide for himself whether the odds are stacked in favour of a rebound. One should note that many of the most bearish readings are clustered in time which means that the 34 observations that we are calculating our statistics on are not truly independent and thus the statistical significance is weaker than the numbers displayed below suggest. Outside the world of statistics, yesterday’s price action felt technical across both bond and equities as there was no real news driving the move. It seems the market might be positioning itself differently ahead of the important US CPI print on Tuesday where a lower than estimated inflation figure could ignite a short-term rally equities. These considerations are worth melting into the decision process of whether this is a good time to go long again.     Source: Do the odds favour a rebound in equities | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Apple's Stock Price Reaction To The Release Of New Products

    Apple's Stock Price Reaction To The Release Of New Products

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 08.09.2022 16:02
    On Wednesday, September 7, Apple's long-awaited event took place, at which new versions of the Cupertino company's products were presented. How did the company's US-listed shares react to the event? Apple Inc. unveiled the new iPhone 14, which has so-called safety features as standard. These include the ability to detect collisions and emergency SOS sending via satellite - a feature that allows users to send text messages in an emergency without access to cellular services. In addition, on Wednesday was the launch of the new AirPods Pro and Apple Watches. Apple's share price gained 1 percent on Wednesday, closing at $155.96. Better than the company itself, however, seemed to be the suppliers of components for the new products. Shares of Skyworks and Texas Instruments rose 1.7 percent, followed by Qualcomm, up 1.5 percent, and Qorvo, up 1.4 percent at the close of yesterday's session. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Apple CFD, D1 Apple stock price in recent times Apple's share price, after peaking in January 2022 in the area of $182, has retreated to the vicinity of $130 in early June. Currently, the share price seems to be in the middle of its annual fluctuation range, at $155. This gives the company a capitalization of $2.5 trillion, making it the largest in the world. In turn, the price-to-earnings ratio for Apple is 25, making it one of the largest in the last decade. In December 2020, this popular valuation ratio reached 35.40, while Apple's revenue for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was $82.959 billion, up 1.87 percent from a year earlier. And Apple's revenue for the twelve months ended June 30, 2022 was $387.542 billion, up 11.63 percent from a year earlier. What is the outlook for Apple's stock price? According to the MarketScreener portal collecting recommendations from Wall Street analysts, the company has 26 buy recommendations, eight hold recommendations and zero sell recommendations. Institutions pointing to buy Apple shares include Credit Suisse with a target price of $201 and JP Morgan with a target price of $200. The average target price is $181.50, while the so-called Street High, or highest recommendation on Wall Street, is $220, and the Street Low is $130, according to Market Screener data. Source: Conotoxia MT5, MarketScreener - lowest, average and highest target price for Apple shares.   Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Increases On The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.09.2022 08:41
      At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.61%, the S&P 500 rose 0.66% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.60%. Salesforce.com Inc was the leading gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 3.62 points or 2.36% to close at 156.90. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 2.70 points or 2.33% to close at 118.60. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose 4.82 points or 1.46% to close at 335.38. The losers were 3M Company shares, which lost 1.28 points or 1.06% to end the session at 119.27. Apple Inc was up 1.51 points (0.97%) to close at 154.45, while Honeywell International Inc was down 1.27 points (0.67%) to close at 187. 82. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 18.85% to 708.85, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc, which gained 7.89% to close at 30 .62, as well as shares of Invesco Plc, which rose 4.77% to close the session at 17.36. The biggest losers were McCormick & Company Incorporated, which shed 6.71% to close at 79.30. Shares of Kraft Heinz Co lost 3.38% to end the session at 36.06. Quotes Campbell Soup Company fell in price by 2.98% to 47.84. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were ShiftPixy Inc, which rose 176.54% to 31.00, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 51.01% to close at 27.03, and shares of Rubius Therapeutics Inc, which rose 48.58% to close the session at 1.29. The drop leaders were Troika Media Group Inc, which shed 26.83% to close at 0.48. Shares of Ensysce Biosciences Inc shed 17.71% to end the session at 0.33. Quotes of Biophytis fell in price by 17.67% to 0.91. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,743) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,342), and quotes of 154 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2274 companies rose in price, 1485 fell, and 268 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 4.18% to 23.61. Gold Futures for December delivery lost 0.47%, or 8.20, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures rose 0.99%, or 0.81, to $82.75 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery rose 0.59%, or 0.52, to $88.52 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged, 0.01% to 1.00, while USD/JPY was up 0.25% to hit 144.05. Futures on the USD index fell 0.17% to 109.65. Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-10 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/292080
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    Positive Expectations For Adobe, The Equity Market Is Positioning For A Better

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.09.2022 11:20
    Summary:  Sentiment had gotten too bearish and equities are now pushing potentially forcing short positions to be covered. The recent sessions seem to driven by technical flows as there has been little new information on the macroeconomy. It seems that the market is positioning itself for a positive surprise in the US August inflation report on Tuesday. The earnings calendar is quite light next week with the key earnings focus being Adobe that is a bellwether in the US technology sector. The software maker is expected to post strong results but a stronger USD and weaker advertising market may cloud the outlook for Adobe. Equities continue to rebound ahead of important CPI print As we indicated yesterday in our equity note without having anything statistical significant to show, the odds were leaning in favour of a rebound in equities as sentiment was historically bad and usually followed by gains. S&P 500 futures closed above the 4,000 level yesterday and are pushing today above the 50-day moving average trading around the 4,039 level. The next big resistance level to watch is the 4,072 level which was the highest exhaustion point in the recent cycle. The past couple of sessions’ price action seems to be driven by technical flows on top of a weaker USD, and maybe the moves are a sign of the equity market positioning itself for a better than expected US August inflation report on Tuesday which is really the key event that will shape expectations in equities in the weeks to come. Can Adobe rise above the dark clouds? The earnings calendar is light these weeks as the market is waiting for Q3 earnings releases to roll in a month from now. Next week earnings calendar of important earnings is listed below with our focus on Adobe. The software maker has surprised negatively in the past four earnings releases due weaker than estimated outlook causing its share price to tumble 44% from its highs. In the past couple of months the share price has stabilised as expectations are no longer deteriorating. Analysts expect Adobe to report revenue growth of 12.6% y/y and expanding operating margin as recent cost cutting is beginning to improve profitability. Adobe is part of the high quality pocket in the equity market with a high market share and double digit organic growth rates expected over the coming years. Key risks to consider for Adobe are the strong USD, corporate spending slowdown on digitalization, and generally weakness in the global advertising industry. Monday: Oracle Tuesday: DiDi Global Wednesday: Inditex Thursday: Polestar Automotive, Adobe   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/equity-rebound-us-cpi-report-and-adobe-earnings-09092022
    📈 Tech Giants Soar, 💵 Dollar Plummets! Disney-Charter Truce, Wall Street's AI Warning!

    Fed May Hike The Rate By 75bp, Oracle (ORCL) And Adobe (ADBE) To Release Their Earnings Shortly

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.09.2022 16:08
    Summary:  Fed officials gathered around Chair Powell to sing a consistently hawkish chorus and prepared the market for a 75bp rate hike on September 21. This week’s CPI report will be the last key data point before the Fed meets and the bar for convincing the policymakers to deliver a smaller than 75bp hike is high. The U.S. dollar’s uptrend will probably remain intact. Across the pond in the U.K., there is a host of data scheduled to release ahead of the Bank of England making its rate decision. China’s August industrial production and retail sales, and year-to-date fixed asset investment would potentially surprise the downside and point to the continued weakness of the economy. US CPI print will point to higher and stickier price pressures With the labor market remaining strong in the U.S. over the last few months, the focus has remained on the inflation data to predict the path of the Fed’s rate hikes. Clearly, all of the Fed’s members have had a unified hawkish stance since the Jackson Hole conference, and many have clearly hinted at a 75bps rate hike for September. Tuesday’s US CPI report is the one to watch, as it can move the market pricing of the Fed’s rate path and is the last key data point scheduled to release ahead of the September 21 Fed meeting. After some softening in July, it can be expected that the headline print may ease further in August as well given the decline in gasoline prices. Still, the inflation print is likely to stay elevated due to the stickier shelter and services costs, as well as still-high energy and food prices. Consensus estimates point to a mild decline of 0.1% MoM while the core remains strong at 0.3% MoM. A host of UK economic data is due, but the central bank decision shifted to September 22 We get a snapshot of the state of the UK economy this week. UK inflation has already touched double digits last month with a 10.1% YoY print. Price pressures are likely to remain elevated this month as well, despite some softening in fuel prices, as food and services costs continue to rise. Further gains in inflation can be expected in October, but the capping of household energy bills may help to soothe inflationary pressures thereafter. Labor market data for three months to July is also due, and unemployment rate and wage data will be on the watch. Retail sales for August, due on Friday, will continue to show the impact of the cost-of-living crisis that has been seen in the UK due to the rising energy bills. UK consumer confidence is at record lows, and this will likely show up in the retail sales print this week. Bloomberg consensus estimates point to a 0.5% MoM deceleration in retail sales (including auto fuel). However, the pain on the economy from energy costs will likely ease towards the end of the year due to the government support, but that suggests further tightening in monetary policy may be on the cards. The Bank of England decision is now due on September 22, which would give the central bank time to assess the fiscal measures as well as the Fed’s rate hike path. Slower export growth, power shortage, and pandemic controls would probably have taken their toll on China’s August activity data China’s activity data for August, scheduled to release on Friday, would probably be at risk of missing the median forecasts in the Bloomberg survey, which has industrial production at 3.8% YoY in August (vs 3.8% YoY in July), retail sales at 3.2% YoY in August (vs 2.7% YoY in July), and fixed asset investment year-to-date 5.5% YoY (vs 5.7% YoY). The heatwave-induced power shortage caused disruption to production in Sichuan and delays in infrastructure construction. The pandemic control measures affected the manufacturing and export hub of the city of Yiwu in Zhejiang province in August. The much weaker than expected export growth data for August released last week and the continuously weak data in the property market also pointed to potentially downside surprises to these forecasts.  Japan producer prices to remain high Japan’s August producer prices for August are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, and gains are likely to extend further as oil and commodity prices remained elevated and the Japanese yen weakened further. Bloomberg consensus expectations are for producer prices to reach 8.9% YoY in August from 8.6% YoY previously. While a high base from last year may justify some cooling in input prices into the end of the year, demand pressures are picking up as well as the latest wave of Covid in Japan seems to get under control, and higher global prices and weaker currency continue to underpin further price pressures. Can the USD momentum extend further? We saw the USD cool-off slightly last week following the uptick in the hawkish rhetoric from other global central banks. The European Central Bank went ahead with a 75bps rate hike, while also guiding for more jumbo rate hikes to come. The Japanese authorities also got more stern with their warnings against the fall of the yen, but there were no signs of the accommodative policy being tweaked. The recovery in the yen and the euro helped to cool off the recent gains in the greenback, as dis some positioning ahead of the US CPI release for this week. However, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Lowe hinted that the pace of rate hikes may slow. The Fed will likely stay more aggressive than other global central banks, given the ammunition provided by the resilience of the US economy. Only a big miss in US CPI could move the needle on Fed rate hike expectations for now, and consequently on the US dollar. But for the most part, there are reasons to believe that the USD gains are likely to continue for now. What Australia’s central bank will be watching this week. And if the data is stronger than expected, you could see the AUDUSD extend its short term run up We’ve seen the RBA’s tone shift back to dovish of late, despite the RBA expecting inflation to peak later this year. And for the RBA to stay dovish, they’ll need to see falling inflation and falling employment. With that said, the next data set the RBA will be watching/assessing, ahead of their next interest rate decision (October 4), will be this unemployment data release for August on Thursday. Australia’s unemployment is at 50-year low, 3.4%. That’s where the rate is expected to remain for August. However, the other key data to watch is the employment change. This could give rise as to how much the RBA will be able to lift rates by, next month. In July data showed Australia’s employment fell from a record high, with 41,000 jobs being lost. While for August Bloomberg’s survey of economists suggests 35,000 jobs were added. Some forecasts are bleak though, estimating Australia lost 15,000 jobs.  If the data is showing more jobs were lost, it will give the RBA less room to rise rates. Currently RBA interest rate futures expect the rates to peak at 3.6% next month. If more jobs were added than expected, we could see the AUDUSD extend its rally off its 2-year low. Ethereum merge will draw attention The Ethereum blockchain’s much-anticipated software upgrade, the so-called Merge, is expected to take place this week, according to its core developers. The new system, known as "proof-of-stake", will slash the Ethereum blockchain's energy consumption by 99.9%, developers say. Most blockchains, including bitcoin's, devour large amounts of energy, sparking criticism from some investors and environmentalists. We wrote about this here, and this is a key event to watch this week. The merge could make Ethereum more favourable to pension funds and other institutional investors that are under the scanner for environmental concerns, but there is also come scepticism an how scalable Ethereum could become and if it becomes more susceptible to attacks by hackers. Oracle and Adobe are reporting results this week The earnings calendar is light as most U.S. companies have reported and Q3 earnings releases will roll in a month from now. Oracle (ORCL:xnys) and Adobe System (ADBE:xnas) are the two most notable releases this week.  The Oracle results will include the contributions for the first time from Cerner, a medical information technology provider for which it paid USD28.3 billion.  On Oracle’s core business, investors will focus on how the company’s enterprise software business fared in competition with increasingly popular cloud services by providers such as Amazon and Microsoft.  Adobe System has surprised negatively in the past four earnings releases due to weaker than expected outlook and has seen its share price tumbling 45% since the beginning of the year. In the past couple of months, the share price has stabilised as expectations are no longer deteriorating. Analysts expect Adobe to report revenue growth of 12.6% y/y and expanding operating margin as a result of cost cutting. Adobe is part of the high quality pocket in the equity market with a high market share and double-digit organic growth rate expected over the coming years. Key risks to consider for Adobe are the strong USD, corporate spending slowdown on digitalization, and general weakness in the global advertising industry. Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday, Sep 12 US: NY Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations (Aug)UK: Monthly GDP (Jul)Italy: Industrial Production (Jul)Eurozone: ECB’s de Guindos and Schnabel speakIndia: CPI (Aug)India: Industrial production (Jul) Tuesday, Sep 13 US: CPI (Aug)Japan: PPI (Aug)Australia: Consumer confidence Index (Sep)Australia: Business confidence Index (Aug)Germany: ZEW survey (Sep)UK: Labour market report (Aug)   Wednesday, Sep 14 US: PPI (Aug)Japan: Core machine orders (Jul)UK: CPI (Aug)UK: RPI (Aug)UK: PPI (Aug)Eurozone: Industrial production (Jul)India: WPI (Aug)New Zealand: Current account balance (Q2)Hong Kong: Industrial production (Q2)Hong Kong: PPI (Q2)Thursday, Sep 15US: Jobless claims (weekly)US: Retail sales (Aug)US: Philly Fed manufacturing survey (Sep)US: Empire State manufacturing survey (Sep)US: Industrial production (Aug)US: Business inventories (Jul)Japan: Trade data (Aug)Japan: Tertiary industry activity index (Jul)Australia: Unemployment rate (Aug)UK: Bank of England decision (Sep)Eurozone: ECB’s Centeno speaksIndonesia: Trade dataNew Zealand: Real GDP (Q2) Friday, Sep 16 US: University of Michigan consumer survey (Sep, preliminary)UK: Retail salesEurozone: Harmonized CPI (Aug, final)Eurozone: ECB’s Rehn speaksChina: Industrial production (Aug)China: Retail sales (Aug)China: Urban fixed-asset investment year-to-date (Aug)Singapore: Non-oil domestic exports (Aug) Key earnings releases this week Monday: Oracle (ORCL:xnys), Tuesday: DiDi Global (DIDIY:xnas) Wednesday: Industria de Deseno Texgtil SA (ITX:xmce) Thursday: Polestar Automotive (PSNY:xnas) Friday: Adobe (ADBE:xnas) Source: Saxo Spotlight: What’s on investors and traders radars this week? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    What Makes Alphabet (GOOGL), Pool Corp. And Others Are Such "Solid"? Stock Market: What Is The Difference Between Growth And Value Stocks?

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 12.09.2022 21:46
    In a nutshell, investors in the stock market can divide companies into two baskets. One is "growth," or growth-type companies, and the other is "value," or companies with value. The former are, for example, start-ups that currently may not even have their own equipment in the office, but are leasing it, but promise investors that they will make "amazing" profits in a few years. Their valuations, despite their current lack of much value can be very high, because they can be driven by expectations. The second group, value companies, usually do not promise investors hundreds of percent earnings growth, while they have an established business, can pay regular dividends or conduct systematic process restructuring to raise margins. Source: Conotoxia MT5, NOBL ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF. Solid value and dividend companies will attract investors? According to Goldman Sachs in a note quoted by Bloomberg, stocks of high fundamental quality, value stocks, dividend-paying companies and companies with exposure primarily to drawing income from the U.S. market are four areas that could drive performance through the end of the year, according to analysts from Goldman Sachs. "Rising cost of capital will limit valuation expansion and prompt investors to reward companies with high-quality fundamental metrics." - analysts led by David Kostin wrote in a note. As an example, they give a quality basket of 50 companies created by Goldman Sachs, which includes stocks that are highly rated for a mix of strong balance sheets, stable sales and earnings growth, above-average return on equity and low historical downside risk.  Companies included in the Goldman Sachs index basket The basket includes Alphabet, Pool Corp., Church & Dwight, Coterra Energy, First Republic Bank and American Tower, among others - CFDs and DMAs on shares of these companies can be found on the Conotoxia MT5 platform. According to Goldman Sachs analysts, value stocks could outperform if the Fed would succeed and inflation would soon peak, and the companies' dividends could offer "exposure to the fundamental growth of the S&P 500 while minimizing exposure to equity valuation risk." Source: Conotoxia MT5, DVY iShares Select Dividend ETF Meanwhile, companies with domestic sales in the U.S. have outperformed those with more exposure to foreign sales, particularly in Europe and emerging markets. The economic situation in Europe is dire, and despite concerns about the U.S. equity market, "it offers greater potential for absolute and risk-adjusted returns than the recession-ridden European markets" - write the GS analysts. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Source: Value and dividend companies with potential (conotoxia.com)
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Increases At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.09.2022 08:02
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.71%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.06%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 1.27%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Apple Inc, which gained 6.06 points or 3.85% to close at 163.43. Quotes of American Express Company rose by 4.01 points (2.53%), closing the session at 162.45. Salesforce Inc rose 3.04 points or 1.87% to close at 165.63. The biggest losers were Amgen Inc, which shed 10.07 points or 4.07% to end the session at 237.62. Home Depot Inc was up 2.23 points (0.74%) to close at 297.54, while Johnson & Johnson was down 0.07 points (0.04%) to end at 165. .64. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were DXC Technology Co, which rose 5.98% to hit 28.36, APA Corporation, which gained 5.01% to close at 40.00, and shares of Fortinet Inc, which rose 4.20% to end the session at 55.84. The biggest losers were The Mosaic Company, which shed 6.76% to close at 52.44. Shares of Amgen Inc lost 4.07% to end the session at 237.62. Quotes of CF Industries Holdings Inc decreased in price by 4.05% to 99.48. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Neurobo Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 101.30% to hit 0.56, InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 70.42% to close at 18.78, and also shares of Ventyx Biosciences Inc, which rose 64.98% to end the session at 38.11. The biggest losers were Tuesday Morning Corp, which shed 31.19% to close at 0.19. Shares of WeTrade Group Inc lost 30.19% and ended the session at 1.11. Akari Therapeutics PLC was down 27.88% to 0.75. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2,360) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (764), while quotes of 160 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2431 companies rose in price, 1384 fell, and 259 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 4.74% to 23.87. Gold futures for December delivery added 0.43%, or 7.45, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for October delivery rose 1.36%, or 1.18, to $87.97 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery rose 1.44%, or 1.34, to $94.18 a barrel. Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.81% to hit 1.01, while USD/JPY edged up 0.21% to hit 142.82. Futures on the USD index fell 0.60% to 108.08.       Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-14 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/292447
    Reduction In Demand For Power In UK, Bank of Japan Plans To Maintain Current Policy

    Reduction In Demand For Power In UK, Bank of Japan Plans To Maintain Current Policy

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.09.2022 09:26
    Summary:  Equity sentiment remained upbeat and the US dollar weakened further despite a surge higher in US Treasury yields. Globally sustained inflation pressures, such as those in Japan’s producer prices and New Zealand’s food prices, continues to raise concerns. US inflation print for August takes all the attention today with impact likely to reverberate through markets but unlikely to change the Fed’s upcoming rate hike at the September meeting. Precious metals tested key resistance levels and crude oil prices made a recovery as well. The lack of consensus on EU energy proposals may spark some concerns. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) extend their bear market bounce U.S. equities extended the bear market bounce for the fourth day amid a relatively uneventful and light volume day. The S&P 500 rose 1.1%, Nasdaq 100 up 1.2%. It comes despite bond yields rising, with the 30-year yield hitting a new high of 3.53%. Meanwhile the volatility index, the VIX rose for the first time in four days to 23.9, suggesting uncertainty could be brewing. Noteworthy moves in US stocks   Apple (AAPL:xnas) contributed to the days move, accounting for more than 60 points of the 151 points in Nasdaq 100, after the stock surged 3.9% on strong pre-order data of the new iPhone 14. A larger number of call options were traded on Apple shares on Monday. Twitter (TWTR:xnys) lost 1.7% after it sent a letter to Elon Musk and said the company intends to enforce Musk’s agreement to buy the company. Oracle (ORCL:xnys) reported sales growth of 18% to $11.4 billion, with higher contributions from cloud computing and the newly acquired Cerner, a health records provider. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.03, below the analyst consensus of $1.06 as per the Bloomberg survey. Oracle shares gained 1.3% in after-hours trading. Gilead Sciences (GILD:xnas) surged 4.2% following the settlement of an HIV drug intellectual property dispute. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY:xnys) gained 3.2% as regulators approved the company’s psoriasis drug.  US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The treasury yield curve bear steepened on Monday, with the 30-year yield finishing the day at 3.51%, a new high just a little above the previous high print in June. The long-end, yields of the 10-years through 30-years jumped 5 to 6 bps after the poor 3-year notes and 10-year notes auctions, in particular the latter. The 10-year auction stopped at a yield of 3.33%, which was 2.7 bps higher than the notes were trading at 1:00 pm New York time when the results were announced. The 10-year notes weakened to finish the day at 3.36%. In addition to the USD41 billion 3-year and USD32 billion 10-year auctions, eight corporate new issues with a total size of about USD12 billion came to the market yesterday. The decline in the inflation expectations print in the New York Fed’s survey of consumer expectations did not move the treasury markets which had the day’s focus on supply. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China markets were closed on Monday for a public holiday.  Overnight in U.S. trading, the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index bounced by 2.8%.  Chinese EV maker, NIO (NIO:xnys) soared 13.7% following Deutsche Bank and BoA Merrill Lynch analysts reiterating “buy” rating as well as reiterating and raising price targets respectively.  EURUSD recovery extended, but risks ahead EURUSD tested highs of 1.02 on Monday amid some optimism on Ukraine’s military advances and Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel signaling support for further interest-rate hikes in Europe. Gains however cooled later with ECB's Scicluna suggesting the central bank will continue with rate hikes but they are unlikely to be as large as the 75bps hike seen last week. Meanwhile, EUR/GBP printed a fresh YTD high of 0.8722 before unwinding the gains later. Pressure could build on EUR as the EU energy proposals will likely face some opposition, and US CPI data today will also be on watch. Russia may also increase the energy pressure on Europe if Ukraine’s advances stick. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices saw some recovery on Monday amid a softer USD as well as weaker US inflation expectations from the NY Fed offset some of the weaker dollar concerns. Iran nuclear deal also seems to be making little progress, delaying any possible relief on the supply side. WTI futures rose to $88/barrel while the Brent futures were up at $94/barrel. US CPI data due later today is key to further gauge the path of Fed’s rate hikes from here, and the EU energy proposals will also be a key catalyst. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold rose on Monday as the dollar extended its retreat from a record high ahead of US inflation data due later today, which could potentially slow down the pace of Fed’s rate hikes if the headline print is softer than expected. Gold tested $1734, the 21-day SMA and 38.2% retracement of the August slump, but was rejected and back below $1730 in early Asian trading. Silver also rallied sharply to touch the $20-mark supported by a weaker dollar, higher gold prices and signs of tightness supporting the copper market. Last Tuesday speculators held the largest short position in three years and the continued rally is now forcing broad short covering.   What to consider? US CPI print will point to higher and stickier price pressures With the labor market remaining strong in the U.S. over the last few months, the focus has remained on the inflation data to predict the path of the Fed’s rate hikes. Clearly, all of the Fed’s members have had a unified hawkish stance since the Jackson Hole conference, and many have clearly hinted at a 75bps rate hike for September. Tuesday’s US CPI report is the one to watch, as it can move the market pricing of the Fed’s rate path and is the last key data point scheduled to release ahead of the September 21 Fed meeting. After some softening in July, it can be expected that the headline print may ease further in August as well given the decline in gasoline prices. Still, the inflation print is likely to stay elevated due to the stickier shelter and services costs, as well as still-high energy and food prices. Consensus estimates point to a mild decline of 0.1% MoM while the core remains strong at 0.3% MoM. EU proposes mandatory cuts to power use and profit levies It is expected that the EU draft energy plan will include mandatory power demand cut, an “exception and temporary” levy on oil, gas, coal and refining companies, as well as revenue caps for non-gas fuelled power generators. There is likely to be opposition from some of the member states, as the plan is detailed out tomorrow. Here is another sign inflation is not peaking; New Zealand food inflation hits a 13-year high New Zealand food prices rose 8.3% over the year to August 2022, which is the biggest annual increase since July 2009, according to data from Statistics New Zealand. The surge was mainly driven by a 8.7% increase in grocery food prices compared to a year ago, after fruit and vegetable prices rose 15%. Prices for staples like, eggs, yogurt, and cheddar cheese saw the largest moves in grocery prices. Companies to look at that sell food and dairy products to supermarkets include Costa Group (CGC), as well as A2 Milk (A2M) and Bega Cheese (BGA) and Synlait Milk (SM1). The New Zealand dollar rose to a two-week high against the USD, on expectation the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will need to keep hiking rates. Japan producer prices remain above expectations Japan’s August PPI was up 9.0% y/y (vs. 8.9% y/y expected) while last month’s was also revised higher to 9.0% y/y from 8.6% y/y previously. The m/m print was slightly softer at 0.2% vs. 0.4% expected, but continued to show rising cost pressures amid the surge in commodity prices and a weaker yen. This suggests more CPI pain is in the pipeline, and the resolve of Bank of Japan to maintain accommodative policy will continue to be tested. New York Fed 1-year consumer inflation expectations at 10-month lows The latest NY Fed consumer inflation expectation gauges declined sharply, suggesting easing price pressures. Expectations for US inflation three-years ahead fell to two-year lows to come in at 2.8% in August, while the one-year ahead gauge was at 5.7%, a 10-month low. Meanwhile, inflation expectations on a five-year horizon fell to 2% from 2.3% previously, suggesting that inflation expectations remain anchored. Gloomy economic outlook for the United Kingdom According to the Office of National Statistics, UK GDP grew only 0.2% month-over-month in July. This is less than expected (0.4 % month-over-month). The weakness is mostly centered on the industry and the construction sector. This is worrying. There is no big bank holiday effect. However, there is anecdotal evidence of a reduction in demand for power because of cost, but it was also a hot month. In addition, the UK July industrial production fell 0.3% month-over-month versus expected +0.3%. Expect negative print in the eurozone for the same period too. California’s electricity infrastructure is under severe tension According to data released over the weekend by California Independent System Operator, demand on California’s power grid hit an all-time high on 6 September above 50,000 MW. The last two times it was close to this threshold was in 2007 and in 2017. The situation is getting worse and worse. Oracle reported sales in line with expectations but missed EPS estimates Oracle (ORCL:xnys) reported sales growth of 18% to $11.4 billion, in line with expectations. The sales growth was largely attributable to contributions from cloud computing and the newly acquired Cerner, a health records provider. Adjusted income came in at USD1.68 billion, a 33% drop from last year quarter and missing analyst estimates.  Adjusted EPS was $1.03, below the analyst consensus of $1.06 as per the Bloomberg survey. The earnings miss was partly due to FX losses which were results of a stronger dollar. Banking job cuts? Goldman Sachs is getting ready for jobs cuts. Who’s next? Goldman to report a 40% drop in earnings, which will foreshadow job cuts. However, there could be a lot of stake; in July Goldman said it planned to slow hiring and reinstate performance reviews. There is a huge question looming about how banks will get work with global deal volumes having dropped by about $1 trillion from a year ago. Investment banks are reliant on equity capital markets and IPOs and our sense is that more job cuts could be coming with inflation set to continue to rise, and push up the yield curve, and official interest rates into next year. For investors the takeaway here is that while markets remain uncertainty and rates are rising, investment banks will likely continue to face pressure. Banking ETFs, such as Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) and Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) are both down about 13% from their October 2021 peaks. Although they are both rallying amid the bear market bounce lately, we think the sector is likely to pair back again once stronger US data comes out and Fed suggests more rate hikes are coming.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-13-sept-2022-13092022
    Asia morning bites - 16.05.2023

    Nintendo And Sales Success, Natural Gas Prices In Europe Trade At Their Lowest

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.09.2022 09:35
    Summary:  The equity market rally extended further yesterday, in part on hopes that Ukrainian battleground successes bring the chance of the war ending sooner rather than later and as natural gas prices in Europe trade at their lowest in more than a month. Today’s August US CPI release will be the critical event risk for whether the improvement in sentiment can extend. A hot core CPI number could yet spoil the party, while another soft number like July’s could boost the “peak Fed” narrative for a while and see the rally extend if treasury yields also drop in response.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities extended their gains yesterday with S&P 500 futures rallying another 1.5% closing at 4,130. This morning the index futures are continuing higher as the market is clearly positioning itself for a positive US August inflation figure later today which could see S&P 500 futures extend to 4,200. It is worth keeping in mind that the medium-term outlook has not changed much on inflation and a significant slowdown in the US releasing its oil reserves could quickly add renewed pressure on energy prices. But the key event to watch today is the US August CPI report out at 12:30 GMT. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen returned from a long weekend and traded moderately higher, Hang Seng Index +0.4%, CSI 300 +0.7%. HSBC (00005:xhkg) climbed 1.8% after its CFO said the bank was considering resuming share buybacks in the second half of next year and raising staff pay in 2023. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) gained 2.4%. NIO (09866:xhkg) jumped 17.2% following analysts reiterating “buy” on the EV maker.  Chinese biotech stocks traded in Hong Kong fell after US President Biden signed an executive order to develop a strategy to “mitigate risks posed by foreign adversary involvement in the biomanufacturing supply chain”, Wuxi Biologics -18.4%, Wuxi AppTec (02359:xhkg) – 14.4%, Genscript Biotech (01548:xhkg) -8.4%.  USD status, please European currencies surged yesterday on hopes that Ukrainian battlefield successes will compound and bring peace sooner rather than later. EURUSD rose up through key local resistance at 1.0100, but the move didn’t well, with plenty of backfilling. Elsewhere, the USD is in technical limbo in pairs like USDCAD (the 1.3000 area refusing to completely let go) and AUDUSD (a strong sense that the choppy bearish trend is ending would be a solid surge-and-hold above 0.7000.) Today’s US CPI release could give us a firmer sense of USD direction, with weaker inflation across the board relative to expectations and an easing back lower of treasury yields likely required to take the USD firmly lower. JPY crosses back higher as yields rise Expect JPY crosses to the be the most sensitive to any sharp move in US treasury yields off the back of the US August CPI data today. After surging to new local highs yesterday, the JPY bounced back a bit. The focus in USDJPY is on the cycle top near 145.00, a break of which likely sets the clock ticking for actual market intervention from Japan’s ministry of finance. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold rose on Monday as the dollar extended its retreat from a record high ahead of US inflation data due later today, which could potentially slow down the pace of Fed’s rate hikes if the headline print is softer than expected. Gold tested $1734, the 21-day SMA and 38.2% retracement of the August slump, and after getting rejected it retraced to $1720 during Asian trading. Silver meanwhile jumped 5% before running into profit taking around $20 with the added support from signs of a tightening copper market and short covering from speculators who in the week to September 6 raised their short bets to a three-year high. Focus on US CPI and its impact on the dollar and future rate hike expectations. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Crude oil continues to trade above levels that otherwise could signal additional weakness amid worries about demand from China due to harsh anti-virus restrictions and the world in general as central banks attempt to dampen inflation by lowering economic activity through aggressive rate hikes. Instead, the oil market, just like most other commodities, has received support from a weaker dollar and fading prospect of an Iran nuclear deal anytime soon. However, the potential for a fresh and strong upside push in crude oil has faded as the world is going through a period of lower growth. Focus being the collapse of Russian defenses in Ukraine and the response from Moscow, the impact of a potential price cap on Russian oil, and monthly oil market reports from OPEC today and IEA tomorrow. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) The 10-year US Treasury benchmark traded steady near the highs for the recent cycle above 3.30% after an auction of 10-year T-notes yesterday saw demand near the lower end of the range of recent months. A 3-year treasury auction yesterday saw better demand metrics. Treasury traders are watching today’s important US CPI release for clues on whether yields will continue to rise toward the cycle top at 3.50% or ease back again. A 30-year T-bond auction is up after the CPI release today. What is going on? Gloomy economic outlook for the United Kingdom According to the Office of National Statistics, UK GDP grew only 0.2 % month-over-month in July. This is less than expected (0.4 % month-over-month). The weakness is mostly centered on the industry and the construction sector. This is worrying. There is no big bank holiday effect. However, there is anecdotal evidence of a reduction in demand for power because of cost, but it was also a hot month. In addition, the UK July industrial production fell 0.3 % month-over-month versus expected +0.3 %. Expect negative print in the eurozone for the same period too. Ocado sees big miss in Q3 on revenue The UK online grocery retailer reports revenue of £532mn vs est. £557mn as the cost-of-living crisis bites the UK consumer. Ocado sees the value of the average basket down by 6% and energy costs are putting pressure on the operating margin. Nintendo shares surge 5% on game launch record The Japanese game developer announced its biggest Switch console game launch success Splatoon 3 with 3.45mn sold units in Japan in its opening weekend. The success is building on the previous years of strong sales figures for its Switch console and games sold on the console. Shares are up 745% over the past 10 years excluding dividends. Oracle hit expectations in Q1 results The software maker was solid in its performance in its FY23 Q1 results (ending 31 August) delivering $11.4bn in revenue up 18% y/y. The 15-17% revenue growth guidance for the current quarter is also in line with estimates and Oracle indicated that the acquisition of Cerner was going according to plan providing the company with more strengths in its cloud offering. California’s electricity infrastructure is under severe tension According to data released over the weekend by California Independent System Operator, demand on California’s power grid hit an all-time high on 6 September above 50,000 MW. The last two times it was close to this threshold was in 2007 and in 2017. The situation is getting worse and worse. EU proposes mandatory cuts to power use and profit levies It is expected that the EU draft energy plan will include mandatory power demand cut, an “exception and temporary” levy on oil, gas, coal and refining companies, as well as revenue caps for non-gas fuelled power generators. There is likely to be opposition from some of the member states, as the plan is detailed out tomorrow. A rare “triple-dip” La Ninã spanning three northern hemisphere winters is coming Changing temperatures around the world have led to several climate emergencies so far in 2022, from historic flooding, above average temperatures and drought. Parts of the world are expected to experience severe weather for the rest of the year and into 2023, as part of a rare "triple dip La Niña" event according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In Australia it may lead to heavy rain and flooding in the coming months while South America and equatorial Africa could see a repeat of the droughts experienced during the past couple of years. A development that could strengthen concerns about a global food crisis with inventories of several key food items falling to a multi-year lows. Japan producer prices remain above expectations Japan’s August PPI was up 9.0% y/y (vs. 8.9% y/y expected) while last month’s figure was also revised higher to 9.0% y/y from 8.6% y/y previously. The m/m print was slightly softer than expected at 0.2% vs. 0.4% but continued to show rising cost pressures amid the surge in commodity prices and a weaker yen. This suggests more CPI pain is in the pipeline, and the resolve of Bank of Japan to maintain accommodative policy will continue to be tested. New York Fed 1-year consumer inflation expectations at 10-month lows The latest NY Fed consumer inflation expectation gauges declined sharply, suggesting easing price pressures. Expectations for US inflation over three years annualised fell to a two-year low at 2.8% in August, while the one-year ahead gauge was at 5.7%, a 10-month low. Meanwhile, inflation expectations on the five-year horizon fell to 2% annualised from 2.3% previously, suggesting that inflation expectations remain anchored. What are we watching next? U.S. August CPI is out today This is a first estimate and the latest release before the Federal Reserve’s September 20-21 meeting. In July, CPI rose 8.5 % on a yearly basis (much slower than the 9.1 % increase in June). The economist consensus expects inflation to continue decelerating at 8.1 % in August. But core CPI will likely be up. This shows that inflation is broad-based and also expanding into the services sector, for instance. At Saxo Bank, we believe the peak in inflation has passed in the United States in June. But this should not influence the path of monetary policy tightening in the short-term. Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting on 15-16 September This the first time since 2019 that Asian leaders are meeting in person in a bigger strategic forum. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are officially joining the summit and India’s Modi is expected to join as well. Given the recent military success in Ukraine, the pressures are mounting on Russia and Putin Earnings to watch The next important earnings release to watch is Inditex, one of Europe’s largest fashion retailers, which is expected to report revenue growth of 12% y/y in FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) but with the operating margin expected to show downside pressure. Wednesday: Inditex Thursday: Polestar Automotive, Adobe Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Norway Aug. Region Survey 0900 – Germany Sep. ZEW Survey 1000 – US Aug. NFIB Small Business Optimism 1230 – US Aug. CPI 1700 – US 30-year T-bond Auction 2030 – API's Weekly Report on US Oil and Fuel Inventories During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-13-2022-13092022
    EU Gloomy Picture Pointing To A Gradual Approach To Recession

    Energy Crisis Cause Recession In The European Union And Great Britain

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.09.2022 13:21
    Goldman Sachs say a difficult macroeconomic environment in Europe may continue to put pressure on assets, even despite a positive risk/reward ratio, financial support and measures to reduce energy demand. They remarked that they remain wary due to the energy crisis, monetary tightening and the political backdrop around Italy's elections, and only signs of an "imminent market downturn" could change their view. "Our economists expect the energy crisis to push both Europe and the UK into recession, albeit relatively mild, and forecast an acceleration in policy tightening by both the ECB and the Bank of England," Goldman Sachs strategists wrote. The technical picture also points to at least another wave of decline in European indices, which should lead to an update of the yearly lows. European equities have lagged the S&P 500 this year in dollar terms as euro weakened more than 10%. Meanwhile, the region's credit markets continue to be much more stressed than stocks. On the bright side, Europe's 12-month earnings projections are yet to see any major downsides. Although the region's income-based estimates have fallen this year, they still remain above levels reached during the 2008 financial crisis. Relevance up to 11:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/321558
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    Apple Stock Price Skyrockets! iPhone 14 Is Said To Be The Rocket Propeller!

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 13.09.2022 16:08
    Apple stock soars as new iPhone 14 boosts demand for the stock. iPhone 14 sales are reportedly strong despite some critics. Apple stock now soaring to near all-time highs. Apple (AAPL) stock began the week strongly when it dragged the main indices higher as the tech and overall market leader powered ahead by nearly 4%. By the close Apple reached $163.43, having briefly traded above $164 earlier on Tuesday. Apple stock news The stock was pushed higher on the back of a positive note from noted Apple analyst Dan Ives at Wedbush. We should also note he is largely bullish on Apple, which has been the consistently correct call. In a note, to the client, Ives said demand is solid and ahead of the iPhone 13. Also, customers appear to be going for the more expensive models – the iPhone Pro and Max models. Higher prices mean higher margins for Apple. "We expect this heavy Pro/Pro Max mix to continue with China also a major sway factor as more consumers in this key region head to the Pro model," Ives added. This will come as welcome news as some people have been openly stating that the new iPhone 14 does not have enough features to differentiate it from the iPhone 13 and so sway customers to switch. Yahoo Entertainment reported on a cheeky meme from Steve Jobs's daughter Eve. Apple stock forecast Regular readers will notice from the lack of a disclaimer at the bottom of this page that I have cut my short position. I did this last week thankfully before the rally got going. My take is more a macro view than stock specific. I cannot see the equity market making new lows now, and this rally looks set up to continue. CPI should decline when it is released today. Oil and commodity prices are much lower. That will further fuel the Fed pivot and soft landing theory, and so equities should keep rallying. It will take a few months of CPI releases before people realize this is not going to drop enough for the Fed to pivot. Apple has performed very nicely from a technical perspective of late. The strong summer rally saw a near-perfect 50% Fibonacci retracement before bouncing above the 50-day and now 200-day moving averages. The next target is now $171.40 to fill the gap. The bullish pivot is the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement and 50-day moving average at $158.32. Apple stock daily
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    Stock Market: Who Ended The Day With A Profit And Who With A Loss

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 14.09.2022 08:36
      At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 3.94% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 4.32%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 5.16%. Chevron Corp was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, losing 3.09 points or 1.90% to close at 159.41. Quotes of The Travelers Companies Inc fell by 3.11 points (1.88%) to end trading at 162.22. Walmart Inc lost 2.85 points or 2.06% to close at 135.22. The losers were Boeing Co shares, which lost 11.41 points or 7.19% to end the session at 147.31. Intel Corporation was up 2.27 points (7.19%) to close at 29.29, while Home Depot Inc was down 19.61 points (6.59%) to close at 277. 93. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Corteva Inc, which rose 0.87% to hit 62.65, Twitter Inc, which gained 0.70% to close at 41.70, and shares CF Industries Holdings Inc, which rose 0.67% to end the session at 100.15. The biggest losers were Eastman Chemical Company, which shed 11.34% to close at 84.11. Shares of NVIDIA Corporation lost 9.47% and ended the session at 131.31. Quotes of Meta Platforms Inc decreased in price by 9.37% to 153.13. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Akero Therapeutics Inc, which rose 136.76% to hit 29.05, Aditx Therapeutics Inc, which gained 113.75% to close at 0.37, and also shares of Comera Life Sciences Holdings Inc, which rose 100.00% to end the session at 3.86. The biggest losers were Cardiff Oncology Inc, which shed 41.12% to close at 1.89. Shares of Rent the Runway Inc shed 38.74% to end the session at 3.02. Quotes of InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc decreased in price by 35.73% to 12.07. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2827) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (354), while quotes of 82 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,015 stocks fell, 811 rose, and 188 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 14.24% to 27.27, hitting a new monthly high. Gold futures for December delivery lost 1.64%, or 28.50, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 0.26%, or 0.23, to $87.55 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 0.67%, or 0.63, to $93.37 a barrel. Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 1.44% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY edged up 1.23% to hit 144.59. Futures on the USD index rose 1.37% to 109.58. Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-15 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/292655
    Yen (JPY) Takes A Stab At Resilience, The Grains Sector Has Survived Well

    Yen (JPY) Takes A Stab At Resilience, The Grains Sector Has Survived Well

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.09.2022 08:55
    Summary:  Equity markets were slammed for their worst losses in more than two years yesterday on a shocking August US CPI print, which showed core inflation rising at twice the anticipated pace for the month. This was a rude shock after a recent strong rally in equities, and US treasury yields jumped, and the US dollar soared as the market rushed to price in the risk that the Fed might hike 100 basis points next week.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities erased most of the gains since 6 September as the market’s positioning ahead of the US August CPI report was completely wrong. Not only did the headline inflation figures not fall m/m, but the core figure is up 0.6% m/m and has been fluctuating around 0.5% m/m for a year suggesting that inflation is getting entrenched at a level suggesting 5-6% annualised inflation in the US. The Fed Funds futures curve immediately shifted downwards lifting peak Fed funds rate at close to 4.5% from around 4% the day before the inflation report. S&P 500 futures tumbled 5.4% from its intraday peak and Nasdaq 100 futures plunged 6.7% from its intraday high. The 3,900 and 12,000 levels are the key levels to watch on the downside in S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures respectively. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Shares traded in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen declined on the back of the worst day in more than two years last night in US equities, with Hang Seng Index at -2.6% and CSI 300 -1.2%. Among the top losers, Techtronic Industries (00669:xhkg) plunged 10.6%, Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg), Bilibili (09626:xhkg) and Baidu (09888:xhkg) dropped more than 5%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) slid about 4%. Tencent (000700:xhkg), -1.4%, had an educational game being approved under a company controlled by Tencent’s executives including co-founder Pony Ma. This is the first time Tencent got a game approval this year though being an educational game, it will unlikely be a significant money-making title. CNOOC (00883:xhkg) and COSCO Shipping Energy outperformed, rising 2%-3%. A typhoon is approaching Shanghai and Ningbo causing major container ports in Shanghai and Ningbo to suspend operations. USD rips back higher – suddenly threatening cycle top after CPI data After the shocking August CPI number from the US yesterday, the US dollar soared higher, taking EURUSD all the way back below parity after nearly trading 1.0200 earlier this week. Elsewhere, the USD was universally higher, with a pair like AUDUSD slamming all the way to the low 0.6700's and therefore not far from the cycle low, while NZDUSD actually posted a cycle low, and GBPUSD trading south of 1.1500 after trading north of 1.1700. Moves by the Bank of Japan and verbal intervention from the Japanese Ministry of Finance helped temper the USD move this morning (more below). Now the focus shifts to next week's FOMC meeting, where the market is now pricing the rising risk that the FOMC could hike 100 basis points. JPY takes a stab at resilience on the anticipation of intervention The Bank of Japan carried out a “rate check” in the FX market, which is widely seen as a precursor for actual market intervention. This tamed the USDJPY move higher from sub-142.00 levels to nearly 145, as the gains were pared back to 144.00, with the JPY also firmer broadly. Finance Minister Suzuki said nothing could be ruled out in response to the weakening JPY and that if the current trend persisted, stepping into markets is an option. But as past experience has shown, intervention often only creates temporary volatility if the underlying issue is not addressed - in this case, the Bank of Japan's insistence on maintaining very low rates and controlling yields out to 10 years. If yields continue to rise globally, Japanese officialdom will have an enormous and likely unwinnable fight on its hands if the Bank of Japan fails to change its policy. Gold (XAUUSD), Silver (XAGUSD) and copper (COPPERUSDEC22) ... all tumbled following the stronger than expected US CPI print, thereby reversing some of the recent weak dollar-led gains. Prior to the release copper had been on a tear reaching $3.7/lb as the LME market continued to signal the tightest market conditions since November on increased demand from China. Gold trades near $1700 and close to the current floor around $1680 after the CPI print strengthened the view the FOMC will have to remain hawkish and continue to aggressively hike rates. However, the risk to economic growth while inflation remains stubbornly high may bring back worries about stagflation, a development that may lend support to investment metals. Continued focus on the dollar and the markets pricing of future inflation expectations. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Crude oil traded higher on Tuesday before the hotter-than-expected US CPI print helped send most commodity prices, including oil, lower on fears aggressive rate hikes could curb demand. Earlier the market traded up after OPEC maintained their 2023 outlook for a 2.7 million barrel per day increase in global demand. The EIA delivered the same message last week and the IEA is likely to do the same today when their monthly oil market report is released. Developments that highlight the current discrepancy between the (lower) price action and what these major forecasters are seeing. A recovery later in the day was supported by the Biden admin saying it will consider starting refilling strategic reserves when WTI falls below $80. Ahead of today’s EIA stock report, the API reported a 6m bbl crude stock build, a 3.2m bbl drop in gasoline and 1.8m bbl build in distillates. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) Treasury yields jumped yesterday on the shocking August US CPI data, with the yield curve flattening aggressively as the hot data point saw the market rushing to price in the risk of more aggressive moves to counter inflation at coming meetings. The 10-year yield was taken back toward the cycle top from mid-June at 3.50%. A further rise above this yield level will continue to drive the risk of weaker sentiment and USD strength. What is going on? US August CPI shocks with high core inflation reading The headline US CPI data came in slightly above expectations, with a year-on-year reading of 8.3% vs. 8.1% expected and a month-on-month reading of +0.1% vs. -0.1% expected, a real surprise given sharp drops of late in gasoline prices. But the real shock was the core Ex Food and Energy inflation reading of +0.6% month-on-month, twice what was expected. This triggered an enormous slide in risk sentiment as the market rushed to price the risk that the FOMC might hike as much as 100 basis points next week. As of this morning, about 85 basis points is priced for the meeting. The grains sector maintained a bid on Tuesday ... while most other commodities took a tumble after the US CPI print once again raised concerns about aggressive growth and demand killing rate hikes. With demand being relatively constant the grains sector held up well as the sector continued to focus on supply risks and dwindling inventories. The US Department of Agriculture this week slashed its estimates for soybean supplies from the US, the second-largest producer after Brazil where a lingering “triple-dip” La Nina repeat could bring dry conditions in the coming months. In addition, wheat exports have been cut because of the war in Ukraine, and there’s uncertainty over Ukraine’s grain export corridor after criticism from Putin. Inditex 1H revenue beats estimate The Spanish fashion retailer delivered first-half revenue of €14.9bn vs est. €14.6bn on top of delivering EBITDA margin of 27.1% vs est. 26.8%. Inditex reiterates guidance of online sales exceeding 30% of revenue by 2024. New lockdowns in China Two cities around Beijing announced lockdowns due to Covid risks. Shijiazhuang (over 2.3 million inhabitants) asked all residents of Yuhua district to work from home for a period of three days (expected to end on Friday morning). Sanhe (around 440,000 inhabitants) implemented a full lockdown of its entire population at least until Saturday morning. This underscores the supply chain risks during the winter period in the event China experiences a bigger Covid outbreak. UK August CPI comes in slightly above expectations at core UK inflation came in at 9.9% on the headline versus a slightly higher print expected, but the core inflation level rose to a new cycle high of 6.3%, just above the 6.2% expected. Price pressures are likely to remain elevated this month as well, despite some softening in fuel prices, as food and services costs continue to rise. Further gains in inflation can be expected in October, but the capping of household energy bills may help to soothe inflationary pressures thereafter. Cheniere was the one shining light on Wall Street overnight Cheniere, the US’ biggest LNG exporter, saw its shares rise 3.1% yesterday while markets saw a sea of red when US inflation data came out higher than expected. The highlights the fact that energy companies can and have been able to outperform the market. The largest US exporter of liquefied natural gas boosted its full-year 2022 profit forecast beyond analysts’ expectations as shipments are already set to depart their dock sooner than anticipated. What are we watching next? Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting on 15-16 September This the first time since 2019 that Asian leaders are meeting in person in a bigger strategic forum. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are officially joining the summit and India’s Modi is expected to join as well. Given the recent military success in Ukraine, the pressures are mounting on Russia and Putin Ethereum merger will draw attention The Ethereum blockchain’s much-anticipated software upgrade, the so-called Merge, is expected to take place tomorrow morning, according to its core developers. The new system, known as "proof-of-stake", will slash the Ethereum blockchain's energy consumption by 99.9%, developers say. Most blockchains, including Bitcoin's, devour large amounts of energy, sparking criticism from some investors and environmentalists. The merge could make Ethereum more favourable to pension funds and other institutional investors that are under the scanner for environmental concerns, but there is also come skepticism on how scalable Ethereum could become and if it becomes more susceptible to attacks by hackers. France is expected to enter a recession next year Barclays is the first major international bank to forecast a recession in France next year (2023 GDP growth at minus 0.7 %). This is highly likely, in our view. But it is certainly too early to assess the depth of the recession at this stage. It will depend on the evolution of the energy crisis and the risk of energy rationing. Forecasting is always a complicated task. This is even more complicated now due to the elevated level of uncertainty regarding the short-term economic path. Expect other European countries to enter a recession next year (the United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary etc.). Earnings to watch Inditex has already reported before the European equity market opens (read earnings review above), so the next earnings release in focus is Adobe tomorrow. Analysts expect revenue growth of 12.6% y/y with operating margin jumping back again following cost reduction exercises. The key risks for Adobe are the strong USD, falling technology spending, and lower advertising growth lowering demand for content creation. Today: Inditex Thursday: Polestar Automotive, Adobe Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – IEA's monthly Oil Market Report 0900 - Eurozone Jul. Industrial Production 1230 - US Aug. PPI 1230 - Canada Jul. Manufacturing Sales 1430 - US DoE Weekly Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1430 - ECB's Villeroy to speak 2245 - New Zealand Q2 GDP 2350 - Japan Aug. Trade Balance 0120 - China Rate Announcement 0130 - Australia Aug. Employment Data  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-14-2022-14092022
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    How Did The US Inflation Print Affect Tech Stocks? Check Apple Stock, Amazon And Other Companies' Reaction

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 14.09.2022 16:41
    META stock falls over 9% on Tuesday in a market meltdown. Nasdaq is down 5%, and S&P 500 is down 4% by comparison. Meta Platforms underperforms markedly versus main indices. Meta Platforms (META) stock fell sharply on Tuesday as the market digested the US CPI print. A higher than expected number led to a sharp sell-off in equities with all the main indices closing sharply lower. However, tech took the biggest brunt of the selling with Apple and Alphabet down 6%, amazon down 7%, and Meta Platforms down a whopping 9%. Meta Platforms stock news Why the big divergence from big tech? Usually, these are seen as haven plays. All are supposed to be cash generative. The problem is big tech is generally seen as having the most to lose from higher interest rates. This may be true for some but not all. The higher the growth rate of a stock, then the bigger effect a change in interest rates has on its performance. That is why FAANG was such an outsized performer during the Fed juiced says of monetary stimulus post-pandemic. Higher growth rates get discounted by the prevailing rate of interest. If those interest rates are forecast to rise, then the present value calculation gets reduced. Adding to tech pressure and especially for the aforementioned companies is the strength of the US dollar. These are global companies, many of whom generate more than half of their revenues in overseas currencies. When that overseas currency depreciates (think euro, yen, GBP, etc.), then all of a sudden those foreign revenues are worth less in dollar terms. This affects revenues and leads to the hilarious lines we see in corporate earnings reports – "in constant currency". When are currencies ever constant? Adding to the sentiment of Meta stock this morning is news that South Korea has fined it and Alphabet (GOOGL) over violation of privacy laws, according to Reuters. Meta Platforms stock forecast META is just on massive support at around $154. Breaking this, the next level is the pandemic low at $137. The double top at $184 keeps a lid on bulls, and only a break there begins to look interesting for the bearish narrative to end. META stock chart, daily
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    On The New York Stock Exchange, The Securities Rose Yesterday

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 15.09.2022 08:46
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.10%, the S&P 500 rose 0.34%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.74%. Chevron Corp was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 3.86 points or 2.42% to close at 163.27. Quotes Johnson & Johnson rose by 3.33 points (2.06%), ending trading at 164.66. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.36 points or 1.59% to close at 86.95. The losers were shares of Honeywell International Inc, which lost 5.01 points or 2.71% to end the session at 179.97. 3M Company was up 2.44% or 2.94 points to close at 117.53, while Dow Inc was down 1.67% or 0.80 points to close at 47.07. . Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components in today's trading were Coterra Energy Inc, which rose 7.22% to hit 32.23, APA Corporation, which gained 6.72% to close at 41.74, and shares of Moderna Inc, which rose 6.17% to end the session at 139.40. The biggest losers were Nucor Corp, which shed 11.31% to close at 120.71. Shares of Centene Corp lost 6.79% to end the session at 83.92. Quotes of DISH Network Corporation decreased in price by 6.27% to 17.18. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Avenue Therapeutics Inc, which rose 53.87% to hit 0.36, Aileron Therapeutics Inc, which gained 38.49% to close at 0.27, and also shares of Dawson Geophysical Company, which rose 41.44% to close the session at 1.57. The biggest losers were Neurobo Pharmaceuticals Inc, which shed 43.61% to close at 16.86. Shares of Vintage Wine Estates Inc shed 40.33% to end the session at 3.30. Quotes of Aditx Therapeutics Inc decreased in price by 38.22% to 11.43. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,578) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,506), while quotes of 124 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,956 stocks fell, 1,770 rose, and 254 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 4.07% to 26.16. Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.63%, or 10.90, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures rose 1.68%, or 1.47, to $88.78 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery rose 1.23%, or 1.15, to $94.32 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.08% to 1.00, while USD/JPY fell 0.97% to hit 143.15. Futures on the USD index fell 0.15% to 109.36.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-16 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/292844
    Gold's Hedge Appeal Shines Amid Economic Uncertainty and Fed's Soft-Landing Challenge

    Yen's (JPY) Lack Of Conviction For Strength, Meeting Of President Xi And President Putin, Australia’s Employment Data

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.09.2022 10:00
    Summary:  Some respite in US equities last night, amid bottom hunting and a cooler US PPI report. UK CPI also eased from record highs, but there is nothing that could change the downtrend that remains in place globally. The USD remained steady despite threats of direct intervention by the Bank of Japan and downplaying of the 7-handle by Chinese authorities. Oil prices jumped on hopes of easing restrictions in parts of China. Focus today on Australia’s jobs report which could guide the path of rate hikes from here, but also key to watch will be the Xi-Putin meeting and how the geopolitical situation develops. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) clawed back from an intraday sell off on Wednesday US equity markets rebounded in late trade on Wednesday after an intraday sell off. The S&P 500 ended up 0.3%, Nasdaq 100 up 0.8%. Hedge funds did some buying in the technology space, but it wasn’t enough the significantly move the needle. The most gains were seen in the Oil and Gas sector with Energy stocks rising the most after the crude oil price rebounded 2%. The Consumer discretionary followed higher. The bearish tone remains in equities with the market toying with the idea that the Fed will raise rates by 100bps (1%). In fact there is a 25% chance the Fed will raise rates by 1% at their meeting next week. Regardless of how high they hike, 0.75% or 1%, the technical picture looks bearish as well. The S&P 500 may head back to test support at around 3,738 and June lows at 3,636. Noteworthy US market moves Moderna (MRNA:xnas) gained 6.2% after the company said it is open to selling Covid vaccines to China. Starbucks (SBUX:xnas) rose 5.5% after the company raised its sales and profit outlook, expecting 7%-9% p.a. comparable sales growth and 15-20% earnings growth over the next three years. Twilio (TWLO:xnys) jumped 10% after announcing a plan to cut 11% of its workforce. Shares of railroad operators dropped on probable labor strike, Union Pacific (UNP:xnys) -3.7%, CSX (CSX:xnas) -1%. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The flattening went on for a second day in a row as traders took to their hearts that the Fed would be hawkish for the rest of the year and the odds for cracking the economy down the road increased. While 2-year to 10-year yields climbed 2 to 4 basis points, the yield of the 30-year long bond continued to slide and finished the session 6bps lower at 3.45%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Shares traded in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen declined on the back of the U.S. stocks’ worst day in more than two years, Hang Seng Index -2.5%, CSI 300 -1.1%. Industrials, semiconductors, and healthcare were among the top losers, Techtronic Industries (00669:xhkg) -10.0%, Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) -5.7%, Wuxi Biologics (02269:xhkg) -4.9%, BeiGene (06160:xhkg) -4.5%. Tech hardware stocks declined following a 31.2% YoY falls in China’s smartphone shipments in July, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) -4.2%, Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) -3.3%. China internet stocks traded weak, Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) -2.8%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg) -5.2%, Baidu (09888:xhkg) -5.7%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) -4.2%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) -4.1%. Fosun (00656:xhkg) tumbled 6.9% on unconfirmed reports claiming that a couple of Chinese regulators had told investors to review their equity and credit exposures to Fosun.  Bank of Japan’s rate-checking: a precursor to direct intervention or just more of verbal intervention? Even as the USD stayed firm overnight, USDJPY retreated from near-145 levels to 143 amid fears of potential FX intervention by Japanese authorities. On Wednesday, the BOJ conducted a so-called rate check in the market, asking for an indicative price at which it could buy yen, a move widely seen as a precursor to intervention. Both the finance minister and the nation’s top currency official also warned that all options were on the table. Japan last intervened to buy the yen in 1998.The 145-level is becoming the tolerance limit for Japanese authorities, but real intervention lack so far and only volatility goes up as threats ramp up. Yen lacks conviction for strength due to fundamental weakness stemming from yield differential with the US. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices gained momentum overnight and remained steady in early Asian hours amid reports of the White House looking at refilling its strategic reserves at around $80/barrel. EIA’s weekly inventory report was mixed, with a large build in crude oil and a fall in gasoline. WTI futures rose above $88/barrel while Brent was above $94. Demand side factors also saw a modest improvement with Chinese city of Chengdu looking at easing restrictions from today. However, a looming rail strike in the US is likely to cause some disruption in the commodity markets.   What to consider? US core PPI hotter-than-expected US August PPI relieved some of the pressures seen from the CPI report a day earlier with the headline still in negative territory at -0.1% m/m (exp. -0.1%; prev. -0.4%) and slightly softer on a y/y basis at 8.7% (exp. +8.8%; prev. +9.8%). Core measure however beat expectations at 0.4% m/m (exp. +0.3%; prev. +0.3%) and 7.3% y/y (exp. +7.1%; prev. +7.7%). Lower energy prices helped to cool the headline print, and this may mean somewhat softer CPI prints in the coming months, but still inflation remains uncomfortably higher than the Fed’s 2% target. UK CPI cools but no relief for BOE UK inflation eased slightly to come in at 9.9% y/y (prev. 10.1%, exp. 10.0%) and 0.5% m/m (prev. 0.6%, exp. 0.6%), but it isn’t enough to call for a peak in inflation yet. Prime Minister Liz Truss announced plans to freeze an increase in energy bills due to hit in October, a move economists say will reduce the severity of a further spike in prices this winter. Even with those measures, inflation will remain above the BOE’s 2% goal well into next year. President Xi and President Putin are expected to meet in person for first time since February On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in Uzbekistan today and tomorrow, President Xi and President Putin are expected to meet up for the first time after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Analysts are expecting the two leaders to discuss the sale of Russian oil and natural gas to China and the use of the rubble and the renminbi to settle bilateral trade, in addition to their positions regarding the respective core interest of each side, i.e. Ukraine and Taiwan.  Newswires suggest that the US is considering sanctions on China A Reuters story citing an anonymous source suggests that the U.S. is considering options for a sanctions package against China as part of its attempts to deter China from taking military actions against Taiwan. The story further says that the European Union is under pressure to follow suit.  China’s state-owned media downplayed the importance of the 7-handle in the Yuan State-owned China Securities Journal downplayed the importance of whether the renminbi breaks 7 the figure or not and says that there is no basis for the renminbi to depreciate in the long run. Australia’s jobs data out today will be watched closely by the RBA, when determining how much to rise rates by in October Today’s employment data is expected to show Australia’s unemployment rate remained at 50-year lows, at 3.4% in August. The RBA will also be watching to see how much employment changed in August. In July employment fell from its record high, with 41,000 jobs lost. As for today’s figures to watch; Bloomberg’s survey of economists expect 35,000 jobs to have been added last month. If more jobs are added than expected, you may see a selloff in growth sectors, such as technology, consumer discretionary and property as the RBA will have more room to hike rates. Inversely, employment falls and or unemployment rises, the RBA will have less room to hike and as such you may see an equity rally. Currently RBA interest rate futures expect rates to rise by 0.25% next month. For those watching currency markets, keep in mind the AUDUSD is being pressured to 2-year lows. However if data is stronger than expected, you may see a short lived-knee jerk rally the AUDUSD.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-15-sept-2022-15092022
    Stocks to keep an eye on in the second half of 2023

    Energy Prices Remain Very Volatile, Activities In The Markets

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 15.09.2022 10:31
    US equities eked out small gains yesterday as dip buyers timidly came in, but risks remain tilted to the downside with the disappointing inflation figures, and the risk of the largest rail strike in the US since 1992. Crude Oil Prices Released yesterday, the US producer price data didn’t enchant investors. The headline figure fell for the second consecutive month but the core PPI strengthened, hinting that most of the easing in producer inflation was due to cheaper energy prices – which however remain very volatile, and which, more importantly carries a decent upside risk. The barrel of American crude flirted with the $90 mark yesterday, without however being able to clear resistance at this level. Energy companies gained despite news that Europeans are looking to raise $140 billion euros from energy companies to help households and businesses survive through winter. The situation on the stock market The S&P500 recover a part of losses yesterday, as Nasdaq gained 0.84%. But the risks remain clearly tilted to the downside. The US dollar remains relatively strong near the 20-year highs, the EURUSD consolidates below parity as gold slipped back below $1700 per ounce. The USDJPY retreated on expectation that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) could intervene to stop the yen’s depreciation. Ethereum trades around $1600 as Merger Upgrade is now imminent! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro0:24 Dip buyers return to a risky market2:31 US crude flirts with $90pb3:41 US rail strike risk weighs on sentiment4:55 Energy stocks rally despite EU measures to cope with crisis7:07 Gold under pressure7:50 BoJ could intervene to strengthen the yen8:52 Ethereum Merges today! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #PPI #inflation #rail #strike #USD #EUR #JPY #BoJ #rate #check #Gold #XAU #crude #oil #BP #XOM #Chevron #Coterra #windfall #taxes #energy #crisis #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Merge #update #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    US 20-City house prices decreased by 1.3% month-on-month

    Ethereum Is Waiting For Merge, Local Governments In China Are Supporting The Demand For Real Estate

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.09.2022 10:14
    Summary:  Yesterday’s session was a muted affair as the market picked up the pieces in the wake of Tuesday’s huge slide in the market after a hot US August CPI number. Tomorrow sees the expiry of options on trillions of notional value in equities and futures, which may have added to the volatility this week. The US dollar remains strong as surging US treasury yields threaten new multi-year highs ahead of the US August Retail Sales release later today.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities are scratching around after the enormous sell-off triggered by the hot US CPI release on Tuesday. Some of the scale of the volatility on Tuesday could be due to options exposures, as options of trillions of dollars on notional equities and futures expire on Friday. If the US August Retail Sales release today leads to even higher yields, stocks could find themselves under renewed pressure. The technical focus is on the recent pivot lower just below 3,900 in the S&P 500 and the 12,000 area low in the Nasdaq 100 index.  USD strength continues, threatens cycle highs A bit of consolidation yesterday in USD pairs after the huge comeback strengthening move in the US dollar in the wake of the Tuesday US August CPI release, but the USD rallied anew from late yesterday and overnight, with the action pinned near the cycle highs in some USD pairs, such as USDSEK, USDNOK and NZDUSD, but elsewhere with a bit of range left to play with. The August Retail Sales release today should garner attention as a strong number could underline the risk of higher US yields and a Fed tightening cycle that extends longer and higher than currently expected if US consumers are getting a second wind after the shock of higher gasoline prices has eased notably since the beginning of the summer. USDJPY has rebounded from yesterday’s lows as traders treat JPY crosses with care, knowing that new highs in the key USDJPY pair are likely to bring actual market intervention from the Bank of Japan/Ministry of Finance. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades below $1700 and close to an area around $1680 that has provided support on several occasions during the past two years. The yellow metal turned lower after Tuesday’s CPI shocker raised the prospect of a one percent rate hike next week and a terminal Fed Funds target rate around 4.5% (up 2% from the current level) before March next year. Developments and speculation that continue to underpin the dollar while undermining dollar denominated commodities, such as precious and industrial metals. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Crude oil trades sideways with the stronger dollar and expectations for higher US rates hurting the prospect for future demand being offset by news that China’s Chengdu, locked down for weeks, plans to ease measures. The impact of China’s zero-Covid tolerance strategy this year has led to the biggest drop in oil demand in more than three decades according to the IEA. In their latest monthly oil market report, they predicted a continued slowdown in global demand ahead of year-end before accelerating to rise by 2.7 million barrels a day in 2023. Oil market tightness at the beginning of 2023 would be led by a potential 1.9 million barrels Year on year drop in Russian production by February due to sanctions. US natural gas US natural gas trades back above $9 per MMBtu and up 13% on the week as a looming rail strike (see below) would reduce supplies of coal, forcing power generators to rely more heavily on natural gas at a time where demand for cooling remains elevated due to expectations for hotter-than-normal weather across the Midwest and Eastern parts of the US. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US 10-year yields are now pinned at the highs for the cycle near 3.50% ahead of today’s US August Retail Sales release. Interesting to see how the market treats a strong data point – with a deepening inversion as the market prices a more aggressive Fed (as happened on the surprisingly strong CPI release Tuesday) or with the entire curve lifting. Exceptionally weak data would also be interesting as it would challenge the rising yields trend/narrative. What is going on? U.S. inflation remains broad-based The producer price index (PPI) dipped 0.1 % month-over-month in August. This reflects cheaper gasoline prices (minus 13 % in August compared to July) and to a lesser extent lower freight costs. However, less volatile elements of the index rose more than expected. The core price index was up 0.4 % on a monthly basis. The numbers like those seen in Tuesday’s US CPI report confirm that U.S. inflation is still broad-based and inflation pressures are unbroken. This opens the door to a new interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. The majority of the market expects a 75 basis point hike but a minority (between 10 % and 20 % of market participants depending on which indicators we monitor) bet on a 100 basis point hike in the cards. Chinese cities move to boost housing demand Local governments across China have moved to encourage property demand after the Chinese central government called for measures to ease the crisis. Some 120 have loosened restrictions on funds for property purchases. This news supported beleaguered Chinese developers’ stocks in trading on Thursday. Ethereum Merge The second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, is very close to its expected Merge, scheduled to be within the next hour. Ethereum will go through a major upgrade which fundamentally changes the way that transactions are validated on the blockchain, and it will reduce the energy consumption for running the network with around 99.95%. What are we watching next? Looming rail worker strike in the United States The two largest railroad trade unions said they will strike if the ongoing negotiations with employers about higher salaries and better work conditions fail. The strike could start as early as tomorrow and could have a very negative impact on the U.S. economy. Estimates suggest this could cost the economy nearly $2bn per day. In the United States, rail freight represents almost a third of the total domestic freight. Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting today and tomorrow This is the first time since 2019 that Asian leaders are meeting in person in a bigger strategic forum. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are officially joining the summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and India’s Modi is expected to join as well. Given the recent Ukrainian military success against Russia, the pressures are mounting on Russia and Putin, which will test a Russian-China "friendship” that at a meeting of Xi and Putin during the Beijing Olympics and just ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was declared to be “entering a new era” and “without limits”.  Earnings to watch Today, focus is firmly on Adobe’s earnings report today after the close. The company has seen a wild ride in recent years, pumped to remarkable heights by late 2021 due to its steady solid growth and high profitability with a backdrop of seemingly ever falling yields, only to see the share price crushed in half since its 2021 peak, first due to the seismic shift higher in yields, but compounded by faltering growth rates for the company starting two quarters ago. Today: Polestar Automotive, Adobe Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone Jul. Trade Balance 0915 – ECB's Guindos to speak 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – US Sep. Empire Manufacturing 1230 – US Aug. Retail Sales 1430 – EIA's Natural Gas Storage Change  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-15-2022-15092022
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    Falls On The New York Stock Exchange, Who Lost The Most?

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 16.09.2022 08:17
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.56% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 1.13% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.43%. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was the top performer in the Dow Jones Index today, up 13.14 points or 2.58% to close at 522.91. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 1.75 points or 1.51% to close at 117.87. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose 4.36 points or 1.33% to close at 331.62. The losers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 5.50 points or 3.43% to end the session at 154.78. Microsoft Corporation was up 2.71% or 6.84 points to close at 245.38, while Visa Inc Class A was down 2.03% or 4.04 points to close at 195. .37. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Humana Inc, which rose 8.37% to 497.24, Wynn Resorts Limited, which gained 7.48% to close at 65.23, and shares of Paramount Global Class B, which rose 5.16% to close the session at 23.05. The losers were Adobe Systems Incorporated, which shed 16.79% to close at 309.13. Shares of Albemarle Corp shed 6.49% to end the session at 286.75. West Pharmaceutical Services Inc lost 5.91% to 273.63. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Heartbeam Inc, which rose 85.60% to hit 2.32, Neurobo Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 47.21% to close at 24.82, and shares of Nabriva Therapeutics AG, which rose 40.65% to end the session at 0.27. The drop leaders were Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Inc, which shed 55.65% to close at 16.63. Shares of Eloxx Pharmaceuticals Inc lost 40.97% to end the session at 0.22. Quotes Color Star Technology Co Ltd fell in price by 39.54% to 0.07. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2188) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (909), and quotes of 125 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1991 stocks fell, 1759 rose, and 265 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.42% to 26.27. Gold futures for December delivery lost 2.08%, or 35.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 3.84%, or 3.40, to $85.08 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 3.56%, or 3.35, to $90.75 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.20% to 1.00, while USD/JPY was up 0.23% to hit 143.48. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.06% to 109.44.     Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-17 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/293021
    Steady BoE Rate Expectations Amid Empty Event Calendar in the UK

    China Is Ready To Work With Russia, Ethereum Merge Successfully Completed

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.09.2022 09:58
    Summary:  U.S. equity markets declined again on the economic good news which added to investors’ worries about more and for longer rate hikes from the Fed. The Chinese Yuan weakened and broke the 7-handle. China's August activity data is scheduled to release today. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) face further pressure as US eco news brightens        US equities closed lower on Thursday with the S&P500 losing 1.1% taking its weekly loss to almost 4%, while the Nasdaq fell 1.4%, losing 4.6% across the week, with both major indices eroding last week’s gain. Investors are growing cautious, as new economic data gives the Fed room to raise rates, and keep them higher for longer to control inflation. Retail sales unexpectedly rose in August, showing consumer spending is far from collapsing and jobless claims fell for the fifth straight week, suggesting employers worker demand remains healthy despite an uncertain outlook. For the market to turn around, it will need to see earnings multiples expand, as that supports share price growth. And we need to see earnings per share move up from a decline, to growth. But if the Fed keeps hiking rates, and the energy crisis continues, this scenario means tech stock earnings multiples are likely to see earnings per share (EPS) growth pressure. On the flip side, EPS in energy continues to gain momentum. Big movers in US shares Adobe shares fell 17%, weighing on the Nasdaq and S&P 500 after the software giant announced $20 billion deal to buy design start up Figma. The weakness flowed through to other tech stocks, with Apple shedding 1.9% and Salesforce sliding 3.4%. Meanwhile oil stocks also copped selling after the WTI oil price fell below $86 after the US announced it would restock oil reserves but without a trigger price. Bank stocks were a bright spot, with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan rising more than 1% apiece. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The U.S. short-end yields continued to charge higher, 2-year yields up 7bps to finish the session at 3.86%, flattening the 2-10 year curve to -42bps, as the 10-year yields up 5bps to 3.44%.  The 30-year yields, however remained well anchored at 3.47%, up only 1bp and not far from the pre-CPI release levels. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index edged up by 0.4%, helped by the rise in Chinese developers, while the CSI 300 dropped by 0.9%.  Securities Times reported that more than 120 cities have relaxed providence fund policies to boost the local property markets and other media reported that a large number of cities had loosened home purchase restrictions.  Country Garden (02007:xhkg) surged by 8.7% followed by Guangzhou R&F (02777:xhkg) up 8.6%, CIFI (00884:xhkg) up 7%, China Resources Land (01109:xhkg) up 4.9%, and China Overseas Land & Investment (00688:xhkg) up 4%. Catering names gained on news that Chengdu was relaxing its lockdown, Xiabuxiabu (00520:xhkg) up 5.5%.  Li Auto (02015:xhkg) fell 2.3% as the President of the company reduced his shareholding. EV names overall were also pressured by the news that China’s ambassador to the U.S. warned against the potential risks of the US trying to cut China off the EV supply chains.  Solar names were down following reports about the European Union was going to ban manufactured goods with forced labour in them and raised concerns about much of China’s solar products originated from Xinjiang. Australia’s ASX200 The ASX200 is on tracking lower this week, after losing 0.7% Monday to Thursday with the technical indicators suggesting the market is likely to head lower from here and it could retest the lows set in June. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. We saw commodity stocks march up this week, with coal companies Coronado Global rising 13%, New Hope up 5%. It’s also worth noting these are some of this year’s best performing stocks on the ASX, with Coronado up 82%, New Hope up 182%, while the coal giant Whitehaven is up 266% YTD, supported by the coal price hitting new highs this week, as well as the coal futures price. Meanwhile, with crop prices likely to go higher amid La Nina, Agri business Elders rose 4%. Elsewhere, technical buying picked up in oil and gas companies including Woodside, supporting its shares rise ~4%, with Beach Energy following. USDCNH breaks above 7 handle USDCNH broke 7.00 and the markets is expecting little reactions from the PBOC given the latest state-owned media’s effort to downplay the importance of the 7-handle. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices slumped overnight as demand concerns came back into the focus. The International Energy Agency said that China faces its biggest annual drop in demand in more than three decades as COVID-19 lockdowns weigh on growth. Oil demand could fall by 420kb/d, or 2.7% this year. This led to the IEA trimming its estimate of global demand. It now sees consumption rising by only 2mb/d. Further, supply situation also seemed to fluctuate with the US Department of Energy walking back on its SPR refill stance by saying that it didn’t include a strike price (that was said to be around $80/barrel) and it isn’t likely to occur until after fiscal 2023. WTI futures fell below $85/barrel while Brent futures touched lows of $90/barrel. Oil technical levels to watch For traders and investors, for WTI to reverse its downtrend, it needs to close above resistance at $97.66, which is what our technical analyst pointed out here. So the next level for you to watch, is if it breaks above $90.40, it would signal an uptrend, for this to occur, the market will need good news, perhaps even bright news from China, the biggest oil consumer. Regardless, right now, oil is in a bear trend and if it closes below $81.20 the bear run-lower could be extend to $78.48-$74.27. Gold (XAUUSD) The yellow metal saw a drop to $1,660/oz down more than 2% to over 2-year lows, amid expectations of more aggressive rate hikes by the Fed as strong US economic data underpinned. Markets are now pricing in a more than 75bps rate hike by the Fed at the September meeting, and a terminal rate of ~4.5%. What to consider? Mixed US data, but further upward pricing of the Fed rate path US retail sales saw the headline rising 0.3% m/m in August (exp -0.1%, prev -0.4%) but the core retail sales print was weaker than expected at -0.3% m/m (exp 0%, prev 0.0%). The slower retail spending does reflect the current slowdown in goods spending despite services remining strong and supporting the overall consumer strength in the US. Meanwhile, initial jobless claims were lower than expected at 213K (exp 226K, prev 218K). That is the lowest since early June and the 5th consecutive decline (the high reached 262K), suggesting that labor markets still remain tight. Regional Fed indices offset each other The regional Fed indices on manufacturing gave contrasting signals with the Philly Fed index falling -9.9 vs +2.8, but the Empire improving markedly to -1.5 vs -13.0 estimate. For both indices, the prices paid components did fall and has moved markedly lower over the last few months, but still remains with a positive number (i.e., more businesses reporting higher prices vs lower prices). For the Philly Fed, the price paid came in at 29.8 v 43.6. For the Empire, the prices paid came in at 39.6 vs 55.5. Australia’s latest economic news shows employment growth is slowing with the jobless rate rising for the first time in 10 months; giving the RBA less room to hike rates Australia’s unemployment rate unexpectedly rose in August, rising from 3.4% to 3.5% with less jobs being added to economy than expected (33,500 instead of the 35,000). Given employment has fallen from its 50-year peak, and job growth is slowing, the RBA effectively has a solid barrier in its way preventing it from rapidly rising rates over the coming months, with room of a 0.5% hike being taken off the table. For equity investors, this supports risk-appetite slightly increasing in the banking sector, given employment nears its peak and credit might not be squeezed as hard as feared, thus property price growth also might not continue to fall as rapidly as forecast. For currency traders, the AUDUSD sharply fell from its intraday high (0.6769) and now faces pressure back to two-year lows, where support is at 0.61358, implying it may fall 10%. Further to that, the currency pair faces downside simply as the market is pricing in 0.25% RBA hike next month, versus the more aggressive US Fed Reserve’s hike potentially being 100bps (or 1%) next week. Slower export growth, power shortage, and pandemic controls would probably have taken their toll on China’s August activity data China’s activity data for August, scheduled to release today, would probably be at risk of missing the median forecasts in the Bloomberg survey, which has industrial production at 3.8% YoY in August (vs 3.8% YoY in July), retail sales at 3.2% YoY in August (vs 2.7% YoY in July), and fixed asset investment year-to-date 5.5% YoY (vs 5.7% YoY). The heatwave-induced power shortage caused disruption to industrial production in Sichuan. The heatwave might have also caused delays in infrastructure construction which was largely outdoor and offset some of the positive impacts of accelerated credit extension. The pandemic control measures affected the manufacturing and export hub of the city of Yiwu in Zhejiang province in August. The much weaker expected export growth data for August released last week and the continuously weak data in the property market also pointed to potentially downside surprises to these forecasts.  While a favourable base effect and stronger auto sales in August could have boosted retail sales, tightened pandemic control measures might have damped catering and other services and dragged down retail sales growth.  Russian President Putin said he appreciated China’s “balanced position” on Ukraine President Xi and President Putin met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in Uzbekistan.  The Russian president said he values China’s “balanced position” on Ukraine and he backs the latter’s “One China” principle and opposes “provocations” by the U.S. on the issue of Taiwan.  On the other hand, the readout released by China only did not touch on Ukraine.  As in the readout, Xi told Putin that “China is ready to work with Russia in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests”. China’s State Council reiterated support for the economy and opening up trade and investment In a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, China’s State Council rolled out an additional RMB200 billion relending quota to support key industries in the real economy and pledged to support international trade and open up to foreign investment. Ethereum Merge – a new chapter in crypto Yesterday, the second-largest cryptocurrency Ethereum successfully underwent its merge from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. From consuming around 0.2% of the world’s electricity, Ethereum now consumes a fraction of that. Our Crypto analyst calls it a new chapter not only for Ethereum but crypto in general. Read more here.    For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-16-sept-2022-16092022
    EM Index Inclusions and Exclusions: India Thrives, Egypt Faces Challenges

    The Markets Are Concentrated On Inflation, Crude Oil Is Down

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 16.09.2022 10:24
    US railroad companies and the unions representing their workers reached a tentative agreement early Thursday to prevent a rail strike in the US. Avoiding a rail strike is good news, but not good enough to give a smile to investors. The markets remain too focused on inflation. Increases and decreases The S&P500 closed the session more than 1% lower, as US retail sales and jobless claims – which both hinted that the US economy remains relatively resilient to the Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hikes - didn’t help keeping the Fed hawks at bay. The US 2-year yield spiked to 3.90%, the mortgage rates in the US topped 6%, the US dollar consolidated a touch below the 110 level, Ethereum lost 10% and gold dived to $1660 per ounce. US crude took a good 4% dive. But this time, it wasn’t just the recession talk, it was because the Americans rectified a beginner’s mistake that they have made earlier this week, saying that they will refill their strategic oil reserves if prices fall below $80 per barrel. Waiting For Reports We will likely close this week on a sour note. Next on the economic calendar are the final European CPI read, which will confirm that inflation spiked to 9.1% in August, and the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment, which will hopefully not print a significantly positive number, because the Fed hawks got strong enough the week before the Fed decision. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 US rail strike will likely be avoided! 2:08 But sentiment remains sour on strong US data 3:57 World Bank points at recession 5:04 Crude oil down as Americans understand their mistake 6:41 Strong dollar weighs on major peers 6:55 Joke of the day 7:09 Ethereum down 10% post Merge upgrade 7:51 Adobe dives 17% on Figma acquisition 8:44 Watch EZ final CPI & UoM Consumer Sentiment today! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #rail #strike #inflation #USD #EUR #GBP #Gold #XAU #crude #oil #natgas #energy #crisis #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Merge #update #Bitcoin #Adobe #Figma #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    Fall Of Indices At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 19.09.2022 08:07
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.45% to hit a monthly low, the S&P 500 index fell 0.72%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.90%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Home Depot Inc, which gained 4.43 points (1.63%) to close at 275.97. Amgen Inc rose 3.48 points or 1.53% to close at 231.14. Johnson & Johnson rose 2.52 points or 1.53% to close at 167.60. The losers were Boeing Co shares, which fell 5.49 points or 3.67% to end the session at 144.29. Chevron Corp was up 2.60% or 4.17 points to close at 156.45, while Walt Disney Company was down 2.28% or 2.52 points to close at 108. 25. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Iron Mountain Incorporated, which rose 3.35% to hit 55.29, Newmont Goldcorp Corp, which gained 3.09% to close at 43.71, and also Dollar Tree Inc, which rose 2.89% to end the session at 141.92. The biggest losers were FedEx Corporation, which shed 21.40% to close at 161.02. Shares of WestRock Co lost 11.48% to end the session at 34.15. Quotes of International Paper fell in price by 11.21% to 35.23. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Panbela Therapeutics Inc, which rose 53.06% to hit 0.58, Applied Opt, which gained 50.40% to close at 3.76, and shares of Axcella Health Inc, which rose 29.57% to end the session at 2.41. The biggest losers were Aditx Therapeutics Inc, which shed 58.52% to close at 4.31. Shares of Esports Entertainment Group Inc lost 46.15% and ended the session at 0.18. Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Inc lost 45.94% to 8.99. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2294) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (816), and quotes of 121 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,586 stocks fell, 1,158 rose, and 233 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.11% to 26.30. Gold Futures for December delivery added 0.38%, or 6.35, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures rose 0.29%, or 0.25, to $85.35 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery rose 0.81%, or 0.74, to $91.58 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.10% to 1.00, while USD/JPY fell 0.40% to hit 142.95. Futures on the USD index fell 0.02% to 109.43.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-20 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/293169
    Gold's Hedge Appeal Shines Amid Economic Uncertainty and Fed's Soft-Landing Challenge

    Chengdu Returns To Normal Life, The Entry Of Genting Group Into The Competition

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.09.2022 08:30
    Summary:  Sentiment in U.S. equities has been dampened by rising expectations of larger rate hikes for the rest of the year and profit warnings and depressed remarks from the management of heavy-weight companies about their business outlook and the economy. All eyes are on the FOMC meeting this Wednesday. China’s August industrial production, retail sales, and infrastructure construction surprised on the upside but housing market activities and home prices remained sluggish. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) are looking bearish again US equities closed off the week with the biggest loss since January after heavy-weight companies were hit by a series of company earnings and guidance woes, with their pain being compounded by rising bond yields. S&P 500 was down 0.7% on Friday and down 4.8% for the week and Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.6% on Friday and 5.8% for the week, wiping out the prior week’s gains. The Nasdaq 100 is now down 29% from its November 2021 peak and the technical indicators on the monthly chart tend to suggest further downside ahead. Big US stock movers   Last week there were a number of industrial titans, first Dow Chemical (DOW:xnys), Eastman Chemical (EMN:xnys), Huntsman (HUN:xnys), Nucor (NUE:xnys), and capped with FedEx (FDX:xnys) warning about grim demand outlook.  FedEx only missed EPS for the August quarter massively but also cut its Nov quarter EPS guidance and completely withdrew the FY2023 guidance, citing significantly worsened macroeconomic trends both internationally and in the US. FedEX tumbled 21.4% on Friday. Amazon (AMZ:xnas) declined 2.2%, following FedEx’ warning. General Electric (GE:xnys) warned the supply chain pressure is having a negative impact on profits.  Uber (UBER:xnys) dropped 3.7% after the ride-hailing services provider following a major data breach in its computer network caused by a hacker.  Amazon (AMZ:xnas) declined 2.2%, being dragged down by the woes in FedEx.  Adobe (ADBE:xnas) slid another 3.1% on Friday and a massive 19.4% in two days since the software maker announced a USD20 billion offer to acquire Figma, collaborated product design platform at 100x of the latter’s recurring revenue. For more discussion on FedEx and Adobe, please refer to Peter Garny’s note here.  Last Friday, over USD3 trillion notional of options expired on Friday and S&P3900 puts traded about 95,000 contracts.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Trading in treasuries on Friday was mixed, with yields of -2-year and 10-year notes unchanged at 3.86% and 3.45% respectively as 5-year yields came off 3bps to 3.63%, and 30-year bonds underperformed for the first time during the week, seeing yield rising 4bps to 3.51%. Treasuries pared their early losses (higher yields) after the 5-10 year inflation expectations in the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey fell to 2.8%, the lowest since July 2021.  The underperformance in the 30-year bonds was attributable to supply, including a USD12 billion 20-year treasury bond auction on Tuesday and expected corporate issuance of about USD20 billion this week.  The latest data shows that the holding of Japan, the largest foreign holder of U.S. treasury securities, fell USD2 billion to USD1.23 trillion and China, the second largest holder, saw its holdings increase by USD2.2 billion to USD970 billion in July.     Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Shares traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen plunged, with CSI 300 down 2.4%.  The General Office of the State Council issued guidelines to encourage securities firms, funds, and financial guarantee companies to lower fees.  Shares of brokerage firms fell across the board in mainland bourses by nearly 5%.  East Money (300059:xsec) tumbled 10.8%. Chinese brokerage companies listed in Hong Kong also plunged, with GF Securities (01776:xhkg) down by 8.6%, CITIC Securities (06030:xhkg) down by 5.0%, Huatai Securities (06886:xhkg) down by 4.8%.  Chinese property stocks fell in both the mainland bourses and Hong Kong bourse, following the report that new home prices 2nd to 4th tier cities fell sharply again in August despite the recent relaxation of home purchases in a large number of cities.  The weakness of the property sector in the fixed asset investment data in August and the news that the city of Suzhou resumed home purchase restrictions on non-residents in four districts added to the woes in the developer space.  Country Garden (02007:xhkg) tumbled 7.6%.  The EV space declined, falling from 1% to 4.5% following the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Vice Ministry said that there are “blind investments” and overlapping projects in EV in some provinces and municipalities.  In the China internet space, Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) led the charge lower, down more than 7%, as Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) down from 1.5% to 4.4%.  Australia’s ASX200 has wiped out July’s rally. Focus will be on RBA minutes released Tuesday The ASX200 shed 2.3% last week, erasing July’s gain but faring better than US equities. The market woes have not only come after Australian 10-year bond yield rose to fresh highs, up 0.2% last week, while hovering in 8-year high neighbourhood. But secondly, market sentiment has also been capped as the Fed is set to aggressively hike rates, which pressures Australia’s tech stocks, with many Aussie tech companies making the majority of their revenue from the US. And thirdly, metal commodities have come under pressure again of late, as China’s demand continues to wane. In fact, fresh Chinese export data shows their rare earths and aluminium exports surged yoy. Meanwhile total China’s imports of steel plunged 16% yoy, corn fell 44% and wheat dropped 25% yoy. The trifecta of issues is seeing the ASX200’s technical indicators on the day, week and month charts flag further downside is ahead. Australian dollar on notice with the Fed to hike this week The AUDUSD is under pressure after hitting a new low last week, 0.6727 US cents, which is about a two year bottom. Despite already losing 7% this year, the commodity currency, the AUDUSD is on notice again this week with the Fed expected to hike by 75bps (0.75%) at its Wednesday meet, which will take the Fed funds rate to 3-3.25%. There is also a slim chance (25% chance) of a full percentage hike of 100bps (1%) after the hotter-than-expected August inflation. Either way, the fundamentals support the US dollar gaining momentum against the Aussie, especially as the RBA is limited in its hiking power and likely to only hike by 0.25% next month. Also consider a jump in the US 10-year yield will likely further bolster the USD. A slightly softer USD heading into the FOMC week The USD is slightly softer going into the FOMC week amid some profit-taking, but it still remains the haven of choice with massive amounts of policy tightening packed into the week. AUDUSD pared some of the recent losses amid China reopening optimism and RBA’s Kearns saying that Aussie home buyers could benefit from higher rates. USDCAD rose to near 2-year highs on Friday at 1.3308, partly oil induced, but also due to increasingly sour sentiment and perceptions that BoC-Fed policy will likely diverge in wake of the latest disappointing Canadian employment data vs still-tight US labor markets. USDJPY will be a key focus with both FOMC and BOJ meetings scheduled in the week, and possibility of another round of strong verbal intervention from the authorities is seen. EURUSD is back above parity, as ECB members stay hawkish, but risks remain titled to the downside in the near term. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) With massive central bank action scheduled in the week, it can be safely assumed that demand concerns will likely remain center-stage. A spate of rate hikes is aggravating concerns of an economic slowdown, but easing of restrictions in China’s Chengdu today will ease some of the concerns. Dalian will also exit restrictions today. Nevertheless, more supply disruptions remain a risk. Germany seized the local unit of Russian oil major Rosneft PJSC, including three refineries. One of those is now preparing for short-term restrictions in crude supplied via the Druzhba pipeline. WTI futures were seen higher above $85/barrel in early Asian hours, while Brent futures were close to $92. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold saw some recovery after touching support of $1660/oz on Friday as interest rate hike bets picked up following the hotter-than-expected August CPI in the US last week. Further resilience in economic data out of the US has further kept interest rates expectations on an upswing, while rising geopolitical and economic risks are doing little to entice haven buying as the US dollar still remains the prime safe-haven choice. Gold was back close to $1680 this morning in Asia. The risk of the FOMC sending the US economy into a recession before getting inflation under control is rising and, once that occurs, the dollar is likely to turn sharply lower, thereby supporting fresh demand for investment metals. What to consider? University of Michigan survey remains optimisticThe preliminary September University of Michigan sentiment survey saw the headline rise to 59.5 from 58.5, just short of the expected 60, but nonetheless marking a fourth consecutive rise. Notably, the rise in forward expectations was starker than in current conditions, with the former also coming in above consensus expectations. Also, key were the inflation expectations, which echoed what was seen in the Fed surveys last week. The 1yr slowed to 4.6% from 4.8% and the 5yr expectations slowed to 2.8% from 2.9%.   China’s August activity data improved better-than-expected China’s activity data for August came in at stronger than expected growth rates.  Industrial production grew 4.2% Y/Y in August beating the consensus estimate of 3.8% Y/Y and improving from last month’s 3.8% Y/Y.  Higher output in automobile and power generation offset the impact from slower activities in other industries such as pharmaceuticals and computers.  Retail sales grew 5.4% Y/Y in August, well exceeding the 3.3% Y/Y median forecast from the Bloomberg survey and the 2.7% YoY in July. A favourable base effect and stronger auto sales during the month boosted retail sales and more than offset the drag from tightened pandemic control measures and a slow housing market.  Fixed asset investment grew 6.4% Y/Y in August, notably accelerating from the 3.6% Y/Y in July, led by 14.8% Y/Y growth in infrastructure and 10.7% Y/Y growth in manufacturing investments while investment in properties slowed further to a decline of -13.9% Y/Y in August from July’s -12.1%.  China’s property prices in lower-tier cities continued to decline in August According to data released by the National Bureau, the weighted average of new home prices in the top 70 cities in China fell 1.1% Y/Y (vs -0.6% Y/Y in July), driven largely by declines in property prices in lower-tier cities.  The easing of home purchase restrictions by local governments has so not been able to stop the decline in property prices in lower-tier cities.  Sequentially, new home prices in Tier-2, Tier-3, and Tier-4 cities dropped by about 5% M/M annualized while new home prices in Tier-1 cities rose by 1.6% M/M annualized.  An unexpected seventh bidder for Macao gambling licenses created uncertainties about incumbent operators In a tender for the six 10-year casino operating licenses, the six incumbent casino operators faced an unexpected rival from the Malaysian Genting Group which submitted a bid into the tender.  As the maximum number of licenses remains at six, the entry of Genting Group into the competition may mean one of the incumbent license holders might be ousted. Chengdu exits lockdown Chengdu, the largest city in Western China ends its nearly 3-week-long lockdown today and allows its 21 million population to leave their home and resume most aspects of normal life.  Residents are required to do PCR tests at least once a week.  Hong Kong considers ending hotel quarantine for inbound travelers The Hong Kong Government is reviewing and considering plans to end the hotel quarantine requirements for inbound travelers.  Currently, travelers to Hong Kong are required to be quarantined in a hotel for 3 nights and followed by four-day medical monitoring at home and then another 3 days of self-monitoring without mobility restriction.  The news may lift the share price of travel-related stocks, such as Cathay Pacific (00293:xhkg).   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-19-sept-2022-19092022
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    What Can We Expect From Standard&Poor 500 (S&P 500)?

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 19.09.2022 16:42
    Today, U.S. stock index contracts seem to indicate the possibility of a cash market opening on the downside. Investors may be estimating the possibility of Fed action, and not just this week, but for the rest of the year. Currently, the market may believe that the Federal Reserve will not end the cycle of hikes below the 4 percent level, but above it. This could put pressure on company valuations on Wall Street. Have low-interest rates helped the Wall Street stock market? Since 2008, the US stock market has been able to enjoy the ongoing bull market that followed the Great Financial Crisis. Back then, both the financial markets and the economy were supported by very low-interest rates or asset purchase programs. From 2008 until the beginning of 2022, the average federal funds rate was 0.58 percent, and the average price-to-earnings P/E ratio for the entire S&P 500 index had a value of 25. Currently, the P/E for the S&P 500 is 21.49, according to wsj.com, and the federal funds rate rose to 2.33 percent in September. The market, in turn, seems to expect that it could rise above 4 percent in the next two quarters. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, W1 Current valuations on Wall Street According to data from wsj.com, the forward P/E ratio, which is the one showing the future earnings of companies in relation to the current stock price, is 17.48 for the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq 100 has a value of 22.57. The current values are 21.49 and 24.97, respectively. This may mean that the market expects that the earnings of U.S. companies may increase next year, which may be good news, but on the other hand, interest rates may rise at the same time. This, in turn, could have a negative impact on company valuations and could cause rates to potentially be lower than they were during a period of low-interest rates. If investors can choose between the U.S. dollar soon at 4.5 percent interest, or riskier stocks with a P/E ratio of 17, it seems that some of them may choose the U.S. dollar over stocks and thus demand for them may be lower. Another group of investors, on the other hand, may forgo risk in favor of safety until valuations become more attractive relative to interest rate levels. This, in turn,  could  happen in one of two ways, either U.S. companies will begin to rapidly expand earnings (which may be difficult in an environment of a slowing economy) or stock prices will find lower levels. Forecasts for the S&P500 at the end of 2022 According to analysts surveyed by Reuters, the S&P 500 could end this year at 4280 points. This is the median forecast of nearly 50 strategists surveyed by Reuters in the second half of August 2022. The median forecast for 2022 is down from 4400 points in a Reuters survey conducted in late May. Survey respondents, therefore, seem to be optimistic about the index's year-end result after all. This could mean a return to the peaks of August this year.   Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Are valuations on Wall Street currently attractive? (conotoxia.com)
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation, The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation And More

    Tesla, Apple And Nike Rose, The United States Can Send Military Forces To Taiwan

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.09.2022 08:53
    Summary:  Ahead of the Fed’s interest rates decision with rates expected to rise by 0.75%, the price of the 10-year yield rose to 3.5% for the first time since 2011. Normally this puts equities in a precarious position, however, investors looked past this as a big red flag. The most buying overnight in US equities was in the Materials sector after commodity prices rallied, while sizeable moves were also in big tech names. Sentiment flowed to the ASX, with lithium and coal stocks being bid the most, after their commodity prices hit new record highs. And as such, the risk-on mood is set to flow through the Asia-Pacific today. Ahead, all eyes are on Australia's RBA meeting minutes and the reaction to Japan's CPI hitting a 31-year high. For the latest in markets and what to consider next, read today's APAC DD. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Ahead of the Fed’s Wednesday interest rates decision with rates expected to rise by 0.75%, the price of the 10-year yield rose to 3.5% for the first time since 2011 and the 2-year note popped to a 15-year high of 3.96%. Normally this would put equities on the back foot and in a precarious position. As such this remains a big red flag for equities that are interest rate sensitive (tech, property, consumer spending). However, overnight equities looked past the noise and ended on a high note. But indeed, it was a volatile session. The S&P500 was down 1% earlier in the day, but marched higher in the final hour, supported by strong moves in big tech names. The S&P500 not only wiped out the day’s earlier loss but Friday’s fall too, closing up 0.7%. We saw 9 of the 11 sectors rise, led my Materials, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials, while Heath Care was a laggard. Nasdaq 100 gained 0.8%. Big US stock movers Tesla (TSLA:xnas) gained about 2% on plans to increase the price of its supercharger stations in Europe. Apple (AAPL:xnas) rose 2.5% on news of Apple planning to fix the shaking iPhone 14  camera. Nike (NKE:xnys) gained 3% with investors betting their results later this week might not be as bad as feared. We think there could also be an upside scenario in 2023 for Nike if mainland China strengthens with its easing of lockdowns over the next 12 months, which would likely boost sportswear sales and margins. Afterhours Ford (F:xnys) warned that inflation had caused supplier costs to rise by $1 billion in the current quarter, joining a chorus of major companies experiencing the same macro challenges ripping through the economy. Ford shares fell 4.4% after hours, suggesting they will open lower when normal trading resumes. Moderna (MRNA:xnas), BioNTech(BNTX:xnas), and Novavax (NVAX:xnas) fell 7% to 8% after President Biden said in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that “the Covid pandemic is over”. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) hit new highs The 10-year yield briefly exceeded 3.5% to 3.52% intraday for the first time since 2011, in an otherwise quiet session with the cash treasuries market being closed in London and Tokyo for holiday. The 10-year notes managed to pare some of their losses and finished the day at 3.49%, up 4bps from last Friday. The short end of the curve underperformed ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC, with 2-year yields climbing 7bps to a new closing high at 3.94%.  Australia’s ASX200 hits a two-day high, supported by Lithium and Coal stocks Today the Australian share market opened 1% higher in the first 10 minutes of trade, following Wall Street’s rally. Some of the biggest moves are in lithium and coal. Lithium companies are surging after the lithium price rallied to a brand-new record high, with the lithium carbonate price hitting a new record of $73,315 a ton in China (according to Asia Metal Inc). Core Lithium (CXO) is a stock to watch after it agreed with Tesla (TSLA) to extend the termination date for its binding offtake (sales) agreement to October 26. The extension allows the companies to negotiate a full form binding offtake agreement. Other lithium stocks to watch include Pilbara Minerals (PLS) after its shares rallied 3.6% in early trade, to a brand new record high of A$4.80. Elsewhere, Fortescue (FMG) rose about 1% on plans to decarbonize its business with a A$6.2 billion plan. Also, keep an eye on Oz Minerals (OZ) with the copper miner seeking a $10 billion potential sale to BHP (BHP). Speaking of BHP (BHP), its shares are up 1.8% after the NYSE listed BHP rallied overnight amid the risk-on mood. Risk-on mood setting up in Asian trade today Despite expectations of massive tightening moves being delivered globally this week and the surge in US 10-year yields above 3.5% overnight, the Asia session kicked off with risk-on sentiment. US equity futures extended gains and the USD was weaker, with the Japanese yen stronger at 143 despite CPI touching 3% in August. GBPUSD surged higher to 1.1460 while EURUSD extended gains to get close to 1.0050 levels amid ECB’s hawkishness and some relief on gas prices as well. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Yesterday the Hang Seng Index dropped 1%, dragged down by technology and China property stocks. Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) declining 2.1 % with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) down 3.6%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg) down 5.6%.  In the China property space, Longfor (00960:xhkg) dropped 6.1% and Country Garden (02007:xhkg) slid 3.3%.  EV makers underperformed, with NIO (09866:xhkg), Li Auto (02015:xhkg), and Xpeng (09868:xhkg) plunging from 4% to 6%. U.S. President Joe Biden’s affirmative response to the question about sending U.S. forces to fend Taiwan off Chinese military actions added to investors’ concerns about an escalation in Sino-American tension.  Following the news that the Hong Kong Government is reviewing and considering plans to end the hotel quarantine requirements for inbound travelers, Hong Kong tourism and retail stocks rallied, Cathay Pacific Airways (00293:xhkg) up nearly 1%, travel agency EGL (06882:xhkg) soaring 11.5%, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) rising 6.2%.  In mainland bourses, the approaching of the National Day golden week holiday and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s public consultation on promoting cross-border tourism pushed up tourism, catering, and beverage stocks. Coal mining stocks also gained. Solar power, semiconductors, and beauty care stocks dropped. CSI300 finished the day little changed.  Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) Some support was seen to crude oil demand on Monday despite the risks of massive central bank tightening this week. A somewhat softer USD as well hoped of easing movement restrictions in China helped crude oil eke out a modest gain, despite the potential for increased supply. The US announced that it will offer an additional 10mbbl from its strategic reserve. Only last week it was reported that the Department of Energy was looking at plans to start replenishing the stockpile. UAE also said it was accelerating its plan to produce 5mb/d of crude oil by 2025. WTI futures rose back towards $86/barrel while Brent futures were above $92. What to consider? US NAHB in its ninth month of decline NAHB Housing Market Index reported its ninth consecutive decline to 46.0, beneath the prior 49.0 and expected 47.0. The weaker-than-expected data highlighted the pessimism hitting the US housing market due to the rising mortgage rates, and housing starts may be set to cool further in the coming months. However, no systemic risks are seen as the housing market remains a lagged indicator. Australia’s RBA expected to increase inflation expectations as coal pushes up and La Nina hits The RBA meeting minutes released today at 11.30am Sydney time, will be dissected for clues that the RBA will be increasing its inflationary expectations. Particularly as the coal price, where Australia gets the majority of its energy from, hit another record high (and coal is not in peak demand season yet). On top of that the RBA will probably allude to La Nina’s threat on Australia. We think the RBA may touch on wheat prices picking up again, given they are up 16% from August. Frost and rain in South America has impacted their wheat supply, dryness in the US will reduce their supply, plus heavy rains are headed for Australia for the third year in a row. So global wheat supply is expected to be short again and push up inflationary pressures. The AUDUSD might see a knee jerk reaction higher if the RBA alludes to this. However, we expect the AUDUSD to come under pressure, as the magnitude of the Fed’s hike supports the favoured currency, the USD moving up. Japan CPI hits a 31-year high Japan’s August CPI touched the dreaded 3% YoY mark from 2.6% previously, coming in at the strongest levels in over three decades and significantly above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target level. The core measure, which excludes fresh food and energy, also come in higher-than-expected at 1.6% YoY. With the wage growth remaining restrained, this may mean nothing for Bank of Japan which remains committed to maintaining its yield curve control policy. However, the markets may start to test the BoJ’s resolve once again, especially with US 10-year yields also touching 3.5% overnight while JGB yields remain capped at 0.25%. Hong Kong’s unemployment rate came in at 4.1% Hong Kong released the city’s unemployment rate which came in at 4,1% for the June to August period, 0.2 percentage points lower from last the May to July period. The underemployment rate fell to 2.0% from 2.2%.  U.S. President Joe Biden gave an affirmative response regarding sending forces to fend Taiwan off from mainland China When being asked in a CBS 60 Minutes interview whether the U.S. would send forces to defend Taiwan in case of military actions from mainland China, President Biden replied: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”  In answering a follow-up question about if the U.S, unlike in Ukraine, would send forces men and women to defend Taiwan, Biden said: “Yes.”   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-20-sept-2022-20092022
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    The Bloomberg Grains Index Continues Its Steady Growth, The Lithium Price Hits Record

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.09.2022 09:01
    Summary:  Equity markets consolidated some of the recent losses yesterday as traders mull a cavalcade of central bank meetings this week, topped by the FOMC meeting tomorrow. The market has been burned in its attempts at pricing “peak Fed” in recent months and now Fed rate expectations are running steadily higher into tomorrow’s meeting. Can the Fed deliver on the hawkish side of a market that has finally begun to respect what this Fed is all about?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Yesterday US equities touched new lows intraday for the cycle lower that started on 17 August, but despite weak sentiment and downward momentum the market turned around rallying into gains. S&P 500 futures rallied 1.9% from its lows to the close and the positive momentum is continuing this morning with the index futures trading around the 3,929 level. The US 10-year yield is still sitting just below 3.5% and any meaningful push above the 3.5% level will likely renew the headwinds for equities. The rally in US equities was driven by no news so the setup feels almost like the rally ahead of the Jackson Hole event and the recent US CPI report. The market wants good news and a positive surprise, but the question is whether the FOMC will deliver that tomorrow. We doubt it believing the Fed will rather fail being too hawkish than being too dovish. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong equities rallied, with Hang Seng Index rising 1.3% and Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) climbing 2.3%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), JD.COM (09618:xhkg), and Netease (09999:xhkg) surged 3% to 4%. EV stocks rebounded, with XPeng (09868:xhkg) soaring nearly 9%, NIO (09866:xhkg), and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) rising nearly 6%. Macao casino stocks were among the outperformers, rising from 3% to 6% across the board. CSI300 Index was little changed, with solar power, energy storage, and auto outperforming. Major Chinese banks fixed their 1-year and 5-year Loan Prime Rates unchanged this morning. USD traders mull FOMC meeting this Wednesday The US dollar slightly on its backfoot yesterday and overnight as EURUSD criss-crosses parity and USDJPY is locked in a tight range ahead of tomorrow’s FOMC meeting. The degree to which the Fed is able to surprise the market on the hawkish side and trigger another rise in US treasury yields (possibly it as important to see longer US yields rising, not just an adjustment at the front-end of the US yield curve to absorb,  for example, a higher than expected Fed “dot plot” forecast for next year) will determine whether the US dollar is set for another significant surge to cycle highs in the wake of the meeting. AUDNZD breaks higher through major level Despite a nominally dovish set of RBA minutes overnight, AUDNZD leaped to a new six-year high overnight, clearing the 1.1300 level. The diverging current account developments in recent quarters are likely a key driver as Australia features a formidable commodity portfolio and has become a current account surplus nation at a time when New Zealand’s reliance on energy imports has taken a toll on its trade balance, which has gone into a steep deficit. The next focus is perhaps 1.1430, the high from 2015 and highest since AUDNZD traded in a range north of 1.2500 for much of the 2008-2012 time frame. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold putting in a higher low compared with Friday was the takeaway from Monday’s price action. The yellow metal has settled into a 20-dollar range near a two-year low ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC meeting and while the risk of a 1% hike cannot be ruled out, the market seems the be settling for another 75 bp hike, a development that may ease some of the recent selling pressure which has seen speculators flip their positions back to a net short, a relatively rare occurrence. Today’s price action is likely to be just noise ahead of Wednesday with algo-driven strategies likely to be in the driving seat, given the dollar and yield movements the overall say on the direction. Below $1854, last week's low in gold, the market may target the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally at $1618. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) The best that can be said about Monday’s price action in energy is that traders don’t currently know which leg to stand on, a situation made worse by thin liquidity. With another interest rate hike looming and with global growth slowing there are good reasons to call for lower prices. Lower prices were also sought in response to news China may grant export permissions for excess fuel supplies, and the US announcing it will offer an additional 10 million barrels from its strategic reserves. Against these a softer dollar and recovering equity markets and continued worries about Russian supply once the EU embargo begins in early December helped sent Brent and WTI back in black following a near seven-dollar round trip. More of the same can be expected until a clearer picture emerges. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields continue to trade near the peak of the cycle as the market wonders whether the 10-year can explore new territory for the cycle above 3.50% the cycle high from back in June, as well as whether any adjustment higher in Fed rate hike expectations will be entirely felt at the front end of the yield curve, as the inversion has fallen close to the cycle extreme near –0.50% for the 2-10 yield spread as the 2-year rate pushed close to 4.00%. What is going on? The euro area looks set to enter a recession According to Bloomberg, economists see an 80 % chance of a recession in the euro area in the next twelve months. This now looks inevitable. Last week, Barclays downgraded its 2023 growth forecast for France to minus 0.7 %. The Bank of France also published its three main scenarios for the French economy for next year. A recession is one of them (expected drop in GDP of minus 0.5 %). This is not its baseline, though. The length and amplitude of the recession in the eurozone will highly depend on the evolution of the energy crisis and on the risk of energy rationing. This is a bit too early to know exactly how much GDP will drop next year. Economists also expect that the European Central Bank (ECB) will continue to tighten monetary conditions (financial conditions are still loose in the euro area based on the latest credit growth data). More than half consider a second 75 basis-point rate hike is likely in October. This is only the beginning. It is likely the ECB will continue until early next year (when the recession might be officially announced). Covid vaccine related stocks tumble on Biden declaring pandemic over Shares in Moderna and BioNTech fell 7% and 9% respectively as the Biden administration declared the pandemic for over. The designation follows other countries and will lower the alertness among health care regulators and likely lower the demand for Covid vaccines as only the very high-risk people in the population will get a vaccine and booster shoots. This is worse than expected news for Covid vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna and BioNTech that are now forced to expand their product portfolio to offset this weakness. US NAHB declines for ninth month in a row NAHB Housing Market Index reported its ninth consecutive decline to 46.0, beneath the prior 49.0 and expected 47.0. Save for two panicky months during the early 2020 pandemic break-out, this is the lowest levels cine 2014, but for perspective, the indicator was sub-20 for most of 2008 through 2011. The weaker-than-expected data highlighted the pessimism hitting the US housing market due to the rising mortgage rates, and housing starts may be set to cool further in the coming months. Japan CPI hits a 31-year high Japan’s August CPI touched the dreaded 3% YoY mark from 2.6% previously, coming in at the strongest levels in over three decades and significantly above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target level. The core measure, which excludes fresh food and energy, also come in higher-than-expected at 1.6% YoY. With wage growth remaining restrained, this may mean nothing for Bank of Japan, which remains committed to maintaining its yield curve control policy. However, the markets may start to test the BoJ’s resolve once again, especially with US 10-year yields also touching 3.5% overnight while JGB yields remain capped by BoJ YCC policy at 0.25%. Grains trade mixed but remains in an uptrend The Bloomberg Grains Index continues its steady ascent after hitting a low point two months ago with global weather concerns, dwindling stockpiles and uncertainty about the Ukraine grain deal being the focus. Chicago wheat nevertheless fell on Monday on an expected increase in Russia’s crop that will compete with US exports already challenged by a strong dollar. Soybeans was supported by Chinese export demand while corn traded sideways but finding support at its 21-day moving average. Lithium prices and stocks back at records Lithium equities are back in focus as the lithium price hits a fresh record after tripling in the past year fuelled by electric vehicle demand. Recently the IEA forecast lithium demand to accelerate more than 40 times over the next two decades. The lithium carbonate price has also had an extraordinary run, up 1,000% from its covid low as supply remains a concern. Shares in Albemarle Corp (ALB:xnys), the world’s biggest lithium company and its neighbour Livent (LTHM:xnys), as well as SQM (SQM:xnys), the world’s second biggest lithium producer are on watch with their shares trading near their peaks. US President Biden wows support for Taiwan When being asked in a CBS 60 Minutes interview whether the U.S. would send forces to defend Taiwan in case of military actions from mainland China, President Biden replied: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.” In answering a follow-up question about if the U.S, unlike in Ukraine, would send forces men and women to defend Taiwan, Biden said: “Yes”. China’s Emerging Industries PMI slightly improved Emerging Industries PMI (EPMI) in China climbed slightly to 48.8 in September from 48.5 in August. The modest improvement was below market expectations and the 48.8 print was the lowest September figure (EMPI is not seasonally adjusted) since 2014 when the survey first started, suggesting weak growth momentum. What are we watching next? Sweden’s Riksbank set for largest hike in decades today The market is divided on whether the Riksbank hikes 75 basis points or a full 100 basis points, either of which would be the largest hike in nearly 30 years. One factor possibly tilting the odds in favour of a larger move is the exchange rate, as EURSEK trades near the range high of 10.90 since 2020, and USDSEK is less than three percent from its all-time high, which was just above 11.00 back in 2001. SEK is traditionally very sensitive to risk sentiment, so a larger hike may only impress beyond a knee-jerk reaction if broader sentiment and the outlook for Europe improves. FOMC meeting tomorrow Many headlines discuss whether the Fed is set to hike 75 or 100 basis points tomorrow. The Fed generally doesn’t like to surprise markets too much, so arguably it is safe in “only” hiking another 75 basis points as the 100-basis point odds are priced rather low. The more likely hawkish surprise scenario is one in which the Fed sets the “dot plot” of Fed policy forecasts for 2023 higher than the market currently expects – possibly as high as 5.00% for the median expectation. Another item to watch is the Fed’s forecast of PCE inflation for 2023 and 2024, together with where it places the first forecasts for inflation in its first set of forecasts for 2025. Earnings calendar this week This week our earnings focus is on Lennar on Wednesday as US homebuilders are facing multiple headwinds from still elevated materials prices and rapidly rising interest rates impacting forward demand. Later during this week, we will watch Carnival earnings as forward outlook on cruise demand is a good indicator of the impact on consumption from tighter financial conditions. Today: Haleon Wednesday: Lennar, Trip.com, General Mills Thursday: Costco Wholesale, Accenture, FactSet Research Systems, Darden Restaurants Friday: Carnival Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0730 – Sweden Riksbank Interest Rate Announcement 0800 – ECB's Muller to speak 1230 – Canada Aug. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1230 – US Aug. Housing Starts & Building Permits 1230 – Canada Aug. CPI 1700 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 2030 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-20-2022-20092022
    On The New York Stock Exchange, More Indices Fell

    On The New York Stock Exchange, More Indices Fell

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.09.2022 08:42
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.01% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 index fell 1.13%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.95%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Apple Inc, which gained 2.42 points (1.57%) to close at 156.90. Quotes Boeing Co rose by 1.06 points (0.73%), ending trading at 145.94. 3M Company lost 0.12 points or 0.10% to close at 116.52. The biggest losers were Nike Inc, which shed 4.79 points or 4.47% to end the session at 102.42. Caterpillar Inc was up 2.26% or 4.12 points to close at 177.99, while Home Depot Inc was down 2.23% or 6.25 points to close at 274. 17. Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Wynn Resorts Limited, which rose 2.90% to hit 67.80, Valero Energy Corporation, which gained 2.63% to close at 107.42, and also shares of Expedia Inc, which rose 2.09% to end the session at 104.63. The fallers were shares of Ford Motor Company, which fell 12.32% to close at 13.09. Shares of Iron Mountain Incorporated shed 9.84% to end the session at 50.65. Quotes of Generac Holdings Inc decreased in price by 6.99% to 183.49. The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Sobr Safe Inc, which rose 234.98% to 3.05, Powerbridge Technologies Co Ltd, which gained 60.62% to close at 2.20. as well as Neurobo Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 42.40% to end the session at 20.79. The biggest losers were Virios Therapeutics Llc, which shed 75.50% to close at 0.49. Pagaya shares shed 67.24% to end the session at 2.29. Quotes of Integrated Media Technology Ltd decreased in price by 46.07% to 1.03. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2599) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (546), while quotes of 129 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,705 companies fell in price, 1,091 rose, and 227 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 5.43% to 27.16. Gold futures for December delivery shed 0.29% or 4.80 to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 1.19%, or 1.02, to $84.34 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 1.14%, or 1.05, to $90.95 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD was flat at 0.49% at 1.00, while USD/JPY edged up 0.35% to hit 143.71. Futures on the USD index rose 0.39% to 109.89. Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-22 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/293539
    Russian Referendum In The Occupied Territory Of Ukraine And More

    Russian Referendum In The Occupied Territory Of Ukraine And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.09.2022 10:28
    Summary:  Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 on tenterhooks after bond yields hit record highs, the US dollar index hits a record with markets bracing for the Fed’s jumbo hike. Shocking German PPI and Riksbank’s 100bps rate hike sets the stage for the FOMC to deliver a hawkish surprise. Ford becomes the second major company to downgrade their outlook, seeing its shares slide 12%, and sending another warning signal on the upcoming earnings season. Hang Seng rallies on the prospect of ending hotel quarantine. Russia-Ukraine tensions on a boil, sending wheat futures up 7%. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) on tenterhooks after bond yields hit record highs The US benchmark indices came under further pressure overnight (with the S&P500 down 1.1%, the Nasdaq 100 losing 0.9%) with investors selling equities and bonds and buying the US dollar, with markets on tenterhooks for the Fed’s jumbo rate hike on Wednesday. Added pressure came when the US 2-year bond yield hit 4% and the 10-year US bond yield hit 3.6%. Those are treasury yields’ highest levels since 2011, and they are better yields than the S&P500’s 1.7%. Meanwhile the US dollar index hit a record high as investors took shelter in the currency. Investors and traders are bracing for the Fed to boost rates to levels not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis. But is there more downside? The risk is that the Fed paves out a hawkish dot plot, or raises rates more than the 75 bps expected. That scenario will pressure equities. However, if the Fed believes inflation is rolling over, and signals this is peak hawkishness, then equities may see a knee jerk reaction and whipsaw higher. The technical indicators on the day and week chart for the S&P500 and Nasdaq imply further pressure are ahead. Big U.S. stock movers All 11 sectors in the S&P 500 fell on Tuesday, with Real Estate, Materials, and Consumer Discretionary falling the most, and Information Technology, Consumer Staples, and Energy relatively outperformed. Ford (F:xnys) tumbled 12.3% after the automaker said that inflation is making supplier costs USD 1 billion higher than expected in the current quarter. Gap (GPS:xnys) lost 3.2% on reports that the apparel retailer is cutting 500 corporate jobs in response to growing costs and weaker sales. Casino stocks gained as investors found optimism from relaxed Covid test requirements for passengers boarding a flight in Macao and the prospect of loosening hotel quarantine restriction in adjacent Hong Kong, through which many travelers arrive in Macao. Wynn Resorts (VYNN:xnas) gained 2.9% and Las Vegas Sands (LVS:xnys) climbed 1.2%. Apple’s (AAPL:xnas) shares rose 1.6% on Tuesday with estimates now suggesting the company’s most expensive iPhone, the iPhone 14 Pro model accounts for 60-65% of total iPhone 14 shipments, which is up from the previous estimated range of 55-60%. This means Apple could have a positive outlook when they release their next quarterly earnings in late October. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) were sold off again with 10-year yields reaching 3.6% intraday The sell-off in bonds continued on Tuesday.  The 5-year and 10-year segments of the treasury curve were hit most, with 10-year yields reaching a new intra-session high at 3.60% before paring and settling at 3.56%, up by 7bps from Monday.  The woes in the treasury markets stared across the pond in Europe following the larger-than-expected 100bp hike by the Riksbank in Sweden and the jaw-dropping 45.8% Y/Y increase in German PPI. A solid 20-year treasury bond auction, which stopped through 1.3bps and had a low award to primary dealers (8.1%), helped treasuries stage a short-lived rally and saw yields off their session highs before being sold (yields higher) again as a block sale of 7,200 contracts in the 5-year at 108-221/4 hit the tape.  The 2-year segment relatively outperformed, rising only 3bps in yield to finish the day at 3.97%, a touch below 4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) rallied on the prospect of ending hotel quarantine   Hong Kong equities rallied on Tuesday, with Hang Seng Index rising 1.2% and Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) climbing 2.0%. China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said the Chinese Government supports Hong Kong’s efforts to have “close, extensive contact” with the rest of the world. It was interpreted as a nod to Hong Kong’s plan to scrap the hotel quarantine requirement. Cathay Pacific Airways (00293) rose 2.2%. Stocks in the retail space gained, with jewellers surging from 2% to 7%. Macao casino stocks rose from 3% to 15% across the board, following the enclave extending the validity of PCR tests from 48 hours to 7 days for any person boarding a flight in Macao. Mainland state-owned media continued to publish articles with a positive tone to boost investor confidence. The latest was Securities Daily’s op-ed claiming that investors should have confidence in China’s long-term growth as the Government has launched quite a number of stimulus measures. CCTV says President Xi is committed to ensuring the stability of industrial and supply chains.  The China internet pace gained and Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Baidu (09888:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), JD.COM (09618:xhkg), and Netease (09999:xhkg) surged 2% to 4%.  EV stocks rebounded, with XPeng (09868:xhkg) soaring nearly 9%, NIO (09866:xhkg), and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) rising around 5%.  CSI300 Index was little changed, with solar power, energy storage, and auto outperforming.  Australia’s ASX200 to unwind yesterday’s rally. But watch for green and gold shoots in agricultural stocks The futures imply the ASX200 could unwind yesterday’s rally and rally 1.1% following US equites. However bright sparks might be seen in the soft commodity space with Wheat prices jumping 7.6% overnight as undersupply fears grip the market. It could be worth watching GrainCorp (GNC) and Elders (ELD).   Australian dollar against the NZ Dollar scales to 7-year highs The Aussie dollar against the kiwi dollar, the AUDNZD leaped to new highs, clearing the 1.1344 level. What supports this currency pair moving is the large divergence between Australia’s exports rising (Australia’s trade surplus rising), versus New Zealand’s imports increasing due to higher costs of energy products (and its trade deficit rising). If this continues, this supports AUDNZD. Want to know more? Australia’s trade account surplus trades near a record high, as Australia is exporting a record amount of coal and LNG. Inversely, the New Zealand economy is trading at a deficit for the second month in a row, as its heavily reliant on energy imports, which have increased significantly in price. What to watch if you are trading this pair? On Thursday September 22, NZ releases its Balance of Trade data. If there is another large deficit, we could see the AUDNZD leap up again. The next focus is perhaps 1.1516, the high of 2015. USDJPY range-bound despite the surge in US yields USDJPY saw some gains on Tuesday but the cap at 144 still prevailed despite the US 10-year yields making a fresh high. The verbal intervention from the Japanese authorities in the last few weeks, and the rate-check from last week, has helped to calm yen traders. However, if the FOMC delivers a hawkish surprise this week and Bank of Japan maintains its dovish policy, further pressure on the yen cannot be ignored. That may prompt another round of intervention from the Japanese authorities, spooking 2-way volatility, but still throwing up some potential trading opportunities as discussed here. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) suffers on the back of a stronger USD Crude oil prices were lower on Tuesday following the Riksbank’s hawkish surprise and a run higher in US Treasury yields as well as the US dollar. The fresh release announcement from the US strategic reserves scheduled through November also added to the downside. API inventories also saw crude stocks rising for the third straight week, and there were inventory builds across the board. WTI futures dipped below $84/barrel while Brent futures dipped below $91. This comes despite rising war tensions in Ukraine (see below) as the focus has shifted to the massive monetary policy tightening being delivered this week. What to consider? Riksbank goes for a 100bps rate hike, setting the stage for FOMC The Swedish Riksbank surprised yesterday with a 100-basis point hike to take the rate to 1.75%, a move only a minority were looking for. This, in addition to guidance that the Riksbank would look to continue hiking rates, took Swedish yields higher, but didn’t do much for the currency. The decision to hike by 1% was unanimous, prompted by the highest level of CPIF inflation since 1991 and the negative implication it could have on the upcoming wage negotiation which will lock in pay growth for the next three years. However, with global tightening wave turning more hawkish that expectations after ECB’s 75bps rate hike and Riksbank’s 100bps, the stage is being set for the FOMC to deliver above expectations as well. Shocking August German PPI According to the German statistics office Destatis, the PPI rose by 7.9% month-on-month in August. This is much higher than the consensus (2.4%). This shows that forecasting in the current macroeconomic environment is more challenging than ever. On a year-over-year basis, the increase is at 45.8%. This is an historical record. The continued jump is explained by higher energy prices (+139% year-over-year). But not only. Actually, inflation is broad-based. Prices for intermediate goods, for capital goods and for non-durable consumer goods are much higher too. This will probably get worse in the short-term. In the eurozone, it is unlikely the peak in inflation has been reached (contrary to the situation in the United States). Russia-Ukraine tensions heat up Russia is trying to stage a referendum on annexing the regions of Ukraine its forces still control. There were heightened geopolitical tensions regarding Russia and Ukraine where the separatists are to hold a referendum in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye on September 23rd-27th, although Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as illegal and few countries are likely to recognize the results. An update from Putin on the matter is being awaited, where there have been some suggestions that he is considering introducing martial law and full mobilisation of the Russian army - the speech has now reportedly been delayed until 06:00BST/01:00EDT Wednesday. The move threatens to escalate the conflict even further, potentially giving Putin the formal legal basis to use nuclear weapons to defend what Moscow would consider Russian territory. China’s Emerging Industries PMI slightly improved Emerging Industries PMI (EPMI) in China climbed slightly to 48.8 in September from 48.5 in August.  The modest improvement was below market expectations and the 48.8 print was the lowest September figure (EMPI is not seasonally adjusted) since 2014 when the survey first started, suggesting weak growth momentum.  Reserve Bank of Australia minutes hint at more, but slower, rate hikes RBA minutes from the September 6 meeting suggested that there is more room for interest rates to go up, but there is no pre-set path given the uncertainties surrounding the growth/inflation outlook. After a 50bps rate hike announced at the September meeting, and with global tightening race picking up to make a 75bps as the new 25bps, expectations for further RBA rate hikes of that magnitude could have potentially gained traction. However, the RBA has said that it will consider either 25bps or 50bps for the upcoming meetings. While another 50bps can still be expected in October, given that inflation reached 6.1% (vs. target of -3%), the pace of tightening is set to slow from there. Chinese banks kept Loan Prime Rates unchanged China’s leading banks fixed the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates unchanged at 3.65% and 4.30% respectively, as expected.  Ford, the second major company to downgrade their outlook Investors have been hit with the second major company downgrade in two weeks, with Ford (F) joining FedEx (FDX) in guiding of a challenging economic environment ahead. As mentioned yesterday, Ford warned inflation will cost its business $1 billion in the quarter, sending Ford shares down 12%, which is the stocks biggest loss in over 10 years. The automakers expect EBIT to range between $1.4b -$1.7 billion when it reports results next month. Lennar’s results may provide some insights into the U.S. housing market With 30-year fixed rate mortgage interest rates jumping above 6% for the first time in 14 years, since Sept 2008 and home affordability has fallen to historically low levels, investors are concerned about the state of the U.S. housing markets.  Results from a leading home builder Lennar (LEN:xnys) this Wednesday after market close will give a good opportunity for investors to gauge the latest market conditions in the U.S. housing market. Analysts, as per the survey by Bloomberg, are estimating revenue growth of 30% Y/Y and 8.3% Y/Y EPS growth in the quarter ending Aug 31, 2022.  Investors, however, will focus on the management’s comments and forward guidance.    Check out here for our views on the FOMC meeting and the Bank of Japan this week. For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-sept-21-2022-21092022
    Acquisition Of Aveva By Schneider Electric, Wheat Prices And More

    Acquisition Of Aveva By Schneider Electric, Wheat Prices And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.09.2022 10:36
    Summary:  Equity markets traded sideways ahead of today’s important FOMC meeting as the Fed is set to bring at least another 75 basis points of tightening and expectations for further tightening are at the highs for the cycle. At the longer end of the yield curve, US yields have risen to new eleven-year highs, helping the US dollar to new highs for the cycle in places, including against the Chinese yuan. The Bank of Japan meets tonight in Asia and has shown no signs of backing down from its cap on bond yields, creating enormous attention as yields have risen again elsewhere. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities came under pressure yesterday as US yields advanced with the 10-year yield reaching as much as 3.6%. The market is split on tonight’s FOMC decision but consensus among economists is still a 75 basis point rake hike. We argued yesterday that if the Fed wants to tighten financial conditions a lot they need a surprise which argues for a 100 basis point hike. In any case, the guidance in the dot-plot and the subsequent press conference will be key for equity sentiment in the near-term. Yesterday’s low in S&P 500 futures at 3,643 is the key support level to watch on the downside and 3,800 after that. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index gave back all its gains yesterday and more, falling over 1% ahead the U.S. FOMC meeting. Mega-cap China interest stocks declined from 1% to 3%, dragging the Hang Seng Tech Index down by over 2%.  Energy stocks outperformed coal mining names up from 1% to 2%.  COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) soared more than 8%. Bloomberg reported that Chinese refiners are applying for quotas from the Chinese government to export as much as 16.5 million tons of fuel oil, such as gasoline and diesel.  CSI 300 fell nearly 1% and making a new low last since May this year. USD traders mull FOMC meeting today A minority of observers are looking for another 75-basis point move from the Fed, as discussed below, with forward guidance also playing a roll, although the market continues to price the end-2023 policy rate at below even the end-2022 rate, with the peak rate somewhere in between, despite FEd pushback. The USD has traded to new highs in places, like against all 5 of the smallest G10 currencies and is near the cycle high versus sterling, while EURUSD and USDJPY still trade slightly away from cycle extremes. The Fed will want to maintain a hawkish tone here, but as US 2-year yields have risen sharply to nearly 4%, the bar is somewhat high for a hawkish surprise. Watching the reactivity in treasury yields and risk sentiment for the impact on the US dollar – particularly how USDJPY might treat a fresh strong surge in longer US yields after the 10-year broke above the former cycle high since 2010 of 3.50% yesterday. USDJPY USDJPY could be set for considerable volatility over the next 24 hours as the Bank of Japan meets tonight in Asia’s Thursday session. The pressure for the Bank of Japan to adjust its yield-curve-control strategy has built further on the surge to new cycle highs in longer US yields yesterday above the 3.50% level. The Bank of Japan and Ministry of finance have recently pushed back rather hard on the latest blast of JPY weakness, but will likely be challenged on where and when they intend to intervene against JPY weakness if the BoJ overnight refuses to adjust its policy and if the Fed surprises hawkish at tonight’s FOMC meeting and the entire US yield curve lifts. The 145.00 area is the cycle high, with 150.00 the next obvious psychological level. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades near a two-year low but within a relatively narrow 20-dollar range ahead of today’s FOMC meeting (see below). Weeks of selling have seen speculators accumulate a net short position in COMEX futures, a relatively rare occurrence, and one that could set the stage for a surprise upside move, should the dollar and yield retrace some of their recent strong gains. Resistance however remains firm at $1680 while below $1654, last week's low, the market may target the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally at $1618. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Crude oil remains rangebound with a slight negative tilt ahead of today’s FOMC rate hike given its impact on the dollar and growth expectations. The Fed decision will be followed by other central banks from Europe to Asia which are also expected to announce growth reducing rate hikes. The long-term outlook remains price supportive with US production struggling to find a higher gear and Saudi Aramco saying lack of investments could see spare capacity being wiped out. Also focus on Russia from where seaborne exports is lower this month and where Putin is looking into his toolbox for ideas to reverse his disastrous war against Ukraine. Ahead of today’s EIA stock report the API reported builds in crude oil as well as fuel products. Wheat sees largest gain since March on Russia tensions Wheat futures in Chicago (+7.6%) and Paris (+4.1%) jumped on Tuesday after Russia said it intended to hold votes on annexing the three regions of Ukraine still under its control (see below). Such a move raises the risk of a full Russian mobilization and would increase tensions with Europe and the US while casting more doubts over grain supplies from the Black Sea area, especially the UN sponsored export corridor from Ukraine which recently has helped ease supply worries for wheat and sunflower oils. Also focus on today’s FOMC rate hike and its impact on the dollar. December wheat (ZWZ2) at $8.88 trades near the highest level since July but may face resistance at $9.14/bu, the 200-day moving average. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields spilled over to new cycle highs yesterday ahead of tonight’s FOMC meeting as the market has sensed a hawkish determination from the Fed to forge ahead with rate hike and provide no sense that it set to pivot to a more neutral stance, although that would have to come at some point. The 10-year benchmark rose to a new cycle high yesterday above 3.50%, posting the highest yield since 2011. What is going on? Shocking August German PPI According to the German statistics office Destatis, the PPI rose by 7.9 % month-on-month in August. This is much higher than the consensus (2.4 %). This shows that forecasting in the current macroeconomic environment is more challenging than ever. On a year-over-year basis, the increase is at 45.8 %. This is an historical record. The continued jump is explained by higher energy prices (+139% year-over-year). But not only. Actually, inflation is broad-based. Prices for intermediate goods, for capital goods and for non-durable consumer goods are much higher too. This will probably get worse in the short-term. In the eurozone, it is unlikely the peak in inflation has been reached (contrary to the situation in the United States). Russia-Ukraine tensions heat up Heightened geopolitical tensions regarding Russia and Ukraine where the “separatists” are to hold a referendum in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhya on September 23rd-27th, although Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as illegal, and few countries are likely to recognize the results. An update from Putin on the matter is being awaited, where there have been some suggestions that he is considering introducing martial law and full mobilisation of the Russian army - the speech has now reportedly been delayed until 06:00BST/01:00EDT Wednesday. The move threatens to escalate the conflict even further, potentially giving Putin the formal legal basis to use nuclear weapons to defend what Moscow would consider Russian territory. Riksbank’s 100bps rate hike sets the stage for FOMC The Swedish Riksbank surprised yesterday with a 100-basis point hike to take the rate to 1.75%. This, in addition to guidance that the Riksbank would look to continue hiking rates, took Swedish yields higher, but didn’t do much for the currency, which fell to new cycle lows versus the EUR and USD after a kneejerk jump. The decision to hike by 1% was unanimous, prompted by the highest level of CPIF inflation since 1991 and the negative implication it could have on the upcoming wage negotiation which will lock in pay growth for the next three years. However, with global tightening wave turning more hawkish that expectations after ECB’s 75bps rate hike and Riksbank’s 100bps, the stage is being set for the FOMC to deliver above expectations as well. Schneider Electric agrees to acquire Aveva for £9.4bn The French industrial giant is announcing this morning that it has agreed to acquire UK-based engineering and software group Aveva for £31 per share valuing the company at £9.4bn. Schneider Electric already owns 60% of Aveva and a full consolidation will bolster Schneider Electric’s ambitions in software within the engineering industry. Rio Tinto joins BHP in saying Copper’s near-term outlook is challenged Rio Tinto’s CEO has joined a suite of companies, including BHP, saying copper’s short-term outlook faces pressure. From supply-chain issues to 30-year high inflation and restricted demand from China, the metal is seeing less demand, and supply is outpacing supply. However, that is not expected to be the case in the longer term with Goldman Sachs predicting copper demand will exceed supply by 2025 and will push prices to twice their current levels. Copper is used in everything from buildings to automobiles, to wiring in homes and mobile phones. Germany nationalises utility company Uniper The German government is injecting €8bn into Uniper to avoid a collapse of the German utility taking full control of Finland-based utility Forum’s shares in Uniper. What are we watching next? Can the Fed surprise hawkish at FOMC or are we nearing peak tightening expectations? The Powell Fed has kept a hawkish tone in recent communications, clearly indicating a desire to forge ahead with rate hikes. After the strong August US CPI print, a minority of observers are even looking for a 100-bp move from the Fed today, though we are more likely to get 75 basis points. This is a quarterly meeting that will bring the latest Fed forecasts for the economy and for the policy rate, a chance for the Fed to send a further message on where it sees its policy evolving for the remainder of this year and next. The forecast in the “dot plot” of Fed policy rate forecasts for the end of 2022 will receive close attention. Currently the market is looking for a policy rate of about 4.2% through the December meeting, which would mean a 75-bp hike today, another in November, followed by a 50-bp hike in December. The Fed raising the 2023 forecast to a median of 5% might make an impression as well, although the market has persistently priced the Fed to begin easing yields at some point next year, figuring that the economy will be in recession at some point next year. This meeting also brings the first batch of 2025 forecasts for the economy and Fed policy, and another way that the Fed could guide hawkish would be in raising PCE core inflation forecasts for next year and/or 2024 (last two forecasts have kept the last of these at 2.3% YoY) or surprising with its 2025 forecast. Earnings calendar this week This week our earnings focus is on Lennar today as US homebuilders are facing multiple headwinds from still elevated materials prices and rapidly rising interest rates impacting forward demand. Later during this week, we will watch Carnival earnings as forward outlook on cruise demand is a good indicator of the impact on consumption from tighter financial conditions. Today: Lennar, Trip.com, General Mills Thursday: Costco Wholesale, Accenture, FactSet Research Systems, Darden Restaurants Friday: Carnival Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1400 – US Aug. Existing Home Sales 1430 – EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1800 – US FOMC Rate Announcement / Policy Statement 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2100 – New Zealand Q3 Westpac Consumer Confidence 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate announcement 2245 – New Zealand Aug. Trade Balance 2300 – New Zealand RBNZ Deputy Governor Hawkesby to speak Bank of Japan meeting Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-21-2022-21092022
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    Falls At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 23.09.2022 08:16
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.35% to a 3-month low, the S&P 500 fell 0.84%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.37%. Merck & Company Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 2.98 points or 3.53% to close at 87.51. Quotes Johnson & Johnson rose by 2.90 points (1.78%), ending trading at 166.18. Salesforce Inc rose 2.52 points or 1.71% to close at 150.15. Shares of American Express Company were the leaders of the fall, the price of which fell by 5.68 points (3.82%), ending the session at 143.03. Boeing Co was up 3.20% or 4.58 points to close at 138.71, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc was down 2.43% or 7.79 points to close at 312. .92. Among the S&P 500 index components gainers today were Eli Lilly and Company, which rose 4.85% to 310.87, Merck & Company Inc, which gained 3.53% to close at 87.51. , as well as shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, which rose 2.63% to end the session at 71.29. The biggest losers were Caesars Entertainment Corporation, which shed 9.44% to close at 37.62. Shares of Ball Corporation lost 8.66% to end the session at 49.23. FactSet Research Systems Inc dropped 8.29% to 394.75. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Spero Therapeutics Inc, which rose 167.74% to hit 2.20, Avenue Therapeutics Inc, which gained 105.90% to close at 0.44, and also shares of Panbela Therapeutics Inc, which rose 46.39% to end the session at 0.35. Top Ships Inc. was the biggest loser, shedding 44.06% to close at 0.12. Shares of Ecmoho Ltd lost 42.72% and ended the session at 0.10. Quotes of Pintec Technology Holdings Ltd decreased in price by 28.80% to 0.42. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2596) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (546), while quotes of 120 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,011 stocks fell, 765 rose, and 257 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.29% to 27.35. Gold futures for December delivery added 0.24%, or 4.00, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery rose 0.54%, or 0.45, to $83.39 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery rose 0.50%, or 0.45, to $90.28 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.04% to 0.98, while USD/JPY fell 1.14% to hit 142.40. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.65% to 111.07.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-24 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/293918
    Worrisome Growth Signals in Eurozone PMI: Recession Risks Loom Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures

    Inflation Expectations In Malaysia And Singapore, Costco Shares Fell And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.09.2022 08:53
    Summary:  Massive tightening was delivered globally after the Fed’s 75bps rate hike, which saw Bank of England, SNB, Norges Bank, and several emerging market central banks joining the race. Bond yields rose to fresh multiyear highs, with 10yr hitting 3.70% and 2yr well above 4%. The strength in the US labor market continues to hint at more room for tightening, and equities slumped. Japan’s intervention to defend the yen put some brakes on the dollar rally, but it would likely be ‘temporary’ at best, and focus shifts to US/UK and Eurozone PMIs today. What is happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) pressured by bond yields rising. S&P500 experiencing a rare technical breach With a parade of central banks joining the Fed in boosting rates to curb inflation, the US 10-year yield rose to 3.7% (its highest since 2011), while the two-year yield rose for the 11th day (which its longest rally in over three decades). This upward pressure in safe-haven yields is luring investors away from investing in companies exposed to inflation and facing earnings slowdowns. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.4%, on Thursday, shedding 3% over the week, while the S&P500 lost 0.8% on Thursday, falling 3% Monday-Thursday. Of note, the S&P500 is experiencing a rare technical breach, as it trades under its 200-day moving average for over 100 sessions. The last time this occurred in the last 30 years; was in the tech bubble when the index fell 50% before hitting its trough, and before that, the Global Financial Crisis, when the index fell 40% before hitting its trough. The technical indicators show the index is poised for more downside with the June bottom likely to be retested in the coming weeks, then the next level of support is perhaps about the psychological level 3,500, which is 9.1% lower below current levels. Get to know the best performer in the US stock market this week, with the most momentum, General Mills The US’s biggest wheat producer General Mills (GIS) has outperformed the S&P500 this week and risen 7.4% and claimed the best performing post this week. It’s vital to reflect on why this is the case. We’ve been speaking about the Wheat (WHEATDEC22) price of late, being supported higher due to deteriorating global wheat supply, and now with Russia mobilizing fleet against Ukraine, the wheat price move supported higher again, on concerns Ukraine’s export terminal will be shut once more. Wheat is also in a technical uptrend, so we think stocks General Mills could be a stock to watch ahead, as its earnings are likely to swell. In the S&P500 this week, following General Mills (GIS) higher is; Kellogg and Campbell Soup, as the second and third best performers in the S&P500. Costco (COST) was down over 2% post-market on Thursday despite reporting better-than-expected earnings results.  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) to react to the Fed after being closed yesterday for a public holiday On Friday morning the futures are surprisingly calm, with the ASX200 suggested to only open 0.3% lower. So far this week, the ASX200 has once again outperformed global equities and only lost 0.5%, which is a stark contrast to the S&P500’s drop of 3%.  All eyes will be in cybersecurity stocks with Optus investigating a cyber-attack which may have led to authorized access of customer information. In terms of economic news to watch, S&P Global releases September PMI results. As for stocks to watching Fonterra might see increased bids after its APAC chief executive said she sees strong sales ahead for dairy protein. Rio Tinto will also be on watch after it signed a pact to promote low-carbon solutions for the steel value chain. Rio’s focus areas include low-carbon technology, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace optimization and carbon capture utilization. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was at 11-year lows yesterday amid the massive global tightening as well as rising geopolitical tensions. HSI later recovered some of the losses to end the day down 1.6%. Hong Kong's de-facto central bank mirrored the tightening and raised its base lending rate by 75 basis points to 3.5% with immediate effect. Hong Kong’s banks have waited through five rounds of rate hikes this year before moving. More pain is in store for Hong Kong’s borrowers, as the HKMA has been conducting its monetary policy in lockstep with the Fed since 1983 to maintain the local currency’s peg to the US dollar. EV shares tumbled with Xpeng down 11.6% and Nio falling 7.5%. Property sector continued to show weakness, with NWD down 3.4%. Meanwhile, CSI300 ended the day down 0.9% EURCHF ignored the intervention warnings EURCHF surged to 0.9700+ levels from 0.9465 after the SNB’s 75bps rate hike remained short of market’s expectation of a 100bps move. USDCHF also moved higher to touch 0.9850 from sub-0.9650 levels, but that was helped by a weaker US dollar following Japan’s intervention to defend the yen. With higher inflation forecasts, one can argue that there will be more room for the SNB to raise rates, and the CHF’s haven status could also come to its rescue as the case for economic slowdown gets stronger with the massive global tightening being delivered. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) focus back on supply issues Crude oil edged higher as OPEC warned of additional cuts to output. Nigeria’s oil minister, Timipre Sylva, said that OPEC would consider additional cuts if crude prices fall because current levels are affecting the budget of some member states. This helped the crude oil market to shrug off the massive tightening being delivered. A softer USD in the aftermath of Japan’s intervention also created room for the oil prices to focus on the demand-supply fundamentals. WTI futures rose to highs of $86/barrel before some easing, while Brent touched $92+.   What to consider? SNB delivers a 75bps rate hike The 75bps rate hike by the Swiss National Bank lifted the policy rate out of NIRP to 0.50% but disappointed the markets which had started to look for a 100bps rate hike. Guidance that further rate hikes cannot be ruled out was also accompanied by repeating guidance that they are willing to intervene in FX markets as necessary with Chairman Jordan subsequently stressing they are ready to step in to prevent excessive weakening or strengthening of the Franc. Bank of England goes for a dovish 50bps as recession concerns imminent While the consensus was looking for a 50bps rate hike from the Bank of England, market had started to price in a case for 75bps rate hike as well and so the decision to hike rates by 50bps was a slight disappointment. More so, the decision was not unanimous with three members supporting a 75bps move and one calling for a smaller 25bps move. However, the BoE confirmed that they are going to reduce their holdings of government bonds by GBP 80bln over the next 12 months, although the schedule remains open to amendments. Additionally, the BoE retained its guidance that they will continue to “respond forcefully” as necessary to inflation and while the peak forecast was reduced vs August’s update, it remains elevated and well above target. Finally, the Bank has downgraded its view on the UK economy in the near-term, Q3 2022 is now expected to see GDP declining by 0.1% (vs August projection of +0.4%), for a second quarter of contraction; a forecast which, if confirmed by the ONS release, implies the economy is already in a technical recession. US jobless claims suggests a resilient labor market Initial jobless claims marginally rose to 213k from the revised lower 208k but it was beneath the expected 218k. Meanwhile, continued claims fell to 1.379mln (prev. 1.401mln), also lower than the consensus 1.4mln, and dipped beneath 1.4mln for the first time since mid-July. While the strength in the labor market still remains intact given the large number of open positions in the American job market, some moderation can be expected in the coming months with the rapid pace of tightening and still-strained supply chains affecting output. However, as the Fed noted yesterday, the pace of rate hikes is set to continue despite some economic/labor market pain. Japan’s intervention temporarily strengthens the yen Japan’s first market intervention in over two decades came right after a hawkish FOMC and a steady policy decision by the Bank of Japan, with the widening yield differential between the US and Japan continuing to weigh on the Japanese yen. The intervention announcement came as USDJPY surged above 145 – the level that has been the line in the sand for last several weeks – and pair dropped to 140.36 over the next few hours. But as with most unilateral interventions, the effect was short-lived and USDJPY returned to 142+ levels subsequently, just as we had expected here. More steps remain likely, and the US Treasury said it understood Tokyo's move, but stopped short of endorsing it. Eurozone PMIs on the card to gauge how hawkish ECB can get Eurozone PMIs are likely to dip further into contractionary territory as energy price hikes weigh on spending and business plans. Manufacturing PMIs are likely to ease to 48.8 in September from 49.6 previously, and services are expected to fall to 49.1 from 49.8, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates. A weaker-than-expected number could temper the hawkish ECB bets for the October meeting. Singapore and Malaysia inflation to see further upside pressures Singapore’s headline inflation likely jumped further above the 7% mark in August from a reading of 7% YoY in July, underpinned by higher food and energy prices globally, higher rents due to under-supply, and demand side pressures from regional reopening and a pickup in tourism. Malaysia’s continued ban on chicken exports is also adding to the food inflation, and further tightening from the Monetary Authority of Singapore at the October meeting remains likely. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s inflation also likely rose further in August from 4.4% YoY in July due to higher commodity prices and weaker ringgit, as well as the strength in consumer demand. Bank Negara Malaysia’s next meeting is only scheduled in November, before which we will have another CPI print out. However, it can be assumed that monetary tightening will likely continue. Costco outperforms. Is this a sign of what to expect for fourth quarter earnings season? Costco reported fourth quarter earnings results that beat average analysts forecast, with total revenue hitting $72.09 billion, vs the $70.3 billion expected. It comes as fourth quarter membership fees rose 7.5% year on year, to $1.33 billion and accounted for 2% of the retailer's revenue. Although the company typically raises membership fees every five to six years (with its last fee increase in June 2017), Costco held off on rising fees “at this time”. Costco flagged that it sees some beginnings in the inflation situation improving, while it also expects to sell an overstock of holiday goods this season, which was left over from last year. Costco shares fell 2% post market after their results, implying its shares will sour when the market opens.    For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-sept-23-2022-23092022
    Middle Distillate Inventories Are Tight Around The Globe

    The Global Container Shipping Is Weakening, The Bank of England Decisions And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.09.2022 09:02
    Summary:  Markets continue to absorb the impact of the FOMC meeting and other central banks continuing to tighten yesterday, with the chief concern for risk sentiment actually the leap in long US treasury yields yesterday, which more directly affect asset valuation models. The US 10-year yield benchmark jumped nearly 20 basis points yesterday to above 3.70% and thus to a new 11-year high. Elsewhere, the latest consumer confidence survey in Europe showed record low sentiment ahead of flash September Manufacturing and Services PMI’s out this morning from France, Germany and the Eurozone.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Further weakness in US equities with the S&P 500 futures posting a new lower close for the cycle and continuing down this morning trading around the 3,770 level. The next big level to watch on the downside is 3,740 in S&P 500 futures which was the big support level multiple times back in July. US equities are naturally being dragged lower from the US bond yields pushing higher with the US 10-year yield rallying to 3.71% the highest since early 2010. In addition, the US leading indicators for August were weakening further with the y/y index pushing into the most negative level since the Great Financial Crisis excluding the dip during the pandemic suggesting the US economy could slip into a recession within the next 6-9 months. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was at 11-year lows yesterday amid the massive global tightening as well as rising geopolitical tensions. HSI later recovered some of the losses to end the day down 1.6%. Hong Kong's de facto central bank mirrored the tightening and raised its base lending rate by 75 basis points to 3.5% with immediate effect. Hong Kong’s banks have waited through five rounds of rate hikes this year before moving. More pain is in store for Hong Kong’s borrowers, as the HKMA has been conducting its monetary policy in lockstep with the Fed since 1983 to maintain the local currency’s peg to the US dollar. EV shares tumbled with XPeng down 11.6% and Nio falling 7.5%. The property sector continued to show weakness, with NWD down 3.4%. Meanwhile, CSI300 ended the day down 0.9%. USDJPY volatile on BoJ intervention Japan’s first market intervention to support the yen in over two decades came right after a hawkish FOMC and a steady policy decision by the Bank of Japan, with the widening yield differential between the US and Japan continuing to weigh on the Japanese yen. The intervention announcement came as USDJPY surged above 145 – the level that has been the line in the sand for last several weeks – and pair dropped to 140.36 over the next few hours. But as with most unilateral interventions, the effect was short-lived and USDJPY returned to 142+ levels subsequently, just as we had expected here. More steps remain likely, and the US Treasury said it understood Tokyo's move, but stopped short of endorsing it. EURCHF ignored the intervention warnings EURCHF surged to 0.9700+ levels from 0.9465 after the SNB’s 75bps rate hike remained short of market’s expectation of a 100bps move. USDCHF also moved higher to touch 0.9850 from sub-0.9650 levels, but that was helped by a weaker US dollar following Japan’s intervention to defend the yen. With higher inflation forecasts, one can argue that there will be more room for the SNB to raise rates, and the CHF’s haven status could also come to its rescue as the case for economic slowdown gets stronger with the massive global tightening being delivered. Gold (XAUUSD) holding up despite the dollar and yield strength Gold has held up well despite multiple rate hikes and the dollar reaching multi-year highs against several major currencies.  By continuing to raise interest rates while also raising expectations for lower growth and rising unemployment the FOMC is signaling a recession is a price worth paying for getting inflation under control. Putin’s increasingly desperate measures and threats regarding his war in Ukraine has helped support gold and shield it from losses but geopolitical support aside, the yellow metal may struggle as long yields continue to rise and the market continues to price inflation sub 3% in a year from now. Resistance has moved to $1690 while below $1654, last week's low, the market may target the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally at $1618. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) Crude oil remains stuck near the lower end of its recent tight range with the Powell versus Putin battle (demand versus supply) not having a clear winner so far. Brent and WTI are nevertheless both heading for a small fourth weekly loss as the global economic outlook grows darker following a week where central banks around the world, led by the US Fed continued to apply the brakes through rate hikes in order to curb runaway inflation. A difficult and potentially volatile quarter awaits with multiple and contradictory uncertainties having their say in the direction. WTI support at $82 and $87.50 in Brent. Wheat futures jump driven by Ukraine and weather concerns Chicago and Paris wheat futures, two of the best performing commodities markets this week, trade at a two-month high supported by risks of a deepening conflict in Ukraine putting the UN supported grain export corridor at risk, and dry weather in crop areas of Argentina and the U.S. Plains. This despite a forecast from the International Grains Council pointing to an increased 2022/23 global wheat production. Paris Milling wheat (EBMZ2) reached €350 per ton on Thursday with support now the previous triple top at €340 per ton. In Chicago the December wheat contract (ZWZ2) reached a $9.22 per bushel high but for a second day in a row failed to close above the 200-day moving average at $9.16 per bushel. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) A key day for longer US treasuries yesterday, with the US 10-year treasury benchmark closing nearly 20 basis points higher yesterday to a prominent new cycle high above 3.70%. Perhaps the most interesting development was that the move sharply steepened the US yield curve, with the 2-10 slope rising to -41 bps from below -50 bps the day before. Are markets concerned the Fed cycle will extend for longer, that more treasury supply will be coming from the Fed’s QT picking up pace or from the Bank of Japan selling treasuries to fund intervention, that the US growth outlook is actually more positive than previously thought or all of the above? Whatever the cause, US long treasury yields are likely to prove a key driver across markets as long as they continue to rise to new cycle highs. What is going on? US jobless claims suggest a resilient labor market Initial jobless claims marginally rose to 213k from the revised lower 208k but it was beneath the expected 218k. Meanwhile, continued claims fell to 1.379mn (prev. 1.401mn), also lower than the consensus 1.4mln, and dipped beneath 1.4mln for the first time since mid-July. While the strength in the labor market remains intact given the large number of open positions in the American job market, some moderation can be expected in the coming months with the rapid pace of tightening and still-strained supply chains affecting output. However, as the Fed noted yesterday, the pace of rate hikes is set to continue despite some economic and labor market pain. SNB delivers a 75bps rate hike The 75 bps rate hike by the Swiss National Bank lifted the policy rate out of NIRP to 0.50% but disappointed the markets which had started to look for a 100bps rate hike. Guidance that additional rate hikes cannot be ruled out was also accompanied by repeating guidance that they are willing to intervene in FX markets as necessary with Chairman Jordan subsequently stressing, they are ready to step in to prevent excessive weakening or strengthening of the Franc. Bank of England goes for a dovish 50bps as recession concerns imminent While the consensus was looking for a 50bps rate hike from the Bank of England, market had started to price in a case for 75bps rate hike as well and so the decision to hike rates by 50bps was a slight disappointment. More so, the decision was not unanimous with three members supporting a 75bps move and one calling for a smaller 25bps move. However, the BoE confirmed that they are going to reduce their holdings of government bonds by GBP 80bln over the next 12 months, although the schedule remains open to amendments. Additionally, the BoE retained its guidance that they will continue to “respond forcefully” as necessary to inflation and while the peak forecast was reduced vs August’s update, it remains elevated and well above target. Finally, the Bank has downgraded its view on the UK economy in the near-term, Q3 2022 is now expected to see GDP declining by 0.1% (vs August projection of +0.4%), for a second quarter of contraction; a forecast which, if confirmed by the ONS release, implies the economy is already in a technical recession. Global container shipping rates are in free fall The collapse in global container shipping rates is gathering pace with the Drewry Composite down 10% on the week to $4,472 per 40 feet box, and lowest since Dec 2020. Down 57% from the Sept 21 peak but still three times higher than the pre-pandemic average, suggesting further downside as the global economy continues to lose steam. All the major China to US and EU routes have slumped. Costco earnings are strong Costco reported fourth quarter earnings results that beat average analysts' forecast, with total revenue hitting $72bn vs est. $70.3bn. It comes as fourth quarter membership fees rose 7.5% y/y to $1.33bn and accounted for 2% of the retailer's revenue. Although the company typically raises membership fees every five to six years (with its last fee increase in June 2017), Costco held off on rising fees “at this time”. Costco flagged that it sees some beginnings in the inflation situation improving, while it also expects to sell an overstock of holiday goods this season, which was left over from last year. The retailer said that the biggest cost pressures were now in labour expenses. General Mills, the best performer in the S&P500 this week The US biggest wheat producer General Mills has outperformed the S&P500 this week and risen 7.4% due to a much better than expected earnings release and strong wheat prices recently related to Russia’s escalation in its war in Ukraine. AUDNZD hit a new high after NZ trade balance disappointed again AUDNZD rallied to fresh 9-year high at 1.1371 with the next potential target in focus being the 2015 high at 1.1430. The uptrend continued after NZ reported its trade balance worsened in August trade data after NZ’s imports accelerated while exports have declined. The deficit in NZ Trade Balance widened further to -$12.28B vs. the prior release of -$11.97B on an annual basis. This is a stark contrast to Australia, which is reporting record surpluses in its trade balance, due to exporting record amounts of coal. What are we watching next? Eurozone PMIs on the card to gauge how hawkish ECB can get Eurozone PMIs are likely to dip further into contractionary territory as energy price hikes weigh on spending and business plans. Manufacturing PMIs are likely to ease to 48.8 in September from 49.6 previously, and services are expected to fall to 49.1 from 49.8, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates. A weaker-than-expected number could temper the hawkish ECB bets for the October meeting. Chicago Fed National Activity Index and US financial conditions With US leading indicators y/y dipping into the most negative territory since the Great Financial Crisis excluding the dip during the pandemic, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index and US financial conditions updates for August and latest week respectively are important to watch for equity sentiment. Earnings calendar this week Today’s earnings focus is Carnival reporting FY22 Q3 results (ending 31 August) with revenue expected to rise 800% y/y to $4.9bn as the cruise line industry is coming back from years of subdued demand due to the pandemic. Today: Carnival Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 France, Germany, Eurozone Flash September Manufacturing and Services PMI 0830 - UK Sep. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1230 - Canada Jul. Retail Sales 1345 – US Manufacturing and Services PMI 1800 - US Fed Chair Powell to speak at event Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-23-2022-23092022
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Tech Stocks: Tesla Stock Price Decreased By 2% On September 21st

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 22.09.2022 15:38
    Tesla stock gyrates wildly around the Fed interest rate decision. TSLA eventually closed down over 2% on Wednesday. Tesla is likely to struggle further along with all equities. Tesla (TSLA) swung around pretty wildly as the Fed decision was announced. The gyrations were partly to do with positioning and also lingering hopes for a Fed pivot. Equity markets sold off on the initial 75 bps rate hike. It was more the dot plot showing higher rates in 2023 that caught many by surprise. No Fed pivot in 2023 was not what equity bulls had been hoping for, but the press conference began slightly more dovish with talk of a "pause" and phrases like "data dependent" getting equity bulls' hopes up. The Nasdaq surged into positive territory before finally bowing to the inevitable. Rates are going higher, and equities will have to take some more pain. Tesla stock news All this overshadows any specific Tesla news, of which there is little anyway. Reuters had earlier reported that Tesla was looking to close some showrooms in China, but the company has supposedly denied this. Outside of that, the news was relatively light, an unusual move for Tesla. The attention will now begin to focus on the next set of quarterly earnings, which are due on October 20. Tesla has reported strong sales growth in China, so investors will be looking for clarity on projections there. Delivery lead times have been slashed on the mainland as well, with the Shanghai Giga factory getting upgraded. The question remains how much of this falling delivery time is attributable to falling demand. The last set of data from China appeared to show not much as Tesla nearly tripled its sales growth in China from a year prior. Tesla stock forecast Tesla stock once again failed at the upper resistance at $314 on Wednesday. This was in line with the rally and sharp sell-off of US equities into Wednesday's close. Now we wait to see how much follow-up there is on the sell side. The medium-term outlook is bearish with higher yields now offering a viable alternative to equity investments. In the current climate, safety offered by bonds (especially short-term bonds held to maturity) will likely tempt investors. Below $314 Tesla, therefore, looks bearish with a target of $281 and then $265. TSLA daily chart
    The Grains Sector Saw Continued Demand| Acceleration In The Sale Of Gold

    Fed Monetary Policy Will Drive Investment In Dividend Stocks

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.09.2022 13:48
    Summary:  The FOMC will push interest rates much higher from here to rein in inflation and with that lowering equity valuations. This means that higher P/E ratios, also called growth stocks, will suffer relative more compared to lower P/E companies and especially those with high dividend yields and that have proven their robustness over the past 10 years. Dividend stocks are in high demand and have been outperforming the global equity market by 14% since November and will likely continue to do well over the coming six months. The monetary pivot in November 2021 kickstarted dividend investing Since November last year when the Fed pivoted on its temporary inflation thesis and indicated that it would significantly tighten financial conditions to rein in inflation, dividends aristocrats* (see definition below) have outperformed the global equity market by 14.2% and are only down 10.7% this year compared to 21.2% for the MSCI World. The question is whether the relative outperformance can continue for dividend stocks. The FOMC’s decision on Wednesday to hike the US policy rate by another 75 basis points and sending a hawkish signal through its dot-plot and economic forecasts (read our in-depth take on the FOMC decision in our Thursday Quick Take note) will add more tailwind for dividend stocks. The reason for that is that higher interest rates will reduce equity valuations through a higher discount rate on future cash flows. Lower equity valuations will, all things being equal, have a larger impact on higher P/E ratio companies than those with low P/E ratios, because high P/E companies have a larger part of their value coming from cash flows expected far into the future. As our table below shows, the dividend aristocrats generally have lower valuation multiples and thus have less interest rate sensitivity. In addition, higher interest rates coupled with potential recession and uncertainty lift the value of companies with higher more predictable income stream in the short-term. It is worth noting that over the past five years, global dividend stocks have delivered a significantly worse return for shareholders than the global equity market. There are many ways to define good dividend paying companies and in this equity note we have focused on the SPDR S&P 500 Global Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF, but there is also the iShares MSCI World Quality Dividend ESG UCITS ETF which focuses on companies with high dividend yield and quality characteristics (strong return on capital and strong balance sheets). Below we have listed the 10 largest holdings in each ETF. SPDR S&P 500 Global Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF – 10 largest holdings H&R Block LTC Properties South Jersey Industries Unum Universal Pinnacle West Capital Northwest Bancshares IBM OGE Energy Spire MSCI World Quality Dividend ESG UCITS ETF – 10 largest holdings Microsoft Apple Roche Cisco AbbVie Merck Texas Instruments Unilever Qualcomm Novartis The chart below shows the 5-year weekly prices on the SPDR S&P Global Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF * S&P Global defines dividend aristocrats as the highest dividend yielding companies within the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) that have followed a policy of increasing or stable dividends for at least 10 consecutive years. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/hawkish-fomc-means-more-tailwind-for-dividend-stocks-23092022
    For What It Is Worthy To Pay Attention Next Week 23.01-29.01

    Markets Affected By The Announcement Of Tax Cuts In The UK, The Intervention Of The Japanese Authorities

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.09.2022 09:07
    Summary:  The global macro environment took another beating late last week with disappointing Eurozone PMIs and a UK mini-budget causing a havoc in markets as it fueled further debt and inflation concerns. Dollar dominance continued with sterling pressured despite higher UK yields, and risk off tone is likely to continue as Russia-Ukraine tensions in focus. The yen’s intervention risks also on watch as Japan returns from holiday today. Oil prices slid to multi-month lows amid a stronger dollar and demand concerns, with supply factors turning supportive for now, weighing on energy stocks. What is happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continue to tumble on rising interest rates  The selloff last Friday continued its long stretch of turbulence, which first kicked off following Powell’s hawkish Jackson Hole speech on August 26, then was exacerbated by a much-stronger-than expected CPI on September 13. And the selloff has most recently been bolstered by the hawkish rate and economic projections released after the FOMC meeting last Wednesday. Adding to the woes, earnings warnings from heavy-weight industrial and transportation companies have warned of weaker demand and an opaque outlook. The S&P 500 lost 12% and Nasdaq 100 dropped 13.9% over the period. Of note, last Friday, financial conditions tightened further, with US 2-year yields soaring to 4.2%, the highest since 2007, while the dollar soared to a new high and dragged down stocks, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ending Friday down 1.7% lower.   Big US stock movers: oil and gas stocks plunge as oil falls to an eight-month low  All 11 sectors in the S&P500 closed lower on Friday, with Energy falling the most, 6.8%, after WTI crude declined by about 5% to an eight-month low after the US dollar hit its highest level in two decades on fears rising interest rates will tip major economies into a recession. APA Corp (APA:xnas) and Marathon Oil (MRO:xnys) fell about 11%. FedEx (FDX:xnys) fell 3.4% with its US$2.7 billion cost-saving by cutting flights, deferring projects, and closing offices facing skepticism. Ford (F:xnys) fell 3.6%, following a WSJ report that Ford delayed vehicle deliveries due to supply chain issues in getting Ford logo badges to put on its vehicles. On the upside, Generac Holdings (GRNC:xyns), Domino’s Pizza (DPZ:xyns) shares rose the most in the S&P 500 on Friday, gaining 3.2% and 3.1% respectively, perhaps with traders closing shorts as their stocks are continuing to hit new lows on a yearly basis.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rattled by soaring U.K. bond yields  In London trading hours before New York came in, U.S. treasuries were rattled by the jaw-dropping, emerging market style meltdown in U.K. Gilts, as 5-year UK Gilts soared 50bps and 10-year Gilts jumped 33bps in yields in an hour, following the announcement of a massive loosening of fiscal policy of nearly 2% of GDP by the new U.K. government. Investors are worried as when the U.K. acted similarly last time in 1972, inflation soared and the U.K. had to go to the IMF for a loan in 1976. When New York came in, bids emerged for U.S. treasuries, in particular, for the long end of the curve. 10-year and 30-year yields fell 3bps to 3.68% and 3.61% respectively while 2-year yields finished the session 8bps higher at 4.20%, the highest level since 2007.    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) glided lower  Hang Seng Index continued its losing streak and tumbled 1.2% to its lowest level last seen in 2011.  Materials, healthcare, China Internet, EV, shipping, and consumer stocks led the market lower.  In the materials sector, Ganfeng Lithium (01772:xhkg) plunged 5%, followed by MMG (01208:xhkg) down 3.6%, and China Shenhua (01088:xhkg)  off 3.4%.  Despite the weakness in international crude oil prices, PetroChina (00857:xhkg) and Sinopec (00386:xhkg) managed to bounce by around 1.5%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700), and Meituan (03690:xhkg) declined by nearly 3%. Hong Kong’s end of hotel quarantine requirement lifted the share price Cathay Pacific (00293:hk) by 1% while Chinese airlines declined moderately.  Hong Kong luxury retailers gained, with Oriental Watch (00398:xhkg), Luk Fook and Chow Sang Sang rising from 0.5% to 2.2%. Banks in Hong Kong gained in anticipation of improvement in net interest margins following the lenders increased their prime rates, BOC Hong Kong (02388:xhkg) rising 3.8%, Hang Seng Bank (00011:xhkg) up by 2.5%. In mainland A shares, CSI300 swung between modest gains and losses and finished the day down by 0.3% and declining to within 3% from its April low. In terms of sectors, electronics, semiconductors, autos, coal, and solar power were among the worst laggards, while banks and appliances outperformed. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) to be pressured by oil prices pulling back  This week Australia’s share market will likely take its lead from commodity prices pulling back, with oil stocks like Woodside (WDS:xasx), Santos (STO:xasx) and Worley (WOR:xasx) to take a hair cut. Inversely, the coal price has continued to move higher, along with coal futures, so there is likely to be further upsdise in coal stocks including; New Hope, Whitehaven (WHC:xasx) and Coronado (CRN:Xasx) Washington Soul Patts (SOL:xasx). Dollar dominance continues, sterling battered The dollar rallied broadly, hitting a new all-time high against a currency basket and pushing the euro to a 20-year low while the pound plunged to a fresh 37-year low below 1.10 after the new UK government unveiled a massive fiscal stimulus plan to boost economic growth, which is sure to send inflation soaring even higher and force the BOE to do even more QT. Safe-haven demand also boosted the greenback amid risks from the escalation of Russia tensions and more signs of a slowing Chinese economy, which raised concerns about the outlook for global economic growth.  Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) inches below key supports Crude oil prices fell sharply last week with the focus fixed on demand concerns while supply issues turned supportive. The continued surge higher in dollar and yields, aided by not just the FOMC but also the UK fiscal expansion measures into the end of the week, drove a slump in risk appetite. Brent crude fell to a nine-month low of $86.15/bbl, and this may warrant an OPEC action to support prices. Russia also warned it will not supply commodities to nations that join any agreement to cap prices for its crude. WTI crude traded below $80/bbl in early Asian trading hours as the new week kicked off.   What to consider? US PMIs come in better than expectations US flash PMIs for September surpassed expectations across the board, as manufacturing rose to 51.8 (prev. 51.5, exp. 51.1) and services, despite remaining in contractionary territory, printed 49.2 (prev. 43.7, exp. 45.0). Composite lifted to 49.3 from 44.6. At the same time, the inflation components of the PMIs continue to show some relief, with the report showing that supplier shortages eased and both cost and selling prices for both goods and services were at fresh lows, while still-high compared to the usual levels.  Eurozone PMIs disappoint, but ECB speakers (including Lagarde) will be in focus this week Both manufacturing and services PMIs for the Eurozone came in weaker-than-expected in a flash reading for September, with rising energy costs and decline in purchasing power weighing on manufacturing activity as well as the services sector. The headline reading fell to 48.2 in September from 48.9 in August. New orders disappointed, and the outlook was bleak as well. Manufacturing continues to be hit harder by elevated commodity prices. The reading slipped to 48.5 from 49.6. The services figure came in a bit higher at 48.9, but still fell from 49.8 in the previous reporting period. While supply bottlenecks eased, surging energy prices suggest these could reverse again. UK’s historic tax cuts raise the case for a BOE’s emergency rate hike New UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a mini-budget on Friday, which included wide-ranging tax cuts of the order of GBP 45bn, adding to an estimated cost of GBP 60bn for the energy plan. Instead of stabilizing markets, the announcement sparked mayhem as it promised even more inflation at a time when the UK is set to slide into a crippling stagflationary recession as prices soar. Bank of England last week stuck with a 50bps rate hike as recession is likely on the cards. Bonds were sold off and the sterling dipped to 37-year lows, suggesting UK’s inflation-fighting credibility at stake and demands risk premia.  Investors pile into insurance against further market sells offs. Over the last four weeks money managers have spent US$34 billion purchasing put options, which provides protection against a further fall in stock markets (according to the Financial Times). According to the article, ‘Investors pile into insurance against further market sell-offs', $9.6 billion was spent in the last weeks alone on options protecting against downside risks.  Will Japanese authorities intervene further to defend the yen? The Japanese authorities intervened in the currency markets for the first time in two decades last Thursday. USDJPY’s move above 145 following a hawkish FOMC and a still-accommodative Bank of Japan prompted the intervention, and dragged the pair to sub-141 levels before some of the move was retraced. However, Japan was closed on Friday for a holiday, and returns to trading today. Moreover, Governor Kuroda will make a speech and talk to reporters today. We believe the yen could weaken further given the pressure from yield differentials between the US, which continues to rise to fresh highs, vs. the yields in Japan which continue to remain capped. Meanwhile, the intervention last week has been possibly unilateral, suggesting it may not be long-lasting. This continues to raise the possibility of further intervention from the Japanese authorities, especially if USDJPY rises back above 145. Russia referendums results may create market volatility The four Moscow-held regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – began voting on Friday on whether to become part of Russia, and results may be expected this week. The referendums are reminiscent of one in 2014 that saw Ukraine’s Crimea annexed by Russia. The four regions’ integration into Russia – which for most observers is already a foregone conclusion – would represent a major new escalation of the conflict. The threat of nuclear weapons will also keep risk off on the table, with Putin threatening to use “all means” to protect the annexed Russian territory. Hong Kong ended hotel quarantine for arrivals Effective from today, Hong Kong ended its requirements for people arriving Hong Kong to be under hotel quarantine.  Under the new arrangement, people arrive to Hong Kong from overseas and Taiwan are still required to undergo three days of medical surveillance at home or hotels.  They can go out, including taking public transportation and going to work but are still denied access to some public venues such as restaurants during the medical surveillance as well as required to take RAT daily for seven days plus three PCR tests on day 2, 4 and 6 each.  For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast .     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-sept-26-2022-26092022
    Oanda Podcast: US Jobs Report, SVB Financial Fallout And More

    The United States And Investments In New Sources Of Energy, Demand For The iPhone 14 Is Low

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.09.2022 09:25
    Summary:  Market sentiment continues to deteriorate as markets test the lows of this bear market on the surging US dollar and US treasury yields, although the latter came down sharply from the highs Friday as the equity market sell-off accelerated. The strong US dollar posted new highs for the cycle against many DM currencies, while sterling is in crisis mode, plunging to an all-time low at one point overnight below 1.0500 to the US dollar.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Last week was hectic with many central bank decisions, BoJ currency intervention and Russian military mobilisation. This morning US equities are not in a better mood with S&P 500 futures down 0.7% trading around the 3,680 level as the US 10-year yield continues to move trading at 3.76%. The VIX Index has also pushed to almost 30 and the VIX forward curve slipped into inversion on Friday signaling a potential panic selloff is in the making. We expect pressures to continue in equities, but with sentiment already historically low, there could be a short-term rebound if S&P 500 futures can hold the line around the June lows at around the 3,640 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index fluctuated between modest gains and losses and was 0.4% lower as of writing. HSBC (00005:xhkg) and Standard Charted (02888:xhkg) tumbled around 8% as the Pound Sterling was in turmoil. The market however was supported by rallies in China internet stocks, the China catering space, EV names, and Macao casino stocks. In mainland bourses, tourism, catering, semiconductors, solar power and EV rebounded, CSI300 up by 0.3%. Strong USD, weak GBP The US dollar strength has continued to start this week, as the greenback posted new cycle highs versus most other G10 currencies, with the notable exception of USDJPY, which did trade back higher above 144.00, but continues to respect the threat of official intervention from Japan after last week’s episode. Most intense focus at the moment is on the collapsing pound sterling, which crashed to an all-time low below 1.0500 overnight, down more than 5% in a couple of trading sessions. More on whether sterling’s slide will lead to an emergency move from the Bank of England below. The EURUSD traded to new cycle lows below 0.9600 overnight. There are no real chart points for that exchange rate until the all-time low of 0.8230 from the year 2000. Gold (XAUUSD) under pressure A hawkish Fed and the continued rise in real rates and not least the surging US dollar has seen gold fall towards the lowest since April 2020. Last week’s 1.9% drop, however, was relatively muted given the +3% rally in the dollar index and a 24 basis points jump in the US ten-year nominal and real yield, but as long the dollar continues its relentless rise and until the market reaches peak hawkishness and yields start to top out, gold will struggle to act as a defense against stagflation. Ahead of last week's slump money managers had increased short bets on gold to become the most bearish in more than four years. Having dropped below $1654 on Friday, the market may now target the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally at $1618. Focus being the dollar, US inflation data and Russia geopolitical developments. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) The unrelenting pressure on commodities, including crude oil, continues following Friday’s gloomy session which saw accelerated dollar strength and growth pessimism cause a ripple through markets. The result being a near 5% drop in crude on Friday and weakness remained the theme overnight in Asia as the dollar ripped higher against most major currencies, not least a collapsing sterling. WTI trades below $80 per barrel while a return to the mid-80's in Brent may soon see OPEC+ action to support prices. With Russia repeating its warning of not supplying commodities to nations that join any agreement to cap prices for its crude, and with the market increasingly having priced in a recession, the energy sector could be the first to find support once the dollar stabilises. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields pulled sharply higher on Friday, but treasuries finally found support later in the session before melting lower again to start the week in Asia – taking the 10-year treasury yield back toward the cycle high near 3.80%. The next focus higher for the US 10-year benchmark is 4.00% after the cycle high 3.50% level fell last week. This was the highest yield posted all the way back in the 2009-10 period. What is going on? Right bloc wins Italian election, with Brothers of Italy’s Giorgia Meloni set to be next PM of Italy The bloc will have at least 114 Senate seats, ten more than the level required for a majority.  The three right-leaning parties Brothers of Italy, League and Forza Italia won about 43% of the popular vote, with 25% going to Brothers of Italy. The new government will have to scramble to put together a new budget for approval by the Italian parliament and the EU. Populist pressures could see the new government calling for large deficit spending that former PM Draghi refused to consider. Meloni has promised to roll back some of the reform measures introduced by Draghi, a move that could risk the EU withholding some portion of the EUR 200 billion of extraordinary EU pandemic budget funds targeted for Italy. US PMIs come in better than expected US flash PMIs for September surpassed expectations across the board, as manufacturing rose to 51.8 (prev. 51.5, exp. 51.1) and services, despite remaining in contractionary territory, printed 49.2 (prev. 43.7, exp. 45.0). The Composite lifted to 49.3 from 44.6. At the same time, the inflation components of the PMIs continue to show some relief, with the report showing that supplier shortages eased and both cost and selling prices for both goods and services were at fresh lows, while still high compared to the usual levels.  Eurozone PMIs disappoint, but ECB speakers (including Lagarde) will be in focus this week Both manufacturing and services PMIs for the Eurozone came in weaker-than-expected in a flash reading for September, with rising energy costs and decline in purchasing power weighing on manufacturing activity as well as the services sector. The headline reading fell to 48.2 in September from 48.9 in August. New orders disappointed, and the outlook was bleak as well. Manufacturing continues to be hit harder by elevated commodity prices. The reading slipped to 48.5 from 49.6. The services figure came in a bit higher at 48.9, but still fell from 49.8 in the previous reporting period. While supply bottlenecks eased, surging energy prices suggest these could reverse again. Apple iPhone 14 initial sales below previous introductions According to initial surveys demand for the iPhone 14 is running below previous model instructions suggesting consumers are holding back due to lower disposable income. The lower initial sales figures are in contrast to the pre-orders of the iPhone 14, but these pre-orders do not come with an obligation to buy. It is also worth noting that Apple has begun assembling some of its iPhone 14 in India.  The United States is boosting investments in new sources of energy Over the weekend, the U.S. government has announced it will provide up to $50 million as a reward to private nuclear fusion firms. They will need to provide pre-conceptual nuclear fusion reactor designs within 18 months of receiving their award. Fusion is considered by experts as a clean energy source with less radioactive waste than existing nuclear power plants. If they succeed, this could help accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and greener economy. At the same time, the United States is the developed country with the most conventional nuclear capacity under construction, according to the latest data of the World nuclear association. While many European countries are debating whether nuclear energy is safe or not, the reality is that it is one of the safer sources of energy. Radioactivity resulting from uranium use diminishes quickly with time. About 40 years after it is done making power, the radioactivity of the fuel bundle falls by over 99 %. Most of the industrial waste we manage never gets less toxic over time…not even in a million years. Investors pile into insurance against further market sell offs During the last four weeks money managers have spent US$34 billion purchasing put options, which provides protection against a further fall in stock markets (according to the Financial Times). US$9.6 billion was spent in the last weeks alone on options protecting against downside risks, according to the Financial Times article ‘Investors pile into insurance against further market sell-offs'. What are we watching next? Sterling crisis after UK’s historic tax cuts may bring emergency rate hike New UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a mini budget on Friday, which included wide-ranging tax cuts approximately GBP 45 billion, adding to an estimated cost of GBP 60bn for the energy plan. Instead of stabilizing markets, the announcement sparked mayhem as it promised even more inflation at a time when the UK is set to slide into a crippling stagflationary recession as prices soar. The Bank of England last week stuck with a 50bps rate hike as recession is likely on the cards. Bonds were sold off and the sterling dipped to 37-year lows, suggesting UK’s inflation-fighting credibility at stake and demands risk premia, in other words, the Bank of England may be forced to announce an emergency rate hike to stabilize the currency. Will Japanese authorities intervene further to defend the yen? The Japanese authorities intervened in the currency markets for the first time in two decades last Thursday. USDJPY’s move above 145 following a hawkish FOMC and a still-accommodative Bank of Japan prompted the intervention, and dragged the pair to sub-141 levels before some of the move was retraced. However, Japan was closed on Friday for a holiday, and returns to trading today. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda has been out speaking this morning, with no new signals on offer. The yen could weaken further given the pressure from yield differentials between the US, which continues to rise to fresh highs, vs. the yields in Japan which continue to remain capped. Meanwhile, the intervention last week has been possibly unilateral, suggesting it may not be long-lasting. This continues to raise the possibility of further intervention from the Japanese authorities, especially if USDJPY rises back above 145. Earnings calendar this week The Q3 earnings season kicks off in three weeks but there are still earnings releases being released not following the traditional calendar. The action this week will be on Thursday with earnings from H&M, Nike, and Micron Technology, with earnings from Micron being the most interesting to watch as we already know H&M and Nike are seeing weak demand. Micron has exposure to the consumer electronics industry and manufactures memory chips in Asia which means that the company sits in at the intersection of many interesting trends. Tuesday: Ferguson Wednesday: Paychex, Cintas Thursday: Polestar Automotive, H&M, Nike, Micron Technology, CarMax Friday: Carnival (postponed from last week), Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Germany Sep. IFO Survey 0800 – Switzerland SNB Weekly Sight Deposits 1230 – US Chicago Fed National Activity Index 1300 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1400 – US Fed’s Collins (Voter this year) to speak 1430 – ECB’s Centeno to speak 1600 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-Voter) to speak 1600 – UK Bank of England’s Tenreyro to speak 1835 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr to speak 2000 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-26-2022-26092022
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    Very Dramatic Moves In Forex Markets With The Euro (EUR) And The Pound (GBP)

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 26.09.2022 11:13
    The FX markets kick off the week on an extremely chaotic note. Both the pound and the euro are being severely punished for the political decisions that are taken in the UK and in Italy respectively. Elections in Italy As expected, the far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni won a clear majority in Italy at yesterday’s election, with Brothers of Italy gaining more than 25% of the votes. And Meloni’s right-wing alliance with Salvini’s League and Berlusconi’s Forza Italia got around 43% of the votes: the terrible consequence of the pandemic, the war and the energy crisis. Situation the major currency  The EURUSD has been shattered this morning. The pair dived to 0.9550. But it’s almost worst across the Channel, if that’s any consolation. Investors really hated the ‘mini budget’ announced in UK last Friday. Investors were expecting to hear about a huge spending package from Liz Truss government, but the package has been even HUGER than the market expectations. UK’s 10-year yield jumped more than 20% since last week, the FTSE dived near 2% and Cable tanked below 1.0350 in Asia this morning. Elsewhere, the US dollar index took a lift, and the dollar index is just crossing above the 114 mark at the time of talking. Stock market Outlook Gold dived to $1626 on the back of soaring US dollar. US crude oil plunged below $80 per barrel. The S&P500 fell to the lowest levels since this summer, whereas the Dow Jones fell below the summer dip. Happily, the European equities are better bid this morning, but investors remain tense and worried. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:24 Italy turns right, euro gets smashed 4:15 UK assets treated like EM after the ‘MINI’ budget 7:45 USD rallies, XAU, oil under pressure 8:49 US stocks dive to, or below summer lows on Fed fear Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Italy #election #Meloni #UK #mini #budget #EUR #GBP #selloff #USD #rally #crude #oil #XAU #BP #APA #XOM #recession #energy #crisis #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Steady BoE Rate Expectations Amid Empty Event Calendar in the UK

    Podcast: Very Weak Global Sentiment And View Of Gold, Shares And Crude Oil

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.09.2022 11:52
    Summary:  Today we look at very weak global sentiment as the US dollar and US treasury yields continue to soar, taking US equities to the key cycle lows as we wonder what shape the capitulation will take - a quick test and reverse or a more profound move driven by poor liquidity? Elsewhere, we note sterling's historic drop and suggest that it is time for the Bank of England to step in with an emergency rate hike - or else. Crude oil, gold, stocks to watch today (including Apple with some concern around iPhone 14 orders) and more are on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean engraver If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-sep-26-2022-26092022
    US Nonfarm Payrolls Disappoint: Impact on Dollar and EUR/USD Analysis

    Many Of Big Losers On The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 27.09.2022 08:10
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.11% to hit a 52-week low, the S&P 500 fell 1.03%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.60%. Walmart Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 1.25 points (0.96%) to close at 131.31. Apple Inc rose 0.34 points (0.23%) to close at 150.77. Procter & Gamble Company rose 0.13 points or 0.10% to close at 135.71. The biggest losers were The Travelers Companies Inc, which shed 4.88 points or 3.14% to end the session at 150.60. Boeing Co was up 2.99% or 3.92 points to close at 127.34, while Chevron Corp was down 2.63% or 3.81 points to close at 140.96. . Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Wynn Resorts Limited, which rose 11.99% to 66.80, Las Vegas Sands Corp, which gained 11.81% to close at 39.66. as well as Costco Wholesale Corp, which rose 2.98% to end the session at 480.30. The losers were DISH Network Corporation, which shed 6.12% to close at 14.27. Shares of The AES Corporation shed 5.48% to end the session at 22.96. Quotes of Halliburton Company decreased in price by 5.17% to 23.31. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were LAVA Therapeutics NV, which rose 97.50% to 4.74, DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd, which gained 42.87% to close at 0.45. as well as shares of Panbela Therapeutics Inc, which rose 25.96% to close the session at 0.34. The biggest losers were Powerbridge Technologies Co Ltd, which shed 68.57% to close at 0.50. Shares of Scienjoy Holding Corp lost 43.77% to end the session at 1.67. Quotes of Snow Lake Resources Ltd fell in price by 40.88% to 1.88. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2652) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (536), while quotes of 132 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,592 stocks fell, 1,248 rose, and 275 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 7.82% to 32.26, hitting a new 3-month high. Gold futures for December delivery lost 1.56%, or 25.90, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 2.82%, or 2.22, to $76.52 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 2.81%, or 2.39, to $82.64 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.84% to hit 0.96, while USD/JPY edged up 0.94% to hit 144.66. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.98% to 114.07.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-09-28 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/294320
    Tesla’s Shares Are The Most Expensive|Apple Started Production In India

    Tesla’s Shares Are The Most Expensive|Apple Started Production In India

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 27.09.2022 09:27
    Summary:  Bond yields surged and the US dollar picked up strength once more, pressuring US equities for the fifth day. The S&P 500 finished Monday at its lowest closing level in 2022. Investors continued to dump the U.K. Gilts and the Pound Sterling. Australia’s ASX200 could be boosted by M&A and earnings, but pressure remains. China’s central bank raised its risk reserve requirement on banks’ forward FX sales. Australia’s Federal government considers new coal mines, we cover what you need to know. For the latest in markets, with trading and investing ideas, read today's market insights. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) trade at their lowest levels in 2022 The sell-off in equities continued as bond yields continued to surge, and the US dollar picked up strength, which pressed the S&P500 lower for the 5th straight day, seeing the index for the biggest 500 stocks fall 1%, while the Nasdaq 100 gave up 0.5%. The S&P500 not only took out June’s low but closed at its lowest level in 2022. VIX jumped to 32.3. And we think the market is now trading at a level that could perhaps see a very short-term relief technical rally, with the market in oversold territory and the S&P500 trading 9% under its 50-day moving average. Although we could see quant traders likely to swoop and trigger a rally, we emphasize that headwinds still remain in place; as bond yields and the USD are still charging, financial conditions and valuation remain pressured by the Fed’s pledge to tighten liquidity, and we are still likely to see more earnings downgrade. So the overarching pressure on equities remains, which is why we think a potential rally will likely be very short-lived. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rallies, boosted by M&A and earnings, but pressure remains After falling 1.6% on Monday to 6,469, the Australian share market opened 0.4% higher on Tuesday boosted by earnings results and M&A talk. A company to watch might be Santos, after selling down its PNG LNG in a $1.1 billion deal. Another company to watch is Synlait Milk as it tripled its financial 2022 net profit after tax to NZ$38.5 million, after sales rose 21% to $NZ1.66 billion. Over 2021/2022 the average milk price was NZ$9.30 per kilo of milk solid, and it forecasts for that to rise to an average of NZ$9.50 in 2022/2023. The milk company gave few clues about profits ahead with no financial guidance, but it expects a similar level of profitability in financial 2023 as in financial 2021. Selling in U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) continued as yields surged to new highs Continuous melt-down in U.K. government bonds (10-year Gilt yields jumped 42bps to 4.24%) across the pond and a poor 2-year U.S. treasury note auction pushed treasury yields to a new high, with the 10-year note yielding soaring 24bps to finish the day at 3.92%, putting the psychologically important 4% handle within reach.  The 2-year yield rose 14bps to 4.34%.  The 10-year real rate, represented by the 10-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) jumped to as high as 1.62% before settling at 1.59%, a new high since 2010. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) ended lower but casino stocks were a bright spot Hang Seng Index fluctuated between modest gains and losses and finished the session 0.4% lower. HSBC (00005:xhkg) and Standard Charted (02888:xhkg) tumbled more than 7% as the Pound Sterling was in turmoil. The market however was supported by rallies in China internet stocks, with Meituan (03690:xhkg) up by 4.5%, and Tencent (00700:xhkg) rising nearing 3%.  Macao said that it will resume receiving tour groups from mainland China in November. The news boosted Macao casino stocks, Sands China (01928:xhkg) soared 15.7%, followed by SJM (00880:xhkg) and Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) each rising more than 11%.  XPeng (09868:xhkg) jumped 8.7% after the EV maker’s founder bought USD30 million worth of shares in the company.  Ahead of the National Day golden week holiday, China catering stocks surged, led by Xiabuxiabu’s 14.4% surge and followed by Haidilao (06862:xhkg) and Jiumaojiu (09922:xhkg) rising more than 6%. Following the plunge in gold prices, share prices of gold mining companies dropped sharply, led by Zijin Mining (02899:xhkg) falling nearly 9%, Zhaojin Mining declining more than 5%.  In mainland bourses, tourism, catering, semiconductors, solar power, and EV stocks rebounded. CSI300 Index fell 0.5%. GBPUSD reversed Monday’s flash crash, but risks seen ahead Sterling reversed from the flash crash seen in the Asian session on Monday, and thin liquidity conditions may be a reason for the sharp drop. The new all-time lows were set at 1.0350 but GBPUSD recovered later to trade closer to 1.0800-levels even as BOE’s lack of action (read below) continued to weigh on sterling. BOE’s Chief Economist Pill is scheduled to make a statement on Tuesday, and lack of real action may mean further downside in sterling. EURGBP below 0.90 may mean room for further spikes as the UK inflation picture deteriorates significantly. JGB futures test the Bank of Japan’s patience again The 10-year Japanese government bond futures tested the Bank of Japan’s yield cap of 0.25% this morning as global bonds continued to be sold off following the hawkish Fed last week doubled up by the UK fiscal plan. Japan’s 2-year yield also rose above 1% for the first time since 2015, but these are outside the scope of BOJ’s yield curve control policy. This suggests the central bank may need to increase the pace of its bond buying for longer maturities, as it did in June. USDJPY is also back in close sight of 145, the level above which we saw the direct intervention by the Japanese authorities last week. Still, the scope for intervention may be lower this time as the yen has strengthened against most other currencies other than the USD. EURJPY is still below 140 from 143+ levels at the time of intervention, while GBPJPY is down from 164 to ~154. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) at year-lows Crude oil prices stabilized in the Asian morning after dipping to the lowest levels since January as tighter global monetary policy continues to underpin recession concerns. Meanwhile the rally in the US dollar continues to stretch further, as we had expected, weighing on the overall commodities sector. WTI futures drifted closer to $77/barrel while Brent futures stayed below $85. Hawkish Fed remarks overnight continue to underpin more USD gains, but the question now is at what levels OPEC will step in to pare supplies and stem the rout. What to consider? Bank of England’s lack of action As a fallout from UK’s fiscal plan, the sterling slid to record lows of 1.0350 on Monday and this prompted calls for an immediate action from the Bank of England to stem the slide in the currency or stabilize inflation expectations. However, all that the BOE did was to try to calm the market nerves with some words rather than action, and delayed any hopes of a rate hike to the next meeting scheduled on November 3. The risk of rate hikes being ineffective to restore sterling credibility may be seen, but BOE’s currency reserves are also rather limited and can only cover about two months of imports. This suggests sterling can remain prone to more wild swings. Fed speakers maintain a hawkish rhetoric Cleveland Fed President Mester was on the wires in the late US hours, reaffirming that further rate hikes will be needed and will need a restrictive stance for some time, while she added it can be better to act more aggressively in an uncertain environment and that pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcome. Collins also spoke about getting inflation under control even if that mean deteriorating labour markets, while Logan (2023 voter) also stressed on the 2% inflation goal. Fed’s 2023 rate cuts bets are easing since the hawkish FOMC last week, More Fed speakers are lined up for Tuesday, including Powell, Bullard, Evans and Kashkari. However, focus may be more on what BOE’s Chief Economist Pill has to say. German Ifo survey slips to new lows Germany’s Ifo business-climate index fell to 84.3 points in September from a revised figure of 88.6 points in August, data from the Ifo Institute showed Monday. This is its lowest value since May 2020 and below expectations of 87.1. The Ifo president said that the German economy is slipping into a recession, as business confidence worsened considerably due to the escalating energy crisis. No Russian oil price cap for the moment The EU countries announced they will delay the introduction of an oil price cap on Russian imports. At least two countries, Cyprus and Hungary (the Hungarian government is one of the most vocal European governments criticizing the sanctions against Russia) have expressed opposition to the oil cap proposal. Expect intense negotiations ahead in order to reach a compromise. For this matter, the EU requires unanimity among member countries. Each country has an effective veto. Australia’s Federal government considers new coal mines; pressuring coal equites The Australian Federal government is considering 29 applications for new expanded coal mines. Coal is already a AUD$63 billion export industry for the nation down under and supported its trade surplus growing to a record. The extra capacity will be able to produce 250 million tones a year. If some or all mines are approved, it will likely cause selling in coal equities in the short term. However, given most of Australia’s coal is exported to India, and green resources will not be able to power Australia’s grid until 2024 (off peak for retail Australians only), the coal price remains supported over the longer term. A climate advocacy group said the extra coal capacity will add to half of the world’s emissions. The government is reviewing applications with BHP, and Glencore on the list.  Australia’s economic data this week, is unlikely to stop the AUD from sliding, but the AUDGBP is the pair to watch Australia’s economy has remained resilient despite the global growth slowdown; however the Aussie currency has continued to lose out, and be pressured by the resilient dollar strength, with the USD index moving to 20-year highs and rising 5% since the Fed’s hawkish Jackson Hole speech on August 26. Also keep in mind, Australian economic data; Australian retail sales out tomorrow (Wednesday 28 September) and private sector credit (borrowing) out Thursday 29 September, are both expected to fall. Although the AUDUSD faces further pressure over the medium term, the AUDGBP is perhaps a pair to watch, after hitting six-year highs on the back of the UK’s tax cuts announced. What also supports this pair rising is Australia’s surplus continuing to trade at record highs, vs UK’s deficit likely to widen. Given that’s likely for now, the AUDGBP is a worthy pair to watch that could extend its uptrend. China’s central bank imposed a 20% risk reserve requirement on banks’ forward FX sales The PBOC imposed a 20% risk reserve requirement on commercial banks’ foreign exchange forward sales to their clients. The move requires banks to set aside a 20% reserve of any forward sale of foreign currencies to their clients, including importers who seek to hedge their FX exposure. As banks will pass along the now higher funding costs of these FX forward transactions to their clients, it is estimated that it will be about 600 to 700 pips more expensive for banks’ clients to hedge their FX exposures for 12 months.  The PBOC did use the same tool before in 2015 and 2018 and triggered some selling in USDCNY but did not reverse the depreciating trend then.  PBOC’s move on Monday failed to halt the weakening in the onshore and offshore Yuan in the midst of a super-charged strong dollar against major currencies, with USDCNH rising by 0.4% to 7.17. Tesla’s share price performance rivals Apple’s So far this year, out of the five biggest US firms by market value, Tesla has become the new megacap unlikely rival to Apple. Tesla shares are outperforming Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon so far this year, and coming close to Apple’s performance. However, Tesla’s shares are by far the most expensive. For more on what to expect from Tesla ahead, it’s worth reading or watching our update, available here. Apple begins production in India Apple has begun assembling some of its iPhone 14 in India. This may be the start of a manufacturing boom in India, as China transitions to a consumption economy and US-China tensions continue to play out. Meanwhile, India’s push on electronics manufacturing could mean more foreign investments to come, as India seeks to solidify its position in global supply chains in addition to being a large consumption-driven economy. Our India equity theme basket is worth considering as India remains one of the big winners of deglobalization and slowing Chinese economy. Separately, also consider Apple is one of the most traded stocks at Saxo globally this month. We wrote recently on why to expect Apple to perhaps pave out a bullish sales outlook, for more read here.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-trading-and-investing-ideas-to-consider-27-sept-27092022
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    Statement Of Boston Fed Chief|No Move From The Bank Of England (BoE)

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 27.09.2022 09:37
    Summary:  Market sentiment was weak again yesterday, but the price action in the US market managed to avoid a break of key support despite a fresh surge higher in US treasury yields, taking them to new cycle highs. Sentiment has improved slightly overnight as the further USD spike late yesterday eased off the accelerator. The chaotic moves in sterling likewise calmed, despite lack of clarity from the Bank of England on the degree to which an emergency move to shore up the currency is necessary.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities were under a lot of pressure yesterday as the US 10-year bonds saw big moves pushing the 10-year yield closer towards 4% in moves that smelled of thin liquidity and heightened nervousness. S&P 500 futures did the worst close in terms of level for this drawdown cycle but did not go below the intraday lows hit during the June selloff. This morning the mood among investors is stabilising and S&P 500 futures are rebounding 1.1% trading around the 3,710 level. If the USD Index and US yields come down today we could see the VIX forward curve flip back into contango and help push equity futures higher planting the seeds for a short-term rally. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index fell another 1% to its lowest level since 2011, led by the charge lower of the tech sector. Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) dropped 1.7% and leading China Internet names fell over 2%. HSBC (00005:xhkg) failed to rally despite the Pound Sterling having stabilized. Ahead of quarter-end and the National Day golden week holiday, the PBoC for two consecutive days in a row this week via open market operations. The year-on-year decline in China’s industrial profits slowed in August. CSI 300 gained 0.5%, led by wind power, solar power, semiconductor, and infrastructure stocks. Sterling (GBPUSD, EURGBP) reversed Monday’s flash crash, but risks seen ahead Sterling reversed from the flash crash seen in the Asian session on Monday, and thin liquidity conditions may have been a reason for the sharp drop. The new all-time low was set at 1.0350 but GBPUSD recovered later to trade closer to 1.0800-levels even as BOE’s lack of action (read below) continued to weigh on sterling. BOE’s Chief Economist Pill is scheduled to make a statement on Tuesday, and lack of real action may mean further downside in sterling. EURGBP traded between 0.8900 and 0.9000 after the wild spike to 0.9200+ on Monday, with the highest weekly close during the 2016-2020 “Brexit limbo” years just above 0.9300. Some USD pairs seeing wild moves on further spike in US yields The US dollar strength spiked higher yesterday, with the extension higher particularly aggressive against some of the G10 weaklings of late like NZD and NOK (USDNOK only has one weekly close above the current level near 10.75 in its history, posted during the pandemic outbreak in early 2020). The move was supported by a further rise in long US treasury yields yesterday, as the 10-year benchmark rose sharply again. Today’s September US Consumer Confidence reading and 5-year treasury auction (more below under US Treasuries) are in focus for next steps for the USD and US yields. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold dropped further on Monday as the relentless dollar and US yields surge left it with nowhere to go but down. It has since bounced back a bit after almost reaching $1618, the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally. The short-term direction will be dictated by the dollar and the duration of the current bond market rout which has seen an almost one percent jump in US ten-year real yields this month. With the recent decline in breakeven yields, as investors buy into the Fed’s ability to bring down inflation, real yields have risen strongly thereby challenging gold and other investment metals. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) Crude oil traded higher in Asia following another day of selling led by a continued rally in the dollar and US Treasury yields driving concerns about tighter monetary policy leading to weaker demand for crude oil and fuel products. Brent and WTI both reached their lowest levels since January after several Federal Reserve policy makers signaled that further rate rises were in store to tame inflation regardless of the economic impact of such actions. The question now is at what levels OPEC+ will step in to pare supplies and stem what increasingly has become a rout, not only in crude oil but across markets. Also focus on hurricane Ian which is gaining power as it nears Cuba on a path toward the eastern part of the Gulf and Florida, leading to a surge in demand for diesel. While it is expected to miss most of the energy infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico some offshort production has been shut down with employees being evacuated. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields rose sharply once again yesterday, particularly at the longer end of the curve, where the US 10-year treasury yield came within eight basis points of the 4% handle. For perspective, that benchmark has not closed above 4% on a weekly close since 2008. A 2-year US Treasury auction saw surprisingly tepid demand, given the very high yield on offer well north of 4%. Today sees the auction of 5-year treasuries and tomorrow a 7-year auction. What is going on? Bank of England’s lack of action Sterling slid to record lows of 1.0350 on Monday on the fallout from the announcement of new tax cuts late last week, prompting calls for an immediate action from the Bank of England to stem the slide in the currency or stabilize inflation expectations. However, the BOE response was rather lacking, only bringing a few words rather than action, and bringing doubt on whether the BoE would hike rates between now and the next regularly scheduled meeting on November 3. The risk of rate hikes being ineffective to restore sterling credibility may be seen, but BOE’s currency reserves are also rather limited and can only cover about two months of imports. This suggests sterling can remain prone to more wild swings.  The BOE’s Chief Economist Huw Pill will speak today.  Fed speakers maintain hawkish rhetoric Cleveland Fed President Mester (voter this year) was on the wires in the late US hours, reaffirming that further rate hikes will be needed and as the Fed is set to maintain a restrictive stance for some time, while she added it can be better to act more aggressively in an uncertain environment and that pre-emptive action can prevent the worst-case outcome. Boston Fed chief and FOMC voter Collins also spoke about getting inflation under control even if that means deteriorating labour markets, while Logan (2023 voter) also stressed the 2% inflation goal. Fed’s 2023 rate cuts bets are easing since the hawkish FOMC last week, More Fed speakers are lined up for Tuesday, including Powell, Bullard, Evans and Kashkari. German Ifo survey slips to new lows Germany’s Ifo business-climate index fell to 84.3 points in September from a revised figure of 88.6 points in August, data from the Ifo Institute showed Monday. This is its lowest value since May 2020 and below expectations of 87.1. The Ifo president said that the German economy is slipping into a recession, as business confidence worsened due to the escalating energy crisis.  China’s industrial profits declined 9.5% Y/Y in August but slower sequentially In the first eight months of 2022, China’s industrial profits contracted 2.1% y/y. For the month of August, industrial profits declined 9.5% y/y, a slower contraction that July’s -14.5% y/y. The National Bureau Statistics noted that the slower pace of contraction was helped by stronger auto, electrical equipment, electricity generation, and consumer product industries. No Russian oil price cap for the moment Yesterday, the EU countries announced they will delay the introduction of an oil price cap on Russian imports. At least two countries, Cyprus and Hungary (the Hungarian government is one of the most vocal European governments criticizing the sanctions against Russia) have expressed opposition to the oil cap proposal. Expect intense negotiations ahead to reach a compromise. For this matter, the EU requires unanimity among member countries. Each country has an effective veto. What are we watching next? Traders are expecting further tightening from central banks The money markets expect that the European Central Bank (ECB) will go for another 75 basis point interest rate hike in October. Given the plunge of the sterling pound, traders expect that the Bank of England (BoE) could go in with a 100 basis points emergency rate hike before the scheduled November meeting. Hopefully, this will work. If it fails, the Bank would be in a complicated situation and the sterling pound would certainly further weaken. This is one of at least four options the Bank must use to stop the currency slide. The three others are: 1) say and do nothing until the calm comes back in the forex market; 2) say something but do nothing (with might not be the best option so far); and 3) do something small (50 basis point interest hike for instance) but the market might then test the Bank. There is no easy answer, as you can see. Apple begins production in India Apple has begun assembling some of its iPhone 14 in India. This may be the start of a manufacturing boom in India, as China transitions to a consumption economy and US-China tensions continue to play out. Meanwhile, India’s push on electronics manufacturing could mean more foreign investments to come, as India seeks to solidify its position in global supply chains in addition to being a large consumption-driven economy. Our India equity theme basket is worth considering as India remains one of the big winners of deglobalization and slowing Chinese economy. US September Consumer Confidence up later today Confidence according to this survey rebounded in August to 103.20 versus the local low of 95.30 in July, likely as the labor market remains strong and gasoline prices had fallen sharply from the record levels back in June. Today’s number is expected at 104.5, but it is worth noting that while the overall survey has remained well within the range since 2015, the ratio of the very high Present Situation versus very low Expectations was the widest (-81.4) recorded in July since a brief episode in early 2001. Earnings calendar this week The action this week will be on Thursday with earnings from H&M, Nike, and Micron Technology, with earnings from Micron being the most interesting to watch as we already know H&M and Nike are seeing weak demand. Micron has exposure to the consumer electronics industry and manufactures memory chips in Asia which means that the company sits in at the intersection of many interesting trends. Today: Ferguson Wednesday: Paychex, Cintas Thursday: Polestar Automotive, H&M, Nike, Micron Technology, CarMax Friday: Carnival (postponed from last week), Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0730 – US Fed’s Evans (voter in 2023) to speak on CNBC 1000 – Sweden Riksbank's Ingves to speak 1015 – US Fed’s Evans to speak 1100 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Pill to speak 1100 – ECB's Villeroy to speak 1130 – Fed Chair Powell to speak on digital currencies 1230 – US Aug. Preliminary Durable Goods Orders 1300 – US Jul. S&P CoreLogic Home Prices 1315 – ECB's Guindos to speak 1355 – US Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 1400 – US Sep. Consumer Confidence 1400 – US Aug. New Home Sales 1700 – US 5-year Treasury Auction 1700 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 2030 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2350 – Japan Bank of Japan meeting minutes 0130 – Australia Aug. Retail Sales   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-27-2022-27092022
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    Tech Stocks: What Can We Expect From (AMZN) Amazon Stock Price?

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 27.09.2022 10:09
    AMZN suggests the development of a zigzag, which consists of sub-waves a-b-c of the cycle degree. Perhaps the market has completed the formation of the first major wave a, it is a bullish 5-wave impulse In the last section of the chart, we see a decrease in the price, which may indicate the beginning of a bearish correction b. It may take the form of a zigzag â’¶-â’·-â’¸. Most likely, in the near future we will see a continuation of the depreciation of stocks in the final intermediate wave (5), which may end the primary impulse wave near 93.41. At that level, wave (5) will be at 76.4% of previous impulse (3). After the end of the impulse wave â’¶, the stock is expected to rise in the primary correction â’·. However, it is possible that the market has completed the formation of the primary wave â’¶. According to this markup, the wave â’¶ has the form of a leading diagonal (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5). In this case, in the last section of the chart, we see the price increase in a bullish correction â’·. It is assumed that the correction wave â’· will take the form of an intermediate double zigzag (W)-(X)-(Y), where the actionary wave (W) is also a double zigzag W-X-Y of a lesser degree. It is possible that the correction â’· will be at 61.8% of wave â’¶. Thus, its completion is expected to reach the level of 155.06. An approximate scheme of possible future movement is shown on the chart.
    Assessing China's Economic Challenges: A Closer Look Beyond the Japanification Hypothesis"

    On the New York Stock Exchange, The Number Of Securities That Fell In Price Was Bigger Than This Positive One

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.09.2022 08:25
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.43% to hit a 52-week low, the S&P 500 index fell 0.21%, and the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.25%. The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components today was Salesforce Inc, which gained 2.57 points or 1.76% to close at 148.89. Quotes Dow Inc rose by 0.40 points (0.92%), ending trading at 43.79. Home Depot Inc rose 0.79% or 2.11 points to close at 268.69. The losers were shares of McDonald's Corporation, which lost 7.06 points or 2.90% to end the session at 236.70. Procter & Gamble Company was up 2.75% or 3.73 points to close at 131.98 while Coca-Cola Co was down 2.57% or 1.49 points to close at mark 56.38. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were CF Industries Holdings Inc, which rose 6.10% to hit 95.87, Mosaic Company, which gained 4.15% to close at 48.44, and also shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which rose 3.88% to end the session at 45.75. The biggest losers were Digital Realty Trust Inc, which shed 3.98% to close at 97.73. Shares of Organon & Co shed 3.54% to end the session at 24.26. Quotes of Global Payments Inc decreased in price by 3.39% to 108.02. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Avenue Therapeutics Inc, which rose 106.25% to hit 7.26, Scienjoy Holding Corp, which gained 47.90% to close at 2.47, and also shares of X4 Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 40.18% to close the session at 1.25. The drop leaders were NLS Pharmaceutics AG, which shed 25.07% to close at 0.72. Shares of Midatech Pharma PLC ADR lost 20.77% and ended the session at 2.06. Quotes of Fednat Holding Co decreased in price by 18.22% to 0.18. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1634) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1527), while quotes of 136 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2048 companies rose in price, 1751 fell, and 295 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 1.05% to 32.60, hitting a new 3-month high. Gold Futures for December delivery added 0.18%, or 2.95, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery rose 2.29%, or 1.76, to $78.47 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 2.35%, or 1.95, to $84.81 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.14% to 0.96, while USD/JPY rose 0.06% to hit 144.84. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.09% to 114.12.   Relevance up to 06:00 2022-09-29 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/294518
    Oanda Podcast: US Jobs Report, SVB Financial Fallout And More

    US Stocks: S&P 500 Decreased By 0.21%, Nasdaq Gained 0.25%

    ING Economics ING Economics 28.09.2022 11:00
    Volatile markets tee-up targets for today's trading Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: In line with yesterday’s signal from equity futures, US stocks opened up yesterday, but rapidly gave up much of their early gains. A slew of hawkish Fed comments wouldn’t have helped, but this is also becoming part of the wallpaper now. The S&P finished down 0.21%, though the NASDAQ clung onto more of its earlier gains and ended up by 0.25%. Equity futures are again signalling a modest gain at today’s open. The mixed equity backdrop did not provide much solace for the EUR, however, which slid further against the USD to 0.9585, maybe hurt by the apparent sabotage of gas pipelines from Russia. Cable is hovering just above 1.07 now, though failed to hold levels above 1.08 yesterday. The AUD is also down, dropping to 0.6425, while the JPY has crept a little higher and is now 144.82 – only just below the bank of Japan and Ministry of Finance’s 145 red-line. That line could be targeted today. In the Asian FX space, the CNY had another soft day yesterday and is up to 7.1761 now. We are probably due a much stronger-than-expected fix any time now to try to slow its depreciation ahead of the 7.20 level. The PHP also took a beating, gapping higher, weakening further and sitting just under 59 currently. Next stop 60? The KRW bucked the weakening trend, making small gains as speculation over Bank of Korea intervention gained ground. 2Y US Treasury yields actually pared their recent increases yesterday, falling 5.2bp to 4.283%, though there were more yield increases in the 10Y bond which rose 2.1bp to 3.945%, putting 4% within reach. On the whole, though, today looks like it is shaping up to be “rangey”, rather than directional, though there are clearly a few nearby targets that markets may take aim at. G-7 Macro: Yesterday’s data flow contained a few surprises. US new home sales for August were much stronger than expected, rising at a 685,000 annual pace, though the July house price index showed a month-on-month decline of -0.44% (S&P Case Shiller figures the FHFA house price index also fell by 0.6%MoM). Durable goods orders came in soft, much as expected, though the Conference Board consumer confidence survey unexpectedly rose, which is odd given the rising rates backdrop. Today, we get more housing data from the US in the form of pending home sales and mortgage applications. European consumer confidence figures from Germany and France complete the G-7 data picture for the day. China: The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) will increase the reserve ratio from 0% to 20% from today when banks sell USD forwards to their customers. History tells us that this is not an effective tool to stop yuan depreciation. On 6 August 2018, after the same policy was implemented, the yuan continued to depreciate, from around 7.0 to close to 7.2. But we can still refer to the policies for 2018-2019 for today’s reference. The sale of USD by State Owned Enterprises in the offshore market in 2018/2019 is one of the operations that could be replicated later on if the yuan continues to weaken. Australia: August retail sales are forecast to rise 0.4% after the outsize 1.3% MoM gain in July. The data is released at 0930 SGT/HKT. Anything short of an outright decline suggests that the Australian economy is still running strongly, which may provide the Reserve Bank of Australia with more of a headache as it attempts to squeeze inflation out of the economy. Recent conjecture of a slowdown in the pace of RBA tightening may come under some pressure. India: The 2Q22 current account deficit, which is due for release at some point over the rest of this week should show a substantial widening from the -$13.4bn reading for 1Q22, thanks mainly to higher imported energy prices, though also not helped by weakening external demand for India’s exports. The INR, which is already looking very weak, could slide further on the news. What to look out for: China PMI Australia retail sales (28 September) Japan leading index (28 September) Bank of Thailand meeting (28 September) US mortgage applications and wholesale inventories (28 September)       South Korea business survey manufacturing (29 September) US initial jobless claims, 2Q GDP and core PCE (29 September) South Korea industrial production (30 September) Japan labour market data (30 September) China official and Caixin PMI manufacturing (30 September) India RBI meeting (30 September) Hong Kong retail sales (30 September) US personal income, personal spending and core PCE (30 September) US University of Michigan sentiment (30 September) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    Podcast: US Dollar (USD) Keeps Rising | A Look At The 10-year US Treasury

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.09.2022 11:39
    Summary:  Today, a look at the US 10-year Treasury benchmark reaching the 4.0% milestone for the first time for this cycle after a remarkable surge in yields in recent weeks. It's worth considering the 1987 experience of bond markets flip-flopping in their correlation with equities and whether we could be set for a similar flip-flop if risk sentiment worsens further. Also, note that many speculative corners of the market were bid yesterday even as the action soured late and worsened still overnight as the US dollar continued surging - especially against the Chinese yuan overnight. Much more on today's pod, which is a solo flight with John J. Hardy hosting. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-sep-28-2022-28092022
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    Apple Will No Longer Seek To Increase Production

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.09.2022 08:37
    The American stock market continues to be in a fever. If traders are trying to buy out cheaper assets on the premarket, one could observe another market sale of risky assets during the regular session recently. In a situation where the fragile balance of the Federal Reserve System between restraining demand sufficiently to slow inflation is a rather laborious process, many economists continue to predict a recession for the economy, discouraging the desire to buy risky assets. Statements by representatives of the US Federal Reserve System also do not betray optimism. Today, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, Mary Daly, said: "To keep inflation low and stable, we must balance our mandate with full employment." "The attempt to cope with reducing inflation without harming the labor market has failed. While we are trying to do everything as gently as possible so as not to provoke an economic downturn, if this is not necessary, we are ready to act with full determination — this is a struggle." Daly's comments about the Fed's desire to reduce inflation echo the comments of some of her colleagues who spoke earlier. The head of the St. Louis Fed, James Bullard, warned that inflation is a "serious problem" and that confidence in the central bank is under threat. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said policymakers would not give up on fighting inflation, despite the pain it could cause the US economy. Premarket Apple's rejection of plans to increase production of its new iPhone 14 line led to a sharp collapse in shares in the premarket. The company made this decision after the expected surge in purchases of the new iPhone did not happen. Apple shares fell 3.7% in premarket trading. According to the report, Apple will no longer seek to increase production by 6 million units in the year's second half as planned. Instead, the company will aim to produce 90 million units, roughly in line with Apple's forecast and production volume for last year. The report also affected Apple's shipments and manufacturers. Shares of key chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing fell about 2.3% before the market opened. Shares of Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, sank about 2.9%. Biogen shares rose 45.6% in premarket trading after the company announced that its experimental drug for Alzheimer's disease dramatically slowed the progression of the disease, reducing cognitive and functional impairments by 27%. Lyft has said it will suspend hiring until the end of this year. This follows the company's previous statement that it would "significantly" slow down hiring as it seeks to cut costs. Lyft shares fell 2.5% in premarket trading. Ocugen securities rose 8.2% in the premarket after the drugmaker announced a licensing agreement with Washington University in St. Louis for developing, commercializing, and producing its intranasal vaccine against Covid-19. BlackBerry reported smaller-than-expected quarterly losses and earnings that beat analysts' forecasts, but the cybersecurity communications software company's revenue fell amid weak customer spending. As for the technical picture of the S&P500, after yesterday's regular sell-off, traders managed to regain control of the $3,643 level today and have already set their sights on $3,677, which leaves hope for an upward correction. To build it up in an attempt to find the bottom, the bulls need to return to the level of not only $ 3,677 but also $3,704. Only after that will it be possible to count on a breakthrough in the area of $3,744. The breakdown of this range will support a new upward momentum, already aimed at the resistance of $3,773. The furthest target will be the area of $3,801. In the case of a downward movement, a breakdown of $3,643 will quickly push the trading instrument to $3,608 and open up an opportunity to update the support of $3,579. Below this range, you can bet on a larger sell-off of the index to a minimum of 3,544, where the pressure may ease a little.   Relevance up to 15:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/322944
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    Dow Jones Index: A Corrective Decline That Will Take Years Has Begun

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.09.2022 09:29
    Today we will look at the long-term chart of the Dow Jones Index dating back to 1921, but the period we would like to focus on is from the 1932 low at 40.56 to the peak on January 2022 at 36,952. If our long-term count is correct, then we have a complete five-wave rally. A corrective decline that will take years has begun. Looking at the major corrections of 1932 - 2022 (90 years), we see the first correction from 1937 - 1942 (5 years). The next major correction stretched from 1966 to 1974 (8 years). Then, we had the 2000 to 2009 correction (8-9 years). Now the index is going through a correction as well. This correction is of a larger degree and therefore is likely to take at least 8 years and possibly even longer. The expected correction doesn't have to be very deep, but the rally from 40.56 to 36,952 does open up for a decline to near the bottom of wave 4 which was the 2009 low. If that is seen, then it is likely to terminate near 7,363, but a decline closer to the 50 to 61.8% corrective targets at 18,303 or maybe even closer to 13,993 is the most likely scenario, though that's also quite a distance to cover from the present 29,684 level. We are braced for hard times in the years ahead with some major changes to the society as we know it today.   Relevance up to 07:00 2022-09-30 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/294749
    Tuesday's EUR/USD Analysis: Chaotic Movements on 30M Chart

    BHP Shares Rose, Parks In Florida Close Due To Hurricane Ian

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.09.2022 10:02
    Summary:  Global markets rallied after the Bank of England decided to stage a ‘temporary’ market intervention, sending bond yields and the USD lower. This seems to have tentatively calmed markets, while end of month and quarter rebalancing could lead to significant flows with notable bond moves and USD strength in this quarter. Oil and gold spiked, and APAC equities futures are returning to green. News of Apple’s production cuts is casting further pessimism on the upcoming earnings season. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rallied after BOE soothed nerves The Nasdaq Composite rallied 2.1%, and the S&P500 gained 1.97%, snapping its six-day rout. Treasuries jumped after the BOE gave some respite and that pushed down 10-year yields 21bps to 3.73% after briefly breaching 4.00%. The dollar also weakened across the board supporting gains. Nasdaq was bolstered by gains from Amazon with its shares gaining 3.2% after it pushed further into wellness, security and the auto industry. On the flip side, Apple’s shares sank about 1.3% on news it is not increasing iPhone production, which casts doubt over the outlook for consumer spending. The U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) plunged on BOE bond buying Once again, the action started from across the pond when the Bank of England surprised the market by announcing a “temporary” plan to purchase long-dated UK Gilts starting immediately yesterday through Oct 14.  The announcement pushed 10-year UK Gilt yields 50bps lower to 4.01% and 30-year UK Gilt yields 106bps lower to 3.93% from the prior day’s 4.99%.  U.S. bond traders took note of the fact that the rout in the U.K. bond market and the Pound Sterling caused the Bank of England to blink and reverse course to roll out a QE-like yield curve control policy and sent in bids to U.S. treasuries.  5-year to 10-year U.S. treasury yields plunged most, down about 20bps from the day before, to 3.97% and 3.75% respectively.  2-year yields fell 14bps to 4.14%.  Market implied terminal Fed Fund rate fell to 4.54% from 4.62 a day before. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) On Wednesday, stocks traded in the Hong Kong bourse notably underperformed those in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Hang Seng Index dropped 3.4% and Hang Seng TECH Index plunged 3.8%.  Risk-off sentiment hung over the market as the Renminbi weakened below 7.20 versus the dollar and Apple’s decision to withdraw its plans to increase the production of new iPhones added to the worries of a slowing global economy.  Apple suppliers, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) and AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) dropped 2.8% and 1.5% respectively.  China Internet names fell across the board, with JD.COM and Bilibili (09629:xhkg) leading the charge lower each plunging 5.6%.  Alibaba (09988:xhkg) lost over 4%.  U.K. headquartered HSBC (00005:xhkg) and Standard Chartered (02888:xhkg) continued their slide, each falling nearly 6% for the day and 11% to 12% since last Friday’s post-mini-budget turmoil in the Pound Sterling and U.K. Gilts.  Both Hong Kong and China developers plunged across the board, mostly by 2% to 6%, with CIFI (00884:xhkg) falling over 32% and being the largest casualty in the property space.  CIFI, the 13th largest property developer in mainland China was reported to have missed a payment on a project-related debt.  Another leading Chinese developer, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunged by nearly 13%, being the worst performer in the Hang Seng Index.  Automakers were among the laggards.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) and XPeng (09868:xhkg) tumbled more than 9%, NIO (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto (02015:xhhg) lost over 7%,  CSI300 fell by 1.6%, with materials, industrial, and information technology dragging down the index most.  Non-ferrous metal, electric equipment, auto, and defense stocks were among the biggest losers.  Banks were outperformers in the A-share market with small gains.  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) futures suggest the market will rally 1.5%; monthly CPI and borrowing/credit data ahead. Given the rally on Wall Street, gains in tech are expected, along with a oil and gold stocks. Meanwhile, the iron ore (SCOA) jumped 1.3% to US$96, which should support iron ore companies higher. Today, on economic news watch; will be Private Sector credit (lending) growth, which will give a gauge into if borrowing has continued to slow amid runaway inflation. Bloomberg’s survey suggest credit growth year on year will slow from 9.1% growth to 9.0% growth. So it’s worth watching the big lenders in Australia, CBA, ANZ, WBC, MQG as well as the smaller banks, SUN and BOQ which are seeing the most lending growth.  Secondly, also on the economic news watch, the ABS will publish its first ever monthly CPI reading, with the data out at 11.30am Sydney time. However keep in mind, only about two-thirds of the items in the CPI data basket will have up-to-date prices each month, including food, clothing, rent, petrol, and holiday travel. Sterling resumed its decline in Asia It was a surprise to see a big move higher in GBPUSD on the BOE intervention yesterday, when the BOE action remains temporary and one that will weigh on sterling, much the same way as we have seen the Japanese yen suffer this year due to the yield cap. GBPUSD however reversed the gains to 1.0838 to drop to lows of 1.0540 but the subsequent weakness in the USD took the pair back to 1.0900 in US session. The downside however returned in early Asian trading hours as pair dropped close to 1.0800. EURGBP dropped back from 0.9066 to 0.8950 but a slight upside returned in Asia. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) rebounds on worsening geopolitics and drop in US inventories Crude oil prices rallied as supply conditions worsened, as suggested by the first drop in US crude inventories in a month. EIA data showed stockpiles fell 215kbbl last week, while West Coast gasoline stockpiles fell to their lowest level in 10 years. Disruption to supplies due to Hurricane Ian are also causing some concerns, with US president Joe Biden warning oil companies not to hike prices for the second time this week. Furthermore, geopolitical situation has turned more fragile once again with the European Union announcing a new round of sanctions against Russia including a ban on European companies from shipping Russian oil to third countries above an internationally set price cap. Brent futures rose close to $90/barrel while WTI futures got in close sights of $82/barrel.   What to consider? Bank of England’s market intervention to avoid systemic risks The Bank of England on Wednesday announced that it would purchase long date UK gilts to stabilize the market in a “temporary operation”. The move forced UK yields sharply lower, with the 10-year UK Gilt yield moving close to 50bps lower, but US yields were also some 30bps lower. While this may be touted as a yield curve control of some sort, BOE has made it clear that it is a time limited event until October 14 with the intention of restoring orderly market conditions. Pressure is building on Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who faces calls to reverse planned tax cuts. Fed speakers maintain optimism on US economy and markets Fed’s Bostic suggested year-end rates of 4.25-4.50% while the market pricing is still at 4.2% suggesting more room for upward pricing. Although not a voter this or next year, he said that his baseline is a 75bps increase at November meeting and 50bps in December. Meanwhile, he continued to be optimistic on the US economic momentum, as well as ruled out any contagion risks from systemic global events (possibly referring to the UK crisis). Meanwhile, Bostic noted no evidence of dysfunction in the Treasury market at this point. Another Fed speaker, Charles Evans, vouched for a further move into restrictive territory, suggesting a terminal rate of 4.5-4.75% by March as suggested by the Fed’s September dot plot. Apple backs off iPhone production boost; casting doubt over the outlook for consumer spending Apple has reportedly backed off plans to increase production of new its iPhones this year, with demand failing to materialize. That means 6 million extra handsets won’t be produced in the second half of the year. Although it’s not confirmed, Apple is said to instead be focusing on its original production target for its summer period, and produce 90 million handsets. Apple shares fell 1.3% on Thursday, and key chipmakers including Taiwan Semiconductor fell 2.2% and Apple’s biggest iPhone assembler, Hon Hai Precision Industry lost 2.9% amid the electronics supplier selloff, on fears demand will slow. According to our colleague Peter Garnry’s analysis, Apple FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) earnings estimates are down 20% from the peak in March and that is before adjustments from Apple’s own warning. Apple EPS is expected at $1.26 up 1.4% y/y, but factoring in Apple’s warning it could be a decline of 5-10%. Revenue is expected at $88.5bn up 6.1% y/y compared to 1.9% y/y revenue growth in the previous quarter. It is quite likely that revenue could slip into negative growth for the quarter.Walt Disney and Universal are closing their theme parks due to Hurricane Ian Hurricane Ian strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane and hit the west coast of Florida. Walt Disney (DIS:xnys) closed its Orlando theme parks for at least two days and Comcast’s (CMCSA:xnas) Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Entertainment closed their Florida theme parks.  U.S. Q3 earnings are set to miss significantly to the downside As per Peter Garnry, Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, analysts may be way off in their estimates for the S&P 500 for Q3.  It is highly probable that there will be significant misses to the downside followed by gloomy comments from company management about the outlook on margins.   China warned banks about one-way bets on the weakening of the renminbi As the onshore and offshore renminbi weakened below 7.20 versus the dollar, the China Foreign Exchange Market Self-Regulatory Body, attended by PBoC Vice Governor Liu Guoquiang, told banks in a meeting to “safeguard the stability of the market and prevent volatile movements in the exchange rate”, in particular not to make one-way bets on the weakening of the renminbi. BHP update: The giant takes advantage of sterling slump, redeems notes more than half a century early, announces exploration expansion BHP shares rallied to a three-day high yesterday and are likely to see some extra bids after the iron ore price rose. BHP shares lifted after the mining giant paid off debts earlier than expected. The world’s biggest commodity company took advantage of the slump in the sterling against the USD, and used its record profits to redeem pound-denominated notes (due in 2077). This resulted in BHP effectively paying down $643 million of notes early. Last month BHP reported net debt of just $333 million. So will this mean BHP has little to no debt when they report? BHP also announced mining expansion plans; from exploring the idea of mining copper at Cerro Colorado beyond 2023, with Chilean regulation easing, to also spending $12m on exploration in Peru over 10 months (as it sees huge commodity there). BHP also affirmed it’s working toward bringing forward production of its new potash (fertilizer) business to 2026. Australian retail trade hit another record high, ahead of next week’s 6th RBA rate hike. What’s next? Australia retail spending hit another record in August, and rose more than consensus expected, showing Aussie consumers aren’t perturbed by the five RBA rate hikes. Aussie retail sales rose 0.6% in August, up 19.2% year-on-year. The most sales growth came from department store sales, up 2.8% in August to a brand-new record. Household goods sales rose 2.6%, perhaps boosted by winter shopping given the most overall retail growth came from the coldest regions of Australia. The retail record figures give the RBA more room to hike rates with a 0.5% hike likely on the cards at the RBA’s meeting on Tuesday (October 4). In our view, we think retailers or consumer discretionary companies; for instance Harvey Norman (HVN), Bunnings and Kmart owner Wesfarmers (WES) or JB Hi Fi (JBH) are doing it tough here, hurt by higher costs (inflation and wages), while they’re also buffering for higher rates to come. This is why those sectors will likely face downside pressure to come. Inversely, we still remain of the view that commodities offer the most cashflow growth, and likely upside in share price growth, particularly in energy. For more see our Australia resources theme, or our global Commodity basket for inspiration. Currency pairs to watch for month-end and quarter-end  With month-end and quarter-end approaching, our head of FX Strategy outlines the currencies to watch. And whether this seasonal time could put some support under the treasury market and or a ceiling on the US dollar, or if even a tactical consolidation in the two markets will require a change of direction from the Fed. John Hardy also details the US dollar rally finally taking the USDCNH above the 7.20 area (which defined a major top on two occasions in 2019 and 2020) and set a new high-water mark for USDCNH in the history of the offshore CNH currency, getting as high as 7.26 at one point. John covers what to watch next. Read on here for more FX pair updates, see how trends are emerging, and what to watch next.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-29-sept-29092022
    A Bright Spot Amidst Economic Challenges

    The Move Of The Bank Of England Forced British Yields To Plummet

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.09.2022 10:04
    Summary:  Equity markets rallied yesterday after the Bank of England announced an emergency QE action to calm a dysfunctional long maturity gilt market, a move that smashed UK gilt yields lower and took major global sovereign yields lower as well. The market’s inference is perhaps that central bank tightening in general has been taken too far and the Bank of England is perhaps the canary in the coal mine. The US dollar also traded weaker yesterday before rebounding slightly overnight.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities rose sharply after posting new intraday lows for the cycle as the Bank of England QE announcement pushed US treasury yields sharply lower, offering the hope of a pivot in the brutal cycle of rising yields. The rally encourages the technical idea that we have created a double bottom as long as these new marginal cycle lows continue to support the price action. The next area of resistance is around 12,000 in the Nasdaq 100 index. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Following the rally in global equity markets overnight, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks gained, with Hang Seng Index up by 1% and CSI300 0.3% higher. HSBC (00005:xhkg) rose 2.8% on the temporary calm of the U.K. bond market and currency.  China internet stocks and the new energy space were among the top gainers. China property developers failed to participate in the rally, with leading names falling from 1.5% to 9%. In the mainland bourses, medical equipment, healthcare, precious metal, coal mining and chemical stocks outperformed while property developers, shipping, tourism, lodging declined.   Strong USD fades as bond yields punched lower The sharp reversal in bond yields yesterday after yields had ground higher in a seemingly inexorable and increasingly rapid pace over the last few weeks saw the USD trading sharply lower, suggesting that the USD and yields will continue to trade in tightly correlated fashion and as important indicators for global risk sentiment. So far, the move has only reversed a portion of the greenback’s recent gains. A more notable reversal would require, for example EURUSD trading back above 0.9900, GBPUSD back above what looks an impossible 1.1250 or higher, and AUDUSD above 0.6700. Huge sterling focus after BoE move The initial reaction to the BoE emergency QE move (more below) was to sell sterling, as all other things equal, an easing move for a central bank in an otherwise tightening world is a negative for the currency. But perhaps as the market saw the move as the start of a possible trend that might spread elsewhere, sterling actually rose sharply later in the session on the improvement in global sentiment after the BoE’s move helped not only UK yields to sharply reverse, but other yields to do likewise, if less so. GBPUSD rose back to above 1.0900 late yesterday after trading 1.0540 earlier in the session. The gains were reversed in early European trading to below 1.0800 as of this writing. Sterling will remain extremely volatile, with EURGBP worth tracking around the pivotal 0.9000 area. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold rebounded reflexively as the pressure from rising yields and a rising US dollar suddenly faded yesterday. After trading near 1,615 yesterday, the price action ripped all the way back to 1,660+, short of the critical resistance zone into 1,680-1,700 that is the departure point for this latest bear market move. It is clear that global bond yields and the USD will continue to lead the way as coincident indicators. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) prices rallied as supply conditions worsened... ... as suggested by the first drop in US crude inventories in a month. EIA data showed stockpiles fell 215k bbl last week, while West Coast gasoline stockpiles fell to their lowest level in 10 years. Disruption to supplies due to Hurricane Ian are also causing some concerns, with US president Joe Biden warning oil companies not to hike prices for the second time this week. Furthermore, the geopolitical situation has turned more fragile once again with the European Union announcing a new round of sanctions against Russia including a ban on European companies from shipping Russian oil to third countries above an internationally set price cap. Brent futures rose close to $90/barrel while WTI futures got in close sights of $82/barrel. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fell sharply in sympathy with UK gilt yields on the surprise announcement of an emergency QE programme from the Bank of England that erased most of the enormous spike in yields there that had developed since the UK government announced its new tax cut package late last week. The price action for the 10-year US treasury benchmark settled near 3.75% after trading slightly above the 4.00% mark yesterday. The Bank of England move brings hope that other central banks may ease off the tightening accelerator. The next important yield level to the downside is the cycle top of 3.50% from June. A 7-year treasury auction yesterday What is going on? Bank of England announces emergency QE to counter systemic risks The Bank of England on Wednesday announced that it would purchase long-dated UK gilts to stabilize the market in a “temporary operation”. The move forced UK yields sharply lower, reversing most of the recent spike that had developed after UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced tax cuts late last week. The 30-year UK Gilt yield fell over 100 basis points after the announcement to below 4.0%, although it was trading 3.50% a week ago. While this may be touted as yield curve control of some sort, the BoE claimed that it is a time limited event until October 14 with the intention of restoring orderly market conditions. Pressure is building on the Truss government to reverse the planned tax cuts and shore up fiscal credibility. Apple cancels additional iPhone 14 production capacity Apple announced that it would not move forward with plans for additional iPhone production as the demand for the new phone was not living up to expectations. The increase would have been on the order of 6 million iPhones in the second half of this year, suggesting that the running demand for iPhones in the period is on the order of 90 million, about the same as last year. Demand for higher end new iPhone 14 has been stronger than for the entry-level models. Apple fell 1.3% yesterday after trading as much as 4.5% lower intraday. Key chipmakers were also impacted, including Taiwan Semiconductor, which fell 2.2% and Apple’s biggest iPhone assembler, Hon Hai Precision Industry, lost 2.9% amid the electronics supplier selloff, on fears demand will slow. Fed speakers maintain optimism on US economy and markets Fed’s Bostic suggested year-end rates of 4.25-4.50% while the market pricing is still at 4.2% suggesting more room for upward pricing. Although not a voter this or next year, he said that his baseline is a 75bps increase at November meeting and 50bps in December. Meanwhile, he remained optimistic on US economic momentum and ruled out any contagion risks from systemic global events (possibly referring to the UK crisis). Meanwhile, Bostic noted no evidence of dysfunction in the Treasury market at this point. Another Fed speaker, Charles Evans, vouched for a further move into restrictive territory, saying that the FOMC’s current target range is “not nearly restrictive enough”. Australian inflation rose 7% in the year to July, based on new monthly CPI At this rate it doesn’t appear CPI will peak at just shy of the 8% the RBA forecasts, given price pressures have resumed this month from the largest inflation contributors. Based on the ABS’s new monthly CPI print, some of the largest price jumps year-on-year to July were in fuel (+29.2%) and fruit & vegetables (+14.5%). The concern is that, with La Nina set to hit Australia and population growth continuing, food and housing (rent) prices will continue to rise apace. In September alone, contributors to food prices have risen markedly, as the global supply outlook has weakened amid poor crop conditions. This could tilt the RBA back toward a more hawkish stance. China warned banks about one-way bets on the weakening of the renminbi Yesterday as the onshore and offshore renminbi weakened below 7.20 versus the dollar, the China Foreign Exchange Market Self-Regulatory Body, attended by PBoC Vice Governor Liu Guoquiang, told banks in a meeting to “safeguard the stability of the market and prevent volatile movements in the exchange rate”, in particular not to make one-way bets on the weakening of the renminbi. What are we watching next? End of quarter rebalancing? We have seen aggressive moves across markets this quarter, to say the least, which brings the question of whether significant rebalancing flows are set for the quarter end this Friday. The relative bond performance has been perhaps worse than that for equities, while in FX the focus may be on possible rebalancing after a tremendous USD upsurge in Q3. Porsche shares to debut today (P911:xetr) Volkswagen set the listing price for Porsche’s shares at €82.50, which would value the company at €75 billion. The shares will begin trading today for the company and this will be the largest IPO in over a decade. Earnings calendar this week The chief action this week is up with today’s earnings reports from H&M (this morning before market open at 0700 GMT), Nike (after US market close today at 2100 GMT), and Micron Technology (after market at 2030 GMT). The earnings from Micron the most interesting to watch as we already know H&M and Nike are seeing weak demand. Micron has exposure to the consumer electronics industry and manufactures memory chips in Asia which means that the company sits in at the intersection of many interesting trends. Today: Polestar Automotive, H&M, Nike, Micron Technology, CarMax Friday: Carnival (postponed from last week), Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – Spain Flash Sep. CPI 0745 – ECB's Centeno to speak 0800-0815 – Multiple ECB speakers 0900 – Eurozone Sep. Confidence surveys 1130 – UK Bank of England Deputy Governor Ramsden to speak 1230 – Czechia Central Bank Rate Announcement 1230 – Canada Jul. GDP 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1330 – US Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas storage change 0130 – China Sep. Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing PMI 0145 – China Sep. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-29-2022-29092022
    Why India Leads the Way in Economic Growth Amid Global Slowdown

    Bank Of England Intervention Boosts Risk Appetite And The Possible End Of The iPhone Era

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 29.09.2022 10:39
    The Bank of England (BoE) jumped in the UK’s shattered sovereign market to buy long-term UK bonds yesterday, because apparently, they have been warned that collateral calls on Wednesday afternoon could force investors to further dump their UK sovereign holdings. And the UK could no longer afford another heavy selloff wave on its sovereigns. Will the enthusiasm last?  The British 10-year yield fell 10% yesterday, and the pound jumped past the 1.08 mark against the US dollar and consolidated below 0.90 against the euro. The FTSE recovered early losses and closed the session 0.30% higher, gold recovered to $1662 an ounce, American crude rallied past the $80 per barrel, also boosted by the Hurricane Ian’s negative impact on supply. Around 11% of the Gulf of Mexico production was halted due to the storm.The S&P500 gained almost 2% yesterday to above 3700 level, while Nasdaq jumped more than 2%. Will the enthusiasm last? Not so sure. Yesterday’s price action was a sugar rush, triggered by the BoE intervention. Enthusiasm will likely fall as the level of blood sugar falls across the financial markets. Amazon is on the rise Amazon jumped 3% as investors liked the new devices at Wednesday’s annual device event, and Apple slipped on announcement that it will, finally, not produce more iPhones compared to last years.In Europe, all eyes are on Porsche that starts flying with its own wings today! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 BoE finally jumps in 3:24 BoE intervention boosts risk appetite, but for how long? 5:30 Amazon convinces, Apple disappoints 8:54 Porsche is now up for grab! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #BoE #intervention #UK #gilt #GBP #Hurricane #Ian #crude #oil #energy #crisis #XAU #FTSE #sovereign #bonds #rally #Apple #Amazon #Porsche #IPO #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    China's Deflationary Descent: Implications for Global Markets

    A Strong Bearish Signal For The Equity Markets And A Significant Support Factor For Dollar (USD)

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.09.2022 12:03
    Stock markets in Europe and North America bounced back on Wednesday, thanks to growing demand for US Treasuries, which put pressure on their yields and dollar. There were no special reasons for growth, but the closing of short positions after a multi-day sell-off helped the markets recover the previous losses. However, the hawkish rhetoric of the Fed pointed to a continued increase in interest rates in the foreseeable future, so stock futures started to decline again today. Minutes ahead of the European trading session, the yield on 10-year bonds grew by 3.15% to 3.824%, while futures fell from 0.36% to 0.70%. This is a strong bearish signal for the equity markets and a significant support factor for dollar. Due out today is Germany's data on consumer inflation and revised US GDP figures for the second quarter. Forecasts say the former will rise to 1.3% m/m and 9.4% y/y, which will prompt the ECB to raise rates again by 0.75%. But this is unlikely to stimulate a strong growth in euro as the currency is affected by the current economic situation in the Eurozone. The latter, meanwhile, is expected to show a slight decrease to -0.6%, but a much larger fall will put pressure on market sentiment, which will increase the sale of stocks and purchases of dollar. Forecasts for today: USD/CAD The pair is currently testing the level of 1.3715. If it rises above it, further growth to 1.3835 is possible, especially amid a decline in crude oil prices and general negative dynamics in the markets. USD/JPY The pair is currently testing the resistance level of 145.00. If it rises above it, further growth to 146.00 is possible, especially amid a general negative dynamics in the markets and resumption of growth in the yield of US Treasuries.   Relevance up to 09:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/323002
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    It Is Clear That The Apple Is Not Immune To The Cost-Of-Living Crisis

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.09.2022 13:58
    Summary:  We see 20% probability of earnings hitting current estimates, 10% exceeding estimates (with potential error coming from health care, energy surprise, and consumer staples sectors), and 70% for a significant miss to the downside followed up by gloomy outlook on margins. It seems to us that analysts are way behind factoring in developments that we are seeing financial markets. Let’s start with Apple and then move on to S&P 500. Apple That Apple is downgrading was partly priced in due to that report recently that their first three-day sales of iPhone 14 was trailing previous product introductions which we also wrote about in our QuickTake and said on our podcast earlier this week. The signals from Micron Technology, reporting today, have long indicated that a rapidly deteriorating environment for memory chips which are used in smartphones and other electronic devices. Apple FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) earnings estimates are down 20% from the peak in March and that is before adjustments from Apple’s own warning. Apple EPS is expected at $1.26 up 1.4% y/y, but factoring in Apple’s warning it could be a decline of 5-10%. Revenue is expected at $88.5bn up 6.1% y/y compared to 1.9% y/y revenue growth in the previous quarter. It is quite likely that revenue could slip into negative growth for the quarter. Apple is the largest consumer company in the world with a vast supply chain and it is clear that the company is not immune to the cost-of-living crisis from the energy shock hurting consumers. It will have a big impact on the indices but also sentiment. Apple and Tesla are the two stocks that have held up well despite all the headwinds, and if these two stocks are finally coming down then the market may flip into severe negative. The company is valued at 5% free cash flow yield and forward P/E of 24x. Given where the US 10-year yield is headed and the cost-of-living crisis this company should probably be valued closer to 20x forward earnings, and thus there is a 15% downside potential, but if earnings are suddenly in decline then it could be closer to 20-25%. S&P 500 earnings Earnings estimates for Q3 are already down 7% from 1 July and that’s before Apple is factored in. Analysts are way off in their estimates for Q3. They expect a small decline in revenue despite high inflation! If you take the estimates for revenue and earnings then consensus is expecting the profit margin to expand to 13% - the highest recorded level in many decades. EPS estimate is $55.52 up from $54.54 in Q2. A more conservative view is more like revenue is up another 2.5% q/q and profit margin is down from 12.7% to 11.7% due to margin pressure in all sectors and even in energy and mining due to lower prices on energy and metals in Q3. If you square those two numbers then an average estimate is $51.70 or 7% lower than current consensus.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/q3-earnings-amid-apple-warning-29092022
    It's not clear we find out the results of mid-term elections immediately. Binance to buy FTX

    Known Indices - S&P 500, Nasdaq And Dow Jones Fluctuated On Thursday's Morning. What Can We Expect From SPX?

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.09.2022 16:08
    US stock index futures decreased early on Thursday as the Bank of England's intervention was overshadowed by concerns over inflation and the global economy. S&P 500 futures fell by more than 1%, while NASDAQ futures lost 0.8%. Dow Jones futures lost about 0.5% early on Thursday. European stocks also fell, while Chinese stocks on US exchanges declined after the Hang Seng Tech index hit its all-time low.   US Treasury bonds went down as investors' expectations of aggressive Fed interest rate hikes pushed the yield up once again. Bond yields in the UK continued to rise, despite the Bank of England's intervention in the currency market. Earlier, UK prime minister Liz Truss defended her tax cut plans, triggering a panic in the market. This could lead to another major GBP sell-off, making long positions extremely risky. The yield of European bonds after the release of the latest German inflation data. Investors also paid close attention to the latest remarks by ECB policymakers. Read next: Tim Moe (Goldman Sachs) Comments On USD And Turbulent Times For Markets In General, Ole Hansen (Saxo)Talks Nord Stream | FXMAG.COM The European Commission announced its eighth sanction package against Russia, which will include a price cap on Russian oil. The new sanctions are imposed in response to Russia's continuing conflict against Ukraine. Tomorrow, Russia plans to annex territories under its control such as Donetsk and Luhansk, which will jeopardize the situation in the market even further and send risky assets downwards. In the meantime, Fed policymakers are likely to argue for the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance today. Statements of officials from several central banks are expected.   S&P 500 On the technical side, the S&P 500 has come under slight pressure once again after yesterday's upward movement. However, bulls have regained control of $3,677 and are now set to push the index towards $3,706, which would make an upward correction possible. The index must break above $3,706 to test $3,735. The S&P 500 failed to break above this level yesterday. A breakout above this range would extend the index's upward momentum towards the resistance at $3,773, as well as $3,801 further ahead. If the S&P 500 moves down and breaks through $3,677 and $3,643, it will drop towards $3,608, opening the way towards testing the support at $3,579. Below this area lies the low at $3,544, where the pressure on the index could ease slightly. Relevance up to 13:00 2022-09-30 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/323040
    Behind Closed Doors: The Multibillion-Dollar Deals Shaping Global Markets

    CarMax Inc And SolarEdge Technologies Inc Are The Biggest Losers At The Close In The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 30.09.2022 08:09
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.54%, the S&P 500 fell 2.11% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 2.84%. The leading gainers among the components of the Dow Jones index today were The Travelers Companies Inc, which gained 1.76 points (1.15%) to close at 154.68. Visa Inc Class A rose 0.88 points or 0.49% to close at 180.06. Merck & Company Inc shed 0.14 points or 0.16% to close at 86.64. The losers were Boeing Co shares, which lost 8.11 points or 6.08% to end the session at 125.33. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was up 4.97% or 1.65 points to close at 31.55 while Apple Inc was down 4.91% or 7.36 points to end at 142. .48. Among the S&P 500 index components gainers in today's trading were Everest Re Group Ltd, which rose 3.07% to 267.41, STERIS plc, which gained 2.76% to close at 167.29, and also shares of W. R. Berkley Corp, which rose 2.73% to end the session at 65.18. The biggest losers were CarMax Inc, which shed 24.60% to close at 65.16. Shares of SolarEdge Technologies Inc lost 8.27% to end the session at 235.56. Quotes of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd decreased in price by 7.91% to 43.64. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Senti Biosciences Inc, which rose 50.71% to hit 2.11, Avalon Globocare Corp, which gained 25.85% to close at 0.70, and also shares of TuanChe ADR, which rose 25.31% to close the session at 3.07. The biggest losers were Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc, which shed 54.82% to close at 33.95. Shares of Lion Group Holding Ltd lost 49.25% and ended the session at 1.01. Quotes of Twin Vee Powercats Co decreased in price by 29.01% to 2.52. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2631) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (530), while quotes of 112 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,842 stocks fell, 956 rose, and 224 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 5.50% to 31.84. Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.07%, or 1.20, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 0.55%, or 0.45, to $81.70 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 0.55%, or 0.48, to $87.57 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.70% to hit 0.98, while USD/JPY edged up 0.21% to hit 144.46. Futures on the USD index fell 0.36% to 112.11.  Go to dashboard   Relevance up to 05:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/294915
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    On Thursday S&P 500 (SPX) Lost 2.11%, Nasdaq Went Down By 2.84%

    ING Economics ING Economics 30.09.2022 08:27
    Equities and FX decouple as we end the quarter Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: The bounce didn’t last long. Both S&P500 and NASDAQ fell sharply again on Thursday, the S&P by 2.11% and the NASDAQ by 2.84%. That puts year-to-date losses at respectively 23.62% and 31.37%. And we’d be inclined to argue that we haven’t yet seen the bottom. The S&P500, for example, is sitting just around its June lows, so any break below this level sets the scene for some substantial further declines. On the positive side, equity futures are pricing in small gains at today’s open, but that's a long way from saying that stocks will rally into the weekend and the end of the quarter. UK Gilts gave back some of their gains yesterday on the Truss government’s insistence on sticking to its mini-budget, and yields have risen across the UK curve, though this doesn’t seem to have the market’s eye in the same way it did earlier this week. 2Y US Treasury yields headed up 5.8bp to 4.192% and the yield on the 10Y bond rose a similar amount to 3.786%. 10Y Bunds rose 5.8bp to 2.14%, hurt by a 10% YoY September inflation print (10.9% for the harmonized index). And while this is cementing thoughts of a 0.75% rate increase at the next ECB meeting, that seems like a lame response in a month where the price index rose by 2 percentage points. For now, currency markets seem to disagree, and the EURUSD has risen to 0.982, though this seems a little incongruous against the data backdrop. Other G-10 currencies also did better against the USD. The AUD is now back up above 65 cents, while the GBP has risen to 1.1145 – a long way from the 1.035 low of the week (and approx. last 4 decades!). Can this last? It seems a long shot as there’s plenty more bad news to be priced in. The JPY has also had a reprieve, and is back to 144.42, while the CNY led APAC’s FX gains, gaining by more than a per cent to 7.1249 onshore. G-7 Macro: Besides the unpleasant German inflation data, the macro picture was quite thin, with some marginal upward revisions to 2Q22 US GDP, and a lower than expected initial claims figure suggesting that the Fed still has its work cut out to slow the economy enough to bring inflation down. Today, we see the full European inflation picture for September, which is likely to exceed the 9.7%YoY consensus estimate. This won’t have been adjusted yet for the German figures. US Personal income and spending data will show how consumer spending held up in August together with the latest PCE inflation figures.  And we round off the week with the University of Michigan consumer sentiment (and inflation expectations) figures. China: We expect the manufacturing PMI to be under 50 as manufacturing for real estate construction will still be in monthly contraction. Furthermore, export demand is waning and that could affect manufacturing activity for holiday-season exports. However, services should continue to pick up as Covid measures become more localised. India: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) meets today to decide on rate policy and the following three factors are relevant to that decision: 1) Inflation is 7.0%, a full per cent above the top of the RBI's target range 2) it is heading in the wrong way. 3) RBI commentary has been clear about the need to focus on fighting inflation. Put that all together and it looks likely that the RBI will deliver a further 50bp of tightening today, taking the repo rate to 5.9%. Later this evening, we will also get India’s fiscal deficit figures for August. Although all major rating agencies have India’s long-term foreign credit rating at "stable', and the deficit data year-to-date seem on track to meet the government’s 6.4% (GDP) target, it wasn’t that long ago that Fitch raised their outlook from negative. The deficit numbers have been whipped around by government subsidies and attempts to limit the pass-through of high energy prices to the consumer, so these are still worth a quick look. South Korea: Industrial production dropped more than expected in August, recording a -1.8%MoM decline (vs -1.3% in July and -0.8% market consensus). Automobile production rebounded (8.8%) but the declines in semiconductors (-14.2%) and petrochemicals (-5.0%) were bigger. We believe that re-opening will support 3QGDP, but thereafter, there should be a sharp deceleration. We also now expect only a 0.1% QoQ gain in 3Q22 (vs 0.7% in 2Q). Yesterday’s business survey outcomes were also quite weak, with manufacturing sentiment rapidly deteriorating to the lowest level since October 2020. Also, today’s forward-looking construction orders data were soft, suggesting more recessionary signals in the coming quarters. Japan: Japan’s data releases surprised the market on the positive side. The jobless rate edged down to 2.5% (vs 2.6% in July), in line with the market consensus. The Jobs-to-applications ratio continued to rise (has risen for several months in a row). And industrial production in August not only recorded a third monthly rise (2.7% MoM sa), but also beat the market expectation significantly (0.2%). We will revise up third quarter GDP soon based on today’s releases. The stronger jobs market is also a good sign for wage growth together with solid production gains. However, we think it is still too early to tell because Japan is reopening at a slower pace than other Asian countries and the reopening effects are just kicking in. With growing global recession headwinds, the BoJ will likely take its time to see whether Japan can still produce solid outcomes in a sustainable way. What to look out for: US core PCE, personal spending and Michigan sentiment South Korea industrial production (30 September) Japan labor market data (30 September) China official and Caixin PMI manufacturing (30 September) India RBI meeting (30 September) Hong Kong retail sales (30 September US personal income, personal spending and core PCE (30 September) US University of Michigan sentiment (30 September) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation, The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation And More

    Market Focus Will Likely Be On Putin’s Warnings To The West, Nike (NKE) Reported Slightly Better Revenues And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.09.2022 08:37
    Summary:  Fresh lows return in US equities with more hawkish Fed comments and fear of earnings downgrades picking up as the Q3 earnings season draws closer. Cable extended its rally despite UK PM’s commitment to fiscal plan and weakening BOE hike expectations, while the EUR gained strength on the back of hot German CPI and uptick in ECB rate hike expectations. Talks of OPEC+ production cuts are gaining momentum, and focus today will be on China PMIs. Also watch for Eurozone CPI, US PCE data as well as Putin’s speech in the day ahead. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall to 22-month lows US stocks sank to their lowest levels since November 2020 after another round of Fed speakers continued with hawkish remarks, while oil maintained gains on expectations of OPEC+ cuts. Nasdaq 100 was down almost 4% at one point, but trimmed the losses before closing 2.9% lower, while the broader S&P500 met a similar fate nearing 3,600 before ending 2.1% down. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 dropped, with Utilities falling the most and followed by Consumer Discretionary. Retail favorites Tesla (TSLA) and Apple  (AAPL)  led the declines falling 6.8% and 4.9% while chip makers followed with AMD (AMD) down 6.2% with PC demand falling away. On the upside, oil stocks like Devon Energy (DVN), and Diamondback Energy (FANG) and Occidental (OXY) moved higher. Separately the European Commission announced an eight package of sanctions that would include a price cap on Russia’s oil exports. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed again After plunging sharply the day before on the Bank of England move, yields of U.S. treasury securities rose, with the 10-year note yields rising 6bps to 3.79% on Thursday.  Yields initially crept higher on bounces of U.K. Gilt yields and higher German regional CPI data, but paring their rise in the afternoon.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland equity markets opened higher on Thursday and pared the gain through the day and settled moderately lower, with the Hang Seng Index down by 0.5%, and CSI300 little changed. The news of the imposition of a 3-day mandatory PCR test in the financial district, Lujiazui in Shanghai due to one new Covid-19 case triggered some fears among investors. In spite of PBoC’s supportive statement coming out from its quarterly monetary meeting saying that the central bank will expand its special lending program to ensure the delivery of delayed housing projects, Chinese developers declined, with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunging 11.6%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) down by 7.5%, and CIFI (00884:xhkg) tumbling 16.3%.  Chinese EV maker, Zhejian Leapmotor (09863:xhkg), tumbled 33.5% in its first day of trading after an IPO priced at the bottom of a guided range.  XPeng (09868:xhkg) dropped 5.3%.  Trading in the China Internet space was mixed with Alibaba outperforming (+2.9%). Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) likely to follow Wall Street lower: futures suggest a 0.3% fall today, aluminum stocks to be bright spark As above, on the ASX today, it’s worth keeping an eye on aluminum related stocks on the ASX including Rio Tinto (RIO) and Alumina (AWC). Meanwhile, diversified miners including the major retail favorites, like BHP (BHP) are worth watching after the Iron Ore (SCOA) price remains supported with China ramping up housing support. This morning the iron ore price (SCOA, SCOV2) pushed up ~1.1% to US$96.50. In NY BHP closed 0.6% higher, implying the ASX primary listing of BHP will likely move up, especially after the aluminum and iron ore prices rose. Cable stays bid and Euro follows The US 10-year yields as well as the dollar could not catch a strong bid on Thursday, which helped other G10 currencies gain some ground. Sterling was the strongest on the G10 board, with GBPUSD now testing 1.12 in early Asian hours. BOE’s emergency bond-buying measures however hints at a push lower in gilt yields, and GBP will likely come back under pressure if the surge in global yield resumes. This will need a focus shift back on Fed tightening as we think there is still some room for upward repricing of terminal rate Fed expectations and higher-for-longer rates. Meanwhile, expectations for an ultra-aggressive BOE hike in November cooled slightly. EURUSD also surged above 0.98 with ECB rate hike expectations for October meeting picking up after the hot German inflation, and with the ECB downplaying the chance of an emergency move to prop up Italian bonds. EURGBP was however lower from 0.8950 to 0.88. Aluminum and aluminum stocks on watch It’s worth watching aluminium related shares across the Asian-Pacific region today after the record jump in Aluminum price on the LME after Bloomberg reported plans to discuss a potential ban on new Russian metal supplies. The metal jumped 8.5% (its biggest intraday jump in record) before paring back. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) prices maintain gains Crude oil prices maintained the momentum with OPEC+ production cuts becoming a key factor going into the next week’s meeting. OPEC+ commenced discussions around an output cut with one saying it a cut is “likely”, according to Reuters sources. This comes after previous reports that Russia will likely propose OPEC+ reduces output by around 1mln BPD. Demand conditions are likely to weaken as global tightening race heats up, and this has prompted expectations for a supply cut as well. Brent futures touched $90/barrel mark but reversed slightly later, while WTI futures rose to $83/barrel before some decline later in the session.   What to consider? German inflation sparks EZ inflation fears German inflation touched double digits, as it came above consensus at 10.9% YoY for September from 8.8% YoY previously. Germany is also preparing to borrow an additional €200 billion to finance a plan to limit the impact of soaring energy costs, which could keep consumption high even as shortages loom. Up today will be the September eurozone inflation print. Expect a new record which will increase the pressure on the European Central Bank to hike interest rates by at least 75 basis points in October. The economist consensus expects that the headline harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) will reach 9.7% YoY against 9.1% in August. The core rate is expected to climb to 5.6% YoY against 5.5% previously. The spread between the headline and the core inflation figures is mostly explained by a decrease in oil and natural gas prices in recent months. However, this is clear that inflation is becoming broad-based, including in the services sector. This means that inflation is here to stay for long. The HICP is likely to continue increasing in the coming months. A peak in inflation in the eurozone is possible in the first quarter of 2023, in our view. This is much later than in the United States. Fed speakers push for more hikes Loretta Mester remains more hawkish than the Fed’s median dot plot, and said that rate are not in restrictive territory yet and more rate hikes will be needed. No signs of concern on economy or dollar strength were noted, while inflation remained the key point of concern for her. James Bullard also made some key comments on ‘bad idea to mess’ with the inflation target while the labor market conditions remain tight and recession is only a risk. Mary Daly was more cautious, saying officials should work to avoid "inducing a deep recession." However, she still raised the bar on expectations on the Fed funds rate saying that she is comfortable with median Fed rate path projection of 4%-4.5% by year end, 4.5%-5% in 2023 (pointing to upside risks as the dot plot suggested 4.6%, or 4.5-4.75% if we talk in ranges). US initial claims come in strong again Initial claims came in lower than expected at 193k with last week’s also revised lower to 209k from 213k. Continued claims cooled to 1.347mln from 1.376mln despite the expected rise to 1.388mln. The data shows how tight the labour market is in the US and Fed's Bullard labelled today's claims metric as "super low". Meanwhile, the third estimate of Q2 GDP was confirmed to decline 0.6%, notably with consumer spending revised higher to 2% from 1.5% previously. Australian inflation rose 7% in the year to July, based on new monthly CPI At this rate it doesn’t appear CPI will peak at just shy of the 8% the RBA forecasts, given price pressures have resumed this month from the largest inflation contributors. Based on the ABS’s new monthly CPI print, some of the largest price jumps year-on-year to July were in fuel (+29.2%) and fruit & vegetables (+14.5%). The concern is that, with La Nina set to hit Australia and population growth continuing, food and housing (rent) prices will continue to rise apace. In September alone, contributors to food prices have risen markedly, as the global supply outlook has weakened amid poor crop conditions. This could tilt the RBA back toward a more hawkish stance. Australian rents to drive higher, adding to inflation woes Australia’s population growth resumed after borders reopened and business employment remains strong for the time being, at 50-year highs. New office and residential supply is expected be subdued in 2023 as interest rates rise; which supports the notion of falling vacancy rates. According to Colliers and the ABS, Sydney CBD rents rose 3.6% to $5.22 per square foot in the June quarter, driven by competition for top-quality office space. China’s manufacturing PMIs are expected to stay in the contractionary territory China’s September official NBS Manufacturing PMI and Non-manufacturing PMI as well as the Caixin China Manufacturing PMI are scheduled to release today. The median forecast of, economists surveyed by Bloomberg for the NBS Manufacturing PMI is 49.7 for September, a modest improvement from August’s 49.4 but remains in contraction territory.  Economists cite the lockdown of Chengdu and restrictive measures in some other cities during most part of the month and the weak EPMI released earlier as reasons for expecting the NBS Manufacturing PMI to stay below 50.  The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which has a larger weight in coastal cities in the eastern region, is expected to remain at 49.5 as export-related manufacturing activities and container throughput were weak.  The consensus estimate for the NBS Non-manufacturing PMI is 52.4, staying in the expansionary territory, supported by infrastructure construction but slowing slightly in September from August’s 52.6 due to weakness in the housing sector.  On the other hand, steel production and demand data in September suggest the PMIs may potentially surprise the upside. Buying activity up in food and Agricultural instruments, stocks and ETFs Food prices are supported higher as the global crop outlook dampens for 4 reasons; concern lingers over Ukraine’s exports being cut off, South America has been hit by rains and frosts, the US has been plagued by drought and dry conditions and as Hurricane Ian made landfall in the, US conditions are likely to go from bad to worse. And lastly - La Nina is expected to hit Australia for the third year in a row. So we are seeing clients buy into Wheat and Corn. Both prices are up 20% off their lows. Secondly, buying has been picking up in agricultural stocks like General Mills (GIS) and GrainCorp (GNC). And lastly, clients are biting into agricultural ETFs like Invesco DB Agriculture Fund (DBA) and iShares MSCI Agricultural Producers ETF (VEGI). Fed preferred inflation measure, US PCE, on the radar today The Fed’s preferred inflation measure, the PCE is due today, and it will likely echo the same message as given by the last strong CPI number which has made the Fed even more hawkish in the last few weeks since the Jackson Hole. Headline numbers may be lower due to the decline in gasoline prices, but the price pressure on services side will likely broaden further. Last week, the Fed also raised its forecasts for inflation, with the central bank now seeing core PCE at 4.5% by the end of this year (it previously projected 4.3%), moderating to 3.1% next year and at 2.1% at the end of its forecast horizon in 2025, but thinks that headline PCE prices will be at its 2% target by then. Putin's speech due today after Russia annexed parts of Ukraine Vladimir Putin will address legislators after Russia signs treaties today to absorb four occupied regions, with Ukrainian forces threatening to encircle a pocket of the Donbas region. There is also growing resistance to Putin’s decision to call up 300,000 reservists. Market focus will likely be on Putin’s warnings to the West about any potential threats of using nuclear weapons, which may mean risk aversion getting another leg up. Nike sank on concerns about inventory build-up and margins Nike (NKE) reported slightly better than expected revenues and inline earnings but below expectation gross margins and a 65% surge in inventories for the North American market.  In the earnings call, the company’s CFO pledged to take “decisive action to clear excess inventory” and such efforts will have “a transitory impact on gross margins this fiscal year”.  Investors took note of the implication on demand and profitability and sold stock to more than 9% lower in the extended hour trading. Apple fell on analyst downgrade After being sold on the company’s announcement to back off plans to increase iPhone production this year on the day before, Apple’s shares fell another 4.9% yesterday after an analyst downgrade from a U.S. investment bank.  In this Market Daily Insights piece yesterday, we mentioned the warnings from Peter Garnry, Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, about the likelihood that Apple’s revenue could slip into negative growth for the current quarter ending Sep 30 and you can find more details of his analysis from here. In his note, Peter also warns that analysts may be way off in their estimates for the S&P 500 for Q3 and it is highly probable that there will be significant misses to the downside followed by gloomy comments from company management about the outlook on margins.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-30-sept-30092022
    Philippines Central Bank's Hawkish Pause: Key Developments and Policy Stance

    A Peak In Inflation In The Eurozone Is Possible| H&M’s Challenging Position And Micron's Shocking Forecast

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.09.2022 09:44
    Summary:  After celebrating the injection of liquidity from the Bank of England on Wednesday, global markets swooned again yesterday, taking the major US indices. Elsewhere, sterling has recovered most of the lost ground since the announcement of last week’s tax cuts on the stabilization of the gilt market, with other major sovereign yields also easing lower. The drop in yields and a consolidation in the US dollar have supported gold, which is poking higher toward important resistance.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities traded lower yesterday after hawkish remarks from Mester and Bullard that policy rates will stay higher for longer than what the market is expecting (pricing in). In addition, the market is increasingly at edge with the expectation that Russia will annex four regions of Ukrainian territory because the fear is that it could escalate the war to new levels. Nasdaq 100 futures are most sensitive to the hawkish Fed messages and tumbling growth outlook, so watch this index going into the weekend. Nasdaq 100 futures are trading around the 11,265 level this morning and 11,000 is naturally the big next level on the downside in case selling resumes into the weekend. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China markets were treading water ahead of the week-long National Day golden week holiday. Chinese developers rallied to recoup some of the recent losses following PBoC’s supportive statement coming out of its quarterly monetary meeting saying that the central bank will expand its special lending program to ensure the delivery of delayed housing projects. Country Garden (02007:xhkg) rebounded 10% after plunging 11% yesterday. Chinese EV maker, Zhejian Leapmotor (09863:xhkg), tumbled another 11% after having tumbled 33.5% yesterday on its first day of trading. Other Chinese EV names traded in the Hong Kong bourses plunged from 2% to 9%. Strong USD fades as bond yields punched lower The weak US dollar suggests that the market was more focused on rising US treasury yields during the recent upswing than the accompanying risk sentiment deterioration: yesterday, the USD weakened sharply as yields were flat to lower while risk sentiment was in the dumps. Hard to tell if some end-of-month/quarter rebalancing through today might be in play as well. A proper reversal of the recent USD bull move would require far more weakness, for example: EURUSD back above the 0.9900-0.9950 area and AUDUSD above perhaps 0.6700 (more on GBPUSD below). Next week features a full line-up of key US macro data and should bring a test of the USD’s status. Was that the climax for sterling bear market? Too early to draw conclusions here, as sterling has not yet recovered sufficient ground in the most important EURGBP and GBPUSD pairs to suggest that we have seen a climax reversal, although overnight, GBPUSD did reverse the entire plunge sparked by the announcement of the special budget last Friday by Chancellor Kwarteng, which started around 1.1200. Arguably, a close above 1.1200-1.1250 suggests a chance over reversal, though really 1.1500 was a more significant starting point for the recent slide. For EURGBP, the key support/pivot zone is 0.8750-0.8700. While there was nothing specifically supportive about the Bank of England’s emergency QE, if the logic is that the BoE saved the system from a financial crisis and that the exercise demonstrated that quantitative tightening will prove impossible elsewhere eventually (and therefore the BoE is only the first of many), sterling’s situation looks less bad if other central banks eventually follow suit. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold continues to rebound from key support at $1615 with the focus now being the critical resistance zone into 1,680-1,700 that is the departure point for this latest bear market move. While global bond yields and the USD will continue to lead the way as coincident indicators, the market has held up relatively well with geopolitical concerns (Putin’s N threat) and investors increasingly worried the FOMC with its hawkish actions may break the currency and bond market. Some signs of that were seen this week with some extreme moves in local bond and currency markets. Speculators hold a rare net short in COMEX gold futures and any further strength will trigger short covering, while total holdings in ETFs backed by bullion have declined to a 30-month low. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) Crude oil is heading for its first albeit small weekly gain in five and the first quarterly drop since 2020. The market remains troubled by forces pulling prices in opposite direction, and while the strong dollar, surging yields, and continued lockdowns in China have raised demand worries, the risk to supply continues to be a supporting theme. That focus returned on Thursday when OPEC+ said a production cut would be discussed at next week's meeting with Russia proposing a 1 mln barrels per day cut, a reduction towards which they are unlikely to contribute much as they are already producing below their quota. In addition, the combination of Russian sanctions and embargo and the US pausing its sales from strategic reserves will continue to dampen the downside risks. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields remained calm yesterday as we can infer that the recent wild ride in UK gilts had triggered contagion into US treasury yields, likely aggravating the recent rise toward 4.00% for the 10-year treasury benchmark before the BoE’s emergency efforts took major sovereign yields back lower. US macro data next week, including the ISM surveys and the September jobs report next Friday, will be key for the direction in US yields, with the major 3.50% level, the June high, the key downside pivot point. What is going on? Apple shares (AAPL:xnas) crater after the company announced it will skip production increase and on analyst downgrade Apple shares ended the day nearly 5% lower, helping to drag the broader market lower as it is world’s largest company by market capitalization. A Bank of America analyst cut the rating on the company to “neutral” from “buy”. Apple’s demand is hurt by the cost-of-living crisis and the earnings outlook last night from the chip manufacturer Micron Technology is indicating that demand is coming down fast. Fed speakers push for more hikes Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester (voter this year) remains more hawkish than the Fed’s median dot plot and said that rates are not in restrictive territory yet and more rate hikes will be needed. No signs of concern on economy or dollar strength were noted, while inflation remained the key point of concern for her. St. Louis Fed president James Bullard, likewise a voter this year, said it was a ‘bad idea to mess’ with the inflation target while labor market conditions remain tight and recession is only a risk. San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly (voter in 2024) was more cautious, saying officials should work to avoid "inducing a deep recession." However, she still raised the bar on expectations on the Fed funds rate saying that she is comfortable with median Fed rate path projection of 4%-4.5% by year end, 4.5%-5% in 2023 (pointing to upside risks as the dot plot suggested 4.6%, or 4.5-4.75% if we talk in ranges). Eurozone inflation is set to hit a new record in September The September eurozone inflation will be released today. Expect a new record which will increase the pressure on the European Central Bank to hike interest rates by at least 75 basis points in October. The economist consensus expects that the headline harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) will reach 9.7 % year-over-year against 9.1 % in August. The core rate is expected to climb to 5.6 % year-over-year against 5.5 % previously. The spread between the headline and the core inflation figures is mostly explained by a decrease in oil and natural gas prices in recent months. However, this is clear that inflation is becoming broad-based, including in the services sector. This means that inflation is here to stay for long. The HICP is likely to continue increasing in the coming months. A peak in inflation in the eurozone is possible in the first quarter of 2023, in our view. This is much later than in the United States.  Earnings recap (H&M, Nike, and Micron) H&M delivered a big miss yesterday on operating profit as input costs surprised to the upside. H&M is starting charging for online returns to save costs and the demand in China is still weak due to H&M’s challenging position in the country. Nike surprised positively on revenue but missed on earnings against estimates as margin compression has begun, and the company’s inventory is building up fast creating a potential headache going forward as consumer demand is expected to decline in the coming quarters. Micron delivered a shocking outlook for the current quarter with revenue expected at €4-4.5bn vs est. €6bn. CEE currencies under strain, likely on geopolitical unease CEE currencies are under significant pressure since the news of the pipeline explosions this week – this was likely triggered by the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines to Germany, which could be a prelude to the cutting off of other pipelines from Russia. EURHUF has pulled above 420 for the first time ever, EURPLN yesterday spiked to the highest level since the timeframe just after the breakout of war in Ukraine.  Hungary continues to not support new sanction efforts against Russian energy imports. In Prague, protests have broken out against the country’s energy policy, while EURCZK remains sedated by heavy Czech central bank intervention. US initial claims come in strong again Initial claims came in lower than expected at 193k with last week’s also revised lower to 209k from 213k. Continued claims cooled to 1.347mln from 1.376mln despite the expected rise to 1.388mln. The data shows how tight the labour market is in the US and Fed's Bullard labelled today's claims metric as "super low". Meanwhile, the third estimate of Q2 GDP was confirmed to decline 0.6%, notably with consumer spending revised higher to 2% from 1.5% previously. Aluminium prices bolt higher; fuelling a rally in major mining companies Aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange briefly jumped by a record 8.5% on Thursday before retracing lower. The sudden burst which to a minor extent was replicated in zinc and nickel was driven by a Bloomberg report saying that the LME as an option is looking into whether and under what circumstances they might place a ban on Russian metal being cleared via the exchange. Any such move by the LME to block Russian supplies could have significant ramifications for the global metal markets given their importance as a supplier of the mentioned metals, which to a smaller extend also includes copper. What are we watching next? Change of course from UK government after recent events? UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwarteng will meet with the Office of Budget Responsibility today for emergency talks before they receive the first draft of fiscal forecasts from the OBR next week. The recent crisis in the UK gilt market and downward spiral in sterling could elicit a response and possible backtracking on some portion of the recent policy announcement, although Truss said as recently as yesterday that she will stay the course. The most recent YouGov political poll release yesterday shows the Conservatives trailing Labour by a whopping 33 points, the largest gap since the 1990’s. Election in Brazil at the weekendBrazilian voters go to the polls on Sunday, with left-leaning former president Lula leading strongly in the polls over the incumbent right-populist Bolsonaro, but with many fearing the risk of disorder and violence as Bolsonaro has already made claims of election fraud and has hinted at not wanting to leave office. A run-off election between the two candidates will be held on October 30 if neither gets more than half the popular vote this weekend. The Brazilian real is at the weak end of the recent range versus the US dollar. Fed preferred inflation measure, US PCE, on the radar today The data point is for August and comes nearly three weeks after the BLS CPI data for the month. It will likely echo the same message as given by the last strong CPI number which has made the Fed even more hawkish in the last few weeks since the Jackson Hole. Headline numbers may be lower due to the decline in gasoline prices, but the price pressure on services side will likely broaden further. At last week’s FOMC meeting, the Fed also raised its forecasts for inflation, with the central bank now seeing core PCE at 4.5% by the end of this year (it previously projected 4.3%), moderating to 3.1% next year and at 2.1% at the end of its forecast horizon in 2025, but thinks that headline PCE prices will be at its 2% target by then. Earnings calendar this week Today’s earnings release to watch is from Carnival which is expected to deliver strong results but there are significant downside risks to the outlook from fuel costs, staffing costs and the cost-of-living crisis hurting disposable income. Today: Carnival (postponed from last week), Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0755 – Germany Sep. Unemployment Change/Rate 0800 – Poland Sep. Flash CPI 0800 – Norway Daily FX Purchases 0830 – UK Aug. Mortgage Approvals 0900 – Eurozone Sep. Flash CPI 1230 – US Aug. PCE Deflator/Core Deflator 1300 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to speak at Fed conference on Financial Stability. 1345 – US Sep. Chicago PMI 1400 – US Final University of Michigan Sentiment Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-30-2022-30092022
    CEE: Busy Week Ahead Drives FX Strength

    The Financial Meltdown Continues At Full Speed

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 30.09.2022 14:41
    It was a terribly ugly day across the equity and bond markets yesterday. Despite the financial calamity, Porsche had a successful IPO and secured the valuation it was looking for, but the S&P500 plunged another 2% yesterday and wiped out the summer gains entirely. The same is true for Nasdaq. Nothing is left from the summer rally in the US stocks. Job cuts Apple dived more than 6% and closed the session almost 5% lower yesterday, after Bank of America downgraded the stock on worries of weaker consumer demand. Facebook’s Meta joined the others in announcing job cuts. But *unfortunately* for the Federal Reserve (Fed), the US jobless claims came below 200’000 last week. There are not enough people losing their jobs to stop the financial bleeding in the world. One interesting thing about yesterday’s price action was that... the US dollar sharply eased despite the hawkish messages thrown to our faces by the pitiless Fed members. The British pound recovered above the 1.11 mark against the US dollar yesterday. Could the pound rebound sustainably, or is this just a fake alert? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 Porsche IPO went well, but… 4:20 Apple nosedived amid BoFA downgrade 6:47 Why did the US dollar ease? 8:42 Could sterling recover sustainably? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #BoE #intervention #UK #gilt #GBP #EUR #USD #Fed #Apple #Meta #Porsche #IPO #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH    
    Declines At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange, The Drop Leaders Were Nike Inc Shares

    Declines At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange, The Drop Leaders Were Nike Inc Shares

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 03.10.2022 08:21
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.71% to hit a 52-week low, the S&P 500 fell 1.51% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.51%. Shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated were among the leaders of gains among the components of the Dow Jones index today, which lost 3.79 points (0.74%) to close at 505.04. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc fell 0.15 points or 0.48% to close at 31.40. Dow Inc shed 0.23 points or 0.52% to close at 43.93. The drop leaders were Nike Inc shares, which lost 12.21 points or 12.81% to end the session at 83.12. Boeing Co was up 3.39% or 4.25 points to close at 121.08, while Walt Disney Company was down 3.20% or 3.12 points to close at 94. 33. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Charles River Laboratories, which rose 3.57% to hit 196.80, Weyerhaeuser Company, which gained 2.92% to close at 28.56, and shares of Twitter Inc, which rose 2.74% to end the session at 43.91. The losers were shares of Carnival Corporation, which fell 23.31% to close at 7.03. Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd lost 18.11% to end the session at 11.35. Quotes of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd decreased in price by 13.14% to 37.91. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were FingerMotion Inc, which rose 82.16% to hit 3.37, SAITECH Global Corp, which gained 43.36% to close at 3.24, and shares of Avenue Therapeutics Inc, which rose 39.03% to end the session at 10.08. The biggest losers were Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc, which shed 39.91% to close at 20.40. Shares of Aterian Inc lost 37.06% and ended the session at 1.24. Quotes of Edesa Biotech Inc decreased in price by 34.66% to 0.92. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1,758) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1,354), while quotations of 117 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,139 companies fell in price, 1,583 rose, and 228 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.69% to 31.62. Gold futures for December delivery added 0.11%, or 1.80, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 1.87%, or 1.52, to $79.71 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 2.13%, or 1.86, to $85.32 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.08% to 0.98, while USD/JPY advanced 0.23% to hit 144.77. Futures on the USD index fell 0.09% to 112.10. Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-04 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/295131
    Biden Declared Unwavering Support For Ukraine, The Reserve Bank Of New Zealand May Go Back To Raising Rates

    Ukraine's Successes Have Infuriated Putin Allies| Intel Acquired Mobileye And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.10.2022 08:42
    Summary:  The S&P500 broke below 3600 into the close on Friday as US 10-year yields surged above 3.8%. Risk off seen from multiple forces heading into the new month/quarter as corporate earnings misses continue to raise the threat of an ugly earnings season ahead. Meanwhile, the war could take a turn for the worse if Russia decides to escalates after losing a key city to Ukraine again over the weekend. China heads into the Golden Week holiday and OPEC+ meeting in focus this week with expectations of over 1mn b/d output cut on the table. UK crisis will also take more attention this week along with key US ISM manufacturing data due today and the payrolls data at the end of the week. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) had three down quarters in a row U.S. equities continued to sell off on Friday. S&P500 dropped 1.5% for the day and ended the month more than 9% lower. Nasdaq 100 declined 1.7% on Friday, falling nearly 11% in September. 10 of the 11 sectors in the S&P 500 declined, with Utilities, Information Technology, and Consumer Discretionary leading the charge lower. Real Estate was the only sector that gained on Friday.  Big U.S. stock movers   Being another latest signal of weakening U.S. consumer demand, Carnival (CCL:xnys) tumbled more than 23% after the cruise operator reported occupancy for the quarter ending Aug 31 below market expectations. Nike (NKE:xnys) plunged 12.8% on rising inventories and margin misses. For a detailed discussion on last week’s earnings warning signs from Nike, Micron, and H&M’s margin misses, please refer to Peter Garnry’s analysis here. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed again U.S. treasury yields fell initially during London hours on Friday in tandem with the intraday swings in the U.K. Gilts and then pared the decline in yields in New York hours following the slightly stronger than expected PCE data and Fed Vice-Chair Brainard’s reiteration that the Fed will avoid pulling back from rate hikes prematurely. Yields decisively soared higher in the last hour of trading with 2-year yields rising 9bps to 4.28% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.83%. September was Hang Seng Index’s (HSIU2) worst month in 11 years Hong Kong and mainland China markets were treading water ahead of the week-long National Day golden week holiday in the mainland, with Hang Seng Index up by 0.3% and CSI 300 Index sliding 0.6%. Despite the lackluster trading last Friday, September was the worst month for the Hang Seng Index, which had fallen 13.7%, over the past 11 years. Chinese developers rallied to recoup some of the recent losses following incremental supporting measures from regulators.  CIFI (00884:xhkg), Country Garden (02007:xhkg), and Guangzhou R&F rebounded 11%, 9%, and 8% respectively. Chinese EV maker, Zhejian Leapmotor (09863:xhkg), tumbled another 22% last Friday after having collapsed 33.5% the day before on its first day of trading.  Other Chinese EV names traded in the Hong Kong bourses plunged from 4% to 7% even after more subsidies and support were announced by the Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal Government. Chinese restaurant operator Jiumaojiu (09922:xhkg) plunged by 20.4% following its announcement to pay RMB1 billion for a 26% equity stake in the Guangzhou IFC Mall project which will give the company 30,000 sqm for self-use as headquarter and R&D centre.  GBP ends a volatile week strongest against the USD Sterling ended the week strongest in the G10 pack against the USD despite a flash crash last week and risks of a pension fund crisis in the UK on top of the current energy crisis and the runaway inflation issues at hand. Rising Russia tensions mean that the energy situation could get a leg up this week, but focus for the sterling will remain on any possible rollback of the loose fiscal policy. The political pressure is certainly mounting after the latest YouGov poll showed Labour with a 33-point lead in the polls, the widest margin since the 1990’s. GBPUSD is testing a break above 1.1235, but that for now seems to be underpinned by a softer USD and lower US yields, and it remains to be seen if that story will continue this week as we get past the rebalancing flows. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) prices waiting for a large OPEC+ production cut Crude oil ended last week mixed but mostly lower on Friday after some gains initially on expectations of an OPEC+ production cut coming this week. It is being reported that OPEC+ is mulling a possible reduction of 0.5-1mn barrels/day, after the September output rose 210k barrels/day from August. Some delegates said over the weekend that output cut could exceed 1 million barrels/day, and this has helped crude oil see a 3% jump at the Asia open. Given that the meeting is in-person for the first time since March 2020 also raises expectations of a large cut. WTI futures were seen above $82/barrel while Brent futures rose towards $88. Still, demand worries especially with China’s lockdowns and rapid global tightening pace will continue to put downside pressure on oil prices. Wheat futures (ZWZ2) higher on supply concerns On Friday, the USDA published its Quarterly Stocks and wheat production reports. Corn stocks were lower and soybeans higher than expected. December wheat (ZWZ2) jumped 2.8% with stocks in line but production in all categories falling short of expectations. Meanwhile, geopolitical concerns are on the rise with Russia threatening use of low-yield nuclear weapons as its military advantage starts to diminish. This has again raised concerns over the fate of the Black Sea export corridor and the supply situation in agri commodities may continue to be challenged. What to consider? Hot US PCE paves the way for another CPI surprise this month US PCE data came in stronger-than-expected, with the headline up 6.2% YoY from 6.3% YoY prior and 6.0% YoY expected. The core measure was at 4.9% YoY, coming in both higher than last month’s 4.6% YoY and the expected 4.7% YoY. This will likely push up the pricing of another 75bps rate hike from the Fed at the November meeting, as the CPI report out this month is generally likely to follow the same trend of remining close to its highs. Meanwhile, the final estimate of University of Michigan survey was revised lower to 58.6 from preliminary print of 59.5 due to the slide in expectations to 58 from 59.9, even as the current conditions fared better at 59.7 from 58.9 previously. The inflation metrics also diverged with 1yr consumer inflation expectations edging higher to 4.7% (prev. 4.6%), although the longer term 5yr slightly fell to 2.7% (prev. 2.8%). Stronger Q3 Atlanta Fed GDP and more calls for restrictive Fed policy The economic momentum in the US is still strong, as hinted by the big upward revision in Atlanta Fed’s Q3 GDP estimate to 2.4% from 0.3% earlier with higher contribution expected from private domestic investment and net exports. The advance Q3 GDP report is due on October 27, so that will likely give more ammunition to the Fed to raise rates aggressively at the November meeting. Meanwhile, more Fed speakers were on the wires on Friday continuing to push for interest rates to move towards or above the median of the dot plot. Fed Vice-Chair Brainard noted policy will need to be restrictive for some time, while Mary Daly (2024 voter) was more specific to say that she  expects to hold rates steady for at least all of 2023 after rate hikes. Barkin (2024 voter) echoed the Saxo view that Fed has decided that they’d rather be wrong by tightening too much rather than tightening too little. He said it would be a good news story if the Fed did a bit too much and inflation came down. Eurozone inflation remains painfully high The September eurozone consumer price index (CPI) reached double-digits at 10% year-over-year versus prior 9.1% and expected 9.7%. The core CPI (excluding volatile components) is up to 4.8% year-over-year versus expected 4.7% too. What is clearly worrying is there is an acceleration in price pressures beyond energy and food prices. This is a signal that inflation is now broad-based. In France, the EU-harmonized CPI was out at 6.2% year-over-year in September. This is much lower than what the consensus expected (6.7%). It stood at 6.8% in July and 6.6% in August. On the downside, the producer price index (PPI) for August reached a new high at 29.5% year-over-year against expected 27.6%. This matters. The PPI usually represents the pipeline in inflation which will be passed on to consumers, at least partially. This means that the peak in inflation is likely ahead of us in France and in all the other eurozone countries. Expect to reach it in the first quarter of next year, at best.  China’s PMIs were mixed in September China’s September official NBS Manufacturing PMI came in at 50.1, stronger than expectations (consensus 49.7, Aug 49.4), and returned to the expansionary territory.  The strength was found in the output sub-index which rebounded to 51.5 in September from 49.8 in August, which was largely due to the receding heatwave and pent-up demand.  The other major sub-indices in manufacturing remained below 50.  Exports were weak as the new export orders sub-index fell to 47 in September from 48.1 in August.  The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which has a larger weight in coastal cities in the eastern region, fell to 48.1 (consensus 49.5, Aug 49.5), echoing the weakness in the exports element in the official PMI.  The NBS Non-manufacturing PMI came in at 50.6, below expectations (consensus 52.4, Aug 52.6).  Among non-manufacturing activities, the construction sub-index rose to 60.2 from 56.5, supported by infrastructure construction, while the service sub-index fell into the contractionary territory, coming in at 48.9, down from August’s 51.9. Retail, air travel, lodging, catering, and other services requiring close contact contracted in the midst of Covid restrictions. Ukraine’s recapture of key city raises the nuclear threat Ukrainian troops recaptured the city of Lyman over the weekend in occupied eastern Ukraine, less than a day after Russia announced the annexation of the area and vowed to defend it with all military means. Ukraine's successes have infuriated Putin allies such as Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia's southern Chechnya region who called on Putin to retaliate by escalating even further against Ukraine, including declaring martial law in the border regions and using low-yield nuclear weapons. China relaxes mortgage rates’ lower bound for first-time homebuyers and provides tax rebates to homebuyers plus telling banks to lend to the property sector The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) announced last Friday to lower or even remove the lower bounds imposed on first-time homebuyers in cities that experienced three consecutive months (from June to August 2022) declines in new home prices both sequentially and year-on-year.  The currently lower bound is the 5-year Loan Prime Rate minus 20bps.  The new policy will benefit first-time homebuyers in lower-tier cities while tier-1 cities do not meet the above price decline criterion. Among the top-70 cities, eight Tier-2 cities and 15 Tier-3 cities are eligible. The PBoC and the CBIRC also reportedly told the largest banks in the country to extend at least RMB600 billion in net new financing to the housing sector for the rest of the year. In addition, the State Administration of Taxation announced that from Oct 1, 2022, to Dec 31, 2023, homebuyers will be rebated the tax they paid for the sale of their previous home if the sale was within one year from the purchase of the new home.  Tesla reveals a prototype of its humanoid robot On last Friday’s AI Day, Tesla (TSLA:xnas) showcased a prototype of the EV maker’s first humanoid robot, dubbed Optimus, and reveals the latest updates to the company’s assistant deriving system. Tesla’s humanoid robots are still a long way from commercialization and it plans to deploy them first at Tesla factories.  Intel goes ahead to list its self-driving-car unit Intel’s self-driving-car unit, Mobileye said on Friday that the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for IPO.  Mobileye did not provide information about the expected size and price range for its IPO. Intel acquired Mobileye, an Israeli company that develops driver-assistance systems for USD15.3 billion in 2017. Mobileye said it had agreements in hand to supply 266 million vehicles with the company’s driver-assistance systems by 2030.  US ISM manufacturing on watch today Due later today, ISM manufacturing is unlikely to dent the optimism around the US economy that has been building up further with positive economic indicators released over the last few weeks. While the Bloomberg consensus estimates show some signs of a slowdown to 52.1 in September from 52.8 in August – that should likely be underpinned by improving supply chains, while new orders should remain upbeat. On Tuesday, Japan’s Tokyo CPI will see impact of reopening Japan’s inflationary pressures are likely to continue to reign amid higher global prices of food, electricity as well as a weak yen propping up import prices. Bloomberg consensus estimates point to a slightly softer headline print of 2.7% YoY from 2.9% YoY previously, but the core is pinned higher at 2.8% YoY from 2.6% YoY previously. Further, the reopening of the economic from the pandemic curbs likely means demand side pressures are also broadening, and services inflation will potentially pick up as well.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-3-oct-2022-03102022
    Why India Leads the Way in Economic Growth Amid Global Slowdown

    The GBP/USD Pair Gained Bullish Pace, September PMI Indices And Continued Volatility In The Markets

    TeleTrade Comments TeleTrade Comments 03.10.2022 10:10
    Here is what you need to know on Monday, October 3: Markets stayed relatively quiet during the Asian trading hours on Monday but volatility picked up in the early European morning. Political developments in the UK are watched closely by market participants ahead of S&P Global's final September PMIs for Germany, the euro area, the UK and Canada. The US economic docket will feature the ISM September Manufacturing PMI later in the day. Several FOMC policymakers, including Kansas City Fed President Esther George and New York Fed President John Williams, will also be delivering speeches in the second half of the day. After having registered modest gains on Friday, the US Dollar Index turned south and broke below 112.00. US Stock index futures are trading mixed in the European session and the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield loses over 1% below 3.8%.  During the Asian trading hours, the data from Japan showed that the Tankan Large Manufacturing Index declined to 8 in Q3, missing the market expectation of 11. On a positive note, the Non-Manufacturing Index edged higher to 14 in the same period from 13. Meanwhile, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki reiterated that they continue to watch FX moves with a strong sense of urgency. USD/JPY showed no reaction to Suzuki's comments or the data releases and it was last seen moving sideways slightly below 115.00. GBP/USD gathered bullish momentum and jumped to its highest level in over a week near 1.1300. Reports suggesting that the UK government is expected to roll back the proposed scrapping of the higher rate of income tax helped the British pound gather strength. British Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed these reports by announcing that the government will not go ahead with a plan to scrap a 45% rate of income tax. Following the initial bullish reaction, the pair returned to the 1.1200 area, where it was up around 0.3% on the day. EUR/USD is having a difficult time making a decisive move in either direction and trading in a narrow range near 0.9800.  Gold snapped a two-week losing streak on Friday and edged higher toward $1,670 early Monday. Although XAU/USD returned to the $1,660 area in the European morning, it managed to hold its ground amid retreating US Treasury bond yields.  Bitcoin closed in negative territory on Saturday and Sunday but found support near $19,000. Ethereum fell nearly 4% over the weekend and dropped below $1,300 before staging a rebound early Monday. ETH/USD was last seen rising 1% on the day at $1,290.
    Market Sentiment and Fed Policy Uncertainty: Impact on August Performance

    The Third Quarter Ends With Losses, U.S. Dollar (USD) Strength Is Worrying

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 03.10.2022 10:21
    We spent the weekend talking about whether Credit Suisse will finally go bust or not. The share price is down below 4 francs a share, and the credit default swaps are going through the roof. The 5-year CDS for Credit Suisse spiked to 250 from around 60 at the start of the year. It means that the market is aggressively pricing a default for one of the biggest Swiss banks. Is it possible? Yes, it is possible, but it is highly unlikely. A negative note Zooming out, the third quarter ends with losses, even though we thought that the summer rally could’ve given something. But no. The S&P500 finished the 3rd quarter having slipped to the lowest levels this year. The same is true for Nasdaq and the Dow Jones. $24 trillion have been wiped out of the stocks so far this year. And the last quarter begins with aggressive rate hike expectations from the Federal Reserve (Fed), but also from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) to fight inflation and the dollar strength.Nike has been the latest company warning investors of falling profits due to mountains of stockpiles that they inherited from the pandemic times – and which brought the company to make nice price discounts -, and the strong dollar. Waiting for tesla reactions This week, we will watch how Tesla will react to the latest delivery report, the OPEC decision and the US jobs figures… and hope that this week’s jobs data doesn’t reveal strong job additions, and solid salary growth in the US. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:21 What will happen to Credit Suisse? 3:14 Q3 ends on a negative note… 5:36 USD strength to become a major headache for next earnings season 6:51 What to watch this week? Tesla deliveries, OPEC decision & US jobs 7:50 Econ101 minute: Why the Fed must destroy jobs to fight inflation?   Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #CreditSuisse #Q4 #Nike #earnings #strongUSD #USD #EUR #GBP #Tesla #OPEC #US #jobs #Fed #BoE #ECB #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    "Private investors will be required to increase their gilt exposure by at least £268bn in FY2023-24"

    The Weakening Of Confidence In The British Government| Oil Prices Extended Gains And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 09:09
    Summary:  After a series of positive surprises on US economic data last week, the disappointment from the ISM manufacturing was a big deal for the markets. US Treasury yields slumped, with rising expectations of an earlier Fed pivot which we think may be premature. But that helped equity markets close higher, more a signal of positioning rather than expectations. UK’s tax cut U-turn instilled a fresh bid in sterling, but further impeded confidence in the government. Oil prices extended gains and Gold also reclaimed the $1700-mark. On watch today will be how the Reserve Bank of Australia transitions to a slower rate hike pace. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rally over 2% US stocks rallied for the first day of the quarter with the Nasdaq100 up almost 2.4%, and the S&P500 up about 2.6%, which is the best gain since July 27. It comes as the 10-year US Treasury yield rolled over to trade at around 3.65% (after topping 4% at one-point last week). The risk-on mood was fueled by several things; firstly, the UK government did a U-turn and will reverse plans to scrap the top rate of income tax. Secondly, the United Nations called on the Fed and other central banks to halt interest rates hikes. And thirdly, what also boosted sentiment was that two Fed speakers at the weekend, Brainard and Daly were reportedly discussing the downside of hiking too fast. And fourthly, weaker than expected US economic news came out with; US manufacturing falling for the third time in four months. As for the S&P500, the technical indicators; the MACD and the RSI also remain in oversold territory, which supports the notion that some investors believe a short-term rebound may be seen perhaps amid the risk-on mood. However, caution still remains in the air ahead of further Fed's hikes. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The US Treasury yields retreated on Monday as a subdued ISM manufacturing print led to calls of slower Fed tightening and an earlier Fed pivot, which had already been building last week as well due to the risk of wider market disruptions as things have started to break. The reversal of the UK tax cut also supported Gilts, and some pass-through was seen to the US Treasuries. 2-year yields declined over 16bps to 4.11%, while the 10-year was down 19bps to 3.63%. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) poised to raise 1.5% with a focus on oil stocks Commodities will be focus on the ASX today with Oil and LNG stocks like Woodside (WDS), Santos (STO) set to see some action after the oil and gas prices jumped 5%. Other stocks to watch include Worley (WOR) who services the energy sector. Iron ore companies will be watched as well, supported higher by the iron ore price jumping 1.8% to US$94.50. So it’s worth watching if BHP, RIO and CIA can extend their short-term uptrend. AUDUSD rallies back to 0.6516 ahead of RBA’s expected 0.5% hike Australia’s RBA is likely to make another jumbo rate hike and take rates up by 50 bps (0.5%) to 2.85% on Tuesday (which is what consensus thinking is). And then after that, the RBA is likely to move in smaller increments, according to interest rate futures and what RBA Governor Phillip Lowe signaled he wants. With the majority of Australian mortgages at floating-rates, and wage growth being stronger, the RBA’s thinking is that most Aussies will be able to sustain the higher rates as a lot of Australian made extra mortgage repayments amid the lockdowns, as pulled back on discretionary spending. However there are about 2.5 million Aussies who have no buffer. And 9.8 million Aussies have mortgages. So we still think a property pull back might be on the cards. It’s the magnitude of the pull back that is being questioned. The technical indicator, the MACD suggests the AUDUSD could rally if the RBA proceeds with a likely 0.5% hike. However over the long term, our house view remains bearish on the AUDUSD until Fed hikes cool, and commodity demand picks up from China. GBPUSD made a strong recovery, will it last? Cable was seen advancing above the 1.13 handle in early Asian hours on Tuesday as it extended Monday’s gains following announcement of plans to scarp the tax cut by the UK government. A softer dollar also supported pound’s gains, amid a slide in US Treasury yields. However, more Fed tightening is still in the cards and the lack of trust in the new UK government cannot be ignored even if the tax policy has been reversed for now. Focus on the BOE meeting on November 3 where 115bps rate hike is priced in, lower than last week’s pricing of 150bps. However, a full-budget statement will be released before that and further austerity measures, if included, can bring fresh downside for the sterling. EURGBP slid below 0.8700. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) extends gains on OPEC+ chatter Crude oil trades higher ahead of Wednesday’s OPEC+ meeting in Vienna as the alliance is considering a production cut of more than 1 million barrels/day to support prices following a 25% slump during Q3 2022. That would be the biggest cut since the pandemic with OPEC+ slashed production by 10 million barrels/day as demand collapsed. WTI futures rose above $83/barrel while Brent was close to $90. With several OPEC+ producers, including Russia, producing below target, and only Saudi Arabia may be able to limit production without a loss in additional market share. Meanwhile, expectations of an earlier Fed pivot also stabilized demand weakness expectations. Gold (XAUUSD) reclaims 1700 on lower US yields Gold extended recent gains as yields on Treasuries continued to decline. After the 10-year yields were seen topping the 4% level at one point last week, they are now off about 40bps to end at 3.63% yesterday. Meanwhile, a softer dollar and rising geopolitical tensions have also brought back investor demand for the yellow metal. A weaker ISM manufacturing print yesterday (read below) has also increased calls for an earlier Fed pivot, which we think may be premature. But the increasing calls for a recession have meant gains for Gold which was last seen back at $1,700/oz.   What to consider? US ISM manufacturing disappoints The headline for September’s US ISM manufacturing came in weaker than expectations at 50.9 from the prior month’s 52.8 and expected 52.2. Both employment and new orders both dropped into contractionary territory printing 48.7 (exp. 53.0, prev. 54.2) and 47.1 (prev. 41.3), respectively. The report showed that higher interest rates are starting to weigh on business investment sentiment, at least in the interest rate sensitive sectors. Still, the inflationary gauge of prices paid declined to 51.7 (exp. 51.9, prev. 52.5) falling for the sixth straight month. Supplier delivery times suggested some easing on the supply chains, but overall the report indicated the case of a slowdown in the US economy as rapid Fed tightening continues. UK scraps plans to cut taxes The UK government confirmed reports it will not go ahead with the abolition of the 45p rate of income tax but they are committed to borrowing extra over the winter to help with the ongoing energy crisis. The Chancellor told BBC the proposal was "drowning out a strong package", which includes support for energy bills, cuts to the basic rate of income tax, and the scrapped increase in corporation tax. However, he saw the abolition of 45p tax rate as a distraction from the overriding mission, and thus decided to remove it. This puts water on the Bank of England’s bond-buying, and exposes further the cracks in UK policymaking, thus suggesting that the UK assets are not out of the woods. A full-budget, which has now been brought forward to before the next BOE meeting on November 3, could include more tax cuts. Fed pushes back on an earlier pivot Fed’s NY President John Williams repeated inflation is too high and the Fed's job is not done, also saying that the monetary policy is still not in restrictive zone, pushing back on some calls for an earlier Fed pivot. He acknowledged signs of a slowdown in the housing sector or the consumer and business investment spending, but nothing that could deter the Fed from fighting inflation. On forecasts, he sees inflation likely down to 3% by next year (median view for Core PCE 3.1%), and the US is likely to see unemployment rise to 4.5% by end of 2023 (median view 4.4%). Thomas Barkin (2024 voter) made the case for more inflation in the post-pandemic world, noting that the Fed must consider global developments, but the focus is on the US. Japan’s Tokyo inflation accelerates further Japan’s September Tokyo CPI came in at 2.8% YoY, a notch softer than last month’s 2.9% YoY and in-line with expectations, but the core-core (ex-fresh food and energy) print accelerated to 1.7% YoY from 1.4% YoY, also coming in ahead of expectations at 1.4% YoY. Higher global food and energy prices along with a record weak yen has brought import price pressures on Japan’s economy, and this print hints at further gains in CPI on the horizon. While the pressure on the Bank of Japan to hike rates may have eased for now as US yields are easing, but there is still more Fed tightening in the pipeline and fresh pressures cannot be ignored. Reserve Bank of Australia may step away from moving to a slower rate hike pace The Reserve Bank of Australia is scheduled to announce its next rate decision on Tuesday, October 4. Governor Lowe had previously signalled that the pace of rate hikes is likely to slow from here after four consecutive rate hikes of the magnitude of 50bps. However, money markets and Bloomberg consensus forecast is still calling for another 50bps rate hike at the October meeting suggesting that RBA may delay taking the foot off the pedal just yet. The recent slide in the Australian dollar and worries over a turmoil in global financial markets may prompt the policymakers to front-load more of the rate hikes while the economy is still holding up. Retail sales data last week was upbeat while the first monthly inflation data reading at 6.8% is only slightly off the 7% levels seen in the preceding month. So, even as a monthly meeting can ensure a steady pace of rate hikes even with a smaller 25bps rate move, policymakers would possibly prefer to make a larger move this week to provide some support to the AUD. Likewise, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand is also expected to hike rates by another 50bps at their October 6 meeting.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-4-oct-04102022
    For What It Is Worthy To Pay Attention Next Week 23.01-29.01

    Forecasts For Q4: The Power And Gas Crisis Will Reach Its Peak

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 09:16
    Summary:  The macropolitical and economic landscape has sent freezing weather in over the financial markets. How will you navigate the cold winter? An Executive Summary  Our outlook for Q4 2022 simply recognises the reality that winter is coming, in both the literal and figurative senses. First is the literal sense as Europe and the UK in particular brace for the impact of a winter season that will likely bring with it an economic winter. The power and gas crisis will reach peak impact due to the increased demand during winter heating season, even if prices have fallen considerably. Our macro strategist Christopher Dembik focuses on how Europe can absorb the tremendous headwinds of the energy crisis without turning the lights out entirely, with observers excessively pessimistic on the European outlook. This will include reducing demand through more efficiency, longer-term investments in nuclear, and better buildout of the necessary infrastructure for the green transformation.  In China, our market strategist Redmond Wong notes that the focus on renewables is far less intense. China has moved to secure coal supplies amidst the spike in oil and especially LNG prices in recent quarters, preferring to focus on more efficient use of its coal-fired baseload capacity and the most aggressive buildout of nuclear power of any major economy. For the rest of developed and emerging Asia, market strategist Charu Chanana notes that the soaring prices for LNG have altered the energy security for the region, to the detriment of weaker economies. The response will come in a variety of forms, from Japan’s renewed interest in nuclear despite the 2011 Fukushima disaster, to the intriguing prospect of energy increasingly trading in non-US dollar currencies, as already seen in India’s purchase of Russian crude with roubles. Our Australian market strategist Jessica Amir zeroes in on the factors driving a renaissance of interest in nuclear energy and looks at where to find the companies and ETFs in a rather difficult-to-navigate nuclear investment space.  Now on to the chief driver of asset valuations since the Fed’s dramatic pivot in November of last year: the trajectory of monetary policy. The coming quarter and first part of winter are likely to bring what Saxo CIO Steen Jakobsen dubs “peak tightness”. The market will finally manage to catch up to where the peak Fed rate is likely to rise by early next year, after getting it so wrong in hoping for a policy pivot toward decelerating tightening pressure in Q3. In turn, that policy tightness will lead to a recession, already on the way in Europe but spreading elsewhere next year, eventually even to the US, where the economy has proven far more resilient than the market expected.   In equities, the emphasis from the head of equity and quant strategy Peter Garnry is on how the coming winter will inevitably drive recession risks, as already seen with the pressure on consumer and discretionary stocks. He also explores how the extraordinary pressure on Europe can drive necessary innovation that should allow the continent to come out the other side with a far more competitive economy. Still, an overriding risk for growth and equity valuations is the cost of de-globalisation, which will reverse many of the trends in equities and the supply chains that companies have hyper-tuned over the last 12 years.  Head of commodity strategy Ole Hansen sees less drama for commodities relative to the intense volatility in the months since Russia invaded Ukraine, as ongoing supply concerns vie with shrinking demand concerns for supremacy. One interesting twist in Q4 will be how the crude oil market absorbs a halt of the Biden administration’s release of US strategic reserves if this proceeds according to plan in October.   In the FX outlook, John Hardy, the head of FX strategy, asks whether peak tightness in the anticipated trajectory of the Fed rate hike cycle will likely also bring peak US dollar, which has provided its own wintry pressure on global liquidity and asset prices for the last eleven months.  Elsewhere in FX, will the market force the Bank of Japan to capitulate on its yield-curve-control policy, possibly setting up the yen for spectacular volatility this coming quarter? It’s also worth noting that this is the third quarter running in the massive divergence of the JPY weakness relative to Chinese yuan (CNH and CNY) strength, the latter still in relative terms despite the yuan being allowed to slip considerably lower versus the strong USD in Q3; it’s an important and tense situation that remains unresolved.  In crypto, the market failed to revive in the quarter even with a much-anticipated Ethereum platform shift to proof-of-stake from proof-of-work. As our crypto strategists Mads Eberhardt and quant strategist Anders Nysteen suggest, the risk of a “crypto-winter” continues as global liquidity dries up on the headwind of policy tightening, not to mention the fear of stricter regulation of the space. Still, there are plenty of bright spots, with burgeoning innovation in the industry finding new applications for crypto-related blockchain technology.  Finally, this outlook also features the usual rundown of the longer-term technical outlook for critical assets, as we revisit the critical US 10-year treasury yield chart, the US S&P 500 index and where the ultimate depths of this bear market may lie, and the EURUSD exchange rate after the symbolic parity level was reached—and then some—on the downside in Q3.   We wish you a safe and prosperous Q4. Given the stark challenges that lie ahead for asset markets in a world beset with grinding supply side challenges, and as policymakers clamp down to fight inflation, it’s a difficult time. At the same time, it’s worth keeping in mind that opportunity and longer-term market returns rise as a function of deteriorating current asset prices.      Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/quarterly-outlook/q4-2022-outlook-winter-is-coming-04102022
    Investors Are Worried That Elon Musk Is Losing His Focus | The Eurozone Recession Can Dampen Investors’ Hopes

    Tesla Investors Begin To Doubt Growth In 2023|The RBA Hiked Rates And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 09:33
    Summary:  Risk sentiment got a strong boost yesterday from falling treasury yields, with Fed rate hike bets for early next year at their lowest in two years after a rising swell of questions from influential sources on whether the Fed is taking its tightening regime too quickly and a soft September US ISM Manufacturing data point. Overnight, Australia’s central bank, the RBA, surprised many with a hike of only 25 basis points.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities bounced back yesterday as the US 10-year yield fell to 3.64% with S&P 500 futures rallying 2.5% and extending another 1% this morning in trading around the 3,726 level; this is just a few points below the obvious short-term resistance level and a break above this level could push S&P 500 futures higher. The moves across markets likely reflect short covering and that the market was getting too stretched in the short-term and the bond market for now wants to sit idle and wait for more data on US inflation. USD and US yields/risk sentiment The US dollar weakened on the usual combination of falling treasury yields after soft US data yesterday and as the market took treasury yields, particularly at the long end of the curve, sharply lower yesterday. The move is still within the range in many key USD pairs, with 0.9900+ at minimum needed for a bear-market-neutralizing reversal in EURUSD. And AUDUSD dropped overnight on the Australia’s reserve bank only hiking 25 basis points (more below) Elsewhere, the strength in GBPUSD is far more sterling related (see more below on Chancellor Kwarteng’s reversal of the most controversial of his tax cuts) and USDJPY is curiously bid near the top of the range after Japan’s September core, ex Food and Energy Tokyo CPI came in at the highest level in years. The status of the US dollar this week will likely be clear only after the release of the September jobs report on Friday. Gold (XAUUSD) and especially silver (XAGUSD) jumped on Monday … with support coming from multiple sources. A softer dollar and US ten-year bond yields slumping to 3.6% after hitting 4% last week leading to some speculation that we may in fact have hit peak hawkishness, meaning the FOMC faced with recession worries and calls for action to curb the dollar may start easing the tone going forward. Whether or not will be data dependent, but in the short term, these developments and worries about what Putin may do next has been enough to trigger short covering across the investment metal sector, not least in gold where the net short held by money managers reached a near four-year high last Tuesday. Silver is looking at resistance at $20.88, the August high and trendline support in XAUXAG around 81.20 Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) extends gains on OPEC+ chatter, weaker USD Crude oil trades higher ahead of Wednesday’s OPEC+ meeting in Vienna as the alliance is considering a production cut of more than 1 million barrels/day to support prices following a 25% slump during Q3 2022. That would be the biggest cut since the pandemic with OPEC+ slashed production by 10 million barrels/day as demand collapsed. WTI futures rose above $83/barrel while Brent was close to $90. With several OPEC+ producers, including Russia, producing below target, only Saudi Arabia may be able to limit production without a loss in additional market share. Meanwhile, expectations of an earlier Fed pivot also stabilized demand weakness expectations. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fell all along the curve yesterday, as the market pushed Fed hike expectations for early next year toward the lowest in two weeks and yields at the longer end of the curve fell sharply on the release of a weak September US ISM Manufacturing data point. The fall in yields already has the important 3.50% yield level for the 10-year treasury benchmark coming into view after 3.56% traded yesterday. The next important data points include tomorrow’s September ISM Services survey and particularly the September jobs report on Friday. What is going on? Fed pushes back on an earlier pivot Fed’s NY President John Williams repeated inflation is too high, and the Fed's job is not done, also saying that the monetary policy is still not in restrictive zone, pushing back on some calls for an earlier Fed pivot. He acknowledged signs of a slowdown in the housing sector or the consumer and business investment spending, but nothing that could deter the Fed from fighting inflation. On forecasts, he sees inflation likely down to 3% by next year (median view for Core PCE 3.1%), and the US is likely to see unemployment rise to 4.5% by end of 2023 (median view 4.4%). Thomas Barkin (2024 voter) made the case for more inflation in the post-pandemic world, noting that the Fed must consider global developments, but the focus is on the US. RBA hiked less than expected, signaling peak hawkishness could be behind it The RBA hiked rates by just 25 basis points (0.25%) rather than the 50 bps (0.5%) many expected, which takes the cash rate to 2.6%. The RBA’s hiking power has been diminished as household spending is dropping, along with forward looking projections. We know it typically takes around nine months for central bank policy tightening to felt in the economy, and the RBA said that higher inflation and interest rates are putting pressure on households, with the full effects yet to be felt. The RBA said that although consumer confidence and house prices have fallen, the central bank is still focused on slowing inflation which it sees increasing ‘over the coming months ahead’. In addition, the RBA expects unemployment will continue to fall over the months ahead, before rising. This means, the RBA could slow the pace of hikes after December onwards. Tesla shares plunged in a strong US session With US equities rallying 2.5% yesterday high beta and growth stocks were expected to lead the gains, but our bubble stocks basket was up only 1.5% and Tesla shares fell 8.6%. The EV-maker reported Q3 deliveries of 343,830 vs estimates of 357,938 which Tesla said was due to logistical issues in its supply chain. However, the move yesterday in Tesla indicates that investors are beginning to doubt the growth in 2023 that is priced into the price as the lithium continues to be prohibitively expensive and the cost-of-living crisis is lowering demand. Sterling made a strong recovery, but can it last? Cable was seen advancing above the 1.13 handle in Asian hours on Tuesday as it extended Monday’s gains following announcement by Chancellor Kwarteng of the intent to scrap the most controversial – and least impactful on the budget – recently announced tax cut for the highest income earners. A softer dollar also supported sterling’s gains amid a slide in US Treasury yields. Elsewhere, EURGBP also dropped into the old range below 0.8700. Still, the political situation in the UK remains volatile, the bulk of the fiscally aggressive tax adjustments and energy cap proposals remain in place, so the lack of trust in the new UK government cannot be ignored. Focus now on the BOE meeting on November 3 where 115bps rate hike is priced in, lower than last week’s pricing of 150bps. However, a full-budget statement will be released before then and will offer a further sentiment test for sterling. The Eurozone and the UK PMIs confirm the risk of a recession The manufacturing PMI indexes for September are out. There is no good news. In the eurozone, the final estimate was revised down to 48.4 from 48.5 and 49.6 in August. This is the biggest monthly contraction since June 2020 (when the eurozone was getting out from the Spring lockdown). There is no surprise regarding the main reasons behind the drop. This is related to soaring energy bills which limited production across all eurozone member countries and higher cost of living pushing demand lower. Firms are getting prepared for a tough winter and are starting to discuss the opportunity of lower job hiring (very soon the talk will be about cutting jobs). In the United Kingdom, the manufacturing PMI index is also in contraction territory, at 48.4. It was 47.3 in August. This was a 27-month low. However, it is unlikely to get back into expansion anytime soon, in our view. These indicators tend to confirm there is a material risk of a recession both in the eurozone and in the United Kingdom this year. US ISM manufacturing disappoints The headline for September’s US ISM manufacturing came in weaker than expectations at 50.9 from the prior month’s 52.8 and expected 52.2. Both employment and new orders both dropped into contractionary territory printing 48.7 (exp. 53.0, prev. 54.2) and 47.1 (prev. 41.3), respectively. The report showed that higher interest rates are starting to weigh on business investment sentiment, at least in the interest rate sensitive sectors. Still, the inflationary gauge of prices paid declined to 51.7 (exp. 51.9, prev. 52.5) falling for the sixth straight month. Supplier delivery times suggested some easing on the supply chains, but overall the report indicated the case of a slowdown in the US economy as rapid Fed tightening continues. What are we watching next? Risk sentiment brightens – how far can it extend? A hole in the clouds yesterday as US yields dropped on the weak ISM Manufacturing survey and as a rising tide of observers are concerned that the Fed is tightening policy too rapidly, including one heavily covered tweet from the influential WSJ “Fed whisperer” Nick Timiraos noting that Greg Mankiw, the influential former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under George W Bush had expressed approval of economist Paul Krugman’s view that the Fed is tightening too quickly. Hard to see this as more than a tactical turning point for markets, perhaps on overextended short positioning. The Fed’s tune has not changed, and the strongest pushback of developments over the last couple of sessions would be strong US data, including the September ISM Services tomorrow and the September jobs report on Friday. Earnings to watch The earnings season officially starts next week with the first group of US financials reporting but in the meantime a few earnings are worth watching this week. Biogen reports Q3 earnings (ending 30 September) today with analysts expecting revenue growth of -11% y/y and EBITDA at $847mn down from $959mn a year ago. While the current financial performance of Biogen is volatile and weak, the latest news about its breakthrough in Alzheimer’s with a drug that can slow down the disease is what analysts will focus on in terms of gauging the outlook. On Wednesday, Tesco is in focus as the UK largest grocery retailer is at the center of the current food inflation and insights from Tesco will be valuable from a macro point of view. Today: Biogen Wednesday: Keurig Dr Pepper, Aeon, Lamb Weston, Tesco, RPM International Thursday: Seven & I, Conagra Brands, Constellation Brands, McCormick & Co Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone Aug. PPI 1230 – ECB's Centeno to speak 1300 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1315 – US Fed’s Mester (voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Factory Orders 1400 – US Aug. JOLTS Job Openings Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-4-2022-04102022
    UK Labor Market Shows Signs of Loosening as Unemployment Rises: ONS Report

    The New Quarter (Q4) Kicked Off On A Volatile In Positive Way

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 04.10.2022 10:35
    The new week, the new month and the new quarter kicked off on a volatile, but a positive note. Credit Suisse closed a very ugly session with 0.90% loss only. Stocks  European indices gained, while the US indices rallied as softer-than-expected US ISM manufacturing index gave a positive spin to the market. The Dow Jones jumped the most on Monday, as oil stocks literally roared on the back of firmer oil prices. Oil bulls are betting that OPEC will announce an output cut of around a million barrels per day to ‘stabilize’ oil prices. FX Update In the FX, the US dollar retreat almost 3% since its September peak. The dollar lost more than 4.50% against the Brazilian real, as Cable rallied past the 1.13 level, after Liz Truss government took a ‘mini’ step back from their terribly unpopular fiscal spending plan, and said that they will not reduce taxes on big salaries. Elsewhere, the Reserve Bank of Australia lifted its interest rates by 25bp only, versus 50bp expected by analysts. Today's report Today, we will be watching the job openings data in the US, and hope to see a smaller number, as the Fed sees the job openings as a factor that could ease the pressure in the US jobs market. Then, will follow the ADP report on Wednesday, and the NFP, unemployment rate and the wages growth on Friday. Investors are praying for softish numbers this week to continue the rally. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:22 Stocks rebound 1:23 Oil stocks rally on firmer oil 4:44 …but Tesla slumps 5:55 FX update: USD down, BRL & GBP up 6:33 … but Brits want to see Liz spend less 8:16 RBA cuts less & investors need soft US data to cheer up Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #CreditSuisse #Tesla #Brazil #election #Bolsonaro #Lula #BRL #USD #GBP #OPEC #output #cut #crude #oil #US #jobs #Fed #BoE #Liz #Truss #mini #budget #SMI #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Germany's Economic Déjà Vu: A Look Back and a Leap Forward

    Podcast: Bears In The Stock Market, US Treasury Yields Lower And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 13:02
    Summary:  Today we look at the market celebrating a weak September US ISM Manufacturing data point taking long US treasury yields lower, with noise from the commentariat suggesting a Fed pivot may be near possibly adding energy to the squeeze on equity market bears yesterday. At the same time we note further hawkish noise from key Fed officials, include Vice Chair Williams. Elsewhere, we look at financial conditions, unusual behaviour in sectors that normally would have performed better yesterday, possibly on Tesla's very bad day. Crude oil, a huge surge in silver, gold pushing on resistance and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-4-2022-04102022
    The RBA Surprised With A Smaller 25 bp Hike , Sterling (GBP) Rose, The USD Has Weakened

    The RBA Surprised With A Smaller 25 bp Hike , Sterling (GBP) Rose, The USD Has Weakened

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 13:13
    Summary:  Markets yesterday show how quickly this hot-tempered market can try to sniff out a Fed that will eventually pivot to a less hawkish stance as a weak US September ISM Manufacturing survey data point engineered a huge decline in US yields and significant USD weakness. More important US data is to come this week through Friday’s jobs report. Elsewhere, the surprisingly dovish RBA battled with supportive developments in commodities to sway the Aussie overnight. FX Trading focus: Desperation for the Fed pivot. Sterling: can it really be that easy? Dovish RBA. Yesterday saw US 10-year treasury yields almost 25 basis points lower from intraday highs, with much of the treasury buying/yield drop coming in the wake of a weaker than expected September US ISM Manufacturing survey, out at 50.9, below the 52.0 expected and 52.8 in August. The New Orders were far worse than expected at 47.1 vs. 50.5 expected and 51.3 in August. Alas, we have to remember that the Manufacturing sector is small in the US and about half of the dips to near or below 50 have not indicated imminent recession in the US. The ISM Services survey – up tomorrow - would be a different matter if it were to show marked deterioration. Elsewhere, a tweet from the WSJ’s Nick Timiraos noting that influential economist Greg Mankiw agreed with economist/pundit Paul Krugman’s assessment that the Fed is tightening too quickly may have helped to drive the sentiment shift at the margin as well. Pushing back against that was Fed Vice Chair Williams out expressing the belief that the Fed must remain on message: “Tighter monetary policy has begun to cool demand and reduce inflationary pressures, but our job is not yet done.” Williams speech does suggest that the Fed thinks that it is succeeding, so the strongest risk to markets here would be stronger US data suggesting a still strong pace of activity in services and a still very tight labor market with accelerating wage pressures. The Fed forecast assume a fairly soft landing of weak growth and 4.4% unemployment. Self-feeding cycles in a downturn and the Fed’s focus on lagging indicators like employment are likely to eventually lead to far worse outcomes. The USD has weakened at the outset of the week here – but note EURUSD holding the line so far just ahead of the key 0.9900 level. AUDUSD has far more wood to chop for a reversal, as discussed below. The most remarkably priced pair at the moment, however, may be USDJPY, which remains pinned near 145.00 despite the significant drop in long US treasury yields. Still uneasy about the risk of a blowout market-BoJ/MoF showdown – that’s a very weak performance from the yen today. Chart: AUDUSDThe AUDUSD chart has been an interesting one to watch since yesterday and overnight. Strong risk sentiment and lower US treasury yields weighed on the US dollar and helped boost commodity prices, both strongly Aussie supportive. But then the huge mark-down in Australian yields on a quite dovish RBA (more below) challenged the Aussie overnight. Looks like a battle-zone tactically around the local 0.6530 resistance, which was briefly taken out this morning on the further USD weakness before reversing back into the zone later in trading today. The down-trend is so well established that it would take a surge to at least above 0.6700 to begin challenging the down-trend here. The RBA surprised the majority of observers with a smaller 25 basis point hike to take the policy rate to 2.60%. It’s a reminder of the vast shift relative to the old regime, in which one might have expected an RBA rate at least 100-200 bps higher than the Fed’s. The last time the Fed was hiking to north of 3.00% was in mid-2005, when the RBA cash target had already reached above 5%. The RBA chose to emphasize caution in its latest statement, citing the anticipation that unemployment will eventually rise beyond the near term strength in the labor market as the economy eventually weakens. Governor Lowe and company are clearly uneasy and uncertain on the effects of the sharp tightening in the bag on mortgage rates and future spending, and the statement continues to cite lower wage growth than elsewhere. In addition to AUDUSD note above, also interesting to watch the relative strength in AUDNZD over tonight’s RBNZ, as the sharply lower Australian yields (the year-forward RBA rate has been marked a remarkable 50 basis points lower by the market after this meeting). A surrender below the 1.1250-1.1300 zone would suggest a risk that the attempt to reprice the pair higher on the shift in relative current account dynamics I have cited before has failed for now. Sterling rose further after Chancellor Kwarteng yesterday reversed his decision on the tax cut for the highest incomes in the UK. Interesting that this is was particularly item, while politically unpopular, was one of the least consequential in terms of the fiscal impact. For now, given the soaring risk sentiment backdrop, sterling short covering continues, but surely it’s not this easy? Technically, watching the major resistance zone at 1.1500 zone in GBPUSD and whether the bearish reversal back into the old range below 0.8700 in EURGBP sticks. This is still a government that is very much on the rocks. The latest controversy PM Truss is courting is claiming that she has yet to decide whether UK welfare distributions, outside of pensioners, should be raised with inflation, which has some Tory MP’s up in arms. Chancellor Kwarteng, feeling the rising pressure, will bring forward his fiscal statement to later this month from late November, around the time the Office of Budget Responsibility publishes its forecasts. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength.The USD rose so far in its up-trend before the recent setback, that there is some residual medium term up-trend strength left, though momentum has shifted markedly against the greenback. The opposite is the case for sterling, which has achieved a positive trend reading versus the G10 broadly due to weak G10 smalls of late (note GBPNZD, for example, at a high since late February. Elsewhere, strong risk sentiment, together with concerns of a struggling Swiss bank have brought CHF south in a hurry over the last week. Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs.CHF on its back foot and our longest surviving trend, the GBPCHF downtrend, is now dead. Sterling upside breaks are spreading, in fact. Also note the shift in US yields taking XAGUSD onto a sudden moonshot, while XAUUSD is eyeing an up-trend as well. Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights 1230 – ECB's Centeno to speak 1300 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1315 – US Fed’s Mester (voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Factory Orders 1400 – US Aug. JOLTS Job Openings 1500 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 0100 – New Zealand RBNZ Official Cash Target Announcement Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/forex/fx-update-the-desperation-for-the-fed-pivot-04102022
    The Social Phenomenon Elon Musk Has Kept The Narrative Around Tesla’s Growth Intact

    Tesla Is Facing Growing Downside Risks And Very Optimistic Analysts' Expectations

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 13:54
    Summary:  Tesla has been one of the strongest consumer discretionary stocks since May but yesterday's negative price action amid a strong rebound in US equities is sending a signal that investors are getting nervous. One thing is the Q3 deliveries miss against estimates but elevated lithium prices are hurting on input costs and the cost-of-living crisis is beginning to lower demand significantly across many consumer discretionary categories including cars. Tesla is facing growing downside risks against a very rosy outlook priced into the stock with analysts expecting 42% revenue growth in 2023. Tesla shares down 9% in a strong equity session is a strong sign of nervousness Yesterday’s strong US equity session was sending some odd signals as we would typically expect high beta and growth pockets to rally more than the market, but it was instead theme baskets such as defence and commodities that rallied. Adding to this interesting session, Tesla shares were down 8.6% being the only mega cap stock (the 40 largest stocks in S&P 500) that was down more than 1%. A big part of the move in Tesla was of course due to Q3 deliveries missing estimates (343,830 vs 357,938) which Tesla said is due to logistical issues, but the pressure is on Tesla now as the EV-maker has to produce 450,000 cars in the last quarter to meet its 50% annually target that it has set. This seems to be a quite steep target to reach. One thing is the logistical issues in the global car supply chain, but there are two other growing risk sources for Tesla. So far, Tesla has been immune to the cost-of-living crisis caused by the galloping energy crisis which has led Tesla to significantly outperform the global consumer discretionary sector (see chart below). However, with elevated electricity prices and high inflation due to high energy and food prices, the demand is coming down sharply for many consumer companies hitting Apple, Nike, and H&M recently. This is probably the biggest risk to Tesla’s outlook which is still very optimistic with analysts expecting 42% revenue growth in 2023, something we find hard to be achievable given the development in electricity prices and disposable income. In addition there are two hard physical constraints on Tesla’s growth trajectory. The first one is the price of lithium which remains elevated at very high levels putting pressure on battery prices and thus the price on electric vehicles. Given the adoption curve expected on EVs this market could remain very tight for years. Another constraint is the physical electricity grid which needs a massive upgrade to handle all the new EVs and air-to-water heat pumps. Both of these physical constraints are out of Tesla’s control and if they are not solved quickly the 50% annualized growth target may quickly turn out to be lofty vision with no connection to the real world. Are financial conditions too tight already? The US bond yields continued significantly lower yesterday and the 10-year yield is touching 3.57% ahead of the US trading session. This is a sharp reversal from the 4% level reached on 28 September. US equities responded yesterday to the falling yield bouncing back. Positions were stretched across many markets and we are likely witnessing short covering on a big scale. Several leading economists have also been out warning that maybe the Fed is getting to aggressive on its rate policy. If we look at the US financial conditions (see chart below) then financial conditions are back above zero meaning that they are tighter than the average since 1971 relative to the strength of the economy. In theory the current level of financial conditions should begin to have an impact on inflation going forward. The key risk is that inflation has become engrained in the most sticky parts of the services economy and that rising wages could create a wages-inflation feedback loop that will require even tighter financial conditions to get inflation under control. This wage-inflation dynamic is the key topic to watch in 2023.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/is-tesla-driving-into-physical-limits-in-the-economy-04102022
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    Musk Revived His Bid For Twitter| OPEC Have Started Talking About Cuts With Russia

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.10.2022 09:11
    Summary:  Oil rallies for the second day with OPEC+ considering an output cut as much as 2 million barrels a day, which is more than anticipated. US stocks rallied for the second day, moving off their lows on softer than expected labor market data that supported the notion of central bank peak hawkishness. The Reserve Bank of Australia hikes less than expected, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand meeting ahead today. Also watch for the US ISM services print later, pivotal for Fed pivot expectations that are gaining momentum prematurely. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rally for the second day, moving off lows US stocks rallied for the second day, rebounding from their deeply oversold levels with the S&P500 seeing its best two-day surge since April 2020. The S&P500 ended up almost 3.1% higher on Wednesday, the Nasdaq 100 up 3.1%. Retail favorite, Tesla (TSLA) shares revved up 2.9% after Cathie Wood scooped up 132,000 more shares in the electric vehicle giant. Tesla was among the biggest contributors to the S&P500’s gains, along with Amazon and Microsoft. For a detailed discussion of Tesla’s challenges ahead, please refer to Peter Garnry’s excellent article here. The Energy sector was the best performer in the S&P 500, gaining 4.3%, followed by Financials which were up 3.8%. Only seven stocks in the S&P500 closed in the red. However, the news of the day was that Twitter’s takeover by Musk is back on. On top of that, softer US economic data out also boosted sentiment, with the market thinking the Fed might not be as fierce with rate hikes later this month. US job openings sank to a 14-month low, following the day prior weaker than expected manufacturing data. So, perhaps a short-squeeze is fueling the rally here. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) declined modestly on the front end Treasury yields fell first on a dovish hike (25bps vs the 50bps expected) from the Reserve Bank of Australia during Asian hours and then on the biggest decline of the JOLTS job opening (10,053K vs prior 11,239K).  10-year yields made an intraday low at 3.56% before paring it and settled little changed at 3.63%.  The curve bull steepened with the front-end 2 to 5-year fell 2-3bps in yield and the 30-year yield edging up 1bp.  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rallied above 6,700, snapping its downtrend The ASX200 charged 3.75% yesterday (including the 1.2% rise after the RBA’s pivoted to going softer on rate hikes) which took the market to its highest level since September 23 (just shy of 6,700, closing at 6,699). Today the market opened 0.8% up in the first 10 minutes of trading, with the futures implying the market could rise 1.6% on Thursday to 6,803. If the market can hold above 6,700 it means the market will effectively have broken its downtrend and is staging a comeback. This notion was supported by our technical analyst. For more read on here. EURUSD touches parity again Lower US yields and a softer US dollar is turning things around in the FX space, although pricing out the Fed rate hikes from 2023 appears to be premature. Some of this could also be the positioning ahead of key US NFP data due this week. EUR made a strong recovery on the back of a weaker dollar, as it rose from lows of 0.9800 to touch parity. Commentary from the ECB’s Villeroy also helped, as he said that interest rates will be raised as much as necessary to lower core inflation and called for rates to go to neutral by year-end without hesitation. Meanwhile, President Lagarde reiterated her view that inflation was undesirably high, and it is difficult to say whether or not it had peaked. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) higher on OPEC cut expectations Crude oil prices rose further amid speculation that OPEC is considering an even larger cut to production than first thought. The group is said to be considering a cut of up to 2mb/d, according to media reports. It is also being reported that the cuts will be made from current production levels and not the quotas as most members are already producing below their quota. That, if true, will likely tighten the market especially as European sanctions will kick in from December and US is also pausing the release from its strategic reserves. This tightness could be exacerbated by a rebound in Chinese demand if it can contain outbreaks of COVID-19. WTI futures rose above $86/barrel while brent crossed the key $90-mark. A significant draw was also reported in API inventories, with crude stocks down 1.77mn. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong is set to have some catch-up to do with the 5.7% gain in the S&P 500 and 6.1% rise in the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index when it returns from a public holiday today.  The stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen remain closed for the rest of the week for public holidays.     What to consider?   US JOLTs signalling the tightness in the labor market may be moderating US JOLTs data was out with a weaker than expected number. The number of job openings in the U.S. declined to 10.1 million in August, the lowest since June 2021, and below expectations of 10.8 million. The job openings rate was down to 6.2% from 6.9% in July, and puts the focus on the ADP data due today in the run upto the NFP data on Friday. OPEC+ meeting to bring production cuts There have been some reports that OPEC members have started talking about cuts with Russia proposing a 1 mln barrels per day cut, a reduction towards which they are unlikely to contribute much as they are already producing below their quota. At its last meeting on September 5, the group agreed a token reduction of 100,000 barrels a day for October, despite calls from consuming nations to help tame rampant inflation by keeping the taps open. With gasoline prices retreating in the US, some of that external pressure may now be easing, and that further raises the prospects of some price-supportive action. FT also reported the production cuts will be from current production levels, not from the quota's which many producers do not meet - emphasising the impact of the production cut. The credit market showed signs of calming down Over the past two days, the sharp rise in investment credit spreads has tentatively reserved, showing some sign of relief in the investment grade credit market.  The Markit CDX North America Investment Grade Index (CDX IG39), which represents an equal-weighted average of credit default swap spreads of 125 North American investment grade corporate, fell more than 6bps on Tuesday to 98bps, a decline of nearly 16bps from its intraday high of 114 last week. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meeting ahead The RBNZ will announce its latest monetary policy decision today. NZ house prices have seen one of their biggest quarterly drops on record in the three months to September. It’s worth watching the NZD against the AUD (NZDAUD) given their current account trajectories. RBA hiked less than expected, signaling peak hawkishness could be behind it. What does it mean to traders and investors? Yesterday the RBA rose rates by just 25bps (0.25%) instead of the 50bps (0.5%) expected, which took the cash rate to 2.6%. The RBA’s hiking power has been diminished as household spending is dropping, along with forward looking projections. We know it typically takes 3-months for an interest rate hike to be felt by the consumer, and the RBA alluded to this, in saying higher inflation and interest rates are putting pressure on households, with the full effects yet to be felt. The RBA referenced although consumer confidence and house prices had fallen, the central bank is still focused on slowing inflation which it sees increasing ‘over the coming months ahead’. Plus the RBA expects unemployment will continue to fall over the months ahead, before rising. This means, the RBA could slow the pace of hikes after December onwards. This implies peak hawkishness is behind us. AUDUSD fell 1% after the meeting however it since reversed those losses and trades 0.6% higher from the meeting. It’s been supported as the USD continued to roll over on expectations the Fed might not be as aggressive with rate hikes later this month. However if the Fed perhaps hikes by 0.75% the AUDUSD might revert back to a bearish stance. For investors, the RBA pivot supports a risk-on tone in equities which is why all 11 sectors rose yesterday, with tech and mining up the most. Energy markets saw the most gains as they have the most momentum amid the energy crisis. Lithium and agricultural stocks dominated the top 10 risers; with lithium stocks Sayona Mining (SYA), Lake Resources (LKE), Core Lithium (CXO), Pilbara Minerals (PLS) and Allkem (AKE), gaining 10%+ each. Musk revived his $44 billion Twitter bid send Twitter shares up 22% Billionaire Elon Musk revived his bid for the social media giant, at the original offer of $54.20 a share after spending months trying to back out of it. Shares of Twitter (TWTR) jumped almost 22% to $52.00 on the news. US ISM services will be key to watch today With chatter on Fed pivot gaining momentum out of a miss in one ISM manufacturing print, possibly also underpinned by the turmoil in the financial system, it will become more key to watch the services sector data out today. Consensus expects the number to be 56, down from 56.9, as higher interest rates and high inflation begins to eat into services spending after a solid post-pandemic rebound.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-5-oct-05102022
    Bitcoin Stagnates at $30,000 Level, Awaits US Bitcoin ETF Update and Fed Meeting

    Tesco Has Decided To Lock Everyday Items |The US Dollar (USD) Continued To Weaken

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.10.2022 09:32
    Summary:  Another banner day for equity markets, which surged further on hopes that central banks will be increasingly easing off the gas pedal in coming weeks and months on signs that the impact of their tightening is wearing on economic growth. It’s counterintuitive and remains to be seen how equity markets will eventually greet recessionary outcomes for earnings and revenue in the quarters ahead. For now, the focus is tactical, particularly on whether the remaining US data this week through Friday’s jobs report will confirm this most recent narrative.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities continued their rebound yesterday with S&P 500 futures hitting the big 3,800 level, but the index futures are coming down a bit this morning trading around the 3,785 level. The significant declines in US bond yields and chatter about a Fed pivot, this still has a low probability at this point, have been the catalyst behind the rebound and the fact that markets were very stretched added to size of the rebound as short covering have been taking place. In today’s session the ADP employment change and ISM Services Index are the key macro events that could add some fresh energy to the downside. Yesterday’s biggest negative change on record in the JOLTS Report suggests that the labour market is beginning to cool down. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The Hong Seng Index soared over 5% to catch up with the S&P 500 Index’s 5.7% rally over the past two days after Hong Kong returned from a public holiday. Weaker U.S. economic data recently have helped fuel the notion of peak tightening from the Fed and contributed to the turnaround in global stocks this week. Index heavy-weights jumped, HSBC (00005:xhkg) up 6.3%, AIA (01299:xhkg) up 6.7%, Tencent (000700:xhkg) up 5.8%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 7.6%, and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 8.2%. BYD (01211:xhkg) soared nearly 10% after the Chinese automaker reported record sales of over 200,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in September, a growth of 183% from last year, and the seventh consecutive month of sales growth. The mainland exchanges remain closed for the rest of the week for the National Day golden week holiday. USD and US yields/risk sentiment The US dollar continued to weaken yesterday, particularly against European currencies as EURUSD touched parity briefly and as GBPUSD rose close to 1.1500 on a further change of tune from UK Chancellor Kwarteng, who is making noises about plans to bring forward debt-cutting measures in the new budget he will present later this month. An important test for the greenback lies ahead through the end of this week on macro data and its impact on US treasury yields, as noted below, as well as on risk sentiment. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) rise further Hopes that central banks will begin to ease away from the tightening of the last many months after a deceleration from the ECB and at least one weak US data point this week, saw yields a bit lower and precious metals surging, with Gold rushing higher yesterday after the break above the key 1,680-1,700 from Monday was solidified with a move above 1,725 at one point yesterday. Silver’s enormous jump on Monday was only followed up with a much smaller move yesterday. Next area of focus in gold will be the 1,734 area and then the major 1,800 zone. The strength in US macro data and direction of US yields key through Friday’s US jobs report (weak data and lower yields most gold supportive.) Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) higher on larger OPEC cut expectations Crude oil prices rose further amid speculation that OPEC is considering an even larger cut to production than first thought. The group is said to be considering a cut of up to 2mb/d, according to media reports. It is also being reported that the cuts will be made from current production levels and not the quotas as most members are already producing below their quota. That, if true, will likely tighten the market especially as European sanctions will kick in from December and US is also pausing the release from its strategic reserves. This tightness could be exacerbated by a rebound in Chinese demand if it can contain outbreaks of COVID-19. WTI futures rose above $86/barrel while Brent crossed the key $90-mark. A significant draw was also reported in API inventories, with crude stocks down 1.77mn. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields recovered slightly after a further drop yesterday that took the 10-year benchmark to 3.56% at the lows, just ahead of the key 3.50% area former cycle high from June. Key data this week, including the ISM Services (far more important for the current status of the US economy than the ISM Manufacturing that garnered such a strong reaction on Monday) and the US September jobs report are likely to set the tone. What is going on? Twitter (TWTR:xnas) shares rose more than 20% as Elon Musk agrees to original takeover terms The shares of Tesla (TSLA:xnas) were down sharply on one point on the news before these in turn recovered to positive territory in a torrid rally for US equities yesterday. With Twitter’s closing price yesterday being close to the takeover price at $54.20 the downside risk remains now for Tesla shares in the event that Elon Musk is forced to sell more Tesla shares to finance the deal. US JOLTS job openings surveys signals that the tightness in the labor market may be moderating US JOLTs data was out with a weaker than expected number, declining to 10.1 million in August, the lowest since June 2021, and below expectations of 11.1 million and after 11.2 million in July. The job openings rate was down to 6.2% from 6.9% in July, and puts the focus on the ADP data due today in the run up to the nonfarm payrolls change data on Friday. New Zealand’s RBNZ hikes 50 basis points as expected This was the fifth consecutive meeting to bring a half-point hike and took the official cash rate to 3.5%. The bank signaled more tightening to come in its statement, as it noted that “core consumer price inflation is too high and labor resources are scarce. Still, short NZ rates continue to trade lower, if not falling as rapidly as for Australia after the RBA surprised with only a 25 basis point hike yesterday. The AUDNZD rate dropped below 1.1250 at one point overnight from the 1.1350 range before the announcement. Tesco 1H revenue beats estimate The largest Uk grocery retailer reports like-for-like UK revenue of +0.7% vs est. -0.1% but the company says that cost inflation is still significant. Tesco has also decided to lock over 1,000 everyday items at low prices until 2023 which could be negative for operating margin in the short-term. What are we watching next? Risk sentiment brightens – how far can it extend? Quite a short squeeze on bearish risk sentiment as global equities have backed up sharply, in many cases after touching new bear market lows – is this a bullish reversal with legs or will it fade quickly? Two prior bear market rallies in March and especially June-August impressed. For now, the tactical focus higher in the US equity market would be on the 3,800-3,900 zone, the next hurdle for establishing whether this squeeze will develop into something more, with the most immediate sentiment test likely the ISM Services survey today (more below) in the US and especially the jobs (and earnings) data on Friday, as it appears this rally was kicked off by a soft September ISM Manufacturing survey on Monday. UK Prime Minister Truss to deliver address at Tory conference today This is an important speech after the recent volatility in UK gilt markets, mostly attributable to policymaking from the Truss government, including generous caps on energy prices and tax cuts, that suggest little interest in maintaining long term credibility in government debt. US ISM services will be key to watch today With chatter on a Fed pivot gaining momentum out of a miss in one ISM manufacturing print, possibly also underpinned by the turmoil in the financial system on contagion from the wipeout and recovery in UK gilt markets over the last ten days, it will become more key to watch the services sector data out today. Consensus expects the number to be 56, down from 56.9, as higher interest rates and high inflation begin to eat into services spending after a solid post-pandemic rebound. Earnings to watch We had highlighted that Biogen would report earnings yesterday, but our earnings date data was incorrect, and the date is now set for the 18 October. Tesco has already reported earnings (see review above), so today’s remaining earnings focus is Lamb Weston which is a large US food company with analyst expecting FY23 Q1 (ending 31 August) revenue growth of 16% y/y and stable operating margin. Today: Lamb Weston, Tesco, RPM International Thursday: Seven & I, Conagra Brands, Constellation Brands, McCormick & Co Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 – Eurozone final Sep. Services PMI 0830 – UK final Sep. Services PMI Poland Central Bank Rate Announcement 1215 – US Sep. ADP Employment Change 1230 – US Aug. Trade Balance 1230 – Canada Aug. Building Permits 1230 – Canada Aug. International Merchandise Trade 1400 – US Sep. ISM Services 1430 – US Weekly DoE Crude Oil and Product Inventories 2000 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 0030 – Australia Aug. Trade Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-5-2022-05102022
    NZD/USD: Reserve Bank Of New Zealand Is Expected To Hike The Rate By 50bp

    Twitter Stock Price Up, Tesla (TSLA) Down, Elon Musk Has Shaken Up The Stock Market Again!

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 05.10.2022 15:51
    TWTR closes up 22.2% after Musk agrees to go through with acquisition. Tesla stock falls in premarket on the news. Musk says Twitter is part of his designs for a superapp. If you have been living under a rock for the last 24 hours, you may not have heard that Elon Musk has decided to buy Twitter (TWTR) for the original price of $54.20 agreed to back in April. ...And so our corporate fairy tale finally starts on its road to a conclusion. Musk was scheduled to be deposed later this week, and some pundits think the likelihood of failure in extricating himself from his agreement to buy the social media platform back in April was the major reason for wanting to end the current litigation. Either way, Twitter has agreed to the acquisition, and TWTR stock zoomed up 22.2% to close at $52. Carl Icahn reportedly profited about $250 million by holding onto TWTR when Musk tried to exit the deal in July and shares fell to $31.52. Twitter stock news According to reporting from The Financial Times, Musk's lawyers held a Zoom (ZM) call with Judge Kathaleen McCormick from the Delware Chancery Court and Twitter representatives early on Tuesday. The parties agreed to go through with the original acquisition framework, but Twitter has requested new stipulations on timelines and deliverables. Late Tuesday, Musk's legal team filed its intent with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The relevant section of the filing reads: "On October 3, 2022, the Reporting Person’s advisors sent a letter to Twitter (on the Reporting Person’s behalf) notifying Twitter that the Reporting Person intends to proceed to closing of the transaction contemplated by the April 25, 2022 Merger Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein and pending receipt of the proceeds of the debt financing contemplated thereby, provided that the Delaware Chancery Court enter an immediate stay of the action, Twitter vs. Musk, et al. (C.A. No. 202-0613-KSJM), and adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the court." A spokesperson for Twitter stated that the "intention of the company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share". Now the only thing that stands in the way for the deal going through is ensuring that the financing is there. A number of Wall Street banks had already signed up for $13 billion in financing, which may be more difficult now that interest rates are racing higher. More of the debt may have to come from the banks themselves rather than outside clients. Binance, the crypto exchange, also had agreed to put up $500 million for the deal, and Oracle founder Larry Ellision had said he would put up at least $1 billion. That leaves Musk, who already owns 9.6% of Twitter, to come up with the other $25 billion or so. Plenty of other institutions will likely be brought into the fold, but the market is still thinking Musk will need to sell a further chunk of Tesla stock. TSLA gained 2.9% in Tuesday's regular session, but is off 1.5% in Wednesday's premarket. For his part, Musk decided to forget about his mid-Summer fight over the number of bots on the social network and focus on the possibilities. He posted that Twitter would become part of an "everthing app" called X, which of course reminds one of his vaunted X.com startup that eventually merged to become part of PayPal (PYPL).   Twitter stock forecast Technically, if you buy TWTR stock at $52, then you could make 4% when the acquisition is finalized. With 10-year treasuries still at 3.6% though and Musk requiring financing in a poorer investing climate, TWTR should remain at a discount until the end. Below you can see how both TWTR and TSLA reacted to the news release. TWTR ran up over 22%, and TSLA sold off after adding 2.9% in the regular session. TWTR vs TSLA 1-minute chart for 10/4/22 If this is indeed the end, how did TWTR do as a public company? The answer is: simply awful. If you had bought TWTR near its height in December 2013 (nearly 10 years ago), you would have lost money at Musk's acquisition price. Twitter will continue, but as a public stock it has never amounted to a solid business. Instead it might even be its lackluster corporate prospects that have endeared it to so many fans, myself included. TWTR monthly chart
    On the New York Stock Exchange A Lot Of Shares Fell, The Biggest Losers Were Bit Brother Ltd And Avenue Therapeutics Inc

    On the New York Stock Exchange A Lot Of Shares Fell, The Biggest Losers Were Bit Brother Ltd And Avenue Therapeutics Inc

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 06.10.2022 08:07
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.14%, the S&P 500 fell 0.20%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.25%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Nike Inc, which gained 2.46 points or 2.78% to close at 91.10. Visa Inc Class A rose 2.02 points or 1.09% to close at 187.67. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 3.90 points or 0.75% to close at 527.07. The biggest losers were Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which shed 5.87 points or 1.86% to end the session at 309.00. Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 1.38 points (1.23%) to close at 110.39, while Dow Inc shed 0.56 points (1.20%) to close at 46 .06. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components in today's trading were Illumina Inc, which rose 6.56% to hit 218.52, Schlumberger NV, which gained 6.26% to close at 41.57, and Gap Inc, which rose 5.19% to end the session at 9.72. The biggest losers were Lumen Technologies Inc, which shed 9.45% to close at 7.28. Shares of Enphase Energy Inc shed 9.25% to end the session at 261.60. Quotes Vornado Realty Trust fell in price by 6.38% to 22.47. The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Chardan Nextech Acquisition 2 Corp, which rose 102.63% to hit 21.54, Nauticus Robotics Inc, which gained 96.27% to close at 6.32. , as well as shares of Pineapple Holdings Inc, which rose 93.01% to end the session at 2.76. The biggest losers were Bit Brother Ltd, which shed 42.97% to close at 0.18. Shares of Avenue Therapeutics Inc shed 41.59% to end the session at 8.47. Quotes Scienjoy Holding Corp fell in price by 36.99% to 1.38. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2102) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (991), while quotes of 107 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,313 companies fell in price, 1,443 rose, and 198 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.79% to 28.55. Gold futures for December delivery shed 0.28%, or 4.90, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery rose 1.76%, or 1.52, to $88.04 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 2.07%, or 1.90, to $93.70 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.96% to hit 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 0.35% to hit 144.60. Futures on the USD index rose 1.00% to 111.08.   Relevance up to 04:00 2022-10-07 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/295644
    A Significant Change In The Prospects For The Crude Oil Market

    A Very Political Move By The OPEC+, The US Dollar (USD) Gains Returned

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.10.2022 08:55
    Summary:  A 2 million barrel cut from OPEC+ boosted oil prices. Solid U.S. ISM Services PMI and ADP job report smashed Fed pivot expectations and lifted U.S. bond yields higher, seeing 10-year treasury yields bouncing 12bp to 3.75%. U.S stocks took a pause from their rally and finished the session little changed. The Hong Kong equity market returned from a mid-week holiday and surged 5.9% to catch up with the global markets. The return of the Beijing Marathon on Nov 6 is an encouraging sign of China allowing large public events to resume. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) took a pause in light volume U.S. stocks sold off in early trading after a solid ADP employment report and ISM Services Index which poured cold water onto the notion of Fed pivot. S&P500 managed to pare losses and settled 0.2% higher while Nasdaq 100 was down 0.1%.  Volume was light partly because it was Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday. Eight of the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined with the exception of energy, information technology, and healthcare. Energy stocks were helped by the news that OPEC+ agreed to cut production by two million barrels of crude oil a day.  Exxon Mobil (XOM:xnys) and Halliburton (HAL:xnys) rose by 4% and Occidental (OXY:xnys) climbed 2.4%. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed on solid economic data Yields in U.S. treasuries surged most in the belly of the yield curve, with the 5-year and 10-year yields finishing the session from 11bps to 12bps higher to 3.65% and 3.75% respectively, but a smaller 5bp rise to 4.14% in the 5-year notes.  San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly and Altanta Fed President Raphael Bostic pushed back on the market notion of a pivot.  Across the pond, the Bank of England did not buy any bonds at the buyback operations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied 5.9% to catch up with the gains in the global markets after a mid-week holiday The Hang Seng Index soared 5.9% to catch up with the S&P 500 Index’s 5.7% rally over the past two days after Hong Kong returned from a public holiday. Weaker U.S. economic data recently have helped fuelled the notion of peak tightening from the Fed and contributed to the turnaround in global stocks this week.  Index heavy-weights jumped, HSBC (00005:xhkg) up 5.7%, AIA (01299:xhkg) up 7.4%, Tencent (000700:xhkg) up 5.8%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 8.2%, and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 8.4%.  The resumption of the Beijing Marathon this year on Nov 6 boosted sportswear and textile names, with Li Ning (02331:xhkg) up 10.4%, Anta (02020:xhkg) up 10.5%, Shenzhou (02313:xhkg) up 13.7%.  The Beijing Marathon and media stories that some major tourist attractions received high visitor traffic during the Golden Week holiday helped arouse hope of some sort of normalization and boosted mainland catering stocks and Macao casino names. BYD (01211:xhkg) soared nearly more than 9% after the Chinese automaker reported record sales of over 200,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in September, a growth of 183% from last year, and the seventh consecutive month of sales growth.  Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) gained from 6% to 8% but XPeng (09868:xhkg) fell 1% as the latter reported a 19% Y/Y decline in vehicle deliveries. Hong Kong local property names were the laggards following the release of the city’s home sales data that registered a 48.1% Y/Y decline in value in September.  The mainland bourses remain closed for the rest of the week for the National Day golden week holiday. Dollar on the backfoot in early Asian hours The US dollar gains returned on Wednesday as US yields clawed back higher, but was off highs into the NY close and slid further in early Asian trading. Stronger US ISM data and hawkish Fed speak further supported the case for more Fed rate hikes, and the OPEC+ production cut has deteriorated the global inflation picture. EURUSD was therefore unable to move back above parity after testing the key level yesterday, although its back above 0.99 this morning. GBPUSD tested 1.1500 but slid from there amid further concerns on the UK policymakers, as well as a Fitch downgrade of the UK economy. USDJPY stayed short of testing the key 145 level again, with Japan continuing to sound the intervention alarm with warnings such as one from a finance ministry official yesterday saying there is no limitation on funds available for intervention. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) A big production cut from OPEC+ yesterday boosted crude oil prices, with markets getting nervous about further use of energy as a weapon in the war. The move was met with disapproval by many western countries. US President Joe Biden said that the US would release another 10mbbls from its strategic reserve in response to the cuts. At the same time, the European Union announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, including a price cap on oil sales to third countries. The EIA inventory report also reported a crude inventory decline of 1.36mn barrels last week, with gasoline inventories falling to their lowest levels since November 2014. WTI futures rose towards $88/barrel while Brent was above $93.   What to consider?   Saxo’s Q4 2022 Outlook: Winter is coming In Q4, Europe and the UK brace for the impact of a winter season that will likely bring an economic winter with it as the power and gas crisis reaches peak impact.  Figuratively speaking, economic and financial turbulence is creating a volatile, unaccommodating environment for investment.  It is however worth keeping in mind that it will be spring after winter. The potential for longer-term investment returns increases as a function of declining asset prices.  You can read the Q4 2022 Outlook here and listen to the key highlights of the Outlook here.  OPEC+ production cut to more inflation concerns A very political move by the OPEC+ to cut production by 2 million barrels/day based on current production baselines. The impact is likely to be around 1 million b/d with the majority currently producing below and would not need to cut. These cuts are to be effective from November, while OPEC+ agreed to extend the cooperation deal until end-2023, and the JMMC will meet bi-monthly with OPEC+ ministers set to meet every six months. The White House was unimpressed, with comments saying that the OPEC+ production cut is a 'clear' indication that the bloc is 'aligning with Russia'. The move is likely to add fuel to the inflation fire globally, putting further downside pressure on growth and suggesting an even stronger dollar and more hawkish Fed. US ISM services PMI smashed Fed pivot expectations US ISM services softened slightly to 56.7 in September from 56.9 previously, but was far better than expectations of 56.0. Gains were mostly underpinned by strong employment gains to 53 from 50.2 in August, while business activity slowed to 59.1 from 60.9 and new orders slowed to 60.6 from 61.8. Prices paid also eased, dipping to 68.7 from 71.5, but still showing that prices are picking up, just at a slower pace. This stronger than expected ISM print has smashed expectations of a Fed pivot that were gaining traction after a miss in ISM manufacturing and weaker JOLTs data this week, and an RBA pivot as well. Solid ADP sets the tone for NFP, and Fed members stay hawkish ADP data showed an increase of 208k, suggesting demand for workers remains healthy. Next to watch today will be the weekly jobless claims which dipped to sub-200k last week, before the focus turns to NFP data on Friday. Meanwhile, Fed's Daly noted that the Fed is resolute at increasing rates into restrictive territory before holding rates there for a while, pushing back on talk of a Fed pivot. She added that she doesn’t see a rate cut happening next year “at all”. Raphael Bostic sounded similar notes, saying he favors lifting the benchmark to between 4% and 4.5% by the end of this year, and hold it there. The November 6 Beijing Marathon marked the return of large public events The 2022 Beijing Marathon is scheduled for November 6 and registration has started. The event will allow 30,000 runners to compete in Beijing after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021. It will be the largest public event being held in the Chinese capital city since the Winter Olympics.  Residents from other mainland Chinese cities other than Beijing however are not allowed to attend.  Residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and foreigners plus invited “elite” athletes are allowed to participate. The U.S. Government plans to further restrict China’s access to U.S. semiconductor technology It is reported that the U.S. Commerce Department will launch additional regulations this week to further restrict the exports of semiconductor technologies to China. New Zealand’s RBNZ hikes 50 basis points as expected This was the fifth consecutive meeting to bring a half-point hike and took the official cash rate to 3.5%. The bank signalled more tightening to come in its statement, as it noted that “core consumer price inflation is too high and labor resources are scarce. Still, short NZ rates continue to trade lower, if not falling as rapidly as for Australia after the RBA surprised with only a 25 basis point hike earlier in the week. The AUDNZD rate dropped below 1.1250 at one point overnight from the 1.1350 range before the announcement.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-6-oct-06102022
    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    Beijing Marathon Came Back, The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Rose Sharply

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.10.2022 09:04
    Summary:  Markets gyrated rather wildly yesterday as a strong September ISM Services saw US treasury yields jumping back higher and challenging the narrative that has developed this week of “central bank pivot.” Alas, equities and sentiment were able to overcome the surge in yields and the US dollar interestingly followed the direction of sentiment rather than yields. The next test for sentiment, the US dollar and global yields will be tomorrow’s US September jobs report ahead of earnings season, which will kick off next week.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities were selling off yesterday with S&P 500 futures declining as much as 1.8% before erasing most of the losses which was a strong given the US 10-year yield rallied higher to 3.75%. The ISM Services Index was incredibly strong yesterday suggesting the US services sector remaining robust despite tighter financial conditions which maybe reduces the risk of negative earnings surprises during the Q3 earnings season. This morning S&P 500 futures are trading above the 3,800 level again with the 3,820 level being the natural resistance level on the upside to watch. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index took a pause after yesterday’s 5.9% rally. I traded lower in the morning but pared losses after returning from the mid-day break to little change from the previous close. Wharf Real Estate (01997:xhkg) and Cathay Pacific (0293:xhhg) were among the best performers, up by 4.8% and 3.5% respectively. Automakers were laggards, with leading names falling from 2.5% to 7%. The stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen remain closed for a national holiday. USD and US yields/risk sentiment The US dollar very correlated with the direction in risk sentiment yesterday, and less so with the direction in treasury yields, which rose quite sharply yesterday, at first helping to support the greenback as sentiment was spooked by the comeback in yields as strong data challenges the “central bank pivot” narrative afoot this week. But the big USD weakened later in the session as US equities closed near the highs and followed through weaker still overnight on a further brightening of sentiment. EURUSD is a microcosm of the general USD direction and will be a bellwether pair to watch after parity was nearly touched over the last couple of sessions before the action swooned to below 0.9850 briefly yesterday and a subsequent rally retraced about half of the sell-off into this morning. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades higher after briefly dipping to and finding support at $1700 during Wednesday’s round of fresh dollar strength. Supported by hopes that central banks will begin to ease away from the tightening of the last many months after at least one weak US data point this week, saw yields a bit lower and precious metals surging. The move through the key 1,680-1,700 area on Monday will be further solidified on a break above 1,725, the 50-day moving average, and not least the recent high at 1735. OPEC’s decision to cut production thereby forcing prices of energy higher will only add to concerns about central banks' ability to get inflation under control before an economic slowdown forces a rethink on rates, a development that may end up adding additional support to gold and silver. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) Crude oil rallied after OPEC+ producers as speculated, decided to cut their baseline production by 2 million barrels per day. A decision that given the undercompliance from several major producers, including Russia, Nigeria and Angola would likely translate into a somewhat lower impact of around 1 million barrels per day. Cutting production at this time is somewhat controversial given the fact the price has not fallen much below the 90-100 Brent range that seems to be acceptable to most producers. What makes this cut even more difficult to understand from a supply and demand perspective is the comment from Novak that Russian production may fall further over the coming months. This decision risks agitating the US while potentially leading the FOMC to keep tightening for longer as inflation will become stickier. The result being a global economic slowdown that may end up taking longer to reverse. HG Copper (HGZ2) Copper as well as zinc trade higher after the London Metal Exchange said it would restrict deliveries from Ural Mining & Metallurgical. The industry has been grappling with the question of how to handle supplies from Russia - a major producer of aluminum, nickel and copper - since the invasion of Ukraine in February, and the debate has intensified over the past month.  Copper traded in New York trades near a one-month high at $3.57 with the news offsetting continued worries about demand amid a global economic slowdown, not least in China and Europe. Next level of interest being the September high at $3.69. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields jumped above 3.75% at one point yesterday, up 20 bps from the recent lows, in the wake of a stronger than expected Sep. US ISM Services survey and as the private ADP payrolls came in solidly in line with expectations, with upward revisions. The cycle high of 4.00% that was posted during the wipeout in the UK gilt market is the next focus if the bond market remains weak. What is going on? NZD jumps overnight after mixed reaction to latest RBNZ rate hike The NZD rose sharply against the US dollar, challenging the 0.5800 area this morning after a pump-and-dump reaction to the RBNZ’s latest 50 basis point rate hike. Likewise, AUDNZD traded heavily and back toward the pivotal 1.1250 area that was a major resistance point on the way up. Improved global sentiment may be a driver here, as was a rather rosy speech on the prospects for New Zealand avoiding a recession from NZ Deputy Prime Minister Robertson overnight. Better than expected US September ADP payrolls change…but this does not matter much In September, U.S. businesses added 208k jobs according to the ADP report. This is more than the consensus of +200k and higher than in August (revised up from +132k to +185k). The biggest gain was in trade, transportation and utilities (147k) ahead of professional and business services and education. On the downside, annual pay growth for job changers went through its biggest deceleration in the three-year history of the data (from 16.2 % to 15.7 %). Should we be worried about this data? Not much. The ADP report hasn’t been the best gauge of the U.S. labor market (even with the recent change in the methodology). Strong September US ISM Services survey challenges “pivot” narrative US ISM services softened slightly to 56.7 in September from 56.9 previously, but was far better than expectations of 56.0. New orders slowed to 60.6 from 61.8, but that is a very strong reading. Two of the more positive points in the survey were: the ISM Services employment jumped in September, from 50.20 in August to 53 points. The second one: the services Prices Paid has fallen six months in a row, to the lowest level since January 2021. This means inflation is likely to move lower. This is a rather positive report after a number of negative statistics earlier this week (sharp drop in ISM Manufacturing employment, much lower job openings and bad construction spending).  Hawkish Fed refrain remains the same The Fed's Daly (voter in 2024) noted that the Fed is resolute at increasing rates into restrictive territory before holding rates there for a while, pushing back on talk of a Fed pivot. She added that she doesn’t see a rate cut happening next year “at all”. Raphael Bostic (2024 voter) sounded similar notes, saying he favors lifting the benchmark to between 4% and 4.5% by the end of this year, and hold it there. The November 6 Beijing Marathon marks the return of large public events The 2022 Beijing Marathon is scheduled for November 6 and registration has started. The event will allow 30,000 runners to compete in Beijing after being canceled in 2020 and 2021. It will be the largest public event being held in the Chinese capital city since the Winter Olympics. Residents from other mainland Chinese cities other than Beijing however are not allowed to attend. Residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, and foreigners plus invited “elite” athletes are allowed to participate. The US plans to further restrict China’s access to its semiconductor technology It is reported that the US Commerce Department will launch additional regulations this week to further restrict the exports of semiconductor technologies to China. What are we watching next? Risk sentiment recovers despite new surge in yields on strong US data – next test for treasuries/USD/risk sentiment is on September jobs report tomorrow Equity markets launched an impressive recovery yesterday despite the fresh surge in US treasury yields after the release of the strong ISM Services survey. It's hard to believe the comeback can extend aggressively if strong jobs data tomorrow leads to a further surge in yields. The Sep. Nonfarm payrolls change is expected at +260k after +315k in August and the Average Hourly Earnings are seen rising +0.3% MoM and +5.0% YoY – the latter would be the slowest pace of wage growth since December. Fed speakers up this evening Fed members have been rather consistent with a drumbeat of calls for staying on course with further rate tightening. In light of the recent batch of mixed data that has helped push US 2-year treasury yields some 20 basis points lower from their nearly 4.25% peak, it will be interesting to watch the next few Fed speakers of note, which today includes two FOMC voters who are speaking more generally on the economic outlook, including Cleveland Fed President Mester and the Board of Governors’ Waller – see calendar below. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Conagra Brands which is US processed foods company. Analysts expect revenue growth of 7% y/y in FY23 Q1 (31 August) and stable operating margin of 17.6%. The company has seen its growth rate slowly increase over the previous quarters and with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis there might be an upside surprise in today’s earnings result. Today: Seven & I, Conagra Brands, Constellation Brands, McCormick & Co Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – UK Sep. Construction PMI 1130 – US Sep. Challenger Job Cuts 1130 – ECB Meeting Minutes 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1250 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter) to speak 1300 – Poland Central Bank governor Glapinski press conference 1315 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter in 2023) to speak 1400 – Canada Sep. Ivey PMI 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1535 – Canada Bank of Canada Governor Macklem to speak 1700 – US Fed  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-6-2022-06102022
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    Chevron Corp Was The Top Gainer Among The Components Of The Dow Jones Index

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.10.2022 08:31
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.15%, the S&P 500 fell 1.02%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.68%. Chevron Corp was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 2.89 points or 1.82% to close at 161.42. Quotes of Caterpillar Inc rose by 0.43 points (0.24%), closing the session at 178.81. Home Depot Inc rose 0.54 points or 0.19% to close at 290.39. The losers were 3M Company shares, which lost 4.05 points or 3.52% to end the session at 111.12. International Business Machines was up 2.79% or 3.51 points to close at 122.23 while Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was down 2.74% or 0.91 points to close at 32.25. Among the S&P 500 index components gainers today were DexCom Inc, which rose 4.53% to hit 95.21, APA Corporation, which gained 4.15% to close at 42.20, and Occidental Petroleum Corporation, which rose 4.07% to end the session at 70.50. The biggest losers were shares of Carnival Corporation, which shed 6.19% to close at 6.97. Shares of SolarEdge Technologies Inc lost 5.96% to end the session at 220.27. Shares of Generac Holdings Inc fell 5.59% to 168.69. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Green Giant Inc, which rose 168.57% to 1.88, Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc, which gained 95.45% to close at 24.49. as well as shares of InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp, which rose 83.03% to close the session at 7.98. The biggest losers were Jowell Global Ltd., which shed 45.36% to close at 1.53. Shares of Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc lost 37.57% to end the session at 0.59. Quotes of Top Ships Inc decreased in price by 35.22% to 6.40. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2114) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (997), while quotes of 125 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,093 stocks fell, 1,655 rose, and 252 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 6.90% to 30.52. Gold futures for December delivery added 0.07%, or 1.20, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery rose 1.30%, or 1.14, to $88.90 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 1.57%, or 1.47, to $94.84 a barrel. Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.87% to 0.98, while USD/JPY edged up 0.35% to hit 145.13. Futures on the USD index rose 1.03% to 112.15.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/295838
    Assessment Of The Chances Of A Future Rate Hike By The ECB| Lowering GDP Forecasts

    Assessment Of The Chances Of A Future Rate Hike By The ECB| Lowering GDP Forecasts

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.10.2022 09:06
    Summary:  U.S. stocks and bonds sold off after Fed officials reiterated the Fed’s determination to raise rates and keep rates restrictive. USDJPY returned to trade above 145, testing the Japanese authorities’ resolve to defend the yen and its yield curve control policy. AMD’s miss in Q3 revenue pre-announcement, followed by Samsung’s profit warning, is a precursor to what’s to come in the upcoming earnings season. Today, all eyes are on the U.S. employment report as a next test for the Fed pivot narrative that had developed this week before the pushback seen from Fed commentaries. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) declined in a light volume session U.S. stocks declined on Thursday, giving back further the rally earlier in the week. S&P500 dropped 1%, with 10 out of 11 sectors in the red with the exception of the energy sector which benefited from a 1.4% rise in WTI crude to USD89.1. Tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 was down 0.8%.  Hawkish Fed official commentaries kept investors cautious of taking on risks ahead of the employment report today and the CPI release next week.  The trading volume was light.  Twitter (TWTR:xnys) fell 3.7% as investors awaiting Musk’s acquisition of the company to complete. Social networking site Pinterest (PINS:xnys) surged 4.8% and game software developer Take-Two Interactive (TTWO:xnas) climbed 3.5% on analyst upgrades. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) plunged nearly 4% during the extended-hour trading after the chip maker announced preliminary Q3 sales missing expectations.  U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) cheapened on hawkish Fed official commentaries U.S. treasuries bear flattened on Thursday as the front end of the curve got cheaper on more pushbacks from the Fed’s Cook, Kashkari, and Waller to the idea of a Fed pivot.  Traders have taken the terminal Fed Fund rate expectation back up to 4.57% and a 77% probability of a 75bp rate hike in the November FOMC. 2-year yields surged 11bps to 4.26% and 10-year yields climbed 7bps to 3.82%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) took a pause after a strong rally the day before The Hang Seng Index took a pause after yesterday’s 5.9% rally, trading side-way throughout the day and finished 0.4% lower after a failed attempt to climb to positive territory in the early afternoon.  In anticipation of eventually removing all pandemic control restrictions for people arriving in Hong Kong, shopping malls, retailers, and airlines gained. In addition, the Hong Kong Government plans to give away 500,000 free air tickets to attract travellers to visit Hong Kong. Wharf Real Estate (01997:xhkg), which owns commercial properties, gained 4.7% and was the best performer in the benchmark index.  Chow Tai Fook, a jewelry retailer, climbed 1.4%. Cathay Pacific (0293:xhhg) gained 3.5% and China Eastern Airlines (00670:xhkg), China Southern Airlines (01055:xhkg), and China Airlines (00753:xhkg) surged from 5.7% to 6.9%. Automakers were laggards, with leading names falling from 2.5% to 7%. Despite the latest research note from a major U.S. investment bank forecasting a 30% drop in Hong Kong’s residential property prices on higher interest rates, shares of local developers finished the day with modest gains.  On the other hand, CIFI (00884:xhkg) tumbled 15.3% as the mainland China developer is in discussion with banks about posting an interest payment.  Alibaba (09988:xhkg) shed 1.2% following the news that the Shanghai Municipal Government removed Alipay from its list of high-tech companies which are entitled to tax benefits because Alipay failed to meet the requirement on spending on research and development.  The dollar rose on higher bond yields The DXY rose 0.9% to 112.2 on higher U.S. bond yields, gaining against G10 currencies.  The Aussie dollar sold off to 0.6410, approaching its September 28 ow of 0.6363. USDJPY moved back up to above 145, testing the Ministry of Finance’s resolve to cap the depreciation of the Yen. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) The energy market tightness concerns continued to underpin further gains in the oil market, with WTI futures now rising towards $89/barrel and Brent above $94 following a 2 million barrels/day cut announced by OPEC+. Other supply issues are also at play with European sanctions on Russian oil coming into effect this quarter, but the US may opt to release more from its strategic reserves to offset some of this decline in supply. Metals gain as LME places restrictions on Russian copper, zinc and aluminium The London Metal Exchange said it will restrict deliveries of some Russian metal. Starting immediately, metal from UMMC or its Chelyabinsk Zinc unit can only be delivered to LME warehouses if the owner can prove it won’t constitute a breach of recent sanctions on the firm’s co-founder, Iskandar Makhmudov. The industry has been grappling with the question of how to handle supplies from Russia - a major producer of aluminium, nickel and copper - since the invasion of Ukraine in February, and the debate has intensified over the past month. HG Copper (HGZ2) rose to a near one-month high of $3.59 before reversing gains later as a strong dollar weighed on investor appetite.   What to consider?   Fed officials reiterated hawkish comments With the markets anticipating a Fed pivot sooner rather than later, Fed members continue to send stronger hawkish signals with the clear message being higher for longer interest rates. Minneapolis President Kashkari (2023 voter) said the Fed is “quite a ways away form a pause in rate hikes” and “not seeing evidence that underlying inflation peaked”. Governor Cook said “restoring price stability likely will require ongoing rate hikes and then keeping policy restrictive for some time”. Fed Governor Waller joined the chorus saying that the Fed needs to continue to raise rates into early 2023. Charles Evans also reiterated that the Fed is heading to 4.5-4.75% by spring, and another 125bps of rate hikes is seen over the next two meetings. ECB minutes suggest inflation concerns The ECB minutes from the September 7-8 meeting were released, and suggested that another big rate hike after the last month’s 75bps move is in the cards. There was broad consensus that the key policy rates are still below neutral. While the assessment of economic performance sounded bleak, taming inflation remained the overarching objective and therefore further tightening is still expected. Markets currently fully price a 50bps rate hike for October, and an increasing chance of another 75bps move as well. Hong Kong’s PMI fell to the contractionary territory in September The S&P Global Hong Kong PMI fell to 48.0 in September from 51.2 in August, returning to the contractionary territory for the first time since March this year when Hong Kong was hit hard by an outbreak of COVID-19.  The S&P Global Hong Kong PMI surveys activities in manufacturing, wholesale, retail and services, and construction.  Among the sub-indices, the new order sub-index fell the most to 46.1 in September from 51.3 in August.  The new export orders sub-index deteriorated further to 45.9 from 47.4 in the prior month.  The output sub-index fell to 47.3 from 52.2 and the employment sub-index declined to 48.3 from 48.6.  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) announced preliminary Q3 sales missing expectations AMD pre-announced Q3 revenues at around USD5.6 billion, much below its previous guidance of about USD6.7 billion. The company cited weaker demand for PC and a build-up of inventory in the PC supply chain for the poor performance. Later on, in the Asian session, Samsung pre-announced a weaker profit for Q3 as well, signalling the margin squeeze that is likely to become broader into the Q3 earnings season. Samsung said Q3 profit is likely to fall 32% as demand slumped. The World Bank cut India’s growth forecast by 1% point to 6.5% The World Bank reduced its forecast for India’s GDP growth in the year to March 2023 by 1% to 6.5%, citing a slowdown in the global economy and rising interest rates. This comes despite a double-digit growth in the April-June quarter and RBI’s 7% growth forecast for FY 2023, and generally reflects the tough global macro environment, along with some pullback in consumption as RBI raises rates. US NFP data key for markets The payrolls data is due in the US today, and it is likely to give out further signals on the tightness in the labor market even if we see some slight cooling in the headline print. Bloomberg consensus estimate stand at gains of 255k for September from 315k last month, with unemployment rate and average hourly earnings steady at 3.7% and 0.3% respectively. The annual rate of wage growth is expected to cool a notch. Initial jobless claims rose to 219k after a sub-200k print last week, but it does not feed directly into the NFP. With markets at the edge on whether to price in further Fed tightening or not, even a slight miss in the NFP data could result in some more calls of a Fed pivot, and greater Fed pushback will be needed to pushback easing expectations from 2023 market pricing.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-7-oct-2022-07102022
    Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

    Samsung And Its Decline In Operating Income| Credit Suisse Is Trying To Buy Back Credit

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.10.2022 11:08
    Summary:  Risk sentiment was wobbly yesterday, as yields continued to rise, with late Fed speakers in the US yesterday continuing to deliver a hawkish message. The US dollar has come roaring back, especially against the smaller currencies, ahead of today’s September US jobs report. Given Fed forecasts that it will continue to tighten even if unemployment were to begin rising, we may be some months from a pivot in the Fed’s message.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities retreated yesterday with S&P 500 futures declining 1% yesterday as US bond yields are coming back higher towards the 4% as the US economy is still looking robust despite tighter financial conditions. S&P 500 futures are continuing lower this morning trading around the 3,740 level with the 3,700 level being the next natural gravitational point for the market on the downside. US Nonfarm Payrolls for September is of course today’s main event but it will probably not move much unless we see a big surprise to average hourly earnings figure m/m. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index sank for the second day in a row after the sharp rally on Wednesday. Chinese EV stocks tanked, with Li Auto (02015:xhkg) tumbling 16.1%, and Nio (09866:xhkg) and XPeng (09868:xhkg) down from 7% to nearly 9%. Investors were concerned about the severe competition in the EV industry with new entrants to the market and rising battery costs. China developer names plunged from 2% to 11% across the board as sentiment was clouded by CIFI’s (00884:xhkg) discussion with banks about posting an interest payment and a 2-notch downgrade to Caa1 by Moody’s for the developer’s senior unsecured debts. Hang Seng Index lost more than 1% by mid-day. Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges are closed for a national holiday and will return on Monday. USD and US yields/risk sentiment The US dollar bounced back strongly yesterday on the supportive combination of weak risk sentiment and higher US treasury yields, with EURUSD all the way back to 0.9800 this morning after flirting with parity just a couple of sessions ago. The USD strength was most pronounced against the smaller currencies with a pair like AUDUSD trading near the cycle low below 0.6400 ahead of the US jobs data. That combination of higher US yields and weak risk sentiment provides the strongest support for the greenback, with a strong US jobs report the most likely spark for a further rise. Very interesting ahead of the weekend that USDJPY remains pinned near the critical 145.00 level ahead of the US jobs data – will we see a volatility event and official intervention if strong US jobs data sends the pair over the edge? Gold (XAUUSD) Gold eased back lower on the fresh rise in US treasury yields and a stronger US dollar, but the retracement of the recent massive rally off the cycle low of 1,1615 has been fairly shallow, with the first support zone of note into 1,680-1,700 area. The most significant challenge to gold would be a strong US jobs report and further USD strength, but a full reversal of the latest rally wave would require a significant plunge. To the upside, the next resistance of note is the 1,1734 level (61.8% retracement of the big sell-off wave into the lows) and then the huge 1,800 area and pivot high of 1,808 in August. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) The energy market tightness concerns continued to underpin further gains in the oil market, with WTI futures now rising towards $89/barrel and Brent above $94 following a 2 million barrels/day cut announced by OPEC+. Other supply issues are also at play with European sanctions on Russian oil coming into effect this quarter, but the US may opt to release more from its strategic reserves to offset some of this decline in supply. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields rose all along the curve ahead of today’s important September US jobs report and the market’s attempts to express hope over the last week that the Fed is set to deliver a pivot to less hawkish guidance. The US 10-year benchmark traded this morning aove 3.80%, less than 20 basis points from the significant 4.00% level that was briefly touched during the UK gilt market wipeout that saw some contagion even into US treasuries. What is going on? AMD blasted on ugly outlook and Samsung shows 11% in operating income Advanced Micro Devices revealed preliminary Q3 sales yesterday ahead of its earnings report in coming weeks. These were at $5.6 billion versus company and analyst estimates of $6.7 billion, an enormous miss.  Weaker demand in the PC market was cited, with writedowns in inventories also playing a role. Shares traded more than 3% lower after hours late yesterday after having lost some 60% from late 2021 highs. Samsung is also part of the semiconductor industry has announced its preliminary Q3 results this morning showing operating income declined 11% as demand for consumer electronics is coming down hard. Fed officials reiterated hawkish comments With the markets anticipating a Fed pivot sooner rather than later, Fed members continue to send stronger hawkish signals with the clear message being higher for longer interest rates. Minneapolis President Kashkari (2023 voter) said the Fed is “quite a ways away from a pause in rate hikes” and “not seeing evidence that underlying inflation peaked”. Fed Governor Cook said “restoring price stability likely will require ongoing rate hikes and then keeping policy restrictive for some time”. Fed Governor Waller joined the chorus saying that the Fed needs to continue to raise rates into early 2023. The Chicago Fed’s Charles Evans (Voter 2023) also reiterated that the Fed is heading to 4.5-4.75% by spring, and another 125bps of rate hikes is seen over the next two meetings. Credit Suisse is trying to bolster sentiment by buying back credit The Swiss-based bank is offering this morning to buy back its own debt up to CHF 3bn. ECB minutes suggest inflation concerns The ECB minutes from the September 7-8 meeting were released yesterday and suggested that another big rate hike after the last month’s 75bps move is in the cards. There was broad consensus that the key policy rates are still below neutral. While the assessment of economic performance sounded bleak, taming inflation remained the overarching objective and therefore further tightening is still expected. Markets currently price heavy odds that the ECB will deliver a 75 bp hike. Hong Kong’s PMI fell to the contractionary territory in September The S&P Global Hong Kong PMI fell to 48.0 in September from 51.2 in August, returning to the contractionary territory for the first time since March this year when Hong Kong was hit hard by an outbreak of COVID-19. The S&P Global Hong Kong PMI surveys activities in manufacturing, wholesale, retail and services, and construction. Among the sub-indices, the new order sub-index fell the most to 46.1 in September from 51.3 in August. The new export orders sub-index deteriorated further to 45.9 from 47.4 in the prior month. The output sub-index fell to 47.3 from 52.2 and the employment sub-index declined to 48.3 from 48.6. What are we watching next? Today's US September jobs report and the fate of the “pivot” narrative Fed speakers of late, including those late yesterday, continue to deliver a consistent message of continuing the current tightening regime, and given the Fed’s forecast that it will continue to tighten even as unemployment begins to rise (September forecasted a rise to a 4.4% unemployment rate next year vs. 3.7% currently), we are likely at least many months from the Fed blinking due to a softening labor market. The Sep. Nonfarm payrolls change is expected near +260k after +315k in August and the Average Hourly Earnings are seen rising +0.3% MoM and +5.0% YoY – the latter would be the slowest pace of wage growth since December. Earnings to watch The Q3 earnings season kicks off next week with the most important day being Friday with seven large US financial institutions reporting. The key focus points will be to what extent US banks are able to increase their net interest margin and the levels of credit provisions. Wednesday: PepsiCo Thursday: Progressive, Fast Retailing, Tryg, Walgreen Boots Alliance, Fastanal, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, Domino’s Pizza Friday: Shanghai Putailai New Energy, YTO Express Group, PNC Financial Services, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, First Republic Bank Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – Mexico Sep. CPI 1230 – US Sep. Nonfarm Payrolls Change 1230 – US Sep. Unemployment Rate 1230 – US Sep. Average Hourly Earnings 1230 – Canada Sep. Employment Change/Unemployment Rate 1400 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak 1500 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Voter 2023) to speak 1600 – US Fed’s Bostic (Voter 2024) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-7-2022-07102022
    Nasdaq 100 Faces Bearish Breakdown Below Ascending Wedge and RSI Momentum Indicator

    Podcast: Eyes On US Job Report, US Treasury Yields Rose And The US Dollar (USD) Roared Back Higher

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.10.2022 12:46
    Summary:  Today we note a fresh weakening in sentiment as US treasury yields rose and the US dollar roared back higher, particularly against the smaller currencies. Also, a look at today's US jobs report and whether it can move the needle much, given the drumbeat of Fed rhetoric staying on the unified tightening-and-not-pivoting message, which will likely require many months of weakening inflation and a weakening jobs market to drive a shift. That means the surprise side is a very strong jobs and earnings report today. Discussion of AMD's shock revenue miss for Q3 reported after hours yesterday, the week ahead in earnings as earnings season get under way, the macro calendar points of note next week and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, with John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean engraver If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-7-2022-07102022
    Key Economic Events and Earnings Reports to Watch in US, Eurozone, and UK Next Week

    The Earnings Season For Large Companies In Q3 Will Have A Negative Surprise

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.10.2022 13:02
    Summary:  We have long argued that Q3 earnings will disappoint due to margin compression and the energy sector not delivered the same contribution in Q3 as it did in Q2 lifting aggregate earnings. The warning from Shell's CEO and the bad outlook from AMD and Samsung over the past 24 hours are evidence that the Q3 earnings season is most likely going to disappoint. In today's earnings preview we highlight next week's earnings and we also provide our view on the current S&P 500 earnings estimates for next year which we believe are unrealistic given the current macro backdrop. Negative surprises will pop up everywhere during earnings season We have been arguing for quite some time that the Q3 earnings season will surprise to the downside. The recent string of worse than expected results from Nike and H&M, and now also AMD disappointing last night and Samsung this morning missing estimates on Q3 operating income by 12%, are clear signs of what awaits investors. The energy and mining sectors were among the strong contributors in Q2 holding up the aggregate earnings figures, but Shell’s CEO said yesterday that Q3 earnings will be lower q/q due to lower profitability in its refining and chemicals businesses. The list below shows all the most important earnings releases next week. Consumer oriented companies such as PepsiCo, Walgreens Boots, and Delta Air Lines are important earnings to watch for updating our information picture on the consumer amid the cost-of-living crisis. On Friday, several large US financial institutions will report earnings with our focus on JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. The key things to watch for in US bank results are their ability to increase their net interest margin and the credit provisions. Wednesday: PepsiCo Thursday: Progressive, Fast Retailing, Tryg, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Fastanal, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, Domino’s Pizza Friday: Shanghai Putailai New Energy, YTO Express Group, PNC Financial Services, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, First Republic Bank Analysts are too optimistic In our view the bad Q3 earnings season will be a function of both weakening numbers from companies but also unrealistic expectations. The chart below shows the realized quarterly earnings per share for S&P 500 and here we already observe that realized Q3 earnings are behind estimates and that estimates are suggesting strong earnings growth into Q4. This seems very unrealistic to us given the wage pressures that CEOs are complaining about and highlighting as the biggest short-term risk to profitability. The EPS estimates for S&P 500 are $224.98 in 2022 and $243.22 suggesting companies can grow earnings close to trend growth and even expand profit margins to record highs in 2023. We find it very hard to reconcile with the current macro backdrop of tighter financial conditions, war in Ukraine, an energy crisis, and China’s growth slowing down. The high inflation will help revenue growth in nominal terms but it will increase wage demands to offset decline in purchasing power and thus we believe the most realistic dynamic from here is lower profit margin. We expect the net profit margin to decline to 11.3% from 12.6% in 2021 and if apply the estimates on revenue for 20233 of $1801 then our EPS estimate for 2023 is $203.51 which is 16% lower than the current consensus estimate. This translate into a 2023 P/E ratio of 18.4 or earnings yield of 5.4% which one could argue is not an adequate risk premium of US government bond yields and investment grade bonds. One could also argue that the revenue estimate for 2023 is a bit too optimistic as it implies a 4.1% growth rate which might be difficult, but now we are going with this estimate. Dividend futures for 2023 are currently priced at $64.80 which is actually a decline from the expected 2022 dividends of $65.52. A slowdown in dividends is more consistent we our estimate for earnings in 2023 and would take the payout ratio back to 31.9% which again would be closer to the recent average.  Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/q3-earnings-season-kickoff-starts-with-a-warning-from-shell-07102022
    Kiwi Faces Depreciation Pressure: RBNZ Expected to Hold Rates Amidst Downward Momentum

    The Chances Of The Fed For 75bp Rate Hike Increased After The Strong Report|European Stock Indices Are In A Downtrend

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 08.10.2022 08:06
    Stocks opened lower and Treasury yields rose as the strong report reaffirmed bets that the central bank would continue to be aggressive with its tightening campaign. Odds of a 75-basis point hike increased to a certainty following the report. Aside from the anxiety that usually precedes these numbers, traders had to digest remarks from a raft of Federal Reserve speakers who sounded unequivocally committed to crushing inflation with rate hikes. The hawkish rhetoric helped push the S&P 500 to its second straight day of losses, while lifting the dollar and Treasury yields. Oil topped $88 a barrel. European stock indices are in a downtrend with the target of updating year lows: This is the last jobs report Fed officials will have before their November policy meeting as they consider a fourth-straight 75-basis point interest rate hike. Fresh inflation data coming out next week will also play a fundamental role in their decision making. The report is projected to show the depth and breadth of the Fed's inflation problem, with a key indicator of consumer prices potentially worsening. The Moscow Exchange Index failed to hold above 2,000 and continued its decline: Key events this week: US unemployment, wholesale inventories, non-farm payrolls, Friday Bank of England Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden speaks at event, Friday Fed's John Williams speaks at event, Friday   Relevance up to 17:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/323750
    German Economy Faces Setback as Ifo Index Plunges in June

    On Friday, When NFP Were Released, S&P 500 Lost Almost 3%, Nasdaq Decreased By 3.8%

    ING Economics ING Economics 10.10.2022 09:13
    A tough day ahead for Asia as markets digest payrolls implications Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: The US is off for Columbus day today, but Asian markets will still have to adjust to Friday’s payroll-driven market ructions which led to a 2.8% decline in the S&P500 and a 3.8% decline for the NASDAQ. And with US equity futures still pointing to fairly sizeable declines for tomorrow’s open, this looks as if it will be a tough day for Asian markets. The payrolls print, though not far off the consensus call (see below and also this note from our US economist) resulted in further gains in 2Y US Treasury yields (+5.2bp)  and a 5.8bp rise in 10Y bond yields. On average, there were bigger gains in European bond yields on Friday, with 10Y Bund yields up 11bp. The USD strengthened further on Friday. EURUSD fell to 0.9736, the AUD fell to 0.6359, Cable dropped to 1.1073, and the JPY pushed above 145. Asian FX was also down against the USD on Friday, and further losses seem probable today, with the offshore CNH pushing back up to 7.1362 ahead of China returning from vacation today. G-7 Macro: The September non-farm payrolls gain of 263,000 was actually only slightly stronger than the consensus estimate of 255,000, and the drop in the unemployment rate to 3.5% from 3.7% was not hugely significant. Nevertheless, with the market seemingly grasping for excuses for a Fed pivot, this set of data didn’t come close to delivering, resulting in a sell-off for risk assets ahead of the long weekend. It doesn’t look all that likely that this week’s CPI inflation release for September will help much either, with core inflation expected to keep rising, even if the headline rate comes down. There isn’t much out of the G-7 today, though the Autumn IMF meetings start today in Washington. China: The Caixin service-sector PMI fell to 49.3 in September, down from 55.0 a month ago, citing the impact of Covid measures in various cities. Demand for services offered by smaller firms was affected. This could happen again sporadically from time to time. Daily confirmed symptomatic Covid cases are nosing higher again, and at just over 500 are now on a par with the September peak. Singapore: 3Q GDP and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) statement could be out as early today.  3Q GDP is expected to settle at 3.5%YoY, down from the 4.4%YoY growth posted in 2Q.  Robust retail sales and non-oil domestic exports are expected to support growth although momentum is slowing as inflation accelerates and global trade slips.  Meanwhile, the MAS is widely expected to tighten policy further, the 4th tightening this year, as inflation continues to heat up.  The MAS may need to resort to aggressive tightening with adjustments for both the midpoint and slope of SGD NEER appreciation.  Read next: Great Britain Expects Positive Results For Its Economy | FXMAG.COM What to look out for: Inflation reports and the FOMC minutes Indonesia consumer confidence (10 October) Singapore 3Q GDP and MAS statement (10-14 October) Australia Westpac consumer confidence (11 October) Philippine trade balance (11 October) US small business optimism (11 October) Japan machine orders (12 October) India PPI inflation (12 October) US PPI inflation (12 October) Bank of Korea decision (12 October) FOMC minutes (13 October) Japan PPI inflation (13 October) US CPI inflation and initial jobless claims (13 October) China trade balance, CPI and PPI inflation (14 October) Korea unemployment (14 October) US retail sales and University of Michigan sentiment (14 October) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang Downplayed Russia’s Invasion Into Ukraine

    Putin's Reaction To The Outbreak | 36.4% Less Passenger Travel In China

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.10.2022 09:22
    Summary:  S&P 500 plunged 2.8% following a decline of U.S. unemployment to 3.5% in September, signing a tight labor market and providing cover for the Fed to front-load larger rate hikes. U.S. treasury yields and the dollar continued to charge higher. The AUD dollar fell to a 2.5-year low. WTI crude jumped 5.4% as the OPEC+ production quota cut continued to linger. The U.S. tightened its restrictions on the export of semiconductor technology to China. Putin called an emergency meeting with his Security Council. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated on a hot labour market After a stronger-than-expected payroll report and a decline in the unemployment rate to 3.5%, U.S. stocks slid throughout the session and managed only to bounce slightly from the lows toward the market close.  S&P 500 plunged 2.8%, with all 11 sectors of the benchmark declining.  The information technology and consumer discretionary sectors fell the most, down 4.1% and 3.5% respectively. On the back of a 5.4% jump in crude oil prices during the day, the energy sector was the best performer, losing only 0.7%. Nasdaq 100 tumbled 3.9%.  Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) fell the most among the NDX constituents, down 13.9%, following slashing over USD1 billion from its revenue guidance for Q3. Close behind was another semiconductor name, Marvel Technology, falling 11.7%. Intel (INTC:xnas) and NVIDIA (NVDA:xnas) plunged 5.4% and 8% respectively.  The Biden administration issued new rules to restrict American companies from exporting advanced chip equipment to China.  CVS Health (CVS:xnys) plunged 10.5% after being downgraded to a worse-than-average quality rating from Medicare Advantage’s Star Ratings and on its plan to acquire Cano Health (CANO:xnys).  Trading desk talks suggested large short-selling initiated in financials while short-covering was prevailing in the energy space. This week could be another pivotal moment for markets with the U.S. earnings season kicking off, the September FOMC minutes, and the US CPI. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed from 5bps to 7bps across the curve on the fall in the unemployment rate to 3.5% U.S. treasuries sold off on the larger-than-expected +263K print of the non-farm payrolls and the 3.5% unemployment rate (vs 3.7% expected), with the belly of the curve being hit most.  5-year yields jumped 7bps to 4.14%, while 2-year yields climbed 5bps to 4.31% and 10-year yields moved up 6pbs to 3.88%.  The money market curve now prices in a 75bp hike almost a done deal for the November FOMC. The cash treasury bond market is closed on Monday for Columbus Day (but U.S. stock exchanges are open).  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) fell in light volume with China property and EV stocks underperforming Hang Seng Index sank for the second day in a row after the sharp rally on Wednesday, falling 1.5%. Chinese EV stocks tanked, with Li Auto (02015:xhkg) tumbling 14.8%, Nio (09866:xhkg) plunging 10.5%, and XPeng (09868:xhkg) moving down 6%. The collapse of EV stock prices contributed significantly to the 3.3% decline of the Hang Sent Tech Index (HSTECH.I).  Investors were concerned about the severe competition in the EV industry with new entrants to the market and rising battery costs.  China developer names plunged from 2% to 9% across the board as sentiment was clouded by CIFI’s (00884:xhkg) discussion with banks about posting an interest payment and a 2-notch downgrade to B3 (long-term rating) and Caa1 (senior unsecured debts) by Moody’s. CIFI and Longfor (00960:xhkg), each tumbled over 8%.  Turnover in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong hit a new 2022 low at HKD57 billion. Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges were closed for the National Day holiday the whole last week and are returning today.   Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) tipped to open the week lower, while focus remains on commodities The ASX200 charged 4.5% last week outperforming global markets, with the rally being supported by commodity prices moving higher, including iron ore. On Monday the Futures indicate the market could fall 0.9% following Wall Street. Trading screens will likely be in the green (black) in the commodity sector, after the oil price rallied 4.7% to $92.62. A focus will also be on iron ore companies as after China’s markets reopen after a weeklong holiday, and China is the largest buyer of iron ore. It’s also worth noting the US listed BHP closed just 0.8% lower on Friday, outperforming US equites. Other stocks to watch might include; Karoon Energy (KAR), after Brazil agreed to lower the royalty rate on the company’s Bauna project. Core Lithium (CXO) and NRW Holdings (NWH) will also be in focus after NRW’s Primero won a contract for Core Lithium’s plant. And Tabcorp (TAH) will also be in view for traders, after investing $33 million for a 20% equity stake in Dabble Sports.  The U.S. dollar climbed modestly on higher bond yields Higher bond yields lifted the dollar, seeing DXY 0.4% higher to 112.795.  USDJPY hovered above 145 but is yet to make a decisive upward move again to test the resolve of Japan’s Ministry of Finance.  EURUSD weakened -.5% to 0.9744 and GBPUSD declined 0.7% to 1.1089. The Australian dollar (AUDUSD) fell to a 2.5-year low, as the Fed gained more ammunition to hike   The AUD/USD fell 0.7% to 0.6361, which is its lowest level since April 2020. This follows the US jobs report coming out on Friday, which gives the Fed more ammunition to rise rates. Keep in mind, a currency generally appreciates when its central bank rises rates. This is in deeded one of the key reasons why the USD is marching up. And when you compare the Fed’s hawkishness to the RBA’s fresh dovish tone, it makes this currency pair an interesting one to watch, particularly with this week’s US economic data and Fed speeches on tap. On the weekly chart it could worth watching the support level at perhaps 0.61670.   Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) surged more than 5% The front-month contract of WTI crude gained 5.4% to USD92.64 despite a modestly higher U.S. dollar. The production quota cut last Wednesday continued to provide support to crude prices.  Since OPEC+ announced the production quota cut, WTI crude oil prices have risen 7.7%.  While many news headlines say it is a production cut of 2 million barrels, we want to clarify here that the 2 million barrels number is referring to the quota, not production.  However, 15 out of the 23 oil-producing countries involved produced below their current levels of allocated quotas in September 2022. 13 of these oil-producing countries produced less oil in the last month than the reduced quotas to be implemented in November.  In other words, the reduced quotas will cut oil production in 10 countries if they adhere to cap the quota.  Having said that, the cut will still be about 1.3 million barrels a day effectively and it is still substantial, from Saudi Arabia (552,000 barrels), UAE (171,000 barrels), Iran (150,000 barrels), Kuwait (144,000 barrels), Libya (100,000 barrels), Iraq (69,000 barrels), Algeria (43,000 barrels), Gabon (28,000 barrels), South Sudan (21,000 barrels, and Oman (21,000 barrels).   What to consider?   US Unemployment Rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 3.5% Nonfarm payroll growth lowered to +263K in September, down from August’s +315K but slightly above the median forecast of +255K of Bloomberg’s survey.  Major areas of strength in the establishment report (i.e. payrolls) were healthcare, leisure, and hospitality while trade and transportation employment was weak. The market moving part in the cluster of data was the 0.2pp decline in the unemployment rate to 3.5% in September from 3.7% in August which the market had expected unchanged at 3.7%.  Part of the fall in the unemployment rate was attributed to a 0.1pp decline in the labor force participation rate to 62.3% from 62.4%. Investors and trades are concerned about the inability of the participation rate to sustain its rally toward 63 or higher so as to dampen upward pressure on wages. Average hourly earnings came in as expected at +0.3% M/M and +5% Y/Y.  FedEx’s ground delivery unit expects a slower volume ahead FedEx Ground, the ground delivery unit of FedEx (FDX:xnys) said in a statement that they are expecting “weakening macroeconomic conditions are causing volume softness. The unit is working with its customers on the latter’s projected shipping needs and making adjustments.  The U.S. tightened restrictions on exporting semiconductor equipment, components, and high-end chips to China The U.S. Department of Commerce rolled out new regulations last Friday to prohibit American companies from exporting to Chinese companies advanced semiconductor equipment and components that can be used to make equipment without first applying for a license from the Department of Commerce effective immediately. The Department of Commerce’s new rules bans U.S. persons from providing support to the development or production of semiconductors at Chinese semiconductor facilities without a license from the Department of Commerce.  The Department of Commerce also tightened the Foreign Direct Product Rule to restrict China from obtaining advanced microchips that can be used in supercomputers and artificial intelligence applications from American companies as well as foreign companies that rely on American technologies. Tourism data was weak for the National Day Golden Week holiday in China According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, domestic trips and revenues for the period from Oct 1 to 7 were 18.2% and 26.2% lower than those in the same period last year respectively.  According to estimates from the Ministry of Transport, the aggregate number of passenger trips via roads, railways, waterways and aviation from Oct 1 to 7 was 255.5 million trips or 36.5 million trips per day on average, which was 36.4% lower than that in 2021. Putin is chairing a meeting with his Security Council on Monday Russian President Putin is going to chair a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council today. It was apparently in response to the explosion two days ago that seriously damaged the Kerch bridge which links Crimea with Russia.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-10-oct-10102022
    Share of Russian metal grows in LME warehouses

    Copper Trade Unchanged But There May Be A Supply Problem| Dozens Of Grain-Hauling Vessels Are Already Backing Up

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.10.2022 09:31
    Summary:  Markets remained in a risk-off mood on Friday as US equities sold off steeply in the wake of in-line US employment data for September that discourages the notion that the Fed is set to let up on the tightening pressure any time soon. Sentiment has not picked up to start the week in the Asian session overnight as China is back from a long holiday. The macro calendar highlight of the coming week is Thursday’s US September CPI data, while the large US banks will kick off the Q3 earnings season late this week.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US stocks fell sharply on Friday, closing back toward the cycle lows and wiping out most of the rally from the previous Friday’s cycle-low close. The sell-off Friday was triggered by the stronger than expected US jobs report: payrolls growth was in-line with expectations, but the unemployment rate dropped back to the modern record low of 3.5%, taking US yields higher as the market fears sustained further tightening pressure from the Fed. With the price action now back near the bear market lows, this week could prove pivotal for markets as we await the key US September CPI data on Thursday and as quarterly earnings season is set to kick off late this week with the large US banks reporting Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China returned from a week-long holiday today and declined moderately with CSI300 off 0.9%.  EV, semiconductor, and tourism names retreated.  Domestic trips and revenues, as well as traffic data for the period from Oct 1 to 7, were substantially below the levels during the same period last year.  Last Friday, the Biden Administration rolled out new rules to restrict China’s access to semiconductor equipment.  Oil and gas, poultry, and pig farming stocks gained in the A-share market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index continued to plunge on Monday, falling by more than 2.5%.  Chip makers, SMIC (00981:xhkg) and Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) plunged 29% and 9.9% respectively.  China internet stocks moved lower, with leading names falling from 3% to 8%. USD and US yields/risk sentiment Cratering risk sentiment on Friday took the US dollar higher as the September US jobs report failed to show any negative surprise that might bring some relief in the Fed’s tightening regime, and as the unemployment rate falling back to the modern record low of 3.5% took US yields back toward cycle highs.  The first USD pairs to push to new cycle extremes include AUDUSD overnight, as the pair tested levels below 0.6350, and USDJPY edged further above the 145.00 area as traders wonder if and when the Bank of Japan/Ministry of Finance will intervene again. EURUSD has more room to run before hitting the cycle lows below 0.9600. The key coincident indicators are likely to remain US treasury yields as the front end of the yield curve is pushing on the cycle highs near 4.35%, and on risk sentiment if US equity indices spill to new lows after nearly hitting the cycle lows overnight. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades back below $1700 and back on the defensive after Fridays stronger-than-expected US jobs report added a renewed bid to the dollar and yields on raised concerns the Federal Reserve will continue to hike rates aggressively. The latest COT report covering the week to last Tuesday when gold, supported by a temporary slump in the dollar and yields, jumped by around 6% showed that most of the buying that week was due to short covering.  Overall, the net position jumped 46k lots from the biggest short in almost four years to a small net long. With renewed dollar strength in focus the risk of fresh albeit more muted short selling exists with gold’s renewed upside push unlikely until the market feels convinced that the Fed has reached peak hawkishness. Focus this week on US PPI and CPI prints. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) pauses after +15% weekly jump Crude oil traded softer in Asia as demand concerns resurfaced in response to worries about a global economic slowdown made worse by central banks continuing to hike rates. Despite worries about supply disruptions the OPEC+ group of producers last week agreed to cut production from November, a move that sent prices sharply higher and will likely prolong central banks battle against inflation and with that the risk of a deeper economic contraction. China meanwhile continues its battle with local virus outbreaks further delaying a pickup in demand from the world's largest importer. Ahead of last week’s OPEC decision hedge funds had increased bullish oil bets to a ten-week high, the bulk of the change being driven by short covering. Focus this week being monthly oil market reports from EIA and OPEC on Wednesday followed by the IEA on Thursday. HG Copper Copper trades flat after a two-day sell off ahead of the weekend eroded earlier strong gains led by dollar weakness and supply worries. However, supply risks are looming with a possible ban of Russian supplies to the London Metal Exchange potentially cutting off some of the world's biggest companies impacting supply of key metals from nickel, aluminum, copper and zinc. In addition, China reopening after a weeklong holiday to report a smaller than expected build in copper stockpiles compared with last year. Speculators cut their net short in HG copper to just 2.5k lots in the week to October 4, the lowest conviction in four months that prices will fall further.  US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields lifted all along the curve Friday in the wake of the US September jobs report, which saw the unemployment rate dropping back to the modern record low of 3.5% (in part on a slight drop in the participation rate). The 2-year yield overnight hit the cycle high of 4.34%, while the 10-year yields has yet to break back above the cycle high just north of 4.00% that was posted during the UK gilt wipeout before the BoE brought emergency intervention. Focus this week on FOMC minutes on Wednesday and the US September CPI data point on Thursday. What is going on?   The U.S. tightened restrictions on exporting semiconductor equipment, components, and high-end chips to China. The U.S. Department of Commerce rolled out new regulations last Friday to prohibit American companies from exporting advanced semiconductor equipment and components to Chinese companies that can be used to make equipment without first applying for a license from the Department of Commerce effective immediately. The Department of Commerce’s new rules bans U.S. persons from providing support to the development or production of semiconductors at Chinese semiconductor facilities without a license from the Department of Commerce.  The Department of Commerce also tightened the Foreign Direct Product Rule to restrict China from obtaining advanced microchips that can be used in supercomputers and artificial intelligence applications from American companies as well as foreign companies that rely on American technologies. Germany says severing of cables that disrupted train networks Saturday was highly “professional”, although no suspects were identified and no known person or organization has claimed responsibility for the operation, which shut down much of train travel across northern Germany for several hours. Russian leader Putin calls Security Council for a meeting today after Crimean bridge attack. A truck bomb heavily damaged the only bridge link between Russian territory and Crimea, a move dubbed a terrorist attack by Putin and one that could bring more reprisals on Ukrainian infrastructure, with considerable focus on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia, where intense fighting has at times disrupted power to the plant in recent days. Iron Ore (SCOc1) price hits a three-week high after China returns from week-long holiday. The price of the key streel ingredient, Iron Ore (SOCA,SCOX2) rose 2.4% $96.25 in Asia today after China’s markets reopened after a week long holiday. The 2.4% jump in the iron ore is the biggest one day advance in three weeks. The Iron Ore remains 50% lower than its all-time high of $211 after China curbed imports and lockdowns continue to linger. Iron ore is finding it hard to break out of a bear market, despite, US steel giant, Nucor announced two weeks ago its pushing ahead with plans to expand steel production, with its newest line to open in mid-2025. However, shares in BHP (BHP:xasx) listed in Australia have rallied off their lows and trade 15% away from record high-territory, with the miner benefiting from rising cash flows from its other businesses (coal and oil). Chicago wheat futures jumped nearly 3% in early trading, underpinned by concerns over the Russia-Ukraine war slowing grain shipments from the Black Sea region. This after Putin accused Ukraine of orchestrating the explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait, a key prestige project for the Russian President. The developments cast even more uncertainty over shipments to the world market through Ukraine’s export corridor in the Black Sea, which comes up for renewal next month. Dozens of grain-hauling vessels are already backing up while awaiting inspection at Istanbul under the terms of the deal.  What are we watching next? The economic calendar for the week picks up on Wednesday with the latest set of FOMC minutes, but the highlight of the week will be Thursday’s US September CPI report, after the August data surprised with significantly higher than expected inflation. Friday we get a look at US September retail sales after core spending has been on a declining trend for the last several months. Earnings to watch The Q3 earnings season kicks off this week, with the most important day being Friday, as seven large US financial institutions reporting. The key focus points will be to what extent US banks are able to increase their net interest margin and the levels of credit provisions. Wednesday: PepsiCo Thursday: Progressive, Fast Retailing, Tryg, Walgreen Boots Alliance, Fastanal, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, Domino’s Pizza Friday: Shanghai Putailai New Energy, YTO Express Group, PNC Financial Services, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, First Republic Bank Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT)US Bank Holiday (treasury market closed, equity market open)0815 – ECB's Centeno to speak1030 – ECB's de Cos to speak1300 – US Fed’s Evans (voter 2023) to speak1300 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak1700 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to speak2200 – Australia Sep. CBA Household Spending2330 – Australia Oct. Westpac Consumer Confidence Index0030 – Australia Sep. NAB Business Conditions/Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-10-2022-10102022
    European Markets Face Headwinds Amid Rising Yields and Inflation Concerns

    Apple's (AAPL) Changes In Its iOS Expected To Affect Meta (FB) Revenues

    ING Economics ING Economics 10.10.2022 14:33
    Social media companies have suffered heavily in the recent stock rout. Recent revenue trends contribute to this. Some companies will be impacted by declining advertising revenues more than others, caused by changing policies around the use of cookies The Nasdaq index, which is dominated by technology companies, has lost about -27% of its value over a year Equity returns of social media companies have been dreadful lately The technology sector is not immune to the severe economic disruption caused by the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices. The Nasdaq index, which is dominated by technology companies, has lost about 27% of its value over a year. This loss is larger than the Dow Jones index which is traditionally more focused on industrial companies. The Dow Jones index has lost 15% of its value in a year. However, there are many underlying differences within the technology sectors, pointing to a divergent impact. Social media companies rely on advertisers The business model of many internet companies depends on advertising revenues. This holds especially true for some companies that are well-known online, such as Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp), Alphabet, Amazon, but also Snap, Pinterest and Twitter. For example, about 81% of revenues at Alphabet are from advertising, according to Moody’s. The revenues of these companies have exploded as many advertisers have moved their advertising budgets online. This move has been compounded by the relatively high effectiveness of online advertising. Western Europe advertising expenditure (US$bn) Source: Magna Global, S&P Global Market Intelligence The outlook for advertising revenues has deteriorated As shown by the figures above, advertising expenditures allocated to time-based, or linear, audio-visual media is expected to be moved towards digital media. From 2016 to 2025, advertising spending on linear media is expected to decline by 29% according to Magna Global, while advertising spending on digital media is expected to more than double in the same period. Revenue growth at the digital platforms is therefore not only driven by market growth but mostly by shifting advertising preferences. The bigger advertising agencies have so far not announced any weakness in advertising revenues. According to Bloomberg, the consensus expectation for Omnicom’s organic 2022 revenue growth is still around 3%. Publicis raised its expectation for organic 2022 revenue growth on 21 July, to which the equity market reacted strongly positive. The fact that these companies did not report disappointing revenues can be explained by the fact that the budgets the agencies work with have been committed beforehand. By comparison, ads on technology platforms are often sold through an auction. This real-time process makes the pricing of ads much more susceptible to a drop in demand. Something we see happening now. In addition, agencies are making their way into this new domain of online advertising. Publicis made some acquisitions and is working with an ID-based solution to track online advertising performance. Quarterly revenue developments online advertising companies (YoY) Source: Refinitiv Eikon   Recently, however, many social media companies have announced that they expect their advertising revenues to decline. Meta announced a small year-on-year decline in 2Q revenues by -0.9%, while its historical average quarterly growth rate has been 35.8% since 2015. This is the first time the company has reported negative quarterly revenue growth. Alphabet announced an overall revenue increase of 12.6% in 2Q22, but the company mentioned that its advertising segment is facing headwinds, while cloud is doing well. Snap announced a 2Q22 revenue increase of 13%. The company had indicated already in May that growth would be below the initial guidance of 20-25% growth for 2Q22. Nevertheless, the strong secular growth in online advertisement demand could mask the effects of an economic slowdown. Most companies are still reporting revenue growth, despite headwinds. However, when online advertising becomes more mature, it can no longer take market share from linear advertising budgets while it relies more on growing advertising budgets. Therefore, at some point in the future, growth rates of digital advertising revenues should come down while the industry becomes more prone to economic cycles. For now, online advertisers are still grappling with the effects of policies that intend to increase the privacy of citizens. Apple has restricted the online tracking of users In the summer of 2021, Apple started to significantly restrict the ability of advertisers to track the behaviour of users. Apple introduced a new privacy feature for iOS devices that limits app developers to target users as well as to measure ad performance. Companies that relied on such tools, such as Meta and Snap, have been impacted to a larger extent than advertisement companies relying on other means, such as advertisement income from search ads. In its 4Q21 earnings call, Meta announced that it expects the changes in iOS to have an impact on 2022 revenues of about $10bn. We could see more barriers raised to target specific users Apart from changes made at Apple, Google is also planning to phase out mechanisms that track user behaviour through cookies. There is an industry-wide awareness that users are increasingly concerned with the information collected by technology platforms. The introduction of cookie legislation as well as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have also contributed to this. Google, for example, plans to introduce a new tool which should replace cookie tracking. It has been delayed now to next year. Nevertheless, there are many ways to segment users to be able to target ads. However, this is costly and easier for some than others. Some advertising agencies are also uncertain about the potential impact of restricting cookies. S4 mentions in its 2021 annual report that: “Google’s announcement that it will be blocking third-party cookies by 2023 (delayed from 2022) presents both a significant opportunity and challenge to the group, given that several of our programmatic activities are built on top of the third-party cookie”. In any case, new technology has to match the appropriate regulations such as GDPR. There are also other issues. People use multiple devices interchangeable, which makes it hard for third-party cookies to track consumer behaviour as well as the effectiveness of advertisements. Users may open an email or website on one device and buy the goods or services that are advertised from another device. This reduces the effectiveness of the current systems. Bigger platforms have more opportunities to invest in new technology Other means to place targeted advertisements are possible. Some companies already own specific user data, which makes it easier to sell advertisements targeted at specific user groups. Companies that sell ads based on user search requests still have a straightforward model. It will also be possible to sell ads based on the context it will be shown in. Furthermore, systems could be created around target groups using data in an anonymised way. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge for companies to target specific user groups while also acknowledging privacy regulations that are likely to become stricter over time, because societies seem more willing to implement tougher regulations. And citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the value of their online profiles and are more able to avoid being tracked. So, companies need the financial muscle to keep investing in regulation-proof alternatives. Scale and a large user base make it easier to do so. Alphabet’s division Google announced that it is going to replace cookie tracking. However, the company has postponed the implementation date and has changed the characteristics of the solution that initially was intended to replace cookie tracking. Financial conditions are tightening causing cost reduction efforts Technology platforms are not only faced with revenue headwinds but also their cost of funding increasing. In August 2020, Alphabet issued 2027 notes in dollars at a yield of 0.8%. Today, these bonds have a yield of 4.2%. At the end of August 2021, Netflix's 4.875% 2030 USD notes traded at a yield of 2.37%, while today it yields slightly over 6%. This is happening at a time when interest rates in the broader market are increasing and it implies higher interest costs in the future for companies. The weakening outlook for advertising revenues also reflects a broader weak economic outlook, the catalyst for the equity sell-off, as reflected by equity indices turning lower. According to the Financial Times, investors have been selling private equity and venture capital funds at the fastest pace on record. Because of these tightening financial conditions, technology firms are turning their focus on cash flow generation, as opposed to investing in new ventures with an uncertain and remote pay-off. Snap has announced a reduction of its workforce by 20% and is reprioritising investments. Meta announced a headcount reduction for the first time as well as a sweeping reorganisation. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai hopes to make the company 20% more productive while slowing hiring and investments. Clearly, companies are working hard to make the best out of this situation. Snapchat's parent company Snap is cutting its workforce by 20% due to revenue growth falling below expectations Summary Advertising platforms expect a slowdown in advertising revenue growth because of the expected economic slowdown. This comes at a time when companies are already having to overcome challenges from stricter privacy settings. Over time, the allocation of advertising budgets from linear media to digital media is expected to continue, providing a tailwind to revenues. Nevertheless, digital advertising companies are expected to only grow their revenues in line with market growth and will be more exposed to economic cycles over time. Investments in solutions that can track user behaviour in a privacy regulation-proof way need to continue. But the targeting of narrow audience segments will likely be challenging with regulations becoming stricter. These headwinds are compounded momentarily by tighter financial conditions. Read this article on THINK TagsTechnology Social media NASDAQ Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc Was The Leading Gainer In The Dow Jones Index

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 11.10.2022 08:15
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.32%, the S&P 500 was down 0.75% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 1.04%. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was the leading gainer in the Dow Jones Index today, up 1.32 points or 4.33% to close at 31.84. Merck & Company Inc rose 2.88 points or 3.29% to close at 90.48. Boeing Co rose 2.11 points or 1.63% to close at 131.90. The losers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 4.65 points or 3.09% to end the session at 145.64. Microsoft Corporation was up 2.13% or 4.99 points to close at 229.25, while Walt Disney Company was down 2.06% or 2.00 points to close at 95. 16. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which rose 4.33% to 31.84, Moderna Inc, which gained 3.44% to close at 123.42, and also shares of McCormick & Company Incorporated, which rose 3.30% to end the session at 75.86. The biggest losers were Wynn Resorts Limited, which shed 12.25% to close at 64.14. Shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc shed 8.33% to end the session at 393.19. Quotes Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd fell in price by 7.91% to 11.88. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Applied DNA Sciences Inc, which rose 70.97% to 2.12, Immunic Inc, which gained 56.57% to close at 6.20, and also shares of Green Giant Inc (NASDAQ:GGE), which rose 39.26% to end the session at 2.27. Shares of Siyata Mobile Inc were the biggest losers, losing 59.33% to close at 0.12. Shares of Minim Inc lost 29.38% and ended the session at 0.23. Quotes of Acm Research Inc decreased in price by 26.50% to 9.04. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2031) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1053), while quotes of 120 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,297 companies fell in price, 1,471 rose, and 191 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 3.48% to 32.45. Gold futures for December delivery lost 2.01%, or 34.40, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 1.89%, or 1.75, to $90.89 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 2.08%, or 2.04, to $95.88 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.40% to 0.97, while USD/JPY was up 0.27% to hit 145.73. Futures on the USD index rose 0.36% to 113.09.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-12 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/296222
    UK PMI Weakness Supports Pause in Bank of England's Tightening Cycle

    Inflation Data Will Be An Additional Stimulus For The Fed To Further Raise Interest Rates

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 11.10.2022 12:49
    Analysts at Goldman Sachs say it is too early to assess a dovish turn in Fed policy as the economic outlook is not bad enough yet and the rate markets remain too volatile. They added that significant rate fluctuations mean that expectations of higher stock returns over relatively safer assets are likely to be lowered. Speculation that the Fed's policy would become more equity-friendly has led to the S&P 500 rising from time to time over the past 12 months. But those rallies have all been sold out and the indicator hit new lows each time. The central bank also appears to be on track to fulfill its fourth straight 75 bp rise at its November meeting. Now, the US stock market is just a few points away from closing at its lowest level since November 2020. It has already fallen 24% this year. Tighter financial conditions, a potential escalation in geopolitical risks, and the current mix of economic growth and inflation have increased downside risk for the stock. Meanwhile, 2-year Treasury yields rose to 4.35% on Tuesday, its highest level since 2007. The reason is fears that US inflation data this week will add more incentive for the Fed to keep raising interest rates. There is also a possible government split in the US midterm elections, but this could lead to stocks performing well after the event as political uncertainty subsides.   Relevance up to 09:00 2022-10-12 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/323963
    EUR/USD Trading Analysis and Tips: Navigating Signals and Volatility

    On The New York Stock Exchange, 1818 Of Securities Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.10.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.10%, the S&P 500 was down 0.33% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 0.09%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was JPMorgan Chase & Co, which gained 1.65 points (1.62%) to close at 103.61. Quotes of Coca-Cola Co rose by 0.66 points (1.21%), closing trading at 55.14. Intel Corporation rose 0.29 points or 1.16% to close at 25.33. The biggest losers were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which shed 0.67 points or 2.05% to end the session at 31.94. Walmart Inc was up 1.13% or 1.50 points to close at 131.17, while Boeing Co was down 0.87% or 1.15 points to close at 130.42. . Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which rose 11.48% to 45.36, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which gained 11.61% to close at 12. 98, as well as shares of Carnival Corporation, which rose 9.79% to close the session at 7.29. The biggest losers were Albemarle Corp, which shed 7.89% to close at 251.45. Shares of T. Rowe Price Group Inc lost 5.14% to end the session at 98.07. Quotes of Entergy Corporation decreased in price by 4.52% to 96.58. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Pintec Technology Holdings Ltd, which rose 191.16% to hit 0.91, Agrify Corp, which gained 88.02% to close at 0.95, and also shares of 9F Inc, which rose 83.42% to close the session at 0.35. The biggest losers were Fednat Holding Co, which shed 33.87% to close at 0.22. Shares of T2 Biosystms Inc lost 30.00% and ended the session at 0.06. Kinnate Biopharma Inc lost 26.65% to 8.12. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1818) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1274), while quotes of 132 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,902 stocks fell, 1,820 rose, and 278 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.18% to 33.57. Gold futures for December delivery shed 0.33%, or 5.50, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 2.70%, or 2.41, to $86.94 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 2.13%, or 2.01, to $92.28 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.03% to 0.97, while USD/JPY edged up 0.70% to hit 146.88. Futures on the USD index rose 0.06% to 113.19.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-14 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/296618
    BSP Maintains Rates Amid Moderate Inflation; Eyes Further Tightening if Needed

    US Stocks: S&P 500 And Nasdaq Decreased Slightly Yesterday Losing 0.33% And 0.09% Respectively

    ING Economics ING Economics 13.10.2022 10:55
    US inflation today's main macro risk event - UK Gilts market still troubling. Asia quiet.  Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: Yesterday’s stock movements are probably as close to a “flat” day as you get these days, with the S&P500 down only 0.33% and the NASDAQ down just 0.09%. Equity futures look modestly positive, which seems a carefree stance just before US CPI data, where upside misses to the consensus view have been more common than risk-positive surprises on the downside. There isn’t all that much action in currency space either. EURUSD remains at the very lower end of 0.97, the AUD is also stuck at about 0.6275 though the JPY has pushed well above 145  to sit at 146.74 currently. There has been some recovery of sterling, and Cable has risen back to 1.1098. Short-dated UK bond yields retreated sharply yesterday as the Bank of England (BoE) bought up GBP4.56bn of bonds. The yield on 2Y gilts fell 20.3bp. At the longer end of the curve, big early losses were mostly, but not wholly erased by the BoE’s intervention. The BoE is still sticking to the line that they will cease supporting the bond market by Friday, however. It almost sounds as if they think they are in control. We will see. US Treasury yields also declined slightly, with the 10Y UST yield dropping to 3.896%, a fall of 5.1bp. Asian FX has been pretty quiet except for the KRW which gained following yesterday’s 50bp BoK hike, despite very vague forward guidance.   G-7 Macro: FOMC minutes released last night showed that members were more worried about doing too little to stamp out inflation than about doing too much. Here, there is a clear divergence between central banks in the APAC region, such as the Reserve Bank of Australia, which is taking the opposite approach. US September CPI tonight is forecast to show the headline inflation rate dipping to 8.1%YoY from 8.3%, but the core rate is expected to rise to 6.5% from 6.3%. There is certainly scope for surprises to this data with market reactions in either direction likely to be large. More weight will probably be given to misses on the core figure than the headline. China: The IMF published a note on China's housing issue, pointing to the lack of cash from sales and bond issuance (stemming from the three red line policy) and therefore is a problem if home sales continue to drop. Our forecast is that home sales could contract 45% in 2022 then another 15% in 2023. That should lead to more cross defaults of property developers’ bonds until potential buyers return to the market again. We have seen some home sales during the Golden Week but are unsure whether this can form a trend. The government is trying to replicate 2014-2017 policies to boost demand for homes, which includes shanty-town redevelopments. This time is complicated by a weaker economy (partly because of Covid measures). Yesterday, the government reiterated that dynamic Covid measures are here to stay. India: Inflation released yesterday evening came in at 7.41%, fractionally above the consensus 7.36%. For more details, see the linked note. The main takeaway is that as inflation should start to dip as soon as next month, the Reserve Bank of India can slow its tightening, and may be able to stop after a further 25bp December hike.  Japan: Pipeline prices in September rose more than expected, mainly due to the weak JPY and the rebound in global commodity prices. Producer price inflation rose 9.7%YoY in September (vs 9.0% in August and 8.9% market consensus). The main driver was commodity-related prices, but the weak yen also expanded price gains. This was confirmed by the sharp rise in import prices in yen terms. Import prices on a yen basis surged 48% YoY (vs 43.2 % in August) while import prices on a contract currency base only rose 21.0% YoY in September and decelerated from 22.3% in August.  We expect that Japan’s CPI inflation will rise further and stay above 3% for a considerable time. What to look out for: US inflation Japan PPI inflation (13 October) US CPI inflation and initial jobless claims (13 October) China trade balance, CPI and PPI inflation (14 October) Korea unemployment (14 October) US retail sales and University of Michigan sentiment (14 October) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    CHF/JPY Hits Fresh All-Time High in Strong Bullish Uptrend

    Cheaper Netflix Is Here!| Jim Cramer Comments On The Shares

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 14.10.2022 10:02
    Today we take a look at real estate risk in UBS the 2022 Global Real Estate Bubble Index, the ecosystem situation and other news. We will also look at the expert commentary Head of Global Thematic and Public Policy Research Michael Zezas and U.S. Equity Strategist Michelle Weaver.  In this article: Companies' stocks rising Biodiversity Situation 2022 Global Real Estate Bubble Index Thoughts by Jim Cramer New Netflix's plan Post-pandemic problems of companies Morgan Stanley tweets about companies' inventory rising. The discussion was attended by Head of Global Thematic and Public Policy Research Michael Zezas and U.S. Equity Strategist Michelle Weaver.   As consumption of goods slows post COVID, companies are experiencing a build up in inventory that could have far reaching implications. Head of Global Thematic and Public Policy Research Michael Zezas and U.S. Equity Strategist Michelle Weaver discuss. https://t.co/cYXO15cG0n pic.twitter.com/XZbanoplvX — Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) October 13, 2022 The pandemic situation negatively affected many industries, individuals and the entire economy. Also, the current post-pademic situation is not positive. Currently, the global problem is blowing inflation, which negatively affects the situation of companies. Another problem is the increase in inventories in warehouses. Product stored for a long time may lose its substance, and the inability to travel causes a reduction in production. Firms will begin to struggle with higher maintenance costs, which can result in job cuts and, in the worst case, even closings. Eyes on biodiversity Credit Suisse in its last tweet addresses the topic of the poor condition of the biosphere.   Biodiversity is being increasingly threatened, with up to one million species at risk of extinction. The reasons include climate change, pollution and deforestation. Read more about why climate change matters for biodiversity: https://t.co/C1UDMqGsap pic.twitter.com/2CNYsuypox — Credit Suisse (@CreditSuisse) October 13, 2022 Biodiversity is important to the entire ecosystem. This ensures that the float chain is in balance and that the ecosystem situation is also stable. We have been struggling with a significant climate change for several decades, many species are already extinct. Humanity that has caused this must take action to prevent an ecological catastrophe. Raising awareness about this is very important, because making individuals aware that action, even small, can save the ecosystem. Which cities may be at risk of a real estate bubble UBS in its tweet informs about the 2022 Global Real Estate Bubble Index.   Our 2022 Global Real Estate Bubble Index is out. Read the full report and find out if your city is at risk of a property bubble. https://t.co/b4s39M0nGz #GREBI #ShareUBS pic.twitter.com/g6hINxpLPI — UBS (@UBS) October 13, 2022 The economic situation in the world is tense. Inflation causes economies to lighten or fall into recession. The staggering state of economies affects individual industries, sectors including the real estate sector. Indeed, the property market has long been supported by central banks. Ultra-low financing conditions and demand outpacing construction have led to increasingly optimistic price expectations among buyers. Current rise of Interest rates—and in turn, financing costs—have climbed in recent months to combat elevated inflation. Consequently, the willingness to pay for owner-occupied homes is likely to take a hit. In its report, UBS makes it possible to get acquainted with the situation on the real estate market in individual cities. Expert opinion on several shares Mad Money On CNBC tweets Jim Cramer's thoughts on Tellurian, Zoetis, and more.   .@JimCramer also gave his thoughts on Tellurian, Zoetis and more. https://t.co/vpuGg6Y6vq — Mad Money On CNBC (@MadMoneyOnCNBC) October 13, 2022 The expert looks at the shares of several companies and expresses his opinions. Knowing an expert's opinion on share prices is important for investors in the current climate. This allows you to give a fresh perspective on these companies. Netflix's plan with ad FXMAG on its Twitter feed informs about CNBC's comment about the ad-powered Netflix's plan.   @CNBC has just commented on the “ad-powered” $6.99/mo @netflix’s plan #StockMarkets https://t.co/fMTV5tigCF — FXMAG.com (@FXMAG24) October 13, 2022 Netflix is very popular. It offers three possible plans. Recently, he announced that there will be a plan powered by advertisements. This plan may turn out to be cheaper. The question arises whether it will enjoy popularity, whether people will opt for the cheaper version of the ad, and whether they prefer to pay more to avoid advertising. Doing so can also be a trick for subscribers to decide to pay more for ad-free viewing comfort, but it can also be an option for people who prefer to save money and watch their favorite games on a platform.
    EUR: Stagflation Returns Amid Weaker Growth and Sticky Inflation

    Japanese Yen (JPY) Suffers The Most, Expectations For The Chinese Economy (CPI, Export)

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.10.2022 10:48
    Summary:  A choppy session in equity and bond markets despite a hot US CPI print for September pushing up Fed funds rate expectations by over 25bps on the terminal rate projections which limits the room for Fed officials to out-hawk the markets. Japanese yen suffers the biggest blow as intervention remains weak, while GBP and Gilts generally supported higher with another potential U-turn in UK fiscal plan. Further tightening from Monetary Authority from Singapore boosts the SGD, and China’s CPI will be on watch in the Asian session before Bank earnings take away the limelight later in the day. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) indices plunged after hot CPI data then whipsawed higher, moving in a ~5% range Core inflation (which excludes volatile food and energy items) rose to a 40-year high in September which gives the Federal Reserve reason to continue with its aggressive interest-rate hikes. The Nasdaq 100 fell over 3% and the S&P500 fell 2.35% before both major indices whipsawed higher with the Nasdaq ending up 2.3% and the S&P500 up 2.6%. Short covering and macro trading would have played a huge role in the reason markets whipsawed higher. ETF volume accounted for 39% of the turnover, just a touch lower than the record high of 40%. In terms of sectors, financials and energy led the benchmark index higher. Amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) made new highs before waning U.S. treasuries had a volatile after the hot CPI prints. Now the money market fully prices in a 75bps hike in the November FOMC and a terminal rate of 4.9% early next year. The front end of the treasury curve was hit most with 2-year yields rising to as much as 24bps to 4.53% before paring back some of the move to finish the day 17bps higher at 4.65%. 10-year yields made a new high, hitting 4.08% soon after the CPI but spent the rest of the session waning to up only 4bps to close at 3.94%, despite a weak 30-year auction in the afternoon. The sharp rally (yields falling by over 20bps across the curve) in U.K. gilts contributed to stabilising U.S treasuries. The Bank of England bought a record £4.68 billion of gilts in its emergency bond purchase programme which is set to end on Friday. Traders snapped up gilts on speculation that the Truss government will announce the reversal of some of the tax cuts in the mini-budget when the Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng returns from the IMF meeting in Washington.  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) may likely meet a similar fate to US equities and have a wild day of trade In Australia a similar situation is playing out with the futures market is now pricing in interest rates will peak at 3.9% next year.  We have seen the RBA express ‘peak hawkishness’, is behind it. But the market is still pricing in rate rises will continue, but at a steady pace. This means growth sectors remain pressured and value strengthens. Consider; amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value and support share price growth. This is worth perhaps reflecting on, especially given coal prices hit fresh highs and we are not at peak coal demand season (January) yet. As such energy prices seem supported higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equities retreated, Hang Seng Index down 1.9% and CSI300 lower by 0.8%. HSBC (00005:xhkg) outperformed and gained 0.7%. Country Garden Services (06098:xhkg), tumbling 14.1%, and Country Garden Holdings (02007:xhkg), falling 9.8% were the worst performers in the Hang Seng Index, as the China property space continued to sell off. Machinery stocks declined on weak excavator sales in China. Weaknesses in China Internet and EV stocks dragged the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) down by 3.4%. On the other hand, local Hong Kong developers, Sun Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg), up 2.7%, New World Development (00017:xhkg), up 2.2%, and CK Asset Holdings (01113:xhkg), climbing 1.2% were among the best performers in the benchmark index, following news reports saying the Hong Kong Government is considering to relax the 15% extra stamp duty that non-resident buyers need to pay when buying a property in Hong Kong. In addition, Hong Kong is considering allowing 12 people instead of the currently 4 to gather in public. Macao casino stocks dropped from 1.9% to more than 7% on the dim prospect of relaxation on zero-Covid policy in mainland China. The head of China’s Epidemic Response and Disposal Leading Group, Liang Wannian, said on TV that China had no timeline for an exit from its Covid strategy. Sands China (01928:xhkg) was also troubled by a lawsuit in the U.S. in which the claimant is seeking more than USD7.5 billion in compensation. Healthcare stocks gained at the Hong Kong and mainland bourses. In the A-share market, computing, software, and digital currency concept stocks gained, following China’s central bank’s pledge to promote the development of the digital renminbi. Weak verbal intervention in the Japanese yen USDJPY traded to a fresh record high of 147.67 overnight, and stayed above the 147 handle despite a reversal in US dollar strength later in the session. Only some weak comments were noted from Japanese authorities, with FinMin Suzuki saying that FX volatility was discussed at the G20 meeting. There was also some speculation of more Japanese intervention after some sudden price movements in the Yen yesterday as USDJPY hit a high of 147.47 before knee-jerking lower to 146.52, albeit if it was intervention it wasn't successful with USDJPY back above 147.00. That is perhaps a reason why Japanese MoF official has stayed away from confirming or denying Thursday’s intervention. BOJ Governor Kuroda kept easing bias saying not appropriate to raise rates in Japan now, and with US yields still seeing some more room on the upside, there could be more room for yen weakness. Our technical analyst highlights that if USDJPY breaks 147.65 resistance, 149.34 level is not unlikely. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) followed the USD price action While there were enough drivers for the oil prices overnight, price action in crude oil generally followed the USD trend which initially rose after the hot US CPI report cementing expectations for another 75bps rate hike at the November meeting and a small chance of a 100bps rate hike, but it fell later as risk sentiment revived. The IEA's monthly oil market report saw its Q4 demand view lowered by 300k BPD, while its 2023 demand outlook was cut by 470k BPD (both are still expected to show growth). But supply concerns also remained with the weekly US inventory reporting tight market in distillates following a decline of 4.9mln barrels in domestic supply. Crude stocks build was significantly above expectations (9.88mln vs an expected 1.75mln), while stocks at Cushing drew down by 309k; and gasoline posted a surprise build (2.023mln vs an expected -1.825mln). US-Saudi tensions also continue to slide downhill as the White House accused Saudi Arabia of coercing other OPEC+ members into agreeing to a huge output cut, and said it had asked the kingdom for a pause.   What to consider? Hot US CPI pushing Fed tightening expectations higher – can Fed members continue to out-hawk the markets? Core US inflation jumped to a 40-year high of 6.6% y/y in September, making more jumbo Fed rate increases inevitable. Headline CPI also came in higher than expectations, at 8.2% y/y with shelter, food and medical care contributing to the biggest gains. Fed funds rate expectations have pushed higher, with a full 75bps rate hike priced in for November with increasing expectations of a 75bps rate hike in December as well. March 2023 terminal rate expectation pushed higher by about 30bps to 4.94% now. This is above the 4.6% depicted by the Fed’s dot plot, and may leave little room for the Fed members to continue to out-hawk the markets. Fed speakers George, Cook and particularly Waller will be on the wires today. Reports of another potential UK fiscal U-turn There’s no ending the drama in the UK markets, with reports of another potential U-turn in the fiscal plans of Liz Truss government. Now, there are talks that the government is mulling hiking corporation tax despite initial plans to scrap the corporation tax hike and keep it unchanged. Such reports, along with the BOE’s increased bond-buying thus week, could help put a floor on UK assets next week as the central bank halts its bond purchases today. Still, the credibility of UK authorities remains in question, and that would mean it remains hard to include Gilts in asset allocation. Treasury Secretary Yellen warned about the risk of a loss of liquidity in the U.S. treasury market U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen voiced concerns about a potential breakdown in treasuries trading when answering questions yesterday and said that the Treasury is “worried about a loss of adequate liquidity in the market”. The concern about the potential risk of a sudden loss of liquidity or even a breakdown of trading in the U.S. treasury market has recently risen among some traders as the treasury market loses the largest buyer, the Fed in quantitative tightening. After rounds of QE and large fiscal deficits, the outstanding amount of treasuries has grown to USD23.7 trillion. The daily turnover in treasuries was USD627 billion a day in September.  The turmoil across the pond in the U.K. gilts markets has also added to the worries among traders and probably policy makers in the U.S. U.S. Bank earnings, potential CET1 capital shortfalls to watch Several leading U.S. banks, including JPMorganChase (JPM:xnys), Morgan Stanley (MS:xnys), Citigroup (C:xnys), Wells Fargo (WFC:xnys), US Bancorp (USB:xnys), PNC Financial (PNC:xnys), First Republic Bank (FRC:xnyc) are reporting on Friday. The market focus will be on JPMorganChase, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup. The key things to watch for are these banks’ net interest margins and their updates on the quality of their loan books, as well as the impact of mark-to-market losses incurred to their available-for-sale investment portfolio, which are largely treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities, on their common equity tier-1 (CET1).  Some of the banks may be hit by falling bond prices and are facing CET1 capital shortfalls. Taiwan’s TSMC, South Korea’s SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics secured U.S. approval for getting U.S. equipment for 1 year Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co said the company had secured a 1-year license from the U.S. government to continue to get U.S. chip-making equipment for its expansion in manufacturing capacity in China for the next 12 months.  Likewise, South Korean chip maker, SK Hynix said it had gotten a 1-year waiver from the U.S. government to import American equipment to its factories in China.  Reportedly, Samsung Electronics got a similar waiver.  On the other hand, China’s top semiconductor equipment maker Naura Technology was said to have told the company’s American engineers to stop working on research and development projects with immediate effect. The Chinese Communist Party convenes its 20th National Congress on Oct 16 General Secretary Xi Jinping will make a speech and presents the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Oct 16. From Oct 16 to 22, around 2,300 delegates from all over the country will elect 205 full members and 171 alternate members of the 20th Central Committee and select the members for the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. On Oct 22, the 20th National Congress will vote to approve the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee and approve an amendment to the charter of the CCP. The 20th National Congress ends on Oct 22 and the newly elected 20th Central Committee will hold its 1st plenary session on Oct 23 and decide on the most important 25-member Politburo and its 7-member Standing Committee, as well as members of the Central Military Commission and Central Secretariat.  Nomination of Premier and Vice-premiers of the State Council are matters to be decided not this time but later in the 2nd plenary session which may be held in February 2023 and that nomination will need to be approved by the National People’s Congress in March 2023. ECB QT likely to begin in Q2 2023, lower ECB terminal rate ECB discussed possible timeline for balance sheet reduction at Cyprus meeting earlier this month. Consensus appeared to emerge for quantitative tightening to start sometime in Q2 2023. Reports suggested that the ECB could already tweak its language on reinvestments at its October meeting and then could provide a detailed plan possibly in December but more likely in February. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that an ECB staff model puts the terminal rate in Europe at 2.25%, beneath the 3% that markets are currently pricing in; however, the response from ECB policymakers was mixed, with some fearing the model contains errors. China’s CPI is expected to rise to 2.9% in September China is releasing CPI and PPI data on Friday. The median forecast in the Bloomberg survey is expecting the CPI to rise to 2.9% Y/Y in September from 2.5% Y/Y in August.  The rise is likely attributed to higher food prices, including pork prices during the month.  PPI is expected to fall to 1.0% Y/Y in September from 2.3% in August, helped by a high base last year.  China’s export growth is expected to decelerate in September The median forecast in Bloomberg’s survey of economists calls for a sharp deceleration of China’s export growth in USD terms to +4.0% Y/Y in September from +7.1% in August, citing tightened pandemic control measures and a high base of last year. China’s LNG imports are set to decline this winter Bloomberg analysts estimate that China’s LNG import in November and December will be 12.7 million metric tons, a decline of 17% from last year, citing Chinese LNG users canceling LNG import terminal access slots. Singapore avoids a technical recession, MAS re-centres currency band Solid Q3 GDP growth of 4.4% y/y in Singapore according to advance estimates, crushing estimates as construction and services industries outperformed. This reaffirmed that Singapore not only avoided a technical recession, but is on a solid recovery track after the pandemic restrictions were removed. Q/Q growth turned positive to come in strongly at 1.5% from -0.2% previously. This has given further room to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to tighten the policy, and it announced re-centring of its currency policy band to the prevailing level. No changes to the width or slope of the band were announced, meaning the boost to the SGD could remain temporary as potentially more USD gains remain likely for now. What is the thinking about what will happen to interest rates in Australia? In Australia the futures market are now pricing in interest rates will peak at 3.9% next year. We have seen the RBA express ‘peak hawkishness’, is behind it. But the market is still pricing in rate rises will continue, but at a steady pace. This means growth sectors remain pressured and value strengthens. Consider; amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value and support share price growth. This is worth perhaps reflecting on, especially given coal prices hit fresh highs and we are not at peak coal demand season (December-January) yet. Also consider oil prices have moved off their lows. As such energy prices look supported higher for longer despite A. Most traded instruments at Saxo Australia this week The most traded stocks this week at Saxo in Australia are Tesla, Apple, Whitehaven Coal (hit new high), Coles, and Bank of Queensland results. What’s the takeaway here? We need to reflect on the trends. Trends are your friends when it comes to making profits in markets. In the banking sector; we heard from Bank of Queensland who is forecasting house prices to drop and loan growth to slow. Coal prices are moving up and continues to be supported. And in when it comes to the most transacted upon futures, in commodities; we've seen a pick-up in buying of Crude oil Futures; with the OPEC and EIA still predicting demand will outpace supply in 2023, meaning we could expect higher oil prices into next year.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-14-oct-v2-14102022
    The UK Economy Looks Worse Than The Rest Of The G7 Countries

    The Credibility Of The British Authorities Remains In Question | The Bloomberg Metals Index Trades Up

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.10.2022 11:13
    Summary:  A remarkable bear market turnaround in equities yesterday, as higher than expected US core inflation data aggravated the recent sell-off and sent sentiment plunging, only to quickly find a low and launch a nearly vertical comeback. A fresh rise in treasury yields in reaction to the inflation data only stuck at the short end of the yield curve as the market was forced to nudge Fed rate hike expectations for early next year to new highs for the cycle, while longer yields retreated sharply after briefly posting new cycle highs.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Yesterday’s US equity session will go down in history as one of the weirdest trading sessions. The US September CPI figure showed a negative surprise to inflation with the 6-month average core CPI hitting the highest level for the cycle at around 0.6% m/m (7.4% annualised) initially setting off a steep slide in US equities with S&P 500 futures hitting levels as low as the 3,502 level. However, in the subsequent part of the session US equities rallied hard with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,681 level up 2.6% and the index futures are continuing higher this morning trading around the 3,703 level. It seems that the session was driven by technical factors and potentially realignment of inventories by market markets and trading firms, so we think investors should not put too much weight on the recent price action. By next week, we will know how long-term institutional investors are judging the inflation print. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China rallied strongly, Hang Seng Index surging 3.4%, and CSI300 climbing 2%. The dramatic turnaround in the U.S. equity overnight helped set a more optimistic tone at the open. To add to the positive sentiment was the softer-than-expected Chinese CPI and PPI data released this morning showing inflation grew at a benign 0.6% y/y in September once the volatile food and energy prices were excluded. It fuels the anticipation of more room for the Chinese authorities to roll out stimulus measures. HSBC (00005:xhkg), which was also boosted by the strong rally in the pound sterling in anticipation of the U.K. Truss government changing course in some of the planned tax cuts, jumped 6.5%. Leading the Hong Kong benchmark were also pharmaceuticals, China property, China consumption, and China Internet names. In China A shares, healthcare, medical equipment, food and beverage, Chinese liquor and cloud computing were among the top performers. USD climax reversal? Lacking confirmation... The US dollar blasted higher on the hotter-than-expected core CPI data, which took the currency to new highs versus many of the less liquid currencies, only to see the action reversing sharply on the day as risk sentiment rallied and the move higher at the longer end of the US yield curve reversed. This created a bullish “hammer” reversal on many USD charts, like AUDUSD and inversely in USDCAD, but we will need for sentiment to launch a sustained recovery and for US yields to retreat further if we are to see a more significant consolidation in the dollar rally. After all, the move higher in Fed rate tightening expectations held up fairly well as the market now sees the Fed peaking at a policy rate of 4.75-5.00% and odds of a 100 basis point move in November have crept higher, though still very low. For EURUSD, the focus will be on the 0.9800-50 zone as the resistance barring the path to parity, while a close back below 0.9700 suggests the risk of further downside in the near term remains. Elsewhere, the USDJPY never really blinked despite all the volatility elsewhere, holding just below the highest levels since 1998 (more below). Gold (XAUUSD) Gold tumbled following the US CPI print but later recovered to settle back into the $1660 to $1680 range that has seen most of the action this week. While the 8.2% YoY inflation print for September raised expectations for more aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, the sentiment improved as the dollar reversed lower (see above) while the S&P 500 saw its 5th-largest intraday reversal from a low in the history of the index. Another rise in bond yields capped the upside to gold with the yield on two-year Notes hitting a fresh 15-year high above 4.5%. In our latest gold update we highlight the reasons behind our medium-term bullish outlook but also why the ducks are not yet lined up properly for the recovery to begin. Resistance at $1687 and $1695. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil is heading for a weekly loss made smaller by a surprise dollar weakness following yesterday's higher than expected US CPI print. The overall weakness seen this week being in response to a continued subdued demand outlook globally, especially in China as the government continues to support its growth reducing Covid-zero policy. The week also delivered global demand downgrades from the OPEC, EIA and yesterday the IEA, with the latter warning last week’s OPEC+ production cut was not justified by fundamentals leaving the price at risk of spiking thereby potentially tipping the global economy into a recession. Focus on US distillate stocks (diesel and heating oil) at a seasonal three-decade low driving refinery margins to a record high in New York. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The strong core US CPI data yesterday lifted the entire US yield curve, but while the move higher in short yields largely stuck, the long end pushed back lower to close the day largely unchanged. In the case of the 10-year yield, that meant back below 4.00% after posting new cycle highs above 4.05% intraday. This inverted the yield curve back toward the cycle extreme negative 50 basis points. A 30-year T-bond auction a couple of hours after the data release yesterday generated few headlines and no notable market reaction. What is going on? U.S. September CPI remains uncomfortably high U.S. CPI was up 8.2 % year-over-year last month versus expected 8.1 % year-over-year. This is a worrying signal which confirms that financial conditions are not tight enough to significantly lower inflationary pressures. Into details, the main drivers behind the increase in inflation are energy with a jump of 19.8 % year-over-year (gasoline fell in recent months but natural gas and electricity increased more), food with an increase of 11.2 % (food at home +13 %) and finally vehicles, transportation, medical and shelter with a price jump of 6.6 %. The latest inflation figures for September (both the headline CPI and the PPI) open the door to a 75-basis point interest hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve at the November meeting. US earnings recap: Walgreens, Delta Air Lines, and BlackRock Investors were relieved to read Walgreens’ EPS outlook for its next fiscal year with EPS at $4.45-4.65 vs est. $4.51, but we would argue there is a downside risk to this target as revenue growth is negative and wage pressures are building in the US labour market. Delta Air Lines surprised the market with an upbeat EPS outlook for Q4 with EPS at $1-1.25 vs est. $0.80 as pent-up demand remains strong and management said as well that the strong USD is not impacting its international business. BlackRock surprised on Q3 earnings against estimates, but AUM missed and the initial reaction from investors was negative. Reports of another potential UK fiscal U-turn There’s no ending to the drama in the UK markets, with reports of another potential U-turn in the fiscal plans of Liz Truss government. Now, there are talks that the government is mulling hiking corporate taxes despite initial plans to scrap the previously planned tax hike and keep it unchanged. Such reports, along with the BOE’s increased bond-buying this week, could help put a floor on UK assets next week as the central bank halts its bond purchases today. Still, the credibility of UK authorities remains in question, and that would mean it remains hard to include Gilts in asset allocation. Sterling is also all over the map – leaning to the strong side on hopes that the market has disciplined the Truss government from undermining the long term stability of UK government finances. The rises in China’s CPI and PPI were slower than expected China’s CPI came in at +2.8% Y/Y (vs consensus +2.9%; August +2.5%) and the core CPI (excluding food and energy) growth slowed to +0.6% Y/Y from +0.8% in August. The rise in the headline CPI was driven by a 36% Y/Y increase in pork prices and increases in most other food prices as well in September. The deceleration in the PPI to +0.9% Y/Y (vs consensus +1.0%) from +2.3% in August was driven by weaknesses in energy, mining, and raw materials as well as declines in prices in the oil and gas process, ferrous metal processing, and non-ferrous metal processing industries. The CPI and PPI overall point to sluggish demand in China. Weak verbal intervention in the Japanese yen USDJPY traded to a fresh record high of 147.67 overnight, and stayed above the 147 handle despite a reversal in US dollar strength later in the session. Only some weak comments were noted from Japanese authorities, with FinMin Suzuki saying that FX volatility was discussed at the G20 meeting. BOJ Governor Kuroda kept the easing bias, saying that it is not appropriate to raise rates in Japan now, and with US yields still seeing some more room on the upside, there could be more room for yen weakness. Our technical analyst highlights that if USDJPY breaks 147.65 resistance, 149.34 level is not unlikely. Industrial metals trade higher for a third week The Bloomberg Metals index trades up 4.4% this month supported by stretched supplies of copper in China and renewed fears over the flow of metals from Russia, especially aluminum currently up 10% this month, as the White House may sanction Russian aluminum producers. The sector saw a very challenging third quarter with multiple risks to demand, from the global threat of recessions to Europe’s energy crisis and China’s chronic property slump. However, low global stockpiles especially in China, where spending on metal intensive renewable energy projects is rising and the government tries to accelerate infrastructure spending. What are we watching next? ECB QT is likely to begin in Q2 2023, lower ECB terminal rate ECB discussed possible timeline for balance sheet reduction at Cyprus meeting earlier this month. Consensus appeared to emerge for quantitative tightening to start sometime in Q2 2023. Reports suggested that the ECB could already tweak its language on reinvestments at its October meeting and then could provide a detailed plan possibly in December but more likely in February. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that an ECB staff model puts the terminal rate in Europe at 2.25%, beneath the 3% that markets are currently pricing in; however, the response from ECB policymakers was mixed, with some fearing the model contains errors. The Chinese Communist Party convenes its 20th National Congress on Oct 16   General Secretary Xi Jinping will make a speech and presents the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Oct 16. From Oct 16 to 22, around 2,300 delegates from all over the country will elect 205 full members and 171 alternate members of the 20th Central Committee and select the members for the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. On Oct 22, the 20th National Congress will vote to approve the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee and approve an amendment to the charter of the CCP. The 20th National Congress ends on Oct 22 and the newly elected 20th Central Committee will hold its 1st plenary session on Oct 23 and decide on the most important 25-member Politburo and its 7-member Standing Committee, as well as members of the Central Military Commission and Central Secretariat.  Nomination of Premier and Vice-premiers of the State Council are matters to be decided not this time but later in the 2nd plenary session which may be held in February 2023 and that nomination will need to be approved by the National People’s Congress in March 2023. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is on US banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. Expectations are low for these US bank earnings with analysts expecting JPMorgan Chase EPS down 24% y/y and the focus is on net interest margin and credit provisions. Today: Shanghai Putailai New Energy, YTO Express Group, PNC Financial Services, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, First Republic Bank Next week’s earnings releases: Monday: Bank of America, Sandvik Tuesday: Charles Schwab, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Intuitive Surgical, Lockheed Martin, Truist Financial Wednesday: ASML, Elevance Health, Tesla, IBM, Lam Research, P&G, Abbott Laboratories, Atlas Copco Thursday: China Mobile, China Telecom, ABB, Danaher, Investor, Philip Morris, Union Pacific, CSX, AT&T, Blackstone, Marsh & McLennan, Yara International, Nordea, Volvo, Ericsson, Freeport-McMoRan, Dow Friday: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone Aug. Trade Balance 1230 – US Sep. Retail Sales 1230 – Canada Aug. Manufacturing Sales 1400 – US Fed’s George (Voter 2022) to speak 1400 – US preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment 1430 – US Fed’s Cook (Voter) to speak on the economic outlook 1615 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak on central bank digital currency  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-14-2022-14102022
    US Nonfarm Payrolls Disappoint: Impact on Dollar and EUR/USD Analysis

    Podcast: Moods In The Stock Markets- The Support Levels Of The Nasdaq 100 And S&P 500 And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.10.2022 11:26
    Summary:  Today we discuss the remarkable turnaround in equities yesterday after a hotter than expected core US CPI print for September pumped Fed rate expectations higher and triggered a sharp new slide in the market. The rally came after both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 tested important support levels. As the headline suggests, we're far from sure that the market comeback offers much information value despite its impressive scale. Elsewhere, we look at the mixed status of USD pairs after yesterday's action, look at natural gas and copper, preview the day and week ahead on the earnings calendar and upcoming macro data points and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast- slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-14-2022-14102022
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    The New York Stock Exchange: JPMorgan Chase & Co Was A Leader Among The Dow Jones Index Components

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 17.10.2022 08:19
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.34%, the S&P 500 index fell 2.37%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 3.08%. The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components today was JPMorgan Chase & Co, which gained 1.82 points or 1.66% to close at 111.19. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 3.22 points or 0.63% to close at 513.13. Boeing Co rose 0.75 points or 0.57% to close at 133.15. The losers were shares of American Express Company, which lost 4.74 points or 3.35% to end the session at 136.81. Apple Inc was up 3.21% or 4.59 points to close at 138.40, while Chevron Corp was down 3.11% or 5.14 points to close at 160.14. . The leaders of growth among the components of the S&P 500 index following the results of today's trading were shares of U.S. Bancorp, which rose 3.36% to 42.76, Delta Air Lines Inc, which gained 2.30% to close at 31.08, and Wells Fargo & Company, which rose 1.86%, ending the session at 43.17. The losers were First Republic Bank, which shed 16.45% to close at 112.57. Shares of The Mosaic Company shed 9.88% to end the session at 46.86. Quotes of CF Industries Holdings Inc decreased in price by 8.40% to 98.04. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Agrify Corp, which rose 53.75% to hit 1.45, Fednat Holding Co, which gained 48.02% to close at 0.52, and shares of Imara Inc, which rose 46.90% to end the session at 3.79. The drop leaders were shares of TOP Financial Group Ltd, which fell in price by 73.47%, closing at 5.49. Shares of Alfi Inc lost 69.90% and ended the session at 0.25. Quotes of Novo Integrated Sciences Inc decreased in price by 61.94% to 0.29. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of depreciated securities (2506) exceeded the number of closed in positive territory (579), and quotes of 85 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,720 stocks fell, 1,005 rose, and 229 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.25% to 32.02. Gold futures for December delivery shed 1.67%, or 28.05, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for November delivery fell 3.75%, or 3.34, to $85.77 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 2.93%, or 2.77, to $91.80 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD was down 0.51% to hit 0.97, while USD/JPY was up 1.00% to hit 148.68. Futures on the USD index rose 0.82% to 113.18.     Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-18 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/296988
    The Australian Market Has Seen Growth | Mercedes-Benz Launches New EV

    Podcast: Decline In Tesla And China is Europe's rival?

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.10.2022 14:17
    Summary:  Today we look at Friday's whipsaw turnaround in equities after the bizarre Thursday rally, as the heart of earnings season lies dead ahead and the world's most traded stock, Tesla, has dumped to a new low for the year just ahead of its Wednesday earnings call. We also discuss Chinese leader Xi's speech over the weekend and whether Europe is set to declare China an economic rival, as well as watching for the ongoing fallout for semiconductor companies after the Biden administration moved to limit semiconductor tech transfer to China. The latest in FX, individual stocks to watch and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-17-2022-17102022
    Netflix Stock Price May Tumble Tomorrow! What Can We Expect From NFLX Earnings?

    Netflix Stock Price May Tumble Tomorrow! What Can We Expect From NFLX Earnings?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 17.10.2022 16:02
    Follow us on Google News Netflix is due to launch its advertising tier shortly for $6.99 per month. Netflix reports earnings on Tuesday after the close. NFLX stock is down over 60% year to date. Everyone loves a bargain, and Netflix (NFLX) is certainly offering a discount to investors. A reduction to the tune of 60% would usually be snapped up by shoppers, but in the case of NFLX stock, the large discount is still failing to attract much buying interest. Will the imminent release of earnings and the launch of its advertising tier change the investment thesis in the minds of investors? With the market backdrop remaining challenging, that may prove difficult, but there may be a short-term bounce to end the year as we approach earnings season to be followed by midterm elections. Stocks tend to like midterms and historically perform well following them. Netflix stock news Netflix will report earnings on Thursday after the close. Consensus earnings per share (EPS) forecasts are at $2.17, while revenue is expected to reach $7.85 billion. Earnings releases have not been kind to NFLX stock of late. Last time out was good with the stock bouncing higher, but in April Netflix stock collapsed 35% following earnings. As long-time critics of just how optimistic Wall Street analysts are, we note a report from Seeking Alpha. Netflix has been downgraded 29 times for EPS and 36 times for revenue, but those optimistic analysts still have a buy rating on the stock. Investors will also look for more info on the new advertising tier during the earnings conference call. We now know that the tier will cost $6.99, and guidance for subscriber growth from this new tier will be key. Netflix is expected to show subscriber growth of 1 million for the period. The streaming giant has certainly rerated as investors are no longer willing to pay such a premium when the explosive growth phase is over. This stock has seen its P/E collapse in line with price this year. Netflix (NFLX) P/E ratio Netflix stock forecast Netflix has been trying to bottom and has traded in a sideways range since August, so earnings could provide the catalysts for a breakout. As mentioned I believe the risk-reward lies in an upside surprise. Netflix has suffered this year already, and a lot of bad news can be assumed to already be in the price. Technically, a break higher would target $333, the earnings gap from April. There is a natural volume gap as a result. Breaking $214 will lead Netflix toward $165.90 and likely see a move to make a fresh yearly low. Netflix daily chart
    Rates Reversal: US Long Yields on the Rise as Curve Dis-Inverts

    Revival On The American Markets And Growth On The S&P 500 Futures

    TeleTrade Comments TeleTrade Comments 18.10.2022 08:45
    S&P 500 futures have extended their recovery above 3,740 as the quarterly earnings season kicked off. BOFA released stellar earnings led by upbeat NII numbers. The risk profile is cheerful despite escalating recession fears in the US. The DXY has surrendered the critical support of 112.00 with sheer selling pressure. Global markets are displaying a stellar performance following positive cues from US markets. S&P500 futures have extended their gains after a cheerful Monday, which has infused fresh blood in the global indices. The 500-stocks basket futures have extended their gains above 3,740 after surpassing the critical hurdle of 3,720. The risk-on sentiment has strengthened further as 10-year US Treasury yields have dropped further towards 3.97%. US markets displayed a V-shape recovery on Monday after a bloody Friday as quarterly earnings season kick-started with a bang. Bank of America (Bofa) came out with decent earnings growth supported by upbeat Net Interest Income (NII). The US dollar index (DXY) has surrendered the round-level support of 112.00 as the positive market sentiment has trimmed the safe-haven’s appeal. The odds of a bigger rate hike by the Federal Reserve (Fed) are still solid as the CME FedWatch tool displays 99% chances in favor of the fourth consecutive 75 basis points (bps) rate announcement. Meanwhile, recession fears in the US economy have advanced after negative commentary from J.P. Morgan on financial instruments. Strategists at J.P. Morgan cited that they are cutting back on their delivery longs in equities and trimming their underweight position in bonds due to increased risk that central banks will make a hawkish policy error, reported Reuters. Returns on bonds are scaling higher as the Fed will continue its ultra-hawkish stance despite a slowdown in the inflation rate for several months.
    China's Position On The Russo-Ukrainian War Confirmed At The G20 Meeting

    The Japanese Yen (JPY) Is The Only G20 Currency Which Have Been Weaken | China Delays Publication Of GDP Report

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 18.10.2022 10:40
    Summary:  Risk sentiment was supported by more U-turns in UK fiscal policy and strong earnings from Bank of America supporting the US banks. Equities rallied and the USD declined, but the Japanese yen failed to ride on the weaker USD and continued to test the authorities’ patience on intervention. Higher NZ CPI boosted bets for RBNZ rate hikes, and the less hawkish RBA meeting minutes brought AUDNZD to fresh lows. EU meetings remain key ahead as the bloc attempts to finalize Russian price caps. What’s happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rally after UK-policy U-turn. So far this reporting season earnings are declining The mood was risk-on amid Monday’s rally; with the major indices charging higher with the S&P500 up 2.7%. The breadth of the rally was so strong that at one point over 99% of the companies in the S&P500 were rising, which pushed the index up away from its 200-week moving average (which it fell below last week). Meanwhile the Nasdaq 100 gained 3.5%. The rally came after the UK made $30 billion pounds worth of savings after scrapping tax cuts (see below for more). It was received well by markets and investors looking for short term relief. Bond yields fell, equities rallied and after the GBP lifted 1.6% the US dollar lost strength. But the UK is not out of the lurch with power outages likely later this year. Plus also consider, so far this US earnings season, only 38 of the S&P500 companies have reported results and earnings growth has so far declined on average by 3%. So it’s too soon to gauge if markets can sustain this rally, particularly with the Fed likely to hike rates by 75 bps later this month and next. Strong earnings from bank boosted market sentiment. Bank of America (BAC:xnys), reporting solid Q3 results with net interest income beat and a 50bp sequential improvement on CET1 capital adequacy ratio, surged 6% and was one of the most actively traded stock on the day. U.S. treasury curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepened Initially US treasuries traded firmer with yields declining, after taking clues from the nearly 40bps drop in long-dated U.K. gilts following the new U.K. Chancellor Hunt scrapping much of the "mini budget" tax cuts and the support for household energy bills. Some block selling in the long-end treasury curve however took 30-year yields closing 3bps cheaper and 10-year yields little changed at 4.01%. The 2-year to 5-year space finished the session richer, with yields falling around 5bps and 2-year closed at 4.44%. The market has now priced in a 5% terminal Fed fund rate in 2023 and a 100% probability for a 75bps hike in November and over 60% chance for another 75bps hike in December. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) lifts 1.4%; with a focus on Uranium, stocks exposed to the UK and lithium Firstly Lithium stocks are in the spotlight after Pilbara Minerals (PLS) accepted a new sales contract to ship spodumene concentrate for lithium batteries from Mid-may, at $7,100 dmt. PLS shares are up 3.1% with other lithium stocks rising including Core Lithium (CXO) up 3.7% and Sayona Mining (SYA) up 4.7%. Secondly, shares in Uranium are focus today after Germany plans to extend the life of the countries three nuclear power plants till April, as it contends with the energy crisis. The Global Uranium ETF (URA) rose 5.9% on Monday and ASX uranium stocks are following suit like Paladin (PDN) up 2%. For a deep look at the uranium/nuclear sector, covering the stocks to perhaps watch and why read our Quarterly Outlook on the Nuclear sector here. Thirdly, amid the risk-on short term relief in markets from the UK, companies with UK exposure are rallying amid the short-term sentiment shift , including the UK’s 5th biggest bank, Virgin Money (VUK) which is listed on the ASX and trades up 5.3%. Ramsay Health Care (RHC), which is a private hospital/ health care business with presence in the UK trades up almost 2% today. Ramsay's recent full-year showed UK revenue doubled to $1.2 billion. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China traded lower initially and spent the rest of the day climbing to recover all the losses, with Hang Seng Index and CSI300 finishing marginally higher. General Secretary Xi’s speech last Sunday hailed China’s “Dynamic Zero-Covid” strategy and gave no hint of shifting policy priorities toward economic growth as some investors had hoped for. Among the leading Hang Seng constituent stocks, HSBC (00005:xhkg) gained 1.5% and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388:xhkg), which is reporting Q3 results on Wednesday, climbed 2.3%. Chinese banks gained, with China Merchant Bank rising 2.3% and ICBC (01389) up 1.7%.  Healthcare names gained, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) surged 13.2% and Sino Biopharm (01177:xhkg) rose 3.6%. EV stocks were among the laggards, dropping from 1% to 5%. Li Ning (02331:xhkg) tumbled over 13% at one point and finished the trading day 4.3% lower following accusations on mainland social media about the sportswear company’s latest designs resembling WWII Japanese army uniforms.  Japanese yen paying no heed to jawboning efforts The US dollar moved lower on Monday, but that was no respite for the Japanese yen. All other G10 currencies got a boost, with sterling leading the bounce against the USD with the help of dismantling of the fiscal measures by the newest Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt and the slide in UK yields. The only G10 currency that weakened further on Monday was the JPY, which continued to test the intervention limits of the authorities. USDJPY rose to 149.08, printing fresh 42-year highs. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda will be appearing before the Japanese parliament from 9.50am Tokyo time, after some stern remarks in the morning saying that they “cannot tolerate excessive FX move driven by speculators”. While intervention expectations rose, the yen still did not budge until last check. NZD rose on higher New Zealand CPI boosting RBNZ tightening bets Another surprisingly strong inflation print from New Zealand, with Q3 CPI easing only a notch to 7.2% y/y from 7.3% y/y against consensus expectations of 6.5% y/y and an estimate of 6.4% from the RBNZ at the August meeting. The q/q rate rose to 2.2% from 1.7% in Q2 and way above expectations of 1.5%. This has prompted expectations of more aggressive tightening from the RBNZ with a close to 75bps hike priced in for the Nov 23 meeting vs. ~60bps earlier, and the peak in overnight cash rate at over 5.3% from ~5% previously. NZDUSD rose to 0.5660 with the AUDNZD down to over 1-month lows of 1.1120 with RBA minutes due today as well for the October meeting when the central bank announced a smaller than expected rate hike of 25bps. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil prices stabilized in early Asian hours on Tuesday after a slight decline yesterday, despite a weaker dollar and an upbeat risk sentiment. WTI futures rose towards $86/barrel while Brent was above $91. Chinese demand concerns however weighed on the commodities complex coming out of the weekend CCP announcements. On the OPEC front, Algeria's Energy Minister echoed familiar rhetoric from the group that the decision to reduce output is a purely technical response to the world economic circumstances.   What to consider? UK need to know: Policy U-Turn provides shorter term risk-on rally, but long-term headwinds remain, UK holds talks to avoid power shutdowns New British chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed almost all of PM Liz Truss’ mini-budget. Initially Truss’ plans sent markets into a tailspin - whereby the pound hit record lows and the Bank of England was forced to intervene. However, after Hunt virtually scrapped all of the announced tax cuts, and cut back support for household energy bills, saving $32 billion pounds, then risk sentiment improved and the pound gained strength. But, the issue is, firstly; there are still almost $40 billion pounds worth of savings to be made to close the fiscal gap; meaning more government spending cuts will come and possibly tax hikes. This is probably why new UK finance chief, Hunt, declined to rule out a windfall profit tax. Nevertheless, the U-turn was received well by markets for the short term, bond yields fell, equities rallies and the pound sterling (GPBUSD) rose 1.6% against the USD with the US dollar losing strength. And the second reason the UK is not out of the lurch is that the fundamentals haven’t changed; the UK energy crisis is not resolved – yesterday in the UK government officials met major data centers discussing the need to use diesel as backup if the power grid goes down in the coming months. Amazon.com and Microsoft run data centers in the UK. Earlier this month, National Grid also warned some UK customers they could face 3-hour power cuts on cold days. The Bank of England is expected to downgrade its rate hike expectations.    NY Fed manufacturing headline lower on mixed components The NY Fed manufacturing survey for October fell to -9.1, contracting for a third consecutive month and coming in below the expected -4.0 and the prior -1.5. While survey data remains hard to trust to decipher economic trends, given a small sample size and questioning techniques impacting results, it is worth noting that more factories are turning downbeat about future business conditions which fell 10 points to -1.8 and was the second weakest since 2009. Also, the prices paid measure rose for the first time since June, echoing similar results as seen from the University of Michigan survey. Fed speakers ahead today include Bostic and Kashkari and terminal rate expectations remain on watch after they are touching close to 5%. La Nina is underway in Australia; floods decimate some wheat crops In the Australian state of Victoria at the weekend, floods decimated some wheat crops, which has resulted in the price of Wheat futures contracts for March and May 2023 lifting in anticipation that supply issues will worsen. The Australian Federal Emergency Management Minister said parts of Australia face ‘some serious flooding’ with more rain forecast later this week, with 34,000 homes in Victoria potentially expected to be inundated or isolated. The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts the La Lina event to peak in spring that’s underway in the Southern Hemisphere, before turning to neural conditions early next year. La Nina is not only disastrous to lives, homes and businesses, but the extra rainfall usually brings about lot of regrowth when rain eases. The risk is, if El Nino hits Australia in 2023 for instance, bringing diminished rainfall and dryness, then there is a greater risk of grassfires and bushfires. Investors will be watching insurance companies like Insurance Australia Group, QBE. As well as companies that produce wheat, including GrainCorp and Elders on the ASX and General Mills in the US. RBA Meeting Minutes out – AUDUSD climbs of lows, up 1.7% The Aussie dollar rose 1.7% off its low after the USD lost strength when the UK re winded some tax cuts. The AUDUSD will be in focus with the RBA Meeting Minutes released, highlighted why the RBA rose interest rates by just 0.25% this month, moving from a hawkish to dovish stance. The RBA previously highlighted it sees unemployment rising next year, and sees inflation beginning to normalize next year, which in our view, implies the RBA will likely pause with rate hikes after December, after progressively making hikes of 25bps (0.25%). Still the Australian dollar against the US (AUDUSD) remains pressured over the medium term, given the Fed’s expected heavy-pace of hikes, while China’s commodity buying-power is restricted with President Xi maintaining a covid zero policy. As such, the AUD's rally might be questioned unless something fundamentally changes. China delays the release of Q3 GDP and September activity data Chin’s National Bureau of Statistics delays the release of Q3 GDP, September industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investment data that were scheduled to come on Tuesday without providing a reason or a new schedule.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-18-oct-18102022
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    Stock Markets In Europe And The US Showed Marked Gains And Investors Have More Time To Recover

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 18.10.2022 11:54
    Stocks rose on Monday, primarily due to the start of the corporate reporting season. Clearly, investors are no longer focusing only on increasing interest rates, high inflation and deteriorating world economy, but also on the performance of companies. This inspires optimism in the market, which decreases negative sentiment and brings back demand for shares. Thus, the stock markets in Europe and the US showed a noticeable increase, while US treasury yields have stalled and are not going anywhere after their recent growth. For example, the yield of 10-year bonds hit 4% and so far could not consolidate above it. This, in turn, puts pressure on the dollar, prompting a rise in other currencies paired with it. Considering that there is a two-week time lag until the Fed's meeting in November, investors have more time to win back losses. This may start today, during the European session, and may extend amid positive dynamics of US stock indices. Of course, the dollar will be affected negatively, but there is still the need to buy it because there are too many factors that do not allow it to decline fully. Most likely, further aggressive rate hikes by the Fed and the presence of high demand will keep it afloat for a long time. Forecasts for today: AUD/USD The pair failed to overcome 0.6330, which reinforces the existing downward trend. If this continues, the quote will fall to 0.6220. USD/CAD The pair is testing the level of 1.3715. A rise above it could lead to a further increase to 1.3885.   Relevance up to 07:00 2022-10-20 UTC+00 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/324580
    Belgian housing market to see weaker demand and price correction

    The US Housing Market Is Experiencing Severe Price Drops | The Market Is Now Leaning Towards A RBNZ Rate Hike By 75 bp

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 18.10.2022 11:38
    Summary:  A huge squeeze across equity markets developed yesterday on no readily identifiable catalyst, with yields easing a bit lower and the US dollar dropped falling sharply, as most markets posted a sudden reversal of the Friday melt-down in sentiment. One possible driver for the fresh thaw in sentiment was a report that the Bank of England may delay its quantitative tightening programme, perhaps raising hopes that other central banks will eventually do the same.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Strong equity session yesterday with S&P 500 futures closing at their highest level since 7 October as the index futures rebounded 2.6%. The momentum is continuing this morning with S&P 500 futures trading around the 3,742 level with the 3,800 as the next major resistance level on the upside. Nasdaq 100 futures are trading around the 11,295 level this morning with 11,494 as the next upside level to watch. The US 10-year yield is still hovering around the 4% level and US financial conditions remain around their average historical level. As we scan across different markets there are no obvious reasons for the major rebound so our best guess is short coverings and technical flows. Our medium-term outlook is still negative on equities. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Stocks traded in Hong Kong bounced the second day in a row with the benchmark Hang Sang Index rising nearly 1.5%. Heavy weight HSBC (00005:xhkg) gained 2.6% and China Internet names surged from 3% to 7%. BYD (01211:xhkg) surged 6.4% after the leading EV maker said its Q3 profit may soar up to 365%. CSI300 was bouncing around small gains and losses. China’s National Development and Reform Commission said China’s economic growth “rebounded significantly” in Q3 while the National Bureau of Statistics delayed the release of Q3 GDP, September industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investment data that were scheduled to come today without providing a reason or a new schedule. A document from the European Action Service advises EU’s finance ministers that EU must take a tougher line in its dealing with China and see the latter as an all-out competitor. USD drops as risk sentiment jolts back higher...BoE to drop QT for now? Yesterday was the third consecutive session in which risk sentiment posted a sharp U-turn, as equities rallied sharply and the US dollar sold off steeply, led initially by a drop versus a hard rallying sterling yesterday on hopes that newly minted Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s elimination of most of PM Liz Truss’ initiatives will stabilize the currency and the country’s bond market. An additional report from the FT that the Bank of England would look to delay its original quantitative tightening (QT) plan may be at the root of some of the broad risk-on, as hopes that other central banks will slow the tightening pressure could bring some relief to deteriorating liquidity across markets. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil prices stabilized in early Asian hours on Tuesday after a slight decline yesterday. WTI futures rose towards $86/barrel while Brent was above $91. Chinese demand concerns however weighed on the commodities complex coming out of the weekend CCP announcements on Zero Covid. On the OPEC front, Algeria's Energy Minister echoed familiar rhetoric from the group that the decision to reduce output is a purely technical response to the world economic circumstances. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fell slightly, and the curve steepened in a session marked by far less volatility than the gyrations elsewhere, as the US dollar sold off and risk sentiment squeezed sharply higher. At stake for the longer end of the curve is whether yields remain sticky near the key 4.00% level and head higher still. Data this week is generally second tier stuff. If treasuries rally, the downside focus would be on the 3.84% pivot low in yields. What is going on? Hot Q3 CPI in New Zealand data jolts RBNZ rate expectations The Q3 CPI report came in far above expectations, with the headline printing at 2.2% q/q and +7.2% YoY, far above the 1.5/6.5% expected. This took RBNZ rate expectations sharply higher, and the NZD snapped higher as well. The market is now leaning for the RBNZ to hike by 75 basis points (about 70 bps priced in) at the November 23 meeting, which would be the first time the bank has hiked by more than 50 basis points for this cycle. NZDUSD rose to 0.5700 and AUDNZD punched lower to near 2-month lows after breaking below 1.11 with RBA minutes continuing to highlight concerns of rapid tightening for housing market and household budgets. Q3 earnings recap Bank of America beat estimates yesterday with stronger earnings on disciplined cost controls and robust client activity across both the commercial banking and investment banking activities. Q3 EPS was down 5% y/y, which is much better than its peers, and up q/q to $0.81 from $0.79 in Q2. The US bank is seeing a little slowdown in consumer spending, but it is still minimal supporting the view that the US consumer remains strong and with confidence in the future despite the tighter financial conditions this year. S&P 500 Q3 EPS is down 1.9% q/q but given the weakness among US banks q/q it is too early to say whether this will end up being the conclusion when the entire S&P 500 has reported earnings. Japanese yen paying no heed to jawboning efforts The US dollar moved lower on Monday, but that was no respite for the Japanese yen, which was the only G10 currency that weakened further on Monday, continuing to test the intervention limits of the authorities. USDJPY rose to 149.08, printing fresh 32-year highs. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda was out overnight noting that the BoJ is watching the market and that JPY weakening drives inflation, but that inflation would eventually fall. He was also defiant when a lawmaker suggested he should resign, saying he had no plans to quit. While intervention expectations rose, the yen remains weak, with EURJPY, for example, hitting new cycle highs and the highest level in nearly eight years. Natural gas prices continue to fall in Europe … with the Netherlands 1-month forward contract falling more than 10% yesterday and at its lowest level since late June as EU storage is essentially fully and weather has been mild thus far this fall. Germany announced that it would keep its three remaining nuclear plants in operation until at least mid-April, cancelling their planned mothballing for now, although there are still no strong signs of a strategic rethink from Germany on the future of nuclear power. NY Fed manufacturing headline lower on mixed components The NY Fed manufacturing survey for October fell to -9.1, contracting for a third consecutive month and coming in below the expected -4.0 and the prior -1.5. While survey data remains hard to trust to decipher economic trends, given a small sample size and questioning techniques impacting results, it is worth noting that more factories are turning downbeat about future business conditions which fell 10 points to -1.8 and was the second weakest since 2009. Also, the prices paid measure rose for the first time since June, echoing similar results as seen from the University of Michigan survey. The U.S. housing market bubble is deflating According to the latest data released by the real estate company Redfin, the U.S. housing market is going through a severe drop in prices in several major cities. From May 2022 to October 2022, the drop in sale prices is the most pronounced in Oakland (minus 16 %), San Jose (minus 14 %), Austin (minus 14 %), Ogden in Utah (minus 11 %) and San Francisco (minus 9 %). The decrease is the most important in California and Texas where home prices jumped sharply in the aftermath of the Covid outbreak. So far, the decrease in prices is positive news for inflation and for home buyers, as the affordability index was at historical levels a few months ago. But this could seriously increase the ongoing economic slowdown. Note that we will see important indicators on the US housing market this week – more below. What are we watching next? US Housing Market Data Housing markets are very interest rate sensitive and thus generally a leading indicator on the direction of the economy. Financing for US house purchases is mostly done on a 30-year fixed mortgage basis, meaning that most of the impact from rising rates, a global phenomenon, is on new purchases in the US. (This contrasts with the floating rates that are popular elsewhere – note the Australian RBA’s and Bank of England’s concerns on housing impact from sharp rate rises). Today we get the Oct. NAHB Housing Market survey, one of the more leading US indicators on housing demand and a survey that has been in freefall in recent months – dropping from 83 in January to 46 last month and expected Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Lockheed Martin. Headwinds have been building for Netflix since the pandemic growth sprint and analysts expect revenue growth to have slowed down to 5% y/y in Q3 and EPS of $2.22 down 23% y/y and down 12% q/q. Johnson & Johnson is expected to see flat revenue growth in Q3 which given other consumer staples companies might be a bit too pessimistic and we believe there is a good chance that Johnson & Johnson can surprise to the upside given what we know about the US consumer. Today: Charles Schwab, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, Intuitive Surgical, Lockheed Martin, Truist Financial, Netflix Wednesday: ASML, Elevance Health, Tesla, IBM, Lam Research, P&G, Abbott Laboratories, Atlas Copco Thursday: China Mobile, China Telecom, ABB, Danaher, Investor, Philip Morris, Union Pacific, CSX, AT&T, Blackstone, Marsh & McLennan, Yara International, Nordea, Volvo, Ericsson, Freeport-McMoRan, Dow, Snap Friday: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Oct. ZEW Survey 1215 – Canada Sep. Housing Starts 1315 – US Sep. Industrial Production 1400 – US Oct. NAHB Housing Market Index 1600 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 2130 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-18-2022-18102022
    Turbulent Q2'23 Results for [Company Name]: Strong Exports Offset Domestic Challenges

    Sygnity - Analytical report: FY2022/23 EBITDA Forecast-(WSE:SGN)

    GPW’s Analytical Coverage Support Programme 3.0 GPW’s Analytical Coverage Support Programme 3.0 18.10.2022 13:42
    This analysis was prepared by mBank at the request of the WSE as part of the Exchange's Analytical Coverage Support Programme Sygnity: sell (reiterated) SGN PW; SGN.WA | IT, Poland Overvalued With Weak Growth Prospects Shares in Sygnity plummeted 20% over the past month, underperforming the broad market index by 14pp, but we nevertheless maintain our bearish call on the Company after updating our models to include earnings results for the nine months ended 30 June 2022 (9M’21/22). Sales at Sygnity have been on a consistent upward trend for several quarters, and in the third quarter of fiscal FY2021/22 (calendar Q2 2022) they showed a marked acceleration. At the same time, there is persistent upward pressure on salaries in the tech industry as a whole, with a 10% increase or more forecast in 2022, that leads us to expect a slight profit decline at Sygnity in the coming quarters. With all this in mind, we have cut FY2022/23 EBITDA forecast for Sygnity by 7% to PLN 42.0m, and we have revised the expected net profit 4.1% lower to PLN 25.4m. On the updated estimates, SGN stock is trading at implied EV/EBITDA and P/E ratios of 9.4x and 16.1x, respectively, showing respective premiums of 16% and 31% relative to the median peer ratios, and far outpricing the multiples of Asseco Poland and Comarch – two much better alternatives at the current levels given their size and liquidity. After also updating our models to assume a market risk premium of 6.00% and updated risk-free rate assumptions, we lower our target price for Sygnity to PLN 13.30, implying 27% downside potential and a sell recommendation. Good FY2022/22 Q3 Results Sygnity delivered the first major revenue increase in a long time in the third quarter of fiscal FY2021/22; in the two previous quarters, year-on-year topline growth was constrained at 2-4%. At the same time, sales margins continued to weaken in Q3 while SG&A expenses increased, resulting in substantial contraction in quarterly profits. Sygnity is not able to grow revenues fast enough to offset rising costs. Pay Pressures Expected to Weigh Payroll accounts for a major part of Sygnity's operating expenses. In 2021, the average salary offered in the Polish tech industry remained on an upward trajectory despite the coronavirus pandemic, with the average salary rising in the high single digits as selected specialists received 10% more on average in pay than in 2020. Sygnity has to offer competitive salaries if it wants to attract top talent and skilled specialists for its teams. Increasing Exposure to Government Contracts The public sector accounted for 41% of Sygnity’s revenue in H1 FY’2021/22, and it has been responsible for a large part of this year’s revenue growth. Since then, the Company has added several big orders from the Ministry of Finance – a bad strategy in our view given its poor track record with government contracts in the past; we would rather see Sygnity reduce its exposure to the public sector. Key Risks Goodwill Impairment Sygnity recorded goodwill in the amount of PLN 157.2m as of 30 June 2022, representing more than half of the balance sheet total. A deterioration in the Company's financial standing could lead to impairment of that goodwill which in turn could lead to a violation of debt covenants. No Dividends Sygnity’s net debt is relatively low, with the IFRS 16 ending FY2021/22 balance expected to approximate PLN 8m, equivalent to 0.2x adjusted EBITDA. At the same time, however, the Company has a relatively small asset base after several years of curbed capital expenditures. If Sygnity increases investment and expenses on customer acquisition, this could result in negative changes in working capital, leading to curbed medium-term dividend payments despite good cash flow generation. Supplier Risk Sygnity serves as a local partner to global technology companies, integrating their solutions into customer systems and providing a range of services from training, to maintenance, upgrades, and extensions. If global software providers were to change the terms of their partner policies, for example by limiting the number of local partners or by bringing implementation services in different markets in house, this could have a negative effect on revenues. Increase in Labor Costs Payroll accounts for a major part of Sygnity's operating expenses. The average salary offered in the Polish IT industry has been on a steady rise for the last several years, rising in the high single digits in 2021 as the monthly earnings of selected specialists increased more than 10% compared to 2020. Sygnity has to offer competitive salaries if it wants to attract top talent and skilled specialists for its teams. Liquidated Damages Sygnity is always at risk of claims under liquidated damages- and warranty clauses contained in its many contracts with customers and business partners. As of 30 June 2022, the Company reported having conditional off-balance-sheet obligations under performance and warranty clauses in the amount of PLN 13.2m. Public Contracts Sygnity competes in government tenders for IT services which are typically awarded to the lowest bidder. Meanwhile, the biggest contracts usually require the onboarding of subcontractors, which heightens the risk of default. Another risk are cost overruns on underestimated projects (Sygnity's 2013 e-Taxes contract is one example of an underrated budget). Long-Term Contracts The pricing and successful delivery a long-term contract hinges on many factors, some of which are beyond the control of the supplier. For example, the actual figures at the end of the contract might miss the initial revenue, cost, and profit targets, leading to provisions, adjustments and write-offs (cost overruns are the most common issue), and in the worst case to events of default. Exchange Rate Risk Sygnity's revenues and costs are affected by changes in the zloty's exchange rates relative to the euro and the US dollar. On the balance sheet, assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies consist exclusively of trade receivables and trade payables. Corruption Probe In 2019, Sygnity became involved in an investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of contracts by the Polish Post Office brought against its employees, including the CEO and the Supervisory Board Chairman. The Company cooperated with the authorities and turned over all requested records and items. Since we do not have knowledge about the current status of the case, we cannot tell whether or not it might affect the Company's business in the future. Valuation Using DCF analysis and relative valuation, we set our ninemonth per-share price target for Sygnity at PLN 13.30. Multiples Comparison We compared Sygnity with its peer group based on forward P/E and EV/EBITDA multiples, each with an equal weight in the valuation outcome. Each of the forecast years, calendar 2022, 2023, and 2024, is assigned an equal weight. For Sygnity, we took fiscal years of FY2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 as corresponding to the calendar years. We applied a 15% discount to the valuation outcome to reflect Sygnity’s slower earnings growth. Our model takes into account the NPV of a deferred tax asset arising from prior years’ losses. DCF Valuation Assumptions: â–ª The forecast period spans the fiscal years of FY2021/22 – 2030/31. â–ª The perpetuity risk-free rate is 4.50%. â–ª We assume FCF after the forecast period will grow at a rate of 2.0%. â–ª Net debt is ex IFRS 16 as of 30 September 2021. â–ª Perpetuity D&A expenses and CAPEX are assumed to be equal. Financial Results for Q3 FY2021/22 Sygnity missed our estimates with its financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2022 (Q3 of FY2021/22). Revenue amounted to PLN 54.4% in the period after an 8.9% rebound from the same period a year earlier. The gross margin posted a year-over-year decrease of 1.6pp at 30.5%. SG&A expenses increased to PLN 10.2m from PLN 8.1m a year ago. Other operating activity provided a PLN 0.2m gain. After all this, EBIT came in at PLN 6.5m in Q3’21/22 and EBITDA amounted to PLN 9.2m, a year-over-year fall of nearly 17%. Financing activity was neutral to the quarterly results, and the effective tax rate was 16.9%, resulting in net profit of PLN 5.4m. Sygnity delivered the first major revenue increase in a long time in Q3 FY2021/22; in the two previous quarters, year-onyear topline growth was constrained to 2-4%. At the same time, sales margins continued to weaken while SG&A expenses increased, resulting in substantial contraction in quarterly profits. Sygnity is not able to grow revenues fast enough to offset rising costs. Future Prospects Sygnity did not disclose the current size of its order backlog at the Q3'21/22 earnings conference. Nonetheless, we do see a pickup in revenue momentum, backed by new large contacts added in the last few months. They include: (1) A 24-month systems support framework agreement with the Information Technology Center of the Finance Ministry, with a maximum value of PLN 99m gross, and (2) Another framework with the Ministry regarding outsourcing of specialists over a period of 36 months, with a total maximum value of PLN 77.2m gross. We have raised our revenue forecasts for Sygnity after factoring the new contracts into our models. At the same time, to reflect the fact that the salaries of the Company's tech personnel, which account for a major portion of annual costs, are estimated to increase more than 10% a year, we assume as a baseline scenario that Sygnity's future sales margins will be narrowing. As for EBITDA margins, they could be in the 14.5-15% range assuming a reasonable approach to SG&A expenses. Our EBITDA forecasts for Sygnity for FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 have been revised downwards. Analyst: PaweÅ‚ Szpigiel +48 22 438 24 06 pawel.szpigiel@mbank.pl GPW’s Analytical Coverage Support Programme 3.0  
    📈 Tech Giants Soar, 💵 Dollar Plummets! Disney-Charter Truce, Wall Street's AI Warning!

    Netflix, Tesla (TSLA) And ASML Kick Off The Earnings Season

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 18.10.2022 23:11
    Summary:  The Q3 earnings season will not get much help from the financials, energy, and technology sectors as all three sectors are facing headwinds and US financial earnings last week and Bank of America yesterday have proven this hypothesis. Tonight Netflix will kick of the earnings season for the technology and media segment of the market with focus on input costs and its upcoming ad-tiered business model. Tomorrow, two giants from Europe and the US will report earnings in the form of ASML and Tesla with the latter being extremely important for US equity sentiment among technology and growth stocks. Q3 earnings will get no help from financials and energy The earnings season is slowly kicking into gear this week. Major US financials have already reported Q3 earnings with Bank of America surprising yesterday against estimates and delivering better results compared to a year ago against its peers. As we have written many times, we expect the Q3 earnings season to show margin compression and that earnings will be under pressure. The chart below shows the quarterly EPS for the S&P 500 financials sector showing that earnings are down 2% q/q and 9% y/y, and with weak earnings q/q from the energy and technology sectors it will be difficult to lift aggregate earnings in Q3. Netflix headwinds persists The video streaming giant Netflix reports earnings tonight after the US market close and analysts expect revenue growth of 5% y/y and EPS of $2.22 down 23% y/y as rising input costs are pressuring Netflix’s business. The strong demand during the pandemic has disappeared, competition has increased significantly, and content production has been weak running at higher costs than estimated. The key upside factor for Netflix is the new ad-tiered business model which will enable a new revenue stream and reduce the risk of subscribers cancelling their subscriptions due to the cost-of-living crisis. The semiconductor party is coming to an end for ASML ASML, the world’s largest and most important semiconductor equipment manufacturer, reports Q3 earnings tomorrow morning before European trading opens. Revenue growth is expected to decline to just 1.6% y/y from 35% y/y in Q2. While we believe ASML will meet expectations for operating income and revenue we are more worried about orders as the ongoing tensions between the US and China over semiconductors are negatively impacting the industry. The US has imposed several export restrictions on semiconductors and equipment to China and the full-speed realignment of semiconductors will hit industry growth in the short-term. We have recent seen negative outlook on semiconductors from Samsung and Micron Technology. As the ninth largest European publicly listed company this earnings release will be important for sentiment in European equities. ASML share price | Source: Saxo Tesla is confronted with lithium issues and high electricity prices There is probably not a more important stock than Tesla when it comes to sentiment in the technology and growth segments of the equity market. The EV-maker reports Q3 earnings tomorrow night after the US market close. Estimates are looking for revenue growth of 61% y/y and EPS of $1.02 up 106% y/y as EV adoption has accelerated this year despite supply constraints, price hikes on EVs and high electricity prices. Tesla recently missed estimates on Q3 deliveries and the main focus will be on lithium supply and prices, and to what extent it is impacting Tesla’s margins. We are also curious to see Tesla outlook given the high electricity prices. Car sales has recently stabilised in the US and Europe, and in China growth is coming back. However, the news flow from Chinese EV-makers has recently been negative and that might be a warning sign on the outlook. Tesla has moved from being a premium brand to an average brand when judged on average selling price as Tesla is now firmly in at the same average price as Ford and GM in the US. Its gross margin when factoring out R&D costs of cost of goods sold for other carmakers is also only the 11th best. The question remains whether Tesla can continue to command a high equity valuation, but as the fifth largest publicly listed company in the US this earnings release is the most important earnings release this week. Tesla share price | Source: Saxo Source: Earnings Watch Netflix ASML and Tesla | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    AMZN: Is The Primary Wave Ⓐ An Impulse Or A Leading Diagonal?

    AMZN: Is The Primary Wave Ⓐ An Impulse Or A Leading Diagonal?

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 18.10.2022 23:16
    The structure of AMZN shares shows the development of a corrective trend. It is assumed that a zigzag is formed, which consists of sub-waves a-b-c of the cycle degree. Perhaps at the end of last year, the market completed the formation of the first major wave a, it is a bullish 5-wave impulse. After the end of the impulse growth, the price began to decline, which may indicate the beginning of a bearish correction b. It may take the form of a zigzag â’¶-â’·-â’¸ of the primary degree. Most likely, in the near future we will see a continuation of the depreciation of stocks in the final intermediate wave (5), which may end the primary impulse wave â’¶ near 92.78. At that level, wave (5) will be at 76.4% of previous impulse (3). After the end of the impulse wave â’¶, we expect the stock to grow in the primary correction â’·. An alternative scenario is possible, where the market has completed the formation of the primary wave â’¶. According to this markup, the wave â’¶ has the form of a leading diagonal (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5). In this case, in the last section of the chart, we see the price increase in a bullish correction â’·. It is assumed that the correction wave â’· will take the form of an intermediate double zigzag (W)-(X)-(Y), where the actionary wave (W) is also a double zigzag W-X-Y of a lesser degree. It is possible that the correction â’· will be at 61.8% of wave â’¶. Thus, its completion is expected to reach the level of 154.93.
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    On The New York Stock Exchange, The Price Of Over 2,000 Securities Has Risen

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 19.10.2022 08:19
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was up 1.12%, the S&P 500 was up 1.14% and the NASDAQ Composite was up 0.90%. Salesforce Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 6.35 points or 4.31% to close at 153.53. Quotes of American Express Company rose by 4.45 points (3.14%), closing the session at 145.99. JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM) rose 2.98 points or 2.57% to close at 118.84. The losers were shares of Intel Corporation, which lost 0.55 points or 2.08% to end the session at 25.87. Johnson & Johnson was up 0.58 points (0.35%) to close at 166.01, while Nike Inc was down 0.29 points (0.32%) to end at 89. 68. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Carnival Corporation, which rose 11.28% to 8.09, Lockheed Martin Corporation, which gained 8.69% to close at 431.84, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NYSE:NCLH), which rose 8.57% to close at 14.31. The biggest losers were Moderna Inc, which shed 3.71% to close at 134.09. Shares of Hasbro Inc lost 2.88% to end the session at 65.76. Quotes of DexCom Inc decreased in price by 2.81% to 96.93. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were COMSovereign Holding Corp, which rose 170.14% to hit 0.12, Akouos Inc, which gained 88.16% to close at 13.19, and shares of Helbiz Inc, which rose by 58.07%, ending the session at around 0.42. The biggest losers were Agrify Corp, which shed 58.60% to close at 4.43. Shares of Cosmos Holdings Inc lost 47.33% and ended the session at 0.08. Quotes of Salarius Pharmaceuticals Inc decreased in price by 45.18% to 2.74. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2293) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (825), while quotes of 115 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2441 companies rose in price, 1295 fell, and 277 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.77% to 30.50. Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.43%, or 7.10, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 2.33%, or 1.97, to $82.56 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery fell 1.43%, or 1.31, to $90.31 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.20% to 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 0.12% to hit 149.21. Futures on the USD index fell 0.02% to 111.88.   Relevance up to 03:00 2022-10-20 UTC+00 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/297377
    The Australian Market Has Seen Growth | Mercedes-Benz Launches New EV

    The Australian Market Has Seen Growth | Mercedes-Benz Launches New EV

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.10.2022 09:48
    Summary:  Better-than-expected corporate results boosted US stocks for the second day. Afterhours Netflix shares rose 14% on reporting better than expected results. Oil prices fell 3% with the US said to release more strategic petroleum reserves on supply concerns. Gold advanced. Floods hampered commodity production numbers in Australia. RBA notes loan arrears and insolvencies are rising. Mercedes-Benz launched new EV models that rival Tesla’s Model Y. Rio Tinto sees lithium tightness. What’s happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) indices rally for the second day  US stocks extended their gains in choppy trading, with the S&P500 gaining 1.1% and now up 3.8% in two days after continuing to rebound from nearly oversold levels, before closing at 3,719.98 points (its highest level in 8-days) on better-than-expected corporate results. All 11 sectors of the S&P500 gained, with Industrial, Materials, Utilities, and Financials leading. Defense giant, Lockheed Martin (LMT:xnys) shares gained the most since 2020, up 8.7% after its earnings per share topped estimates. Goldman Sachs (GS:xnys) rose over 2%, with stronger trading results helping the investment bank beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations. Goldman’s results continued a strong stretch of bank earnings, including beats from Bank of America (BAC:xnys) and Bank of New York Mellon (BK:xnys) on Monday, with the financial sector outperforming on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Afterhours, Netflix (NFLX:xnas) shares rose 14% after reporting better than expected results, adding 2.4 million customers in the 3Q, beating expectations. The rally was also supported by the Bank of England calming nerves saying, the funds whose vulnerabilities also fueled the rout in UK markets have now raised tens of billions of pounds in capital, and as such are on a more sustainable footing. U.S. treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) ended Tuesday little changed Treasuries finished a choppy session with yields largely staying near the levels from the day before. The 2-year yield was 1bp richer at 4.43% and the 10-year yield was unchanged at 4%. U.S. economic data were mixed with stronger industrial production in September but a below-expectation read in the NAHB Housing Market Index. Contrary to a Financial Times report suggesting the Bank of England would delay its quantitative tightening program, the U.K. central bank announced later in the day that it will start bond sales on Nov 1 but not including long-dated bonds initially. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises 0.3%, with lithium stocks charging, while energy companies retreat after the oil price fell 3%. The Australian share market trades 0.3% higher on Wednesday (1.5 hours into the seesion) with lithium stocks like Pilbara Minerals, (PLS), Allkem (AKE) up over 3% (for more on lithium see below). Meanwhile, the energy sector is capping broad market gains, with selling in oil stocks taking the energy sector down 1.6% after the oil price fell 3.1% to $82.82, with the US said to release emergency crude on supply concerns. Meanwhile losses in oil stocks are somewhat limited with OPEC+ members defending their supply cuts, saying they are justified by the growing risk of a global recession. Woodside (WDS) trades 1.7% down. Beach Energy (BPT) is down the most in the sector, 4.6%, after reporting production dropped amid flooding. The best performing stock on the ASX this year, Whitehaven (WHC) trades 2.2% lower today after announcing production fell 37% last quarter, with total equity sales down 32% compared the June quarter. Whitehaven Coal’s CEO said he sees demand for high quality coal continuing to outstrip global supply, which will likely continue to support coal prices. The coal price has fallen 3% this month, and is now down 15% from its all-time high. Meanwhile, gold stocks are also in focus after Gold prices steadied after the US dollar continued to fall. However St Barbara (SBM) shares are 6.2% lower after the miner cut its gold output forecast for the year, which disappointed analysts. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks rallied, with Hang Seng rising 1.8%, following the move higher in U.S. equity index futures on reports that the Bank of England was delaying its quantitative tightening due to start at the end of October. The Bank of England denied the story later. HSBC (00005:xhkg) and Standard Chartered (02888:xhkg) gained more than 2.5%. BYD (01211:xhkg) surged 6.4% after the leading EV maker said its Q3 profit was set to rise as much as 365% Y/Y, lifting most other EV makers 3%-5% higher in share prices as well. Healthcare names surged again, with Ali Health (00241:xhkg) up 9.4%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) up 5.9%, CSPC Pharmaceutical (01093:xhkg) up 4.5%, Sino Biopharmaceutical (01177:xhkg) up 4% and some biotech stocks soared more than 10%. Chinese airlines stocks gained from 2% to 3% after some Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, announced the resumption of some more international flights. CSI300 ended a choppy session losing 0.2%. USDJPY climbed to 149.37, the highest level since 1990, and oil price fell to USD83.70 The Yen weekend to 149.37 with the 150 figure in sight. EURUSD, at 0.9850, and GBPUSD, at 1.1330 were little changed from Monday. NZDUSD was the notable outperformer among the G10 currencies, rising to 0.5690 while USDCAD underperformed as oil prices slumped, WTI crude fell 2% to USD83.70 on the report that the Biden administration has approved to release of more strategic petroleum reserves. What to consider? Stronger-than-expected industrial production but a softer NAHB Housing Index U.S. September industrial production came in at +0.4% M/M, (vs consensus: 0.1%, Aug: -0.1% revised) and capacity utilization increased 0.2pp to 80.3%. NAHB Housing Market Index fell to 38, below 43 expected and 46 in August. RBA sounds alarm that rate hikes could soon pause with loan arrears and insolvencies rising The Aussie dollar rose for the 3rd day after the after the USD continued to lose strength when the UK re winded some tax cuts. However, the outlook for the Australian dollar against the US remains restricted, with the RBA noting loan arrears and insolvencies have picked up in Australia. Yesterday's RBA Meeting Minutes highlighted the RBA has little room to rise rates, without compromising the health of the economy. The RBA was only able to raise rates by 0.25% this month, as business insolvencies had picked up, plus a low level of loan arrears were seen, while housing loan commitments declined -  ‘demonstrating the effect of high interest rates on housing’. Lithium sector news; Mercedes-Benz launches new EV that rivals Tesla’s Model Y. Rio Tinto sees lithium tightness Mercedes-Benz (MBR) broadened its electric vehicle range on the eve of the Paris car show; unveiling a new sporty vehicle that’s US$4,300 cheaper than Tesla’s Model Y, with Mercedes selling the EQE SUV later this year for US$68,000. The new sporty EV Merc also has a 590 kilometres range, means it travels 76 kilometres more than Tesla’s Y Model. Mercedes also plans to offer EV versions of all of its vehicles by the end of this year. And aims to only sell EVs by 2030, particularly in markets phasing out fuel engines. Also in Lithium news yesterday, Rio Tinto (RIO) said the lithium market is experiencing tightness, while demand continues to strengthen from government policies, and EV producers rolling out new models. Lithium carbonate prices remained elevated in the quarter after Power rationing in China’s Sichuan province (a key lithium supply hub) also led to production cuts. Also, Australia’s biggest pure play lithium company Pilbara Minerals (PLS) sold spodumene concentrate at a new record high price, equating to $7,830 a ton.     For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-19-oct-19102022
    CHF/JPY Hits Fresh All-Time High in Strong Bullish Uptrend

    Demand For Netflix Remains Strong | The USD/JPY Pair Is Significantly Approaching The 150.00 Level

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.10.2022 09:58
    Summary:  A choppy session for equities yesterday as an intraday rally to new local highs was erased and before futures shot higher in late trading yesterday on surprisingly positive results from Netflix, helping to keep the sharp rally off the recent bear market lows alive for now. Meanwhile, bond yields remain pinned near cycle highs, keeping the pressure on the struggling Japanese yen, while the Chinese renminbi threatens new lows versus a mixed US dollar.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Volatility remains high in the US and equities continued higher yesterday with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,732 level and pushing higher this morning trading around the 3,747 level. Our view is that the move in US bond yields will dictate direction and with the US 10-year yield pushing higher trading around the 4.05% level this morning we could see a reversal in the equity market. Better than feared results from Netflix also boosted the technology and media segments of the US equity market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index fell more than 1% by mid-day, as China Internet stocks reversing the bounce in the past two days, falling from 2% to 4%, and local property developer names paring early gains as the relief for extra stamp duties for non-resident home buyers in the maiden Policy Address of the Hong Kong Chief Executive is less extensive than expected. Sun Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg) dropped 1.5% and New World Development (00017:xhkg) plunged 4%. Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388:xhkg), falling 0.6%, reported a 30% Y/Y decline in EPS in Q3, slightly better-than-feared. Shipping stocks gained, with tanker and dry bulk operator COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) soaring more than 11% and leading the charge higher. In mainland bourses, the CSI300 fell 0.9% while shipping names and educational service providers outperformed. Risk sentiment keeps USD under pressure, but bigger focus on struggling JPY, CNH The US dollar bobbed around in correlation with risk sentiment and is still supported at the margin by US treasury yields remaining near the highs for the cycle, with the 10-year treasury benchmark above 4.00% this morning. The most interesting development is that, despite the somewhat mixed to lower US dollar relative to its recent top, the Japanese yen remains near the lows for the cycle on the ongoing rise in global yields, with USDJPY just shy of the 150.00 level that some believe could bring an official intervention. Likewise, USDCNH saw its highest daily close yesterday just above 7.22 and is looking higher still above 7.2400 this morning, with broad CNH weakness intensifying. Is China looking to take its currency significantly lower? Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil prices traded heavily yesterday as US president Biden said that it would release 15 million more barrels from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and could possibly release further barrels this winter. Petrol prices are clearly a concern, and the administration is in an all-out effort to suppress prices ahead of the mid-term election early next month, although releases from reserves will do little to relieve the pinch in especially diesel supplies, where inventories are at record lows on shipments of diesel to the even tighter European markets. At some point, the SPR cannot be credibly tapped for further supplies – as the administration has tapped nearly 200 million barrels from reserves this year already, about a third of the total in storage. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields remain near the highs, with the 10-year treasury benchmark still above 4.00% this morning, with little incoming data of sufficient importance to prompt volatility until the week after next, which will bring both the next key jobs report as well as the next FOMC meeting. An auction of 20-year T-notes is up later today. What is going on? ASML beats Q3 estimates on revenue and gross margin The world’s largest semiconductor equipment maker posts Q3 revenue of €5.8bn vs est. €5.3bn and gross margin of 51.8% vs est. 49.5%. While gross margin beats in Q3 the company’s forecast for Q4 of 49% misses estimates of 50.3% and ASML expects to delay revenue of €2.2bn into 2023. Q4 revenue forecast is €6.1-6.6bn vs est. €6.1bn as the CEO says demand remains strong. The company says that US export rules on semiconductors to have minimal impact on shipments in 2023, but at the same time the company says that it expects to revisit 2025 scenarios and growth opportunities. China is around 15% of sales for ASML. Netflix proves sceptics wrong on strong subscriber figures Netflix surprised investors last night by defying the pessimists that had projected dire subscriber figure, but Netflix reported net change of 2.4mn vs est. 1mn despite price hikes suggesting demand remains strong. The company forecasts Q4 net change in subscribers of 4.5mn vs est. 3.9mn but will not provide future forecasts on paid subscribers after Q4. The company sees worse than expected revenue and EPS figures in Q4 compared to estimates. Netflix also said that it is seeing strong demand for its advertising capacity which is good news for shareholders as advertising is the next big revenue leg for Netflix. Shares were up 14% in extended trading. Johnson & Johnson sees FX headwinds Q3 revenue and EPS in line with estimates suggesting low revenue growth of just 2% y/y and the company says it expects FX headwinds on EPS of 6-7% next year and that modest layoffs are likely. Lockheed Martin expects flat sales in 2023 Q3 revenue at $16.6bn was in line with estimates while EPS of $6.87 beat estimates. Backlog increased 4% y/y to $139.7bn but expects a flat revenue growth in 2023 and lower margins indicating that Lockheed Martin is not expecting to benefit significantly from the war in Ukraine. It should be said that the CEO said demand is strong for its Javelin missile system that is being used in Ukraine. Despite muted growth expectations the company’s decision to expand its buybacks lifted shares considerably in yesterday’s session. US NAHB Housing Market Index plunged further in October … pointing to a rapidly weaking US housing market. The index peaked in late 2020 at a record 90 level and began this year at 83 before the impact of rapidly rising interest rates drove a steep decline in activity. The October level was 38, below expectations of 43 and the September reading of 46. Only two readings since 2012 have come in below the current level, both of which were posted in the panic months during the Covid pandemic outbreak in early 2020. This index has proven a strong leading indicator with a very long and variable lag in past economic cycles, but pointing to headwinds to develop for employment and the broader economy at some point next year. Bank of Japan’s Kuroda keeps foot on the easing pedal The Bank of Japan governor said that a stable weak JPY is a net positive for Japan and merely spoke against the negative effects of "excessive” moves. Another BoJ member Adachi spoke in favour of the current policy of negative rates and yield-curve-control, saying that “sticky inflation” would be needed for a shift in policy. USDJPY traded to a new cycle- and 32-year high above 149.30 in early European hours. UK Sep. CPI out this morning slightly above expectations … with the headline at +0.5% MoM and +10.1% YoY (matching the cycle high) vs. 0.4%/10.0% expected, and the core YoY at 6.5% vs. 6.4% expected. The latter was the highest for the cycle and highest since 1992. What are we watching next? Australian earnings season commodity production amid weather and labour issues Mostly weaker than expected quarterly production and outlooks were released today from BHP, Whitehaven Coal, Beach Energy and St Barbara with these commodity giants in coal, oil and gold being hit by poor weather, flooding and labour shortage issues. Whitehaven (WHC) announced production fell 37% last quarter amid poor weather and labour shortages. The Whitehaven Coal CEO says it sees demand for high quality coal continuing to outstrip global supply. That said, the Newcastle Coal price is 3% this month and about 15% lower than its all-time high. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is ASML (see our earnings review above) and Atlas Copco in Europe, and Tesla and P&G in the US. We wrote a preview on Tesla Q3 earnings in yesterday’s equity note but the main focus is the supply situation on lithium and to what extent demand is impacted from higher electricity prices. Today: ASML, Elevance Health, Tesla, IBM, Lam Research, P&G, Abbott Laboratories, Atlas Copco Thursday: China Mobile, China Telecom, ABB, Danaher, Investor, Philip Morris, Union Pacific, CSX, AT&T, Blackstone, Marsh & McLennan, Yara International, Nordea, Volvo, Ericsson, Freeport-McMoRan, Dow, Snap Friday: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – US Sep. Housing Starts & Building Permits 1230 – Canada Sep. CPI 1300 – UK Bank of England’s Cunliffe to testify 1430 – US Weekly DoE Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1700 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Voter 2023) to speak 1700 – US Treasury auctions 20-year T-notes 1800 – US Fed Beige Book 2230 – US Fed’s Evans (Voter 2023) to speak 2230 – US Fed’s Bullard (Voter) to speak 2350 – Japan Sep. Trade Balance 0030 – Australia Q3 NAB Business Confidence 0030 – Australia Sep. Employment Change/ Unemployment Rate Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-19-2022-19102022
    Market Risk Sentiment Adjusts as Investors Eye US Inflation Data

    Small Caps Are More Dominated By Retail Investors

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.10.2022 13:15
    Summary:  US small caps have since 2006 traded at an average valuation premium of around 35% to the S&P 500 but recently since premium has completely disappeared and small caps are now historically cheap relative to large cap stocks. The question is therefore naturally whether investors should look at small caps despite a challenging environment for equities as interest rates continue to go higher. We take a look at the different arguments for and against US small caps despite their apparent attractiveness. Small caps have mostly traded at a premium The pandemic and the subsequent interest rate shock have caused two seismic shifts in the relative equity valuation between US small caps (Russell 2000 Index) and large caps (S&P 500 Index). During the pandemic small caps rose to three standard deviation premium relative to the historical relationship in relative valuation. Subsequently as society came out of the pandemic and the last year’s interest rate shock the relative valuation has collapsed to historical lows. If history since 2006 is a strong gravitational force in the relative valuation US small caps indeed look cheap. Most of the assessment that the long tail of US publicly listed companies is cheap hinges on the relative argument. In absolute terms US small caps have now the same EV/EBITDA multiple as large cap stocks and historically small caps have traded at a 35% premium to S&P 500 since 2006. The justification for a small cap valuation premium could be placed on the small cap risk premium (stating that small caps outperform large caps over time), but more recent evidence is putting doubt on this so called effect. If small caps provided higher growth rates it could be justified, but if the post pandemic period is removed from the data small caps are not growing operating income (EBITDA) faster than S&P 500. So why pay a premium for the same growth, less liquidity and more volatility? One argument is that small caps are more dominated by retail investors that are not engaged in deep thinking over risk premium, growth rates and valuation, but merely taps into this universe because of its many interesting companies and maybe the old time narrative about small beats large. The argument for buying small caps rests mostly on small caps growing faster than large caps or that the historical valuation premium will be restored. One major risk in small caps is that smaller companies tend to do worse during economic slowdowns or outright recessions. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/us-small-caps-are-historically-cheap-relative-to-large-caps-19102022
    German Business Confidence Dips, ECB's Lagarde Hosts Central Banking Conference in Portugal, EUR/USD Drifts Higher

    What May Earnings Of e.g. Amazon (AMZN), Tesco And Walmart Mean To Inflation And, In Consequence, To Forex Market?

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 19.10.2022 14:22
    Last Friday saw the unofficial start of Q3 earnings season. Over the next month, most major corporations around the world will provide updates to investors on profits and give an outlook for the rest of the year. CEO's will comment on the state of their business, and what of particular interest to forex traders, the general economic environment. Forex, of course, depends on the underlying economic situation. But multinational corporations are also the main drivers of cash flows between different currencies as they pay for products, make investments and repatriate profits. Central banks and governments respond to economic conditions faced by businesses, which also impacts the value of their respective currencies. "Headwinds" is the term of the season Many US firms have pre-announced results, in an unusual move. Virtually all of them have warned of negative results for the quarter. This is one of the factors driving US stocks lower. Among the reasons cited are "currency headwinds". That is, the US dollar has been strengthening over the last several months, and profits generated overseas are worth less in dollar terms. The Fed's policy of pushing rates higher to fight inflation has outstripped most other currencies, making it difficult for US exporters. Importers, on the other hand, are seeing increased profits thanks to relatively cheaper imported goods. The result is that the trade balance will likely be increasingly negative, contributing to outflows of US currency. As long as the economic uncertainty persists, this is unlikely to affect the dollar. But, downward pressure is building on the dollar, which could be released at any moment when the Fed's policy starts to soften. Sequential over comparable Traditionally, companies compare current earnings to the same period in the prior year. This helps avoid seasonality effects. However, last year was the middle of the delta covid wave, which would likely distort the "comparable" earnings. "Sequential" earnings are the difference between the current quarter and the previous one, which could take priority. Given the unusual situation, companies can be reporting knock-out comparable earnings, but disappointing sequential ones. Particularly travel and leisure stocks, given the shutdown of air travel last year. European firms in particular were facing an increasingly challenging environment because of energy prices, which peaked at record highs over the last three months. However, since then, energy prices have cratered. They are still well above pre-war and pre-pandemic levels, but substantially lower. Therefore, the reports for European firms could be extraordinarily negative, and not represent the current (or future) situation. This could lead to further "paradoxical" behavior in the market, as traders’ price in the effects of energy prices into earnings. The focus is still on retail With monetary policy focusing on inflation, consumer behavior is likely to have the biggest impact on forex. Big retail firms like Walmart in the US, Casino in Europe, Tesco in the UK can give some critical insight into consumer behavior. Amazon and Alibaba can do so globally. Companies being able to pass on higher costs to consumers implies inflation can continue. As companies are starting to see margin compression as consumers refuse higher prices, it could mean that inflation is near its peak due to demand destruction. Speaking of demand destruction, recession concerns can be read into earnings reports. Particularly in regards to the item of inventories. If companies are seeing their stock build up, they will be less likely to buy replacements. That in turn means inventory building up in other companies, who will buy less raw materials. In general, it implies slowing economic activity, and could be the precursor to layoffs. Company comments on inventories could be market moving this season.
    bybit-news1

    US Indices - S&P 500 And Nasdaq Declined 0.67% And 0.85% Respectively. USD Supported

    ING Economics ING Economics 20.10.2022 09:13
    Mediocre Australian labour data starts the day while overnight, Fed officials are taking a less hawkish tone. Markets seem oblivious for now Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: Wednesday continued the selling pressure that started after the briefest of rallies on Tuesday, and leaves the S&P500 only slightly up from its Monday close at 3695, after a daily decline of 0.67%. The NASDAQ dropped 0.85% on the day. US equity futures are showing further small declines at the open today. This sentiment slide has helped the USD, and EURUSD has fallen back to 0.9764. Further disarray in the UK’s Government hasn’t helped Cable, which declined to 1.1205, though Gilt yields continued to decline yesterday. It’s worth considering whether a call for a General Election might actually be positive for sterling. The AUD is also looking softer at 0.6264, while the JPY seems to be plateauing out at just under 150, in what looks like a market version of “Grandmothers’ footsteps” (for those old enough to remember that). Maybe the BoJ won’t notice its ongoing weakness?  Most Asian currencies weakened against the USD yesterday. The Rupee led the pack and pushed over 83 to the USD, though the CNY was also weaker, rising to just under 7.23. US Treasury yields staged a further strong increase. 2Y yields rose by 12.8bp to 4.556%, while 10Y yields rose 12.7bp to 4.134% - a new cycle high. The move is interesting given that it coincided with a more moderate-sounding James Bullard (St Louis Fed), who many (including ourselves) regard as the most prescient and insightful Fed member. “…it doesn’t mean you go up forever...” – Bullard said to Bloomberg journalists. His comments were echoed by Neel Kashkari, who suggested that there could be a pause next year, and said that it was possible that overall inflation had peaked.  The market has been looking for hints of a Fed pivot for weeks, but now that they are here, they seem to be ignoring them. This sets up the day for a possible "lightbulb moment", followed by strong gains in equities, and falls in front-end bond yields and the USD. Possibly… G-7 Macro:  The Fed’s Beige Book was released early this morning Asia time, and the summary concluded that the economy had continued to grow modestly through early October, but was slowing in a couple of places. Although price growth remained elevated, there were signs of some easing in several districts (in line with what we are seeing in the NFIB surveys). The Macro calendar is relatively quiet today, with US existing home sales (following yesterday’s weak housing starts numbers) and weekly jobless claims figures. France produces a raft of business-related surveys today, while German PPI inflation (currently running at a staggering 45.8%YoY) will be worth a nervous glance.    Australia: September labour data showed a much smaller increase in total employment than the 25K expected by market analysts. Total employment rose only by nine hundred jobs, mainly due to a big fall (-12.4K) in part-time employment, which offset the 13.3K rise in full-time employment. The unemployment rate remained 3.5%. There was no change in the participation rate. The split between full-time and part-time workers means the headline overstates the weakness of this report, but this is still not a strong set of numbers. Japan: The September trade outcome was mostly in line with the market consensus. Exports were up 28.9% YoY (vs 22.0% in August and 26.6% market consensus) and showed continued improvement. By export item, the gain was broadly based. Auto exports gained the most and machinery exports also gained solidly. Meanwhile, imports rose 45.9% YoY (vs 49.9% in August, 44.9% market consensus) showing some slowdown as global commodity prices declined.   Indonesia: Bank Indonesia (BI) holds a policy meeting today.  Consensus points to a 50bp rate increase by Governor Warjiyo, with inflation expected to accelerate further in the coming months.  BI Governor Warjiyo also reiterated that policy moves would be "preemptive" suggesting a sizable increase to bring inflation back within target by 3Q next year.    What to look out for: BI policy meeting and Fed speakers Japan trade balance (20 October) Australia labour market data (20 October) China loan prime rate (20 October) Taiwan export orders (20 October) Bank Indonesia policy meeting (20 October) US initial jobless claims (20 October) Fed’s Evans, Bullard and Kashkari speak (20 October) New Zealand trade balance (21 October) Japan CPI inflation (21 October) South Korea advance trade data (21 October) Fed’s Jeferson, Cook and Bowman speak (21 October) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    Netflix Inc Was Leading Gainer While JP Morgan Chase & Co Was Down

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 20.10.2022 08:16
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.33%, the S&P 500 fell 0.67% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.85%. The components of the Dow Jones index The leading gainers among the components of the Dow Jones index today were The Travelers Companies Inc, which gained 7.40 points or 4.44% to close at 174.17. Chevron Corp rose 5.28 points or 3.24% to close at 168.00. Procter & Gamble Company rose 0.93% or 1.19 points to close at 129.56. The biggest losers were Home Depot Inc, which shed 9.57 points or 3.36% to end the session at 275.49. Dow Inc was up 2.70% or 1.25 points to close at 45.13, while JPMorgan Chase & Co was down 1.96% or 2.33 points to close at 116. .51. The S&P 500 index components Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Netflix Inc, which rose 13.09% to 272.38, Intuitive Surgical Inc, which gained 8.99% to close at 211.14, and shares of Valero Energy Corporation, which rose 5.32% to close the session at 123.96. The biggest losers were Generac Holdings Inc, which shed 25.34% to close at 110.30. Shares of M&T Bank Corp lost 13.89% and ended the session at 163.06. Quotes Northern Trust Corporation fell in price by 9.15% to 79.59. The components of the NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Mullen Automotive Inc, which rose 57.12% to hit 0.34, Scopus Biopharma Inc, which gained 51.59% to close at 0.37, and also shares of SenesTech Inc, which rose 46.55% to close the session at 0.34. The biggest losers were Olaplex Holdings Inc, which shed 56.69% to close at 4.24. Shares of Agrify Corp lost 42.44% to end the session at 2.55. Quotes of Sientra Inc decreased in price by 37.36% to 0.38.  The number of securities that fell and rise On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2363) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (777), while quotes of 105 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,715 stocks fell, 1,085 rose, and 216 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.89% to 30.77. Commodities Gold futures for December delivery lost 1.31%, or 21.65, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for December delivery rose 3.23%, or 2.65, to $84.72 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 2.53%, or 2.28, to $92.31 a barrel. FX Market Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.79% to hit 0.98, while USD/JPY edged up 0.43% to hit 149.90. Futures on the USD index rose 0.73% to 112.81.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-21 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/297535
    Asia Market: Exports In Indonesia Are Likely To Continue To Grow, Chinese Interest Rate Decision Ahead

    Australia Has A Growing Number Of Business Insolvencies | Chinese Concept Of Regulating The Way Wealth Is Accumulated

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.10.2022 10:42
    Summary:  The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 fell on weaker-than-expected company news, Putin clearing martial law, and more hawkish Fed comments. 10-year US bond yields hit 4.14%, its highest since July 2008 which boosted the US dollar against every G-10 peer. Netflix, the standout performer up 13% following their mostly better-than-expected results. Tesla shares slid after hours on weaker-than-expected 3Q results. AU jobs data disappoints, putting the focus back on the AUD and banking shares. Across the Asia Pacific, all eyes are on energy and oil stocks after the Crude oil price lifted 3% on EIA warnings. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall on weaker than expected company news, Putin clearing martial law & hawkish Fed comments US stocks fell on the backfoot after a two-day rally, with the 10-year US bond yield hitting 4.136% in the session, which is its highest level since July 2008, while 2-years rose to the highest since 2007. That in turn boosted the dollar, which rallied against every G-10 peer. Gold dropped. It comes as Fed speakers warned US inflation continues to surprise to the upside, saying there’s no reason to think key price measures have peaked. Over in UK and Canada CPI came in stronger than expected in September, up 10.1% year on year (YOY) and 6.9% YOY respectively, ensuring the Bank of England and Bank of Canada keep on hiking rates.  Earnings enthusiasm faded with backup generator manufacturing Generac (GNR) shares sliding 25% on slashing its full year sales outlook. While community bank M&T (MTB) shares crumbled 14% on the company reporting weaker than expected results. On the upside, oil stocks charged with Baker Hughes (BKR), Valero Energy (VLO) and Halliburton (HAL) up over 5% each. While Netflix (NFLX) was the stand out performer up 13% following their mostly better than expected result released the day prior as we mentioned here.  S&P 500 dropped 0.7% and Nasdaq 100 slid 0.4%. 10 of the 11 sectors of S&P 500 declined with the notable exception of Energy, which rose 2.9%. 10-year U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) jumped to 4.13% Higher-than-expected U.K. inflation prints, hawkish comments from Fed’s Bullard and Kashkari, poor results from the 20-year treasury bond auction, and corporate bond supply contributed to an around 13bp rise in yields across the curve. The 2-year yield rose to 4.56% and the 10-year surged to 4.13%, both reaching new highs. The 20-year auction was awarded at 2.5bps cheaper than the market level at the time of the auction, indicating poor demand. Corporate bond issuance amounted to around USD15 billion and added to the upward pressure on yields. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index fell 2.4% by mid-day, as China Internet stocks reversed the bounce in the past two days, falling by 4% to 7%, and local property developer names paring early gains as the relief for extra stamp duties for non-resident home buyers in the maiden Policy Address of the Hong Kong Chief Executive is less extensive than expected. Sun Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg) dropped 3.6% and New World Development (00017:xhkg) tumbled 7.8%. Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388:xhkg), falling 2%, reported a 30% Y/Y decline in EPS in Q3, slightly better-than-feared. EV stocks tumbled, with Xpeng (09868:xhkg) falling 9.5% and other leading names losing by 4% to 7%.  Tanker and dry bulk operator COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) soared more than 10%. In mainland bourses, the CSI300 fell 1.6%, with Consumer Staple and Consumer Discretionary sectors being the worst performers, falling over 3%. While all major sectors in the CSI300 declined, lithium battery makers, shipping, and coal mining companies gained. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1), focus is on bank and energy stocks It’s worth keeping an eye on banking stocks particularly regional banks that could see more volatility, like Suncorp (SUN), Bendigo and Adelaide (BEN) and Bank of Queensland (BOQ). Also, today focus will be on oil stocks like Santos (STO), Woodside Energy Group (WDS) and Beach Energy (BPT) after the oil price darted ahead. Japanese yen flirting with 150, GBP facing political hurdles There is a lot of sense of “urgency” in the Japanese officials as USDJPY continues to flirt with the 150 handle. The surge higher in US yields overnight is likely to further pressure the yen, and FinMin Suzuki’s comments this morning on taking appropriate steps to curb speculative moves still suggest they stand ready to intervene if USDJPY rises above 150. Meanwhile, the rebound in the US dollar weighed on G10 currencies, with GBP suffering despite a pick up n BOE rate hike bets after the higher than expected UK CPI print, as political turmoil continued to weigh. Three officials left the office yesterday, including the Home Secretary and Chief Whip, although there were reports later that some of them will remain in post. Meanwhile, the fight for Truss to stay in office continues. GBPUSD testing the downside at 1.1200. USDCNH climbed to as high as 7.2790 The Chinese offshore yuan weakened to as much as 7.2790 this morning and is trading at around 7.2680 as of writing. Higher U.S. bond yields, sell-offs in Chinese stocks, concerns over a harsher line on income redistribution in China, and reports about talks on the joint production of weapons between the U.S. and Taiwan weighed on the yuan.  Gold (XAUUSD) slumps as the dollar momentum returns Gold prices heading lower to test the support at $1620/oz amid risk aversion and higher Fed bets propelling US yields higher and a rebound in the US dollar. Hawkish Fed speak yesterday, together with fresh highs in UK CPI, suggested higher-for-longer inflation and interest rates, while demand for the yellow metal also remains depressed due to ongoing lockdowns in China.  Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) in focus again following EIA warnings Oil extended gains rising 3.3% to $85.55 after EIA earlier reported US crude stockpiles dropped by 1.73 million barrels last week. Four-week seasonal demand for distillate fuels soared to the highest since 2007 while inventories remained at the lowest point on record for this time of year.  What to consider? Fed speakers further up the hawkish ante James Bullard and Neel Kashkari kept up their hawkish Fed rhetoric, in light of the burgeoning global price pressures. Bullard warned that inflation continues to surprise to the upside and the Fed needs to continue to act, also emphasising higher-for-longer rates even if inflation starts to decline in 2023. Kashkari (2023 voter) added that there is no reason to think that key price measures have peaked, and he sees little evidence of a labor market softening. He also reiterated the Saxo view that “risk of under shooting on rate hikes bigger than overdoing it”. He also said his best guess is the Fed can pause hikes sometime next year but he favours rate hikes until core inflation starts to cool, noting the Fed's rate changes take a year or so to work through the economy. Chicago Fed President Evans was also on the wires this morning, and given that he’s retiring next year, he was accepting of the fact that “beginning rate hikes six months earlier would have made sense.” UK CPI comes out hotter than expected, Euro headline inflation more subtle UK inflation came in at double-digits again, matching the 40-year high in July, at 10.1% y/y. This puts further pressure on the Bank of England to go big with its rate hike at the November meeting. Price pressures were broad-based, but most notable was the increase in food price. Scaling back of aid for electricity and natural gas prices, as suggested by the latest fiscal measures announced by Chancellor Hunt, could fuel further inflationary pressures next year. Eurozone headline inflation, on the other hand, was revised lower to 9.9% for September from flash reading of 10.0% but core measure rose to 5.8% y/y from 5.2% y/y in August, coming in at a record high. The ECB is expected to raise rates by 75bps at the October 27 meeting. Tesla shares slide after hours on reporting weaker-than-expected results Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 2.7% after hours when the EV giant reported third-quarter sales falling short of analyst estimates, noting the US dollar’s growing strength, along with production and delivery bottlenecks impacted results. Tesla’s Revenue rose to $21.5 billion, versus $22.1 billion expected by Wall Street. Profit rose to $1.05 a share, exceeding the $1.01 average Bloomberg estimate. And the closely watched Q3 automotive gross margin, came in at 27.9%, missed the 28.4% expected. Tesla cited higher costs related to a slower-than-expected ramp up in output at new factories, as well as difficulties shipping vehicles. Tesla’s shares are down almost 45% from their high against the backdrop of a slowing economy, higher inflation and rising interest rates, plus Musk’s $44 billion bid to buy Twitter. For more on Tesla click here to read Peter Garnry’s note. Discussion between the U.S. and Taiwan on joint weapon production According to Nikkei Asia, the Biden administration and Taiwan are in talks for American defense companies to provide Taiwan technology to manufacture weapons in Taiwan or to ship Taiwan-made parts to make weapons in the U.S. This, reading together with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s warning this Monday that “a fundamental decision that the status quo was no longer acceptable and that Beijing was determined to pursue reunification on a much faster timeline” and President Biden’s remarks of deploying U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in a CBS 60 Minutes interview last month, stirred up some unease among investors. Separately on Wednesday, Taiwan conducted live-fire military drills on Penghu Island, an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait. Investors are feeling unease about the introduction of the concept of regulating the means of accumulated wealth in China in an official document in China Market chatters show some investors are feeling unease about the phrase “we will improve the personal income tax system and keep income distribution and the means of accumulating wealth well-regulated” in the Work Report delivered by General Secretary Xi at the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress last Sunday. The concept of regulating the means of accumulating wealth (规范财富积累机制) shows up in an official document for the first time. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee unveils his plans for active industrial policies and integration into national development schemes In his maiden Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee unveils a Steering Group on Integration into National Development to devise strategic plans to integrate Hong Kong’s economy into the mainland’s Greater Bay Area development scheme and the Belt and Road Initiative. Li also rolls out investment-led measures aiming to boost the Hong Kong economy, including setting up a Hong Kong Investment Corporation which will establish and fund an HKD30 billion public-private co-investment fund to invest in projects that potentially drive industry development in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will also establish the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises whose mandate is to attract business enterprises from the mainland and overseas through favorable tax, financing, land provision, and other incentives. Weaker yen to prop up Japan inflation further Japan’s inflation data for September is due for release on Friday, and as signalled by the Tokyo CPI released earlier this month, price pressures are likely to pick up further. Bloomberg consensus expects the core measure (ex-fresh food) to come in at 3.0% y/y from August’s 2.8% y/y while the core-core measure (ex-fresh food and energy) is expected at 1.8% y/y in September from 1.6% y/y previously. The headline is expected to be a notch softer at 2.9% y/y from 3.0% y/y, but still remain way above the 2% target level. Weakness in the yen prompted an intervention from the Bank of Japan in September but the effect faded fast and the currency was significantly weaker in the month, which possible led to import price pressures. Still, the central bank is unlikely to shift its easing stance and will likely continue to wait for the global pressures to ease and USD to top out.       Aussie unemployment rises. Employment falls Traders digested much weaker than expected jobs data for September. Data released today showed just 923 jobs were added to the economy, much weaker than the 25,000 jobs Bloomberg estimated to be added. It also shows employment is falling ahead of RBA’s expectations, with less jobs added to the Australian economy, following last month’s 33,500 jobs being added. Also in important news; the unemployment rate rose by less than 0.1 percentage points, but remained at 3.5% in rounded terms. The reason for this is because rate rises and rising inflation is having a greater impact on the corporate world with the RBA also noting business insolvencies are rising in Australia.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-20-oct-20102022
    Tesla Does Not Say Much Directly About The Demand Situation, Ally Financial Sees A Slowdown In Car Loans

    Tesla Does Not Say Much Directly About The Demand Situation, Ally Financial Sees A Slowdown In Car Loans

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.10.2022 11:15
    Summary:  Investors are used to Tesla beating estimates but last night the EV-maker surprised investors missing revenue and automotive gross margin estimates as the EV-maker faced battery constraints during the quarter and delivery transportation capacity during peak deliveries at the end of the quarter. While the company disappointed against estimates revenue growth was still impressive 56% y/y and the company is reiterating its 50% average growth target over the coming years, something analysts are not agreeing with seeing revenue growth declining to 14% in 2025. The physical world is tough on Tesla Tesla shares are down 5% in extended trading following Q3 results showing revenue of $21.5bn vs est. $22.1bn and adjusted EPS of $1.05 vs est. $1.01. Q3 automotive gross margin came in at 27.9% vs est. 28.4%. Tesla says that battery supply constraints remain the key limiting factor on deliveries and scaling up the production; Tesla also mentions that ramping up production of its new battery 4680 cells has proven to be more difficult. In addition, delivery transport capacity was a limiting factor on deliveries in Q3 and the EV-maker is working to smooth this process going forward. While investors are reacting to the lower than expected revenue growth and gross margin, Tesla is doubling down on its 50% average growth rate target. Back in April, CEO Elon Musk said that the company would deliver 1.5mn cars this year so with around 930,000 deliveries as of the first nine months, the EV-maker must delivery 570,000 cars in Q4 which would be an increase of 86% y/y which seems like a very high bar to climb given the recent quarters growth in deliveries and the constraints mentioned above. Looking at analyst estimates for revenue the analyst community does not buy the 50% growth story as revenue growth is projected to fall from 57% in 2022 to 14% in 2025. Tesla is not saying much directly on the demand situation as it relates to the current volatility and high prices on electricity which could slow down the transition to electric vehicles. Earlier today, Ally Financial which is one of the biggest US lenders of auto loans said that it sees a slowdown in auto loans and the company also missed estimates. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/tesla-misses-on-gross-margin-and-reiterates-lofty-goals-20102022
    Conflict Over Taiwan Would Trigger A Huge Global economic Shock

    Deployment Of US Forces To Defend Taiwan |Because Of Global Price Pressure, The Fed Strategy Will Remain Unchanged And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.10.2022 12:43
    Summary:  Equity markets rolled over yesterday suffering in the headwinds of a fresh strong rise in US treasury yields, as the entire US yield curve lifted to new highs for the cycle. After the close, the heavily traded Tesla reported disappointing revenue and margins and traded some 6% lower in late trading. Elsewhere, the rise in yields is pushing hard on the JPY to weaken further, but the USDJPY rate of 150.00 it’s clearly a psychological barrier for official intervention-wary traders.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The S&P 500 index closed the day –0.7% lower and the Nasdaq 100 index was down –0.4% (although far lower from the overnight highs posted after the Netflix earnings late Tuesday) Still, this was not that weak a performance, given the fresh strong lift in treasury yields, with the price action holding up relatively well after the close of trading yesterday despite the disappointing Tesla results that took that heavily traded stock down sharply after the close. The further outlook for treasury yields on incoming data, as well as the heavy earnings calendar of next week, are likely to set the tone for equity markets from here. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks tumbled with Hang Seng Index down 2.4% hitting 13-year lows. Higher U.S. bond yields and the Chinese Yuan weakening to new lows weighed on the markets. To add to the woes, investors have become increasingly concerned about the potential policy implications of the concept of “regulating the means of accumulating wealth” and US-Taiwan discussions on joint manufacturing of defensive capabilities (more below) China Internet names sold off 5% to 9%. CSI 300 declined 0.7%. Semiconductor stocks are the notable outperformers in both the Hong Kong and mainland bourses.  SMIC (00981:xhkg) gained 0.9% and Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) climbed 3.2%. Maximum support for the US dollar from rising treasury yields, but price action uninspiring The US dollar is getting about as much support as it conceivably can from a fresh rise in US treasury yields, but the impact on the currency has been minimal, as it feels as if a large finger has pressed the paus button – could this be a widespread nervousness as traders look at the USDJPY level perched near 150.00, with pressure from rising global yields for the JPY to weaken further, but with market participants knowing that a large bout of official Japanese intervention will be forthcoming at some point above that level? Relatively stable sentiment despite the fresh surge in treasury yields may also be behind the lackluster price action in USD pairs here, with USDCNH correcting back lower after its burst higher yesterday on a strong CNY fixing overnight another source of resistance for the greenback. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) in focus again following EIA warnings November WTI extended gains rising above $86/barrel overnight after the EIA yesterday reported US crude stockpiles dropped by 1.73 million barrels last week. Four-week seasonal demand for distillate fuels soared to the highest since 2007 while inventories remained at the lowest point on record for this time of year. Oil stocks charged higher with Baker Hughes, Valero Energy and Halliburton up over 5% each. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps as the dollar momentum returns Gold prices heading lower to test the support at $1620/oz amid risk aversion and higher Fed bets propelling US yields higher and a rebound in the US dollar. Hawkish Fed speak yesterday, together with fresh highs in UK CPI, suggested higher-for-longer inflation and interest rates, while demand for the yellow metal also remains depressed due to ongoing lockdowns in China. US treasuries (TLT, IEF)   US treasury yields lifted all along the curve, with the 2-year rising above 4.55% for the first time and the 10-year yield lifting aggressively to almost 4.15%, well clear of the 4.00% level that seemed to be providing bond market support in recent weeks. What is going on? Fed speakers further up the hawkish ante James Bullard and Neel Kashkari kept up their hawkish Fed rhetoric, in light of the burgeoning global price pressures. Bullard warned that inflation continues to surprise to the upside and the Fed needs to continue to act, also emphasising higher-for-longer rates even if inflation starts to decline in 2023, though he also suggested that “front-loading” of hikes is likely to end early next year (market pricing this anyway). Kashkari (2023 voter) added that there is no reason to think that key price measures have peaked, and he sees little evidence of a labor market softening. He also reiterated the Saxo view that “risk of under shooting on rate hikes bigger than overdoing it”. He also said his best guess is the Fed can pause hikes sometime next year but he favours rate hikes until core inflation starts to cool, noting the Fed's rate changes take a year or so to work through the economy. Chicago Fed President Evans was also on the wires this morning, and given that he’s retiring next year, he was accepting of the fact that “beginning rate hikes six months earlier would have made sense.” Tesla misses on revenue growth and margins, reaffirms longer term growth guidance Investors are used to Tesla beating estimates but last night the EV-maker surprised investors missing revenue and automotive gross margin estimates as the EV-maker faced battery constraints during the quarter and delivery transportation capacity during peak deliveries at the end of the quarter. While the company disappointed against estimates revenue growth was still impressive 56% y/y and the company is reiterating its 50% average growth target over the coming years, something analysts are not agreeing with seeing revenue growth declining to 14% in 2025. Shares were down 6% in late trading after the report. Discussion between the U.S. and Taiwan on joint weapon production According to Nikkei Asia, the Biden administration and Taiwan are in talks for American defense companies to provide Taiwan technology to manufacture weapons in Taiwan or to ship Taiwan-made parts to make weapons in the U.S. This, reading together with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s warning this Monday that “a fundamental decision that the status quo was no longer acceptable and that Beijing was determined to pursue reunification on a much faster timeline” and President Biden’s remarks of deploying U.S. forces to defend Taiwan in a CBS 60 Minutes interview last month, stirred up some unease among investors. Separately on Wednesday, Taiwan conducted live-fire military drills on Penghu Island, an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait. Chinese Investors uneasy about the introduction of policy language on wealth regulation Market chatters indicate that some investors are feeling unease about the potential policy implications of the phrase “we will improve the personal income tax system and keep income distribution and the means of accumulating wealth well-regulated” in the Work Report delivered by General Secretary Xi at the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress last Sunday. The concept of regulating the means of accumulating wealth shows up in an official document for the first time. Weak Aussie September jobs report for September, supporting less hawkish RBA The data showed just 923 jobs were added to the economy, vs the +25k consensus from Bloomberg. It also shows employment is falling far ahead of RBA’s expectations, following last month’s 33,500 jobs being added. The unemployment rate also rose, by less than 0.1 percentage points but remained at 3.5% in rounded terms. It comes as part-time employment fell by 12,400. Recently the RBA noted business insolvencies were rising, and today’s data shows that the official stats are reflecting this too. That said, of the Australian mining companies reporting quarterly result this week, most reported labour shortages are continuing, which is affecting production. What are we watching next? Weaker yen to prop up Japan inflation further   Japan’s inflation data for September is due for release on Friday (tonight), and as signalled by the Tokyo CPI released earlier this month, price pressures are likely to pick up further. Bloomberg consensus expects the core measure (ex-fresh food) to come in at 3.0% y/y from August’s 2.8% y/y while the core-core measure (ex-fresh food and energy) is expected at 1.8% y/y in September from 1.6% y/y previously. The headline is expected to be a notch softer at 2.9% y/y from 3.0% y/y, but still remain way above the 2% target level. Weakness in the yen prompted an intervention from the Bank of Japan in September but the effect faded fast and the currency was significantly weaker in the month, which possible led to import price pressures. Still, the central bank is unlikely to shift its easing stance and will likely continue to wait for the global pressures to ease and USD to top out.         Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is on Swedish power and automation equipment maker ABB, diversified and medical equipment maker Danaher, miner Freeport McMoRan and mobile network equipment maker Ericsson. Today: China Mobile, China Telecom, ABB, Danaher, Investor, Philip Morris, Union Pacific, CSX, AT&T, Blackstone, Marsh & McLennan, Yara International, Nordea, Volvo, Ericsson, Freeport-McMoRan, Dow, Snap Friday: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1230 – Canada Sep. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1230 – US Oct. Philadelphia Fed Business Survey 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – US Sep. Existing Home Sales 1400 – US Sep. Leading Index 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 2145 – New Zealand Sep. Trade Balance 2301 – UK Oct. GfK Consumer Confidence 2330 – Japan Sep. National CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-20-2022-20102022
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    The NASDAQ Composite Was Down 0.61% And The Biggest Losers Were Talaris Therapeutics Inc

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.10.2022 08:14
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.30%, the S&P 500 was down 0.80% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 0.61%.  The Dow Jones index The leading gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was International Business Machines, which gained 5.79 points (4.73%) to close at 128.30. Salesforce Inc rose 3.83 points or 2.49% to close at 157.50. Verizon Communications Inc rose 0.43 points or 1.18% to close at 37.00. The biggest losers were Home Depot Inc, which shed 6.03 points or 2.19% to end the session at 269.46. Caterpillar Inc was up 2.10% or 3.87 points to close at 180.54 while Nike Inc was down 1.96% or 1.74 points to end at 86.83. .  The S&P 500 results Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components in today's trading were Lam Research Corp, which rose 7.81% to 355.87, AT&T Inc, which gained 7.72% to close at 16.74, and shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, which rose 6.32% to close the session at 134.66. The biggest losers were Allstate Corp, which shed 12.90% to close at 117.71. Shares of Union Pacific Corporation shed 6.80% to end the session at 186.45. Quotes of Tesla Inc decreased in price by 6.65% to 207.28. The components of the NASDAQ Composite  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Nextplay Technologies Inc, which rose 107.31% to hit 0.41, Cabaletta Bio Inc, which gained 50.77% to close at 1.96, and also shares of Save Foods Inc, which rose 31.33% to end the session at 1.97. The biggest losers were Talaris Therapeutics Inc, which shed 43.39% to close at 1.37. Shares of LMF Acquisition Opportunities Inc shed 34.55% to end the session at 6.82. Quotes of Gaucho Group Holdings Inc decreased in price by 30.40% to 0.21. How many fall and rise On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2067) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1018), while quotes of 114 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2037 stocks fell, 1694 rose, and 240 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.54% to 29.98. Commodities Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.17%, or 2.85, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery rose 0.50%, or 0.42, to $84.94 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 0.25%, or 0.23, to $92.64 a barrel. EUR/USD Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.12% to 0.98, while USD/JPY rallied 0.19% to hit 150.18. Futures on the USD index fell 0.07% to 112.81.   Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-22 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/297723
    Behind Closed Doors: The Multibillion-Dollar Deals Shaping Global Markets

    Wall Street Closed In The Red And The S&P 500 Futures Increase Losses

    TeleTrade Comments TeleTrade Comments 21.10.2022 08:44
    Global markets remain sluggish amid light calendar, early week optimism defends buyers. S&P 500 Futures drop for the third consecutive day. US 10-year Treasury yields seesaw around 14-year high. Inflation woes keep markets on thin ice, last round of Fedspeak before blackout appears important to watch. Traders cheer the Friday mood as an absence of major data/events joins mixed catalysts to keep them off the table during the last day of the week. Even so, cautious optimism prevails as the US dollar struggles to benefit from the strong yields and risk-off mood. While portraying the mood, the US 10-year Treasury bond yields refreshed a 14-year high the previous day, around 4.22% by the press time. Also, the two-year US Treasury yields rose to the highest levels since 2007 before recently taking rounds to 4.62%. That said, Wall Street closed in the red following an initially upbeat performance while the S&P 500 Futures extend the previous day’s losses with 0.50% intraday downside at the latest. “US stocks closed lower on Thursday as data on the labor market and comments from a U.S. Federal Reserve official reinforced expectations the central bank will be aggressive in hiking interest rates outweighed a flurry of solid corporate earnings,” said Reuters. Looking at the data, US Initial Jobless Claims eased to 214K for the week ended on October 07 versus 230K expected and a revised down 226K prior. Further, Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey Index dropped to -8.7 for October versus the -5 market consensus and -9.9 previous reading. Additionally, US Existing Home Sales rose past 4.7M expected to 4.71M but eased below 4.78M prior. Also, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook mentioned that ongoing rate increases will be required. Amid these plays, the CME’s FedWatch Tool suggests a near 98% chance of the Fed’s 75 bps rate hike. Elsewhere, the political crisis in the UK and Japan’s reluctance to intervene despite the multi-year low of the yen, exert downside pressure on the markets. However, China’s readiness to ease virus-led travel curbs seems to defend the buyers. On the same line could be the hopes that Britain will soon overcome the jittery markets. Moving on, the UK’s Retail Sales and the last dose of the Fed speakers’ comments before the blackout period preceding November’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting will be crucial for clear market directions.
    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    In The Asia-Pacific Region, Only In Japan The Indices Fell

    TeleTrade Comments TeleTrade Comments 21.10.2022 08:58
    Asia-Pacific equity markets grind lower amid lack of major data. China’s lockdown in Xi’an, multi-year high Treasury yields keep bears hopeful. Indian shares buck the trend amid strong earnings report. Wall Street closed lower on firmer US data, hawkish Fedspeak. Asian stock markets remain mostly lower as multi-year high Treasury bond yields join a lack of major data/events on Friday. Also negatively affecting the region’s equities are fears of higher inflation and central bank meddling to defend the respective currencies in Japan, China and India. Furthermore, fresh covid fears from China exert additional downside pressure on the market sentiment amid a sluggish session. While portraying the mood, MSCI’s Index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan prints 0.50% intraday gains whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 drops to the same tune as we write. Elsewhere, India’s BSE Sensex adds 0.40% at the latest, following an upbeat start, amid firmer company earnings. “Indian shares opened higher on Friday, as strong earnings reports, including from Axis Bank, helped resist the weakness in global markets on fears of the impact of aggressive rate hikes from central banks on economic growth and corporate results,” stated Reuters. On the other hand, Chinese stock remains pressured after witnessing a corrective bounce the previous day as policymakers announce fresh covid-led lockdowns in Xi’an. “China locked down parts of the central metropolis of Xi’an, confining some of the city’s 13 million people to their homes for at least a week, and other major hubs are rolling out virus restrictions in a reinforcement of the country’s commitment to covid zero,” per Bloomberg. It should be noted that an eight-year high core Consumer Price Index (CPI) from Japan and looming fears of Tokyo’s meddling to defend the yen, as well as the same hopes from policymakers in China and India, keeps the risk appetite weak. Australia’s ASX 200 drops nearly 0.80% intraday as traders await the annual budget and expect downbeat growth and firmer inflation ahead. On the same line, New Zealand’s (NZ) NZX 50 also holds lower ground even as NZ trade numbers printed upbeat figures for September. On a broader front, the US 10-year Treasury bond yields refreshed a 14-year high the previous day, around 4.22% by the press time. Also, the two-year US Treasury yields rose to the highest levels since 2007 before recently taking rounds to 4.62%. It’s worth noting that Wall Street closed in the red following an initially upbeat performance while the S&P 500 Futures extend the previous day’s losses with 0.50% intraday downside at the latest. Also read: S&P 500 Futures pare weekly gains as yields dribble around multi-year high
    UK PMIs Signal Economic Deceleration, Pound Edges Lower

    Restricting China's Access To Advanced Technologies | Advertising Partners From Many Industries Are Reducing Their Marketing Budgets

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.10.2022 09:35
    Summary:  With Fed officials keeping up their rate hike rhetoric, swaps are now pricing in a 5% peak rate in the first half of next year. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose 9 basis points to 4.23%, which weighed on equity valuation multiples. Snap earnings also send a warning on tech earnings ahead. UK PM Truss’ resignation would do little to help with the chaos in UK economy and politics. The dollar was mixed, oil was steady, gold retreated as bond-yields rose. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreat as bond yields climb US stocks fell for the second day, after Treasury yields rose again, continuing to climb into territory not seen in more than a decade, with Fed officials keeping up their rate hike rhetoric. Swaps are now pricing in a 5% peak rate in the first half of next year. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose 9 basis points to 4.23%, at one point hitting 4.239%, its highest level since 2008. The policy-sensitive yield, the 2-year Treasury traded up five basis points to 4.608%. As such this makes high PE tech stocks look expensive, particularly as the Nasdaq only offers a yield of 0.97%, and the S&P500 has an average yield of 1.8%, and the Dow Jones with a yield of 2.2%, all at a time when US corporate earnings are falling for the first time this year. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5% and the S&P 500 erased an earlier gain of more than 1%, before it ended 0.8% lower. Utilities down 2.5%, were the worst performing sector in the S&P 500. Communication Services outperformed, led by AT&T (T:xnys) which jumped 7.8% after the telecommunications giant reported earnings beating estimates and raising profit outlooks. 10-year U.S. treasury yields made a new 14-year high at 4.23% (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) U.S. treasuries sold off for a second day in a row, with the 2-year yield climbing 5bps to 4.615 and the 10-year yield 9bps higher at 4.23%, the highest levels in 14 years. Yields surged after the Philadelphia Fed President Harker said he was expecting the Fed Fund rate to be “well above 4% by the end of the year” and Fed Governor Cook said fighting inflation “will require ongoing rate hikes and then keeping policy restrictive for some time.” Hedging for new issues in the corporate space also contributed to the rise in yields. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks tumbled with Hang Seng Index down 1.4% hitting 13-year lows. The bounce on the news of China shorting quarantine requirement for inbound travellers failed to hold. Higher U.S. bond yields and the Chinese Yuan weakening to new lows weighed on the markets. To add to the woes, investors have become increasingly concerned about the potential policy implications of the concept of “regulating the means of accumulating wealth” introduced in the Work Report delivered at the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress last Sunday and the newswire report that the U.S. and Taiwan are in discussion of jointly manufacturing weapons. Chinese leading banks kept the 1-year and 5-year Loan Prime Rates unchanged. China Internet names sold off 3% to 8%. The EV space remained weak, with leading names falling by 2% to 6%. JD Health (06618:xhkg) rose 7.1% on share buyback news. Semiconductor stocks surged in Hong Kong and mainland bourses. Reportedly, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology summoned executives of microchip manufacturers to discuss the latest moves from the U.S. to contain China’s access to U.S. semiconductor technology and pledged support to the domestic semiconductor industry. In addition, mainland securities firms published reports saying that China’s domestic chip-making industry will benefit from the whole-nation systemic initiatives to develop strategic technologies proposed at the CCP’s National Congress. Semiconductor names surged both in Hong Kong and mainland bourses, with Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) rising 5.6%, SMIC (00981:xhkg) climbing 1.6%, and Naura Technology (002371:xsec) limit up 10%. CSI 300 gained 0.6%. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) falls 0.8% on Friday, losing 1.2% on the week. Focus is on Lithium and Coal company earnings, from Allkem to Whitehaven   The following companies reporting quarterly and revenue numbers are a focus today; with Australia’s second biggest lithium company, Allkem reporting (AKE) quarterly production that missed expectations, seeing its shares decline almost 4%. Investors focused on the mining giants guidance for the year ahead with Allkem noting it expects lithium carbonate prices to be higher by 15% this quarter, than the last. Meanwhile, it reported lower grades, flagged issues including logistics delays in South America and on-going labour and equipment shortages in Western Australia. As a result, production at its South American Olaroz Stage 2 project is now delayed and planned for Q2 CY23. In good news though for Australia’s second biggest lithium company, Allkem, its net cash rose to $447 million (as at Sept. 30, up from $28.9 million from June 30). In Coal news Whitehaven Coal (WHC) shares rocked 3.2% higher after 16.6 million in block trades pushed its shares up, with the block of trades equating to 2.1% of its float. Also in Coal news, Coronado Global (CRN) results are set to be released and pulled apart, with the coal price in record high neighborhood, despite falling 13% from its high. It will be interesting to glean into their outlook for the year, particularly as coal demand usually peaks in January. For Coronado, focus will also be on the potential merger with Peabody. Other companies to watch include, wealth and financial planning business, AMP (AMP) with focus to be on how they can return $1.1b capital to investors in FY23. And in industrials, eyes will be on rubbish business, Cleanaway (CWY), who is holding its Annual Meeting. Traders will be looking to see if Cleanaway changes its earnings (Underlying Ebitda) forecast that’s pegged to be between A$630m to A$670m. USDJPY breaks 150, next to watch is 153 USDJPY finally broke above the key 150 level yesterday, the level above which many expected intervention. Officials have been jawboning the pair, including FinMin Suzuki this morning saying that they continue to watch the markets with a sense of urgency. He also seemed cautioned by the rattle in the UK markets, as suggested by his comments that they will pursue fiscal health so that market trust isn’t lost. BOJ meeting next week is key, although a change in policy stance cannot be expected. The break of 150 now exposes 153 levels in USDJPY. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Gains in crude oil on the back of expectations of China easing inbound tourism policy restrictions, but gains were later reversed with focus still on US efforts to curb price increase in energy. While the 15mbbl of release announced by President Biden is a part of the larger 180mbbl release that commenced earlier this year, focus is also on how the US strategic reserves will be refilled. WTI futures were seen back below $85/barrel while Brent was close to $92.   What to consider? What could the new UK PM bring in terms of policy change? After significant economic and political turmoil, Liz Truss resigned as Britain’s prime minister after just 44 days in office. The easy choice remains Rishi Sunak, former chancellor, who stood against Truss for the Tory leadership in the summer and predicted correctly that his rival would set off panic in the markets if she pressed ahead with a massive package of debt-funded tax cuts. The other alternative being ex-PM Boris Johnson or Penny Mordaunt, who also stood for the Tory leadership in the summer. Fiscal policy is unlikely top see a major shift with the new PM, as UK administration now remains extremely sensitive to market events. There is little they can do to prevent the upcoming recession or bring back asset allocation to UK assets. Market Fed rate expectations reach 5% Early 2023 Fed rate expectations have now reached over 5%, with the Fed funds rate now fully pricing in a 75bps rate hike for the November meeting and a strong probability of another 75bps rate hike at the December meeting. While the Fed has reiterated it will continue to hike more next year before it pauses, but the market pricing is now running higher than what the dot plot has hinted earlier. So the room for the Fed to surprise on the hawkish side in diminishing, especially if core inflation continues to surprise on the upside. Fed speakers are starting to turn slightly cautious looking at the market pricing, with Charles Evans last night saying that if the Fed pushes its policy rate much further than planned it could start to weigh on the economy and says he is worried that at some point rate increases could have a non-linear impact with businesses becoming more pessimistic. Harker (2023 voter) and Cook reasserted that the Fed needs to continue to hike but will noted that the Fed can pause sometime next year to assess the impact of its tightening on the economy. Another fall in weekly jobless claims for the Oct 15 week continued to suggest labor market strength despite the disruptions from recent hurricanes. China is considering reducing inbound quarantine Reportedly, the Chinese authorities are considering to reduce the current 7 days in hotel plus 3 days at home quarantine requirement for people travelling into China to 2 days in hotel plus 5 days at home. While the move may be small in magnitude, and still not confirmed by the authorities, it may have signaling power in terms of more flexbility in the day-to-day implementation of the zero Covid policy which is constraining consumption, investment and tourism. . US to expand China tech ban Bloomberg reports, citing “people familiar with the situation”, that the Biden administration is considering, at an early stage, new export bans limiting China’s access to advanced computing technologies that can be used in quantum computing and artificial intelligent software. Cyber security attacks on the rise globally, US Home Secretary warns to expect more in Asia A US official has warned that aggressive cyberattacks will rise from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, particularly against Asian countries. It comes after a very strong spate of cyberattacks occurred globally this month, from Microsoft’s data being breached, along with the Japanese Securities Dealer Association, Australia’s Taxation Office batting three attempts per month, to the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s systems being breached as well, as well as one of Australasia’s telcos, and an ASX listed insurance group, Medibank. This reflects the need for companies and organizations to ramp up cybersecurity spending now and on an ongoing basis. This brings to mind perhaps the importance of remembering the need for diversification and possibly considering exposure to Cybersecurity stocks and ETFs. For more information, refer to our cybersecurity basket. Japan inflation hits 3%, update to CPI forecasts expected next week Japan’s core inflation touched 3% levels for the first time in over 30 years, matching expectations. Headline inflation came in higher-than-expected at 3.0% y/y while core-core ex fresh food and energy) measure was up at 1.8% y/y from 1.6% y/y previously. The stark yen weakness can prompt further import price pressures in Q4 as well, and demand is likely to push higher as well with Japan reopening its borders from the pandemic restrictions. Bank of Japan meets next week, and while policy change is hard to expect, it is expected that the central bank will raise the CPI forecast for fiscal 2022 (year ending March) from 2.3% to high-2% range. Snap earnings send tech earnings fear soaring Snap (SNAP:xnys) plunged 26.5% in the after-hour trading, following the company reported Q3 revenues growth at 6% Y/Y, largely in line with street estimates, but said its internal forecast for the Q4 revenues growth is decelerating to about flat year on year (vs market expectations of +6% Y/Y). The social media company said that they are finding “advertising partners across many industries are decreasing their marketing budgets, especially in the face of operating environment headwinds, inflation-driven pressures, and rising costs of capital.”   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-21-oct-21102022
    Liz Truss The Shortest Prime Minister In The History Of The Great Britain | Crude Oil Is Growing

    Liz Truss The Shortest Prime Minister In The History Of The Great Britain | Crude Oil Is Growing

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.10.2022 09:46
    Summary:  Equity markets feebly attempted another rally yesterday, but the headwinds of seemingly ever-rising yields proved too strong, sending the indices sharply back lower to the lowest close in three days. This is still a relatively firm performance, given the scale of the rise in yields. Elsewhere, the USDJPY 150.00 level only proved a barrier for about a day, as the weight of rising yields saw the price action spilling higher above this level, with no signs yet of fresh official intervention against JPY weakness.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Yesterday saw a session relatively like the prior one, as an early rally simply failed to find sustenance in the face of the ongoing grind higher in US treasury yields. Still, market sentiment seems remarkably quiet despite the strong headwinds of the 25-basis point jump in longer Treasury yields this week. Next week is an important one for equities as the earnings season hits its peak with most of the megacap companies in the US reporting earnings, with the price action currently buried in the middle of the two-week range ahead of today’s session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 fluctuated in a narrow range and were down modestly. In Hong Kong, Chinese developers and China Internet stocks bounced. In mainland bourses, solar, wind power, education, nuclear power, and properties outperformed. General market sentiment is weak as U.S. bond yield risen to new highs and investors pondering the policy implications from the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress. USD finds stride again on higher Treasury yields, USDJPY spilling above 150.00 The US dollar behaved rather oddly in recent sessions in trading sideways even as US treasuries continue to provide strong support for the currency. Hesitation yesterday from USD bulls may have been on concern that official intervention and choppy price action across USD pairs might await if USDJPY attempted to trade above the psychological 150.00 level. But that level fell late yesterday without any real fuss, trading nearly to 150.50. Still, while USDJPY moves are heavily correlated with the fresh rise in US Treasury yields, it’s interesting that another 50 basis point jump in long US treasury yields to new 14-year highs has not seen new cycle lows in EURUSD and many other USD pairs. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil is among just a handful of commodities trading higher in a week that has seen another sharp jump in US bond yields drive down growth expectations. Crude and its related fuel products however continue to be supported by the risk of tightness driven by a period of supply uncertainty in the coming months as OPEC+ cuts supply, and the EU implements sanctions on Russian oil. In addition, uncertainty over Chinese demand as the zero Covid tolerance is being maintained and further incremental SPR sales of 15 million barrels will continue to weigh on prices in the short term. All developments, however, that are likely to keep crude oil rangebound for now, with Brent finding support below $90. Focus next week being earnings from six Big Oil companies, led by Exxon, Chevron and Shell. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades down 1.5% on the week close to key support at $1617, the September low and 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2022 rally. A second week of weakness being driven by an across the curve surge in US treasury yields with the ten-year yield rising 23 basis points on the week to 4.25%. Hawkish Fed comments and no signs of economic data showing the much-needed slowdown, has seen the market price in a Fed funds rate above 5% by early next year. The exodus from bullion backed ETFs has gathered pace this week as investors instead focus on increasingly attractive bond market yields, not least the two-year yield at 4.6% yield. Gold will likely continue to struggle until we reach peak hawkishness and/or the dollar starts to weaken. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields lifted all along the curve again yesterday, posting new highs for the cycle, with rises at the long end outpacing those at the short end, with the 2-10 inversion up to –37 basis points versus the cycle low below –50 bps in Sep and earlier this month. Traders are perhaps awaiting incoming data before trading shorter yields, now that the market has priced the Fed funds rate to reach above 5.00% by early next year (priced to do so at the March 2023 FOMC meeting). What is going on? UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned in a short statement yesterday … becoming the shortest serving Prime Minister in Britain’s history. She will stay in power until a new leader of the Conservative party can be chosen. The leading candidate is former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other top contenders include Boris Johnson as the Conservative party has fallen to a record low in the polls against Labour. Japan inflation hits 3%, update to CPI forecasts expected next week Japan’s core inflation touched 3% levels for the first time in over 30 years, matching expectations. Headline inflation came in higher-than-expected at 3.0% y/y while core-core ex fresh food and energy) measure was up at 1.8% y/y from 1.6% y/y previously. The stark yen weakness can prompt further import price pressures in Q4 as well, and demand is likely to push higher as well with Japan reopening its borders from the pandemic restrictions. Bank of Japan meets next week, and while policy change is hard to expect, it is expected that the central bank will raise the CPI forecast for fiscal 2022 (year ending March) from 2.3% to high-2% range. UK Retail Sales volumes slide badly again in September Real (volume-based) sales were down for a second consecutive month at –1.4% MoM and –6.9% YoY, with the ex Petrol sales at –1.5% MoM and –6.2% YoY. China is considering reducing inbound quarantine The Chinese authorities are considering reducing the current 7 days in hotel plus 3 days at home quarantine requirement for people travelling into China to 2 days in hotel plus 5 days at home. While the move may be small in magnitude, and still not confirmed by the authorities, it may have signaling power in terms of more flexibility in the day-to-day implementation of the zero Covid policy which is constraining consumption, investment and tourism.Snap earnings send tech earnings fear soaringSnap (SNAP:xnys) plunged 26.5% in the after-hour trading, following the company reported Q3 revenues growth at 6% Y/Y, largely in line with street estimates, but said its internal forecast for the Q4 revenues growth is decelerating to about flat year on year (vs market expectations of +6% Y/Y). The social media company said that they are finding “advertising partners across many industries are decreasing their marketing budgets, especially in the face of operating environment headwinds, inflation-driven pressures, and rising costs of capital.” Gas prices in Europe and US see steep weekly declines US natural gas futures are heading for their longest stretch of weekly declines since 1991 as stockpiles continue to build at a faster than expected pace ahead of winter. The November (NGX2) front month contract trades down by 18% on the week and down 44% since the August peak, driven by mild autumn weather and rising production. In addition, the Freeport LNG export terminal explosion on June 8 has reduced exports, and the terminal will open in November at 85% capacity. In Europe, the TTF price trades down 10% has bounced strongly after almost reaching €100/MWh earlier in the week, a level we do not expect to be challenged until later in the winter when demand becomes more visible. With prices falling and almost full inventories, the political resolve to introduce a price cap has faded, hence the bounce. What are we watching next? US is considering national security reviews of Elon Musk business activities ... according to unnamed sources in a Bloomberg story. These would include the acquisition of Twitter and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. Musk has expressed his view on the war in Ukraine and investors in his Twitter takeover include Saudi and Chinese individuals. Tesla also has a strong presence in China, an awkward situation as the US has moved recently to cut off China’s access to advanced semiconductor tech. Market Fed rate expectations reach 5%, can they continue to rise? Early 2023 Fed rate expectations have now reached over 5%, with the Fed funds rate now fully pricing in a 75bps rate hike for the November meeting and a strong probability of another 75bps rate hike at the December meeting. While the Fed has reiterated it will continue to hike more next year before it pauses, market pricing is now running higher than the September FOMC dot plot forecasts. Some Fed speakers are starting to turn slightly cautious looking at the market pricing, with Charles Evans last night saying that if the Fed pushes its policy rate much further than planned it could start to weigh on the economy and says he is worried that at some point rate increases could have a non-linear impact with businesses becoming more pessimistic. Harker (2023 voter) and Cook reasserted that the Fed needs to continue to hike but will noted that the Fed can pause sometime next year to assess the impact of its tightening on the economy. Another fall in weekly jobless claims for the Oct 15 week continued to suggest labor market strength despite the disruptions from recent hurricanes. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings included the report from the world’s largest battery market CATL overnight, with a focus in the US session on consumer demand and consumption patterns in today’s American Express earnings report as well as the largest US oilfield services company Schlumberger. Today: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – Canada Aug. Retail Sales 1340 – US Fed’s Evans to speak 1400 – Euro Zone Oct. Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-21-2022-21102022
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Standard & Poor 500 Declined By Almost 1%, Nasdaq Went Down By Over 0.5%

    ING Economics ING Economics 21.10.2022 10:00
    JPY makes it to 150 with little sign of the Bank of Japan   Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: Down we go again. Thursday’s price action was similar to that on Wednesday – early gains, followed by sustained losses, though the losses were again fairly moderate. The S&P500 dropped 0.8%, and the NASDAQ fell 0.61%. Equity futures suggest the selling will continue today. The upwards march in US Treasury yields also continued yesterday. 2Y yields rose 5.4bp to 4.61%, while 10Y yields rose 9.5bp taking them to 4.15%. Unlike Wednesday, when increases in bond yields came despite hints from the Fed's James Bullard and Neel Kashkari in the direction of a rate pause or pivot, there were no such calming voices yesterday. The main Fed comment was from  Patrick Harker, who said that he expected Fed funds rates to be “well above 4%” by the end of this year. The EUR is now down to 0.978, though, given the backdrop, that isn’t bad, and leaves it roughly unchanged from this time yesterday. The AUD is also little changed at 0.6270, though it was up in the mid 63s at one point yesterday despite mediocre labour market data. And it is a similar story for the GBP, which is at 1.1221, treading water while a new Prime Minister is chosen. It took a while, but the JPY is now above 150. There has been no sign of the BoJ apart from a rate check, and maybe the fact that the JPY crept across the line was enough to curb any reaction. If so, onwards and upwards still seems the most likely path for the JPY to follow. Asian FX had a mixed day, with the INR making small gains along with the CNY, but the IDR and KRW at the other end of the spectrum, making losses of about 0.4-0.5% on the day, and in spite of BI’s 0.5% “pre-emptive” rate hike and talk of IDR support.   G-7 Macro: It’s all tranquil on the macro front today, and there wasn’t a whole lot going on yesterday either. US September existing home sales were weak, but not as bad as had been forecast (-1.5%MoM vs -2.1% consensus) and initial jobless claims actually fell from the previous week. China: According to media reports, China is discussing whether to shorten hotel quarantine and replace it with a longer home quarantine, with the entire quarantine period possibly being reduced from 10 days to 7 days. Chinese officials have not confirmed the news. And if there is such a debate, it will be useful to know whether such changes would also apply to foreigners entering mainland China, or only to residents of Mainland China. Even if it applies to everyone, we believe that this relaxation will not be enough to attract many foreigners to enter the country as the quarantine period is still long. However, once the reduction in the number of quarantine days begins, the likelihood of further reductions will grow, which bodes well for China's growth next year. Japan: Consumer price inflation stayed at 3.0% YoY in September for the second month (vs 2.9% market consensus) while core inflation excluding fresh food hit 3.0% YoY in September (vs 2.8% in August, 3.0% market consensus). This is the first time the core inflation rate has reached 3% since 1991. We see some price increases related to the economic reopening, such as apparel (1.9%) and also entertainment (2.2%). While fresh food inflation (1.9%YoY) stabilized quite sharply from the previous month (8.1%).  Inflation pressures are broadening beyond energy, but the Bank of Japan will probably keep its easing stance until they see some signs of wage growth. We expect inflation to climb further until the year-end, but the government’s travel subsidy program may lower some travel-related prices in the coming months. South Korea: Early October trade data raises concerns about Korea’s sluggish exports, mainly in the semiconductor sector. 20-business day exports declined -5.5% YoY. Chip exports were down -12.8%, while automobiles moved up 32.1%. By destination, exports to the US rose 6.3% but exports to China fell -16.3%. The sluggish exports to China are probably due to weak chip exports. We maintain our view that 4QGDP will likely contract as exports are expected to weaken further during the quarter. The September PPI release shows that pipeline prices are slowing from their recent peak in June. The headline PPI inflation rate decelerated slightly to 8.0% YoY in September (vs 8.2% in August). Agricultural product prices accelerated due to floods and typhoons in the past month, but service prices such as transportation and financial services fell. However, the renewed weakness of the KRW and the recent rebound in global oil prices remain as upside risks in the short term. Indonesia: Central bank Governor Warjiyo indicated that Bank Indonesia (BI) would want to continue to "control the exchange rate" and that recent IDR weakness was not reflective of Indonesia's economic fundamentals.  We expect BI to step up intervention to limit imported inflation and to shore up the currency which has slipped 2.2% month-to-date.      What to look out for: Fed speakers slated for tonight New Zealand trade balance (21 October) Japan CPI inflation (21 October) South Korea advance trade data (21 October) Fed’s Williams and Evans speak (21 October) Read this article on THINK TagsAsia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    EM Index Inclusions and Exclusions: India Thrives, Egypt Faces Challenges

    The USD/JPY Pair Above 150! | Who Will Replace Liz Truss? | The Central Bank Of Turkey Cut Interest Rates

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 21.10.2022 13:30
    Liz Truss resigned. Normally, a PM resignation means uncertainty and limited visibility; it’s not a preferred scenario for the market. But the little time Liz Truss stayed in power was so hectic that investors welcomed the news that she departs sooner rather than later. All eyes are on who will replace Liz Truss? Forex In the FX, the US dollar continues extending its rally across the board, and there is nothing the other currencies can do. The dollar-yen is now trading above the 150 level, with prospect of another Bank of Japan intervention. The Central Bank of Turkey cut interest rates by another 150bp yesterday. Turkish stocks gained, as Turkish Airlines hit 100 lira level. The results American Airlines revenues grew 13% compared to the same time in 2019, and other airline companies also hinted at strong results. Snap, however, nosedived 27% in the afterhours trading, after reporting the lowest ever quarterly sales growth due to lower advertising spending. On the macro front, the Philly Fed manufacturing index came in softer than expected, but the weekly jobless claims fell – which certainly fueled the hawkish Fed expectations. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:24 Who will be the next UK PM? 4:21 FX update: USDJPY above 150! 5:09 Turkey cuts, stocks rally 7:37 Airlines report strong results, Snap dives 8:37 Why the US jobless claims keep falling?! Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Liz #Truss #resignation #Rishi #Sunak #Boris #Johnson #Penny #Mordaunt #GBP #UK #CBT #TRY #TurkishAirlines #AmericanAirlines #Snap #earnings #USD #JPY #BoJ #PhillyFed #jobless #claims #Fed #hawks #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    Top 10 Stocks to Watch: August 2023 - BY: RYAN SULLIVAN

    The First Month Of The Fourth Quarter (Q4) Can Be Ugly

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.10.2022 08:19
    Summary:  Equities and fixed income could face a tough Q4. Can US dollar positions provide some upside in the cold winter? US 10-year Treasury yields Things have not evolved as quickly as anticipated in my Q3 Outlook on US 10-year Treasury yields. However, the picture remains the same and is still very important to discuss.  A short recap: US 10-year Treasury yields broke a multi-decade-long downtrend with a confirmed uptrend when yields broke above 1.71 percent in January 2022, marking a new higher high. This was followed by a break of the multi-decade-long falling trend line in March.  In June yields broke above the 2018 peak at 3.26 percent and spiked at 3.50 percent, only to be hit by a correction.  That correction seems to be over, and US 10-year Treasury yields are likely set for higher levels. With just the psychological resistance at 4 percent, yields could very well reach the 1.382 Fibonacci projection at around 4.38 percent in Q4. However, there is no strong resistance until around 5.25 percent, which is around the pre-subprime peak between the 1.618 and the 1.764 Fibonacci projection levels from the 2018–2020 downtrend. S&P 500 was rejected at the medium-term falling trend line a few weeks ago just below the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement at 4,367 and just below the 55 Simple Moving Average, which is declining, indicating an underlying bearish sentiment.   Key resistance level is at 4,325. If S&P 500 closes above the falling trend line and above 4,325 the bearish picture has reversed, and the leading US index will push for levels around 4,600 and possibly all-time highs.  The trend is down on the medium term but bulls don’t give up without a fight. If they can’t hold S&P 500 above 3,886, US equities are likely in for a rough Q4. Depending on how the market reacts to the October earnings season, the first month of Q4 can be become ugly. If S&P 500 closes below 3,886 June lows around 3,636 are likely to be taken out and a 3,500-3,200 consolidation area could be reached in Q4.  3,503 is the 0.50 Fibonacci retracement of the 2020–2022 bull market and 3,200 is close to the 0.618 retracement level (3,195 to be exact). It is also the 0.382 retracement of the 2009 (end of subprime crisis bear market) through to the 2002 peak bull market.  There is still massive divergence on RSI that needs to be traded out. That can be done by either a higher high on both RSI and the Index, or by an RSI close below the 40 threshold. For RSI to drop below 40 and reset/trade out the divergence, lower levels on the S&P 500 are needed.  EURUSD The past 18 months of downtrend in EURUSD paused at parity and in the middle of the wide falling channel it has been trading in the past ten years.   Just as most market participants thought that it was the last time in a very long time we were to see the euro being stronger than the dollar, the euro has bounced back strongly.  However, it was time for a correction after almost 18 months in one direction. A correction could take EURUSD to around 1.0350 resistance.  The downtrend is likely to resume in Q4 and the parity and consolidation areas are likely to be tested once again—this time they’re likely to be taken out. The consolidation area was “founded” back in 2002 just before an almost decade-long bull move in EURUSD.  If parity is broken again, EURUSD is likely to drop swiftly to the lower level of the consolidation area, around 0.96.  However, 0.96 is not a strong support level and if EURUSD moves below the middle of the wide channel trendline, selling pressure could accelerate and push EURUSD to 0.90.  0.90 is the 1.618 Fibonacci projection level of the 2020–2022 up-and-down trend. Parity is at the 1.382 projection and 0.90 is close to the 2.00 projection.      Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/quarterly-outlook/autumn-can-become-ugly-for-equities-and-bond-holders-04102022
    Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

    Results Of Tesla, Netflix And Snap Do Not Seem To Be Affected By The Spectre Of Recession

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 22.10.2022 08:40
    In the world of macro data this week, the market was able to take a break from central banks' decisions on interest rate changes. On Tuesday, we had the results of the German economic sentiment index, which turned out to be more positive than expected at -59.2 points (forecast -65.7 points). Further down, however, are the low levels last seen during the crisis in 2008. Macro Data Wednesday saw the release of CPI inflation results for the Eurozone and the UK, among others, which were close to market expectations at 9.9% (forecast 10%) and 10.1% (forecast 10%), respectively. The data showed that inflation still seems to be breaking records.  Finally, of the key macroeconomic data, the number of new applications for unemployment benefits filed in the United States was positive, falling to 214,000 (forecast 230,000).   There is an estimation that the rising global inflation and the non-worsening labour market may not change the monetary policy stance from central banks. As it was mentioned in the morning's commentary on the bond market: "Looking at the chart of the quotation of the ETF with the symbol AGG, someone could see that since the peak in August 2020, the price of a unit of this fund has fallen by more than 20 percent [...] Nevertheless, presently, until the peak in US interest rate hikes is reached, this market may continue to be under pressure." Source: Conotoxia MT5, AGG, Weekly Stock Market The current week has been in terms of the earnings season for the third quarter of this year, particularly reported results from the banking sector, most of which reported positive earnings per share (EPS) results than expectations. Among others, Bank of America Corp. (BankofUS) EPS 0.81 (forecast 0.77), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) EPS 8.25 (forecast 7.69), or Blackstone Inc. (Blackstone) 1.06 (forecast 0.99). This could be a positive sign, because as the stock market saying goes, "there is no bull market without banks."  Surprising for analysts were the results of Tesla (Tesla), Netflix (Netflix) and Snap (Snap), which do not seem to be affected by the spectre of recession. The giant, which sells electric cars, improved net income to $3.33 billion (forecast $1.65 billion), revenue growth jumped 55 percent year-on-year, and earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.05 (forecast $0.99). Netflix surprised with its first increase in subscriptions since the beginning of the year, which may have pushed its stock price up more than 10 percent at the opening of Wednesday's session.  Source: Conotoxia MT5, Netflix, Weekly In the social media market, one of the first reports was presented by the owner of Snapchat, whose y/y revenues did not seem to show significant change. Investors seem to reacted negatively, however, after the number of users of the Snapchat app appears to have fallen for the fifth consecutive quarter.Source: Conotoxia MT5, Snap, Weekly Currency Market In the absence of a decision on interest rate changes this week,  someone  could see no significant changes in the currency market. The EUR/USD pair continues to hover below parity at 1.00. Recall that these are values previously seen more than 20 years ago. Noticeably weakened the Japanese yen against the US dollar (USD/JPY) piercing the level of JPY 150. The question of possible intervention by the Bank of Japan is beginning to arise, as the exchange rate of this currency pair has risen by more than 30 percent since the beginning of the year. For the British pound, on the other hand, more uncertainty may continue, due to political developments. The recent rise in the GBP/USD pair came after the resignation of the British Prime Minister from office. Source: Conotoxia MT5, GBP/USD, Weekly The earnings season continues next week? Next week on Wall Street will be packed with the publication of reports from well-known companies. On Tuesday, Google will present quarterly results along with Coca-Cola or Microsoft. On Wednesday, there will be a report from Apple, which recently decided to cut orders for the new iPhone due to falling demand. Facebook will also present results on that day. Online retail giant Amazon will present its report on Thursday, October 27, along with McDonald's and MasterCard.  In addition, next week we could expect, among other things, the ECB's decision on interest rates in the Eurozone, CPI inflation in Germany and GDP results in the United States. In addition, at the end of the week there will be a meeting of the central Bank of Japan (BoJ), where it is possible that the topic of possible intervention in the foreign exchange market or a change in the range for Japanese bond yields would come up. The results of Tuesday's consumer mood report from the United States (CB Consumer Confidence) may seem interesting.    Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    Stocks: In 2016 and 2018 end of the year was quite pessimistic for Meta stock price, what about this year?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 21.10.2022 16:42
    Snap lost 27% following its Q3 earnings call. Meta Platforms has followed suit, dropping 3.7%. The Trade Desk has also lost 4%. Meta Platforms (META) is down 3.7% in Friday's premarket at $126.62. Once again the collapse in the ur-social media company's share price can be blamed on Snap (SNAP). The latter's earnings call late Thursday forced it to sell off more than 27% afterhours when management refused for the second quarter in a row to provide guidance for the following quarter. This poor performance has seeped into the market's outlook on both Meta Platforms stock and The Trade Desk (TTD). The latter is a digital advertising marketplace that fell 4% in the premarket. Both companies were affected negatively last quarter as well due to poor Snap earnings news. TTD, however, quickly rebounded last quarter on its own earnings call. Snap did miss revenue projections by a slight $10 million, but overall the rest of earnings were farely decent. The company beat consensus on both earnings and active daily users. Operating income, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow, however, suffered compared to a year earlier. Meta Platforms stock forecast META stock has had a horrible year so far, but it is now sitting on support from November and December of 2018. Bargain basement value pickers might get interested at this level, since it holds such precedence on the monthly chart below. A break here would send shares down to support at $115 from late 2016. Isn't that something? META always seems to be finding its multi-year low at the very end of the year. It happened in 2016, 2018 and....maybe 2022. Resistance remains between $160 and $180. Lastly, it is significant that this is the first time that META stock has ever touched the oversold level on the monthly Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator. Could this be another sign of a bottom? META monthly chart The Trade Desk stock forecast The Trade Desk stock is in a much healthier place compared with META. First, the 8-week moving average is still above the 30-week. This is a rarity among tech stocks in this down cycle. Second, TTD might have alread put in a higher low last week. At least, that is what it looks like. This would be a fantastic case for shareholders since it would mean that the new support level is $50 rather than $40 from July. Last of all, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator looks to be popping above the 50 level soon, which is typically a bullish signal. A real bear market rally could push shares back up to the recent resistance zone around $74. TTD weekly chart
    Unlocking the Future: Key UK Wage Data and September BoE Rate Hike Prospects

    The Positive Close On The New York Stock Exchange, The Dow Jones Hit A Monthly High

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 24.10.2022 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 2.47% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 rose 2.37% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.31%. Dow Jones index  Caterpillar Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 10.88 points or 6.07% to close at 190.22. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 6.10 points or 5.25% to close at 122.23. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose 14.29 points or 4.60% to close at 325.10. The losers were shares of Verizon Communications Inc, which shed 1.65 points or 4.46% to end the session at 35.35. American Express Company rose 1.67% or 2.38 points to close at 140.04, while Procter & Gamble Company rose 1.25% or 1.59 points to close at 128.58. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Schlumberger NV, which rose 10.33% to 50.41, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc, which gained 9.99% to close at 32. 03, as well as Huntington Bancshares Incorporated, which rose 9.47% to end the session at 14.45. The drop leaders were SVB Financial Group shares, which lost 23.95% to close at 230.03. Shares of Robert Half International Inc lost 8.55% and ended the session at 73.01. Quotes of HCA Holdings Inc decreased in price by 5.69% to 196.74. NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Huadi International Group Co Ltd, which rose 89.27% to hit 58.92, Altamira Therapeutics Ltd, which gained 58.64% to close at 0.52 , as well as shares of Missfresh Ltd ADR, which rose by 57.50%, ending the session at around 2.52. The drop leaders were shares of Immunic Inc, which fell 77.39% to close at 2.08. Shares of Nextplay Technologies Inc lost 33.23% and ended the session at 0.28. Quotes of Kalera PLC decreased in price by 35.61% to 0.28. The number  On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2282) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (835), while quotes of 104 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2503 companies rose in price, 1265 fell, and 238 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.97% to 29.69. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 1.40%, or 22.95, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery rose 0.73%, or 0.62, to $85.13 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for December delivery rose 1.24%, or 1.15, to $93.53 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.80% to hit 0.99, while USD/JPY shed 1.75% to hit 147.51. Futures on the USD index fell 0.90% to 111.80.     Relevance up to 04:00 2022-10-25 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/297940
    Kiwi Faces Depreciation Pressure: RBNZ Expected to Hold Rates Amidst Downward Momentum

    Bank Of Canada (BoC) And ECB Interest Rate Expectations | Redundancies Of 4,000 Employees At Philips

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.10.2022 12:51
    Summary:  Equities snapped back higher Friday to close the week on a positive note and near the highs for the week, perhaps as the persistent rise in US treasury yields finally reversed sharply intraday on Friday after posting new cycle highs. The positive mood carried over into the early Asian session overnight as yields fell further, but sentiment has soured again slightly ahead of the open of the European session today. The Japanese yen weakened after Friday’s wild rally from new multi-decade lows, a move that was likely intervention-driven. The week ahead will feature earnings reports from the largest US megacaps.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Strong equity session on Friday with S&P 500 futures closing at a weekly high and this morning the index futures briefly pushed above the 3,800 level which is quite startling given the price action out of China. Many of the large US companies have considerable revenue exposure to China, so there is a downside risk here to US companies as the increasing political risk premium on Chinese equities could impact valuation on US companies with large Chinse exposure. The falling US 10-year yield likely driven by safe-haven seeking flows is offsetting at the margin some of the headwinds for US equities, but the medium-term outlook remains negative. It is also a massive earnings season week in the US with most of the mega caps reporting earnings, so volatility could easily pick up during the week in the event that these earnings surprise to the downside. Hang Seng (HK50.I) In light of the events over the weekend in China with Xi Jinping drawing up a new leadership in China (see more in-depth analysis below), the Hang Seng Index is selling off 6.4% to price levels seen as far back as 2005; in the total return basis is not quite as bad. The equity valuation on Hang Seng Index has fallen to less than 8 on 12-month forward P/E ratio suggesting that a steep political risk premium is being built into Chinese equities. Chinese mainland shares are down 3.2% during the session likely reflecting the divergence in foreign ownership. Wild ride for JPY traders Friday, likely on intervention The yen spiked further to the downside as global bond yields continued to rise Friday, with USDJPY nearly reaching 152.00 before what may have been a powerful intervention from official Japanese sources took USDJPY as far south as sub-146.50 levels on Friday as bonds also found support. Japan’s finance minister Shunichi Suzuki said that the country is in a showdown speculators and can’t tolerate “excessive” moves in the JPY. The action has sprung back overnight, taking USDJPY back to the 149.00 area in early European trading today. Other USD pairs have moved in sympathy with the wild volatility in JPY, with sudden USD weakness late Friday following through in places overnight but reversing later in the session. Elsewhere in FX, sterling is bid on hopes of an orderly transition to a new prime minister, most likely Rishi Sunak. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil has given back some of Friday’s weaker-dollar-driven gains as fears over the global economic outlook continues to offset OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions on Russian oil flows from early December. A batch of delayed economic data out of China and President Xi tightening his grip on the country also helped sour sentiment at the start of a new week. Overall, however, the oil market judging from the bullish curve structure remains tight signalling no easy path for those looking for lower prices. Focus this week on earnings from Exxon, Shell and their Big Oil peers. HG Copper trades near resistance in the $3.5lb area ... following an end of week rally that was triggered by a weaker dollar and softer yields (see below). A batch of data released by China overnight saw copper imports reach their second highest level this year and despite the current property market crisis, the metal is seeing rising demand in order to replenish low stock levels and from clean energy production which is taking hold even as China’s broader demand for commodities have seen a slowdown due to lower economic activity. Speculators have traded copper from the short side since April, and a break above $3.70 is likely to be the minimum requirement for that to change. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold reached $1670 overnight as Friday's rally extended into the Monday session, and apart from speculation about the timing of a peak-and-reversal in US treasury yields, it is the current wild ride in USDJPY that has got the algo’s going wild in both directions. While we maintain our long-term bullish view on gold and silver, the price action has yet to confirm a reversal. This despite the second failed attempt last week to break lower through key support at $1617. The exodus from bullion backed ETFs has gathered pace recently as investors instead focus on increasingly attractive bond market yields. Gold will likely continue to trade in a choppy fashion until we reach peak hawkishness and/or the dollar starts to weaken. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields spiked further on Friday, with the 10-year treasury yield benchmark posting a remarkable 4.33% before treasuries finally found strong support, closing the day slightly below the prior day’s close of 4.22% and following through to 4.16% in early European trading today. Could this prove a climax peak-and-reversal in yields? We would need to see the yield work back down below 4.00% for a stronger indication. Noted “Fed whisperer” Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal penned an article at the weekend suggesting that the Fed is preparing for a downshift in the pace of rate hikes by early next year (more below). US 2-year yields are also sharply lower from the Friday highs, having fallen some 20 basis points and trading near 4.43% this morning. What is going on? China’s Communist Party’s new leadership China’s General Secretary Xi lined up a team who deeply share his vision of the future of China and the blueprint of the governance model and development strategies that he had established to replace four of the seven members of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, including Li Keqiang, Premier. The strategies of common prosperity, high-quality development, dual circulation, technology self-reliance, strengthening governance within the CCP, and deepening CCP’s leadership over all aspects of the country will continue. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos suggests the Fed is eyeing a slowdown in its pace of tightening Timiraos is widely considered to have solid access to Fed sources and in a piece released this Saturday, affirms the market view that the Fed may begin to downshift from the 75-basis point hike pace, perhaps already after the November meeting and eventually pause the tightening regime at some point early next year to offer time to assess the impact of the rapid pace of rate hikes, which took the Fed Funds rate from 0-0.25% as late as March of this year to a projected 4.25-4.50% after the December meeting. But he also notes the variety of opinions among Fed officials, some of whom are in favour of carrying on with the current pace of tightening and not wanting to signal any change in resolve as long as inflation persists anywhere near current levels. Philips in urgent restructuring laying off 4,000 employees The Dutch industrial conglomerate has been a mess for years and this morning the company is reporting revenue and EBITDA in line with estimates, but announcing a big restructuring of the company laying off 4,000 employees to improve profitability ahead of what the company expects to be more challenging times. What are we watching next? Former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak may become next UK Prime Minister today Former PM Boris Johnson announced at the weekend that he will not run for leadership of the conservative party. The deadline to announce support from at least 100 Tory lawmakers is today at 14:00 UK time, with the only challenger to Sunak’s bid Penny Mordaunt, who may not have sufficient votes. Sunak has over 100 backers and will automatically become the next Prime Minister if Mordaunt can’t muster sufficient support for a run-off. Bank of Canada and ECB set to hike by 75 basis points this week On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada (BoC) is expected to hike interest rates by as much as 75 basis points, taking the policy rate to 4.00% if they do so, after a hotter than expected CPI print in September for Canada. On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) will also further tighten its monetary policy to fight against widespread and persistent inflation. We think that the ECB will have no other choice but to send a hawkish message to the markets (meaning a 75-basis point interest rate hike) and signal further hikes to come, at least until February 2023. It is likely that the central bank will downshift interest rate hikes in December 2022 and in February 2023 to take into consideration the ongoing economic slowdown (which may end up in a recession). At this week’s meeting, the ECB governing council will also discuss two other matters: 1) Quantitative tightening and when/how it should start. But a final decision is not expected until December; 2) commercial banks’ early repayment of TLTRO (for Targeted Longer-term Refinancing Operations to provide financing at very low rates to credit institutions). Those two points are unlikely to be major market movers. Further pressure on Japan’s yield curve control? Last week, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) was forced to start emergency bond buying operations to maintain its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Pressure could remain high this week again. Several factors are pushing yields higher in Japan: highest inflation print since 1991, calls for very large wage increases and the continued upward migration in global yields, of course. Earnings to watch Around 430 earnings releases expected this week in the earnings universe that we cover during earnings seasons. Out of those more than 400 earnings releases, the most important ones are highlighted below. By the end of this week, we will have an adequate view into revenue growth, operating margin, and earnings growth on a both q/q and y/y basis. Today: Nidec, Philips, Cadence Design Systems Tuesday: First Quantum Minerals, Canadian National Railway, DSV, UPM-Kymmene, SAP, HSBC, ASM International, Norsk Hydro, Novartis, UBS, Kuhne + Nagel, Microsoft, Alphabet, Visa, Coca-Cola, Texas Instruments, UPS, Raytheon Technologies, General Electric, 3M, General Motors, Valero Energy, Biogen, Enphase Energy, Halliburton, Spotify Technology Wednesday: Dassault Systemes, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, Deutsche Bank, PingAn Insurance, CGN Power, UniCredit, Canon, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Heineken, Aker BP, Iberdrola, Banco Santander, SEB, Meta Platforms, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ADP, Boeing, ServiceNow, Ford Motor, Twitter Thursday: ANZ, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Shopify, Teck Resources, Neste, Kone, TotalEnergies, EDF, STMicroelectronics, PetroChina, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, Oriental Land, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hoya, FANUC, Shell, Lloyds Banking Group, Universal Music Group, Repsol, Ferrovial, Hexagon, Evolution, Credit Suisse, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Merck & Co, McDonald’s, Linde, Intel, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Gilead Sciences, Pioneer Natural Resources Friday: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 – Eurozone Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0830 – UK Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1230 – US Sep. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 1345 – US Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-24-2022-24102022
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    Chinese indices - Hang Seng and CSI 300 lost a lot, Q3 earnings season is underway with Coca-Cola, Apple and others publishing their earnings this week!

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 24.10.2022 23:34
    Summary:  Chinese equities are significantly lower today following the country's leadership shuffle over the weekend as investors are increasingly readjusting lower their views on longer term growth in private sector profits. Chinese equities are selling at a historical discount to US equities in a sign of a rising equity risk premium on Chinese equities. This rising equity risk premium comes also with risk for the US equity market as many US companies have large revenue exposure to China. We also take a look at the Q3 earnings season and the upcoming earnings this week which will determine the short-term sentiment and reaction. Will international investors reconsider their exposure to China? There are bad days in the equity market when everything is on sale with liquidity effects driving all stocks over the cliff, and then there are days when an isolated equity market plunges even when most other equity markets are on the rise. The latter happened in today’s trading session when the Hang Seng Index declined by 6% and the CSI 300 (mainland Chinese index) fell 3% as investors decided to sell first and ask questions later upon witnessing the shuffle in Chinese leadership presented over the weekend. The weekend’s events in China are arguably the culmination of a long journey, in which China has been placing ever more emphasis on the importance of the public sector over the private sector, as encapsulated in the Chinese policy of “Common Prosperity”. The price action in Chinese equities speaks volumes when we see the tumbling Hang Seng Price Index trading at levels not seen since the global financial crisis in 2009, even if the total return index is less gloomy and only at a level last seen in 2013. More importantly, the spread in equity valuation between the Hang Seng Composite Index and S&P 500 has dropped to very low levels (60% below S&P 500) with the Hang Seng Composite Index now valued at a mere 6.8 times earnings. The rising Chinese equity risk premium The valuation differential reflects the growing political risk premium and lower confidence in those underlying Chinese earnings as Common Prosperity is likely a drag on private sector earnings growth longer term. At times in recent years, Chinese technology companies often traded at higher equity valuations than their Silicon Valley peers, but since Common Prosperity was adopted, the situation has changed dramatically with lower earnings and revenue growth among Chinese technology companies, leading to massive losses for investors. We maintain an underweight view on Chinese equities as a precautionary measure. As we have noted in previous equity notes countries such as India, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the big winners of the current realignment of global supply chains and thus considering for Asian exposure. A growing equity risk premium on Chinese equities naturally leads to the question of whether the US equity market could suddenly be jolted by a repricing of its China exposure. Is a dollar of free cash flow in China worth the same as a dollar of free cash flow from the US or Europe? Arguably not, and while this has been reflected in the revaluation of many semiconductor companies (also partly due to the US CHIPS Act) it has not been fully reflected in more consumer-oriented stocks like Apple and Tesla. With around 20% of its revenue coming from China, Apple’s risk profile could be rising on the risk of a sudden repricing due of a Chinese equity risk premium. Tesla gets 25% of its revenue in China and thus also has significant China exposure that is currently not reflected in its equity valuation. As we have stated in our previous equity notes, Apple and Tesla shares are key for broader equity sentiment and any downside risk dynamics in these two stocks could quickly jeopardize the wider equity market. Investor flows into Chinese equities and companies with high China exposure While price action tells one story on China, investor flows in ETFs tracking MSCI China A shares are telling a slightly different story. The number of outstanding shares (essentially how much capital that is deployed in an underlying index) has been growing steadily over the years as China’s capital markets have opened up. The has led to more inclusion in EM- and global benchmark indices of equities and bonds. While we have seen significant outflows out of ETFs tracking CNY bonds, until very recently at least, we have observed the opposite in Chinese equities. Falling equity prices in China have prompted rising investor flows into a “China is cheap” narrative. But sometimes, things are cheap for a reason (the equity risk premium discussion above). Over the last couple of months, this trend has shifted: in August, the largest UCITS ETF, which tracks MSCI China A shares, has begun seeing declining outstanding shares. As of Friday the current drawdown was -12%. This could be an early sign that investor appetite is on the decline. MSCI, the leading global equity index provider, has created an index called the MSCI World with China Exposure Index (USD) It covers 51 companies with the greatest revenue exposure to China. This index is a good starting point for any investor who would like to break down portfolio exposure to China. The 10 largest companies in the MSCI World with China Exposure Index (USD) are listed below. Qualcomm BHP Group Texas Instruments Broadcom Rio Tinto Applied Materials Woodside Energy Lam Research Fortescue Metals Group Marvell Technology As noted above, in addition to this list we would argue companies such as Apple and Tesla have considerable revenue exposure to China and thus have downside risks to their equity valuation. Q3 earnings so far show margin compression The numbers so far show that earnings are down q/q across all the major equity indices after a strong Q2. With revenue growth remaining strong due to inflation, profit margins on the other hand are under pressure. The technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 index in particular is showing severe margin compression with the profit margin down 2.8%-points since Q2 2021 and narrowing its spread to the MSCI World. This reduction in profit margin relative to the MSCI World is another way of expressing how higher interest rates and inflation are driving the comeback of the physical world over profits driven by intangibles. The list below shows a condensed version of the more than 400 earnings releases this week among the companies that are included in our earnings coverage. The most important earnings releases for market sentiment in US equities are Microsoft, Alphabet, Visa, UPS, General Electric, Meta, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Intel, Caterpillar, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron. In Europe, investors will focus on DSV, SAP, HSBC, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, TotalEnergies, EDF, Shell, Credit Suisse, Sanofi, Airbus, and Volkswagen. Today: Nidec, Philips, Cadence Design Systems Tuesday: First Quantum Minerals, Canadian National Railway, DSV, UPM-Kymmene, SAP, HSBC, ASM International, Norsk Hydro, Novartis, UBS, Kuhne + Nagel, Microsoft, Alphabet, Visa, Coca-Cola, Texas Instruments, UPS, Raytheon Technologies, General Electric, 3M, General Motors, Valero Energy, Biogen, Enphase Energy, Halliburton, Spotify Technology Wednesday: Dassault Systemes, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, Deutsche Bank, PingAn Insurance, CGN Power, UniCredit, Canon, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Heineken, Aker BP, Iberdrola, Banco Santander, SEB, Meta Platforms, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ADP, Boeing, ServiceNow, Ford Motor, Twitter Thursday: ANZ, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Shopify, Teck Resources, Neste, Kone, TotalEnergies, EDF, STMicroelectronics, PetroChina, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, Oriental Land, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hoya, FANUC, Shell, Lloyds Banking Group, Universal Music Group, Repsol, Ferrovial, Hexagon, Evolution, Credit Suisse, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Merck & Co, McDonald’s, Linde, Intel, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Gilead Sciences, Pioneer Natural Resources, Friday: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Source: Chinas risk premium on the rise critical earnings week ahead | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    On The NASDAQ Stock Exchange, 1925 Companies Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 25.10.2022 08:08
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.34% to a one-month high, the S&P 500 was up 1.19% and the NASDAQ Composite was up 0.86%. The Dow Jones index Amgen Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 9.38 points or 3.72% to close at 261.32. Quotes Coca-Cola Co rose by 1.61 points (2.88%), ending trading at 57.57. Home Depot Inc rose 7.73 points or 2.81% to close at 283.26. The least gainers were Nike Inc, which lost 0.49 points or 0.55% to end the session at 88.01. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) was up 0.32 points or 0.31% to close at 101.72, while Chevron Corp was down 0.06 points or 0.03% to end the trading at 173.13. The S&P 500 index  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were HCA Holdings Inc, which rose 7.02% to hit 210.47, Tractor Supply Company, which gained 5.30% to close at 207.83, and also shares of Regions Financial Corporation, which rose 5.28% to close the session at 20.55. The least gainers were Las Vegas Sands Corp, which shed 10.29% to close at 35.05. Shares of Starbucks Corporation shed 5.47% to end the session at 83.76. Quotes of Wynn Resorts Limited decreased in price by 3.86% to 56.53. The NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Applied Genetic, which rose 62.43% to hit 0.39, Vaxcyte Inc (NASDAQ:PCVX), which gained 60.35% to close at 33. 00, as well as shares of Mullen Automotive Inc, which rose 32.94% to close the session at 0.50. The least gainers were Tricida Inc, which shed 94.48% to close at 0.60. Shares of Alfi Inc lost 54.32% and ended the session at 0.11. Quotes of Huadi International Group Co Ltd decreased in price by 43.99% to 33.00. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,751) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,344), while quotes of 124 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1925 companies rose in price, 1828 fell, and 253 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.54% to 29.85. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.15%, or 2.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for December delivery fell 0.26%, or 0.22, to $84.83 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 0.13%, or 0.12, to $91.46 a barrel. FX Market Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.14% to 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 0.98% to hit 149.09. Futures on the USD index fell 0.04% to 111.93.     Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-26 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/298126
    Bank Of England Will Probably Be Unable To Avoid A Significant Easing Of Policy

    British Sovereign Bonds | Tech Giants Will Announce Earnings (Google And Microsoft)

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 25.10.2022 11:59
    After both Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt pulled out of the British PM race, Rushi Sunak cried victory on Monday afternoon, and markets cried ‘Ready for Rishi’. The new UK Prime Minister The British sovereign bonds posted one of the biggest gains on record, the 10-year gilt yield tanked 8.50%, the 30-year yield dived 8.40%, sterling gained. Investors loved seeing Sunak become the new UK Prime Minister, they, however, hated seeing Xi Jinping confirm a third term. NASDAQ Nasdaq’s Golden Dragon China index lost more than 20% yesterday and closed the session more than 14% down. Direxion’s FTSE China Bear times 3 ETF jumped almost 30% in the session. Macro data On macro, the PMI data revealed yesterday did little good to the mood in Europe. The composite PMI fell to 47.1, which is the lowest level since April 2013. In the US, the services sector saw a sharp, and an unexpected decline to 46.6, from 49.3 printed a month earlier, and 49.6 expected by analysts. Japanese core CPI advanced to 2% versus 1.9% expected by analysts. The dollar-yen trades touch below the 149 mark after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) intervened to slowdown the depreciation in yen. US tech giants In the corporate space, two big US tech giants are due to announce earnings: Alphabet and Microsoft. Their revenues are expected to have slowed in the latest quarter, but how much of the slowdown is already priced in? Walking into the results, it’s important to remember that soft results don’t necessarily mean negative market reaction. If the soft results still beat the market estimates, we could see Google, and Microsoft shares rally. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:39 Markets are ready for Rishi! 2:52 …but not for Xi. 4:32 PMI data disappoint 6:00 Japanese inflation advance 7:25 Google earnings preview 9:07 Microsoft earnings preview 10:20 Option traders bet for Tesla below $200! Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Google #Microsoft #earnings #UK #PM #Rishi #Sunak #GBP #USD #JPY #BoJ #ECB #China #XiJinping #selloff #Tesla #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5  ___  Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    The Major Indices On The New York Stock Exchange Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 26.10.2022 08:02
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.07% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 rose 1.63% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.25%. The Dow Jones index  The top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Nike Inc, which gained 3.71 points (4.22%) to close at 91.72. Quotes of American Express Company rose by 5.39 points (3.81%), closing the session at 147.02. Boeing Co rose 4.60 points or 3.24% to close at 146.65. The biggest losers were The Travelers Companies Inc, which shed 3.70 points or 2.06% to end the session at 176.09. Amgen Inc was up 1.33 points (0.51%) to close at 259.99, while UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was down 1.38 points (0.25%) to close at 540. 22. The Dow Jones index  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Centene Corp, which rose 10.47% to 83.75, IQVIA Holdings Inc, which gained 10.17% to close at 197.83, and shares of Charles River Laboratories, which rose 9.10% to end the session at 219.12. The losers were Brown & Brown Inc, which shed 12.65% to close at 55.10. Shares of Cadence Design Systems Inc shed 5.55% to end the session at 151.32. Quotes W. R. Berkley Corp fell in price by 4.64% to 69.20.  The NASDAQ Composite Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Taysha Gene Therapies Inc, which rose 97.35% to hit 2.98, Fangdd Network Group Ltd, which gained 89.64% to close at 1.26. , as well as shares of Revelation Biosciences Inc, which rose 64.60% to close the session at 0.41. The biggest losers were Hoth Therapeutics Inc, which shed 26.37% to close at 0.24. Shares of Mana Capital Acquisition Corp lost 23.24% to end the session at 5.99. Quotes TuanChe ADR fell in price by 18.45% to 6.32. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2619) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (487), while quotations of 112 shares remained practically unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2989 companies rose in price, 753 fell, and 241 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 4.66% to 28.46, hitting a new monthly low. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 0.21%, or 3.55, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for December delivery rose 0.39%, or 0.33, to $84.91 a barrel. Brent futures for January delivery fell 0.05%, or 0.05, to $91.16 a barrel. Forex Market Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.94% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY fell 0.71% to hit 147.90. Futures on the USD index fell 1.03% to 110.75.   Relevance up to 04:00 2022-10-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/298317
    The RBA Will Continue At A 25bp Pace At Coming Meetings

    The Australian Government Will Not Be Able To Deliver On Its Election Promise

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.10.2022 08:34
    Summary:  The US major indices, the Nasdaq 100 & S&P 500 lift for the 3rd day supported by bonds yields falling, with traders digesting weaker US economic news which could persuade the Fed to slow its pace of hikes, all while parsing through stronger than expected earnings. WTI and gold both gained, while Bitcoin broke above $20,000 for the first time in nearly three weeks. Asian equity futures are in the green. Downunder investors parse through the Australian Federal budget winners; green energy, infrastructure, healthcare and parents. While mulling over Government warnings that power bills will rise 50%. What’s happening in markets?   The US major indices, the Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) lift for the 3rd day The major indices rallied 2.3% and 1.6% respectively, supported by bonds yields falling, with traders digesting weaker US economic news which could persuade the Fed to slow its pace of hikes, all while parsing through stronger than expected earnings. The 10-year Treasury yield plunged 15 bps to 4.10%, which helped the dollar fall against every G-10 peer, while the pound added 1.7%. It's worth noting so far this US earning seasons 146/S&P500 companies reported results, and 3% delivered earnings surprises to the upside, which has supported equites, with energy earnings growth up the most, averaging 164%.  While total aggregate earnings have declined. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) rises over $85 on near supply tightness and some thinking the Fed will slow its pace of hikes  Three US economic data sets released over the last two days are pointing to the US economy souring, which could indicate the US Federal Reserve’s rate rises have been working and may perhaps persuade the Fed to slow its pace of hikes. This could be seen as a positive signal for fuel demand. Consumer Confidence fell, while the S&P Core Logic Case-Shiller 20-City House Price Index also released Tuesday showed home prices fell 1.3% in the 20 core cities studied month-on-month, but were still 13.1% higher than a year ago. The day prior we had S&P Global’s flash US Composite PMI Output Index, that tracks the manufacturing and services sectors, falling to 47.3 this month from a final reading of 49.5 in September  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises 0.3%, erasing earlier gains on hotter than expected CPI Australian CPI rose more than expected to a 32 year high, with CPI up 7.3%, hotter than the consensus expectation that consumer prices would rise 7.1% YoY. The biggest moves were in Housing prices, up 10.5% YoY, followed by Transport costs up 9.2% (fueled by fuel prices ripping up), while Food price growth remained strong, up 9% YoY. Core inflation (or trimmed mean inflation) which the RBA looks at, which excludes large rises and falls rose to 6.1% YoY, which is the highest reading since the data was first published. Today's proof shows the RBA’s pace of hikes has done very little to slow price growth and serves as a wakeup call that perhaps the RBA will continue to hike rates to slow inflation, despite employment falling and some businesses being in financial hardship. Coincidently, the last time CPI was this high, was in 1990, when the RBA hiked so aggressively it tipped the economy into recession, so that’s something to consider. It's also worth looking at asset classes that typically do well in recessionary cycles (such as bonds, and in equities healthcare, utilities and consumer staples). The Australian share market is up 0.3% on Wednesday, up for the third day. The real estate sector is leading today, up 2.3% after the sector won in the Australian Federal budget handed down last night. As for stocks, Costa Group (CGC) is up the most, 11% with investors speculating the business might be taken over.   What to consider? Australian Govt budget winners are green energy, infrastructure, healthcare and parents  The Australian Federal Budget handed down last night forecasts slower GPD growth, higher energy bills, as well as higher spending. See below for more.  A sector to watch is green transformation. With the AUD$20b to be put toward Australia’s transformation to net zero. The government outlined a large fund to mitigate climate change risk and support the transformation to net zero, with the funding going toward recently commenced projects on windfarms in VIC and the TAS Marinus Link project, while also delivering cheaper infrastructure loans for investment into renewable energy, in order to lower energy costs and achieve net zero over the coming years. Focus will be on lithium, rare earths, hydrogen, with companies like Pilbara Minerals, Allkem, Lynas and Iluka on watch.      Another sector to watch is building, construction, infrastructure and mining. With the introduction of the national Housing Accord between government and other industry bodies, there is a target of building one million new homes over 5yrs, starting mid-2024. The government will establish a AU$10bn housing Australia future fund, with an aim of providing 20k new social housing dwellings. AU$350m will be spent over 5yrs in delivering 10k affordable dwellings, with state governments to provide another 10k homes. The government also committed to its pre-election promise of a shared equity scheme, allowing eligible people to buy a house with a smaller deposit. Focus will be on stocks like Transurban, Abbri and eyes will also be on banks that could benefit from housing polices, so CBA, ANZ Bank, NAB, as well as Westpac as well as Suncorp and Bank of Queensland   Another sector to watch is health and aged care. The Government will spend AU$787.1m over four years on making a greater co-payment for prescription drugs, starting next year. Moreover, the government pledged to open 50 Medicare urgent care clinics, expand access in suburbs and regions. Overall, along with a rise in spending on hospitals, and extending various COVID-19 support measures, the government has pledged AU$6.1b. Elsewhere, the government is committing AU$2.5b to improving aged care to improving aged care facilities and staffing issues. Focus will be on health care businesses like Ramsay Health, Sonic Health Care, ResMed as well as Healius and Australian Clinical Labs.   And another big highlight was increasing child care subsidies and paid parental leave to drive female labour force participation. From July 2023, childcare subsidy rates will increase for all eligible families with annual incomes less than AU$530k, which would cover around 96% of families. The increase in paid-parental leave will cost AU$531.6mn over four years, starting in FY23. Each year from July 2024 to July 2026, the paid parental leave will increase by 2 weeks, with a total increase of 6 weeks to 26 weeks by FY27. Australian Federal Budget 2022 warns power bills will rise 50%  The Australian Federal Budget handed down last night, estimated power prices will rise 50% over the next two years. It follows on from the Australian Energy Regulator warning electricity prices will rise by up to 50% just in 2023. Either way, it seems the Australian Government won’t be able to fulfill its election promise to cut power bills. Several bodies warned Australia will run out of energy next year including the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, who says there is a significant risk the nation will be short supply in 2023 by 56PJ, which could further cause prices to rise, and result in some manufacturers closing their businesses, with market exists already occurring.  This might be a catalyst for some to perhaps consider looking at large cap oil companies, and ETFs.       For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-26-oct-26102022
    Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

    Ukrainian Exports Of Agricultural Products May Increase In October | Rising Energy Costs Will Hurt Microsoft's Operating Margin

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.10.2022 08:45
    Summary:  A whiplash-inducing session for equity traders yesterday as the strong market session was spoiled after hours yesterday by weak results from Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet. A drop in US treasury yields, meanwhile, has driven a sharp correction lower in the US dollar, with EURUSD eyeing parity suddenly ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting and AUDUSD trying to break higher after a hot core Q3 CPI reading overnight.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Strong rally in US equities yesterday touching the 50-day moving average before settling a bit lower on the close. Price action has subsequently turned negative overnight after the cash session as disappointing earnings from Alphabet and worsening outlook from Microsoft are weighing on the indices. On the positive side, the US 10-year yield is coming down from its recent peak and the Chicago Fed National Activity Index showed yesterday that the US economy operated meaningfully above trend growth in both September and August suggesting inflationary forces are still intact despite tighter financial conditions. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) Touched almost the 3,600 level as we indicated yesterday was the upside level the market was looking for, but the weaker US earnings overnight might impact equity sentiment today, but on the other hand European earnings releases this morning have broadly beaten estimates. FX: USD punched lower as yields drop Yesterday saw the potent, USD-negative combination of treasury yields pushing sharply lower and strong risk sentiment, but interesting to note that the USD weakness continued in late trading yesterday, even after important megacap companies in the US reported weak earnings and risk sentiment reversed sharply, suggesting that treasury yields are the primary driver of the moment. EURUSD came within spitting distance of parity again, and could head to 1.0200 on a break above if the US 10-year yield breaks below 4.00%, although traders may rein in their market exposure ahead of next Wednesday’s FOMC meeting. USDJPY is also under pressure, trading near 148.00, and may have a path to 145.00 or lower if yields continue to ease. Elsewhere, a hot CPI print from Australia overnight (more below) has AUDUSD making a bid above the important 0.6400 area. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) Gold and silver trade higher after receiving a boost from a weaker dollar and continued decline in US bond yields amid signs the US economy is showing signs of rolling over, just days before the next FOMC interest rate decision on November 2. US yields slumped across the curve after data showed home prices tumbling the most since 2009 and US consumer confidence was down by more than expected. While another bumper 75 basis points hike is expected next week, the FOMC may decide to ease the foot of the brakes in coming meetings while assessing the impact of their rate and quantitative tightening actions. As a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. Until then watch the dollar and yields for inspiration, while silver, in order to avoid creating a potential bearish head-and-shoulder formation, needs a break above $20. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil remains rangebound, with Brent currently stuck in a $90 to $95 range, after a weaker dollar led pop on Tuesday was reversed after the American Petroleum Institute reported a 4.5-million-barrel expansion in US crude stocks. In today’s weekly update from the EIA, the market will be watching distillate stocks as concerns about tight supplies continue to grow ahead of the EU embargo on Russian fuel starting next February. Diesel inventories in the US are at lowest seasonal level ever heading into winter while the situation in Europe looks similar. Developments that have driven distillate crack spreads and diesel prices at the pumps higher in recent weeks relative to gasoline. Also focus this week on earnings from Big Oil. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields dropped further yesterday, with the 2-year benchmark yield easing below 4.50%, and the 10-year yield pushing all the way down below 4.10% and therefore nearing the important 4.00% area. A drop in the latest Consumer Confidence survey (more below) offered a tailwind, as have talks since Monday of a possible treasury “buyback” from US Treasury Secretary Yellen, said to be prompted by the need to improve liquidity in the treasury market and attractive from the Treasury’s point of view as lower yielding long treasuries issued at far lower yields can be bought back at significant discounts. What is going on? Australia September and Q3 CPI comes in hot Yet another hot inflation report out overnight, particularly in the core inflation data, this time from Down Under, as Australia’s September CPI came in at +7.3% YoY vs. +7.1% expected, and the Q3 CPI was also higher than expected at +1.8% QoQ and +7.3% YoY vs. +1.6%/7.0% expected, with the “trimmed mean” core CPI out at +1.8%/6.1%, far above the 1.5%/5.0% expected, and 4.5% YoY in Q2. Housing prices were the biggest contributors up 10.5%, followed by Transport costs up 9.2% and Food price growth up 9%. US October Consumer Confidence weaker than expected The survey was out at 102.5 versus 105.9 expected and 107.8 in September, with a bad miss in the Present Situation component, which fell to 138.9 from 150.2 in September, a large drop and the lowest reading since early 2021. Wheat futures (ZWZ2) slipped to a five-week low on Tuesday ... with Black Sea grain exports pressuring prices while rain in recently dry growing areas in the US and Argentine adding further downward pressure to prices, especially in the US where recently planted winter wheat fields in the US Midwest look set to receive a decent dose of moisture and potentially further speed of the planting currently 79% completed. Ukraine’s export of agricultural products could rise by more than 8% in October from last month, the Ukrainian Agrarian Council said on Tuesday while ADM’s chief grain trader on an earnings call said that he sees “nothing significant that could derail” an extension of the Black Sea grain export corridor next month. Google shares down 7% on big Q3 miss It turned out that Snap’s worse than expected results last week were a good leading indicator on Google’s performance in Q3. Revenue came in at $69.1bn vs $70.8bn and operating income was $17.1bn vs est. $19.7bn as the operating margin is coming under significant pressure q/q and y/y. Revenue growth in Q3 at 6% y/y is the slowest pace since Q2 2020. Microsoft shares down 7% on worsening outlook FY23 Q1 (ending 30 September) revenue was $↨50.1bn vs est. $49.6bn and EPS of $2.35 vs est. $2.29, but it was the forecast for the current quarter that negatively surprised the market. Microsoft expects the slowdown in PC sales and rising energy costs to hurt operating margin, and the company has more or less introduced a hiring freeze to keep costs under control. What are we watching next? Bank of Canada set to hike 75 basis points We have an interesting combination of hot CPI readings in a number of places, including Canada and Australia, seeing the market adjusting expectations higher for the Bank of Canada and Reserve Bank of Australia, all while US yields have eased off on the anticipation that the FOMC will deliver a message. After the recent hot September Canada CPI reading, the market boosted expectations for today’s Bank of Canada hike to 75 basis points for today's, which will take the policy rate to 4.00% UK PM Sunak may delay budget statement scheduled for early next week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may delay the report to give the new government a chance to find its feet first, with less urgency as sterling has not only stabilized, but rallied and UK Gilt yields have plunged, with the 10-year yield some 100 basis points lower, closing at 3.64% yesterday. Sunak reappointed Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor and announced a number of other appointments. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Meta and given the weak results from both Snap and Alphabet due to worsening pricing on online ads we expect downward pressure on Meta’s business. Key for investors will be Meta admitting that its Metaverse bet is too expensive and will be reined in in the short-term as the company is facing tough headwinds on cash flow generation. Today: Dassault Systemes, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, Deutsche Bank, PingAn Insurance, CGN Power, UniCredit, Canon, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Heineken, Aker BP, Iberdrola, Banco Santander, SEB, Meta Platforms, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ADP, Boeing, ServiceNow, Ford Motor, Twitter Thursday: ANZ, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Shopify, Teck Resources, Neste, Kone, TotalEnergies, EDF, STMicroelectronics, PetroChina, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, Oriental Land, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hoya, FANUC, Shell, Lloyds Banking Group, Universal Music Group, Repsol, Ferrovial, Hexagon, Evolution, Credit Suisse, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Merck & Co, McDonald’s, Linde, Intel, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Gilead Sciences, Pioneer Natural Resources Friday: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – US Sep. Advance Goods Trade Balance 1400 – Bank of Canada Rate Decision 1400 – US Sep. New Home Sales 1430 – US DoE Weekly Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1500 – Canada Bank of Canada Governor Macklem to speak 1700 – US Treasury auctions 5-year T-notes 2045 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr to speak 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-26-2022-26102022
    Key Economic Events and Earnings Reports to Watch in US, Eurozone, and UK Next Week

    Saxo Bank Members Talks In Podcast About Reports Of The Next Key Companies, The Biden Administration And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 26.10.2022 10:54
    Summary:  Today we look at a whiplash-inducing session for equities traders as a strong session yesterday on falling treasury yields and a weaker US dollar was marred in the aftermarket session by very weak earnings from Microsoft and Google-parent Alphabet. We break down those earnings reports, the next key companies to report, the status of the US dollar, crude oil and gold, and importantly: the narrative around the Biden administration, with a cooperative Fed, trying to engineer strong support for the equity market into the mid-term elections the week after next. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-26-2022-26102022
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    Google and Microsoft Fell, Expectations For Meta Are Low | The Bank Of Canada Will Deliver A Jumbo Rate Hike

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 26.10.2022 11:11
    US indices rallied yesterday on the back of soft economic data from the US, but the sentiment reversed after the Q3 results from Google and Microsoft didn't please. Both stocks fell in the afterhours trading. Rest of the earnings were mixed. Meta is the next US giant to announce earnings, and expectations are rather… low. US Yields The US 2-year yield has been easing after hitting a fresh 15-year high last week, as the US 10-year yield fell to 4.05%. The dollar index tanked around 1%, both the EURUSD and Cable advanced past their 50-DMA, which were acting as strong resistance since the start of the year, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine. Bank of Canada The USDCAD fell to a 3-week low, as the Bank of Canada (BoC) prepares to deliver another jumbo rate hike today. The BoC could deliver a 75bp hike, which would further fuel the odds of recession in Canada by next year. FX Market It’s important to note that the common denominator of the latest FX moves is the softer US dollar. And the downside moves in dollar and the US yields depend on Fed expectations – whatever the other central banks do seem accessory to the main dollar story. Fed The Fed expectations have been shaped by softish data, and some softish comments from the Fed officials recently. But there is nothing official pointing at a potential softening tone from the Fed just yet. Hence, the recent fall in the US dollar, and rebound in equities may not last. Gains remain vulnerable. And very much so, as the latest results from the US tech giants failed to make the investors smile yesterday. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 Soft US data fueled optimism… 3:15 … but Big Tech earnings hurt. GOOG & MSFT fell 6.5% post-market 5:01 Other companies announced mixed results 6:30…as UPS surprised 7:00 Some come back to stocks, but stock/ bond correlation remains high 7:52 Meta earnings preview: expect nothing crazy… Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Meta #Google #Microsoft #UPS #Spotify #GM #Visa #UBS #CocaCola #earnings #USD #EUR #GBP #CAD #BoC #rate #decision #US #home #prices #Fed #expectations #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    Finalizing Twitter Purchases By Elon Musk | The US Stock Market Scores Gains

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 26.10.2022 11:49
    S&P 500 Outlook for October 26th The US stock market scores gains The main US stock indices have been bullish for the third straight day: the Dow added 1.1% and the S&P500 grew by 1.6%. The S&P 500 index is seen trading at 3,859 in the range between 3,800 and 3,900. S&P 500 futures showed a fall of up to 1% at the morning open. The US stock market The US stock market has been bullish for three straight days. It also formed a deep bottom. As the chart shows, the index has encountered strong resistance in the 3,860-3,930 range with the 50-day and 100-day moving averages. In order to extend growth, the index should leave the range and close above it. On Tuesday, the market grew, following the release of disappointing consumer sentiment data, which fell to 102. It fuelled speculation that the US Federal Reserve might reduce the pace of rate hikes after raising the rate by 0.75% in November. The US Q3 GDP report is due on Thursday (forecast: +2.1%). The ECB is expected to lift interest rates by 0.75% at a meeting on Thursday. Yesterday, the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds fell to 4.11%. Reports Strong reports came: Coca-Cola (KO 58.95, +1.38, +2.4%), General Motors (GM 37.01, +1.29, +3.6%), and Sherwin-Williams (SHW 220.20, +7.67, +3.6%). Ten of the 11 S&P 500 sectors rose. Real estate led the way with a 3.9% gain. Automatic Data (ADP), Boeing (BA), Bristol-Myers (BMY), General Dynamics (GD), Harley-Davidson (HOG), Hilton (HLT), Kraft Heinz (KHC), Norfolk Southern ( NSC), Roper (ROP), Seagate Tech (STX), and Waste Mgmt (WM) will deliver earnings report on Wednesday. VISA's profit surged by 21% to $15 billion. Microsoft's shares were down by 7%. The firm's profit dropped by 14%. Alphabet's shares lost 6%, following the earnings report that logged a 26% decline in profit. Elon Musk is planning to close the Twitter acquisition deal on Friday. The deal is now at the stage of signing documents. New home sales are due today in the United States. The reading is estimated to plunge to 575,000 from 685,000 year-over-year. Energy: Crude is firm at previous levels. Brent is trading at $92.7 per barrel. Macro data The United States is to sell another 15 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves in an attempt to prevent a rise in prices. Biden says the US is ready to sell even more. Saudi Arabia slammed the US for using its strategic reserves to manipulate crude prices. However, OPEC's decision to artificially limit supply in the oil market can also hardly be called a market action. The US House of Representatives election will be held in early November. Recent polls show that both Democrats and Republicans have a 50% chance of a House majority. Inflation in Australia accelerated to a record 7.3%. The Bank of Canada will announce its interest rate decision today. The US dollar index dropped to 110.70. Final thoughts: the US stock market needs to pull back deeper. Buy trades could be considered after a pullback.     Relevance up to 08:00 2022-10-29 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/325341
    Earnings of Microsoft and Google are hard to be seen as S&P 500's and Nasdaq's "healers"

    Earnings of Microsoft and Google are hard to be seen as S&P 500's and Nasdaq's "healers"

    Alex Kuptsikevich Alex Kuptsikevich 26.10.2022 10:59
    The technology companies that have acted as growth drivers for stock markets in recent years are increasingly losing their leading positions. Although it would be too naive to talk about the "beginning of the end" for the IT giants, the initial reaction to the reports of Microsoft and Alphabet makes it seem more like a threat to the recovery of the Nasdaq and S&P500 indices. Shares of both giants are losing around 6.6% on the post-market. Microsoft's revenue and profit beat expectations, but investors see more negative numbers in the dynamic (-3.4% QoQ on revenue and -14.4% YoY on profit). Alphabet noted a tough time in the ad market, with an overall profit fall of 26.6% y/y despite revenue growth of 6.6% y/y. The latter is the lowest rate in 9 years. Experienced traders have long noticed that companies are likely to present the situation to industry analysts, so they make low projections. And easily beat them shortly after in ¾ of the cases. It is, therefore, not uncommon for neutral numbers or a slight overperformance to lead to a share price slump. Also, in growth sectors, markets are paying increased attention to companies' forecasts. And they have been disappointed. Both Microsoft and Alphabet cited falling PC and ad sales. And that's bad news for the future, as it doesn't set the stage for a turnaround in the coming months. Microsoft's comments about cloud computing cuts also pulled Amazon shares, which are losing 4.3% in the post-market. On a more general level, the simple rule of thumb remains that the IT sector is inversely correlated with interest rate movements and is more vulnerable during the economic downturn for which many are now preparing. Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Choosing from major US indices - the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq - the first looks the most promising, including more manufacturing companies and a smaller weighting on the IT sector. This driver change can already be seen in that the Dow Jones made its lows in early October, while the other two made their lows on 13 October: the strongest are recovering first. And it is not the Technology sector right now. Nonetheless, while this trio stays about 20% below the peak and the US Fed forwarding market expectations to slower rate hikes, it looks like the bottom is already behind us.
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    South Korean won and Singapore dollar went up yesterday. S&P 500 and Nasdaq increased by 1.63% and 2.25% respectively

    ING Economics ING Economics 26.10.2022 12:06
    Australian inflation puts the pressure back on the Reserve Bank Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: After Monday’s adverse post 20th Congress market reaction, Asian FX had a better day, with most currencies making small gains overall, though G-10 currencies staged a late rally against the USD and early trading is likely to see Asia playing catch-up. Outside of the G-10 space, the KRW and SGD both gained a little over 0.4% on the day. The CNY opened much  weaker yesterday, pushing close to 7.31, but dropped back sharply in late trading to finish roughly unchanged from Monday’s close at 7.2686 as the USD lost ground against most currencies. EURUSD, for example, pushed strongly higher, reaching 0.9964, putting parity back in the cross-hairs. The AUD also made strong gains, (+1.3%) as did the  JPY (+0.61%), reaching  0.6381 and 148.06 respectively.  Cable has had another strong day too rising to 1.1458. A good start for PM Sunak. The catalyst for the USD’s weakness yesterday looked as it may be coming from the bond market. Fed funds implied yields were slightly down on the day, and 2Y US Treasury yields retreated 2.8bp though much bigger falls were seen in the 10Y and 30Y bonds, where yields were down 14bp and 12.8bp respectively. These declines were echoed in European bond markets. There does not seem to be any particular event or Fed remark driving this development. Yesterday’s US Macro data continued to chip away at the previous “higher for longer” rate expectation (see below). And slightly more temperate Fed comments over the previous week may now be being heeded. The lower bond yield environment won’t have hurt risk sentiment or equity markets. The S&P500 rose 1.63%, the NASDAQ was up 2.25% . After a mixed day yesterday, Asian bourses may show a little more resolve today. Asian equity futures look brighter, though the same cannot be said for their US counterparts, so any early gains may be short-lived.      G-7 Macro: As mentioned, the US data yesterday was on the softer side, with house price data showing further declines in price and bringing the August S&P Case Shiller index down to 13.08%YoY. The April peak was over 21%. Conference board consumer confidence data also showed further substantial declines in both the expectations and current conditions indices, while the Richmond Fed index was also down more than expected. Today we get trade data and new home sales. Neither release is particularly market moving, though both could keep chipping away at perceptions of the US economy’s resilience.    Australia: The 3Q22 consumer price index rose a further 1.8%QoQ, showing no slowdown from 2Q22, and takes the inflation rate to 7.3%YoY (up from 6.1%). The trimmed mean price index rose by the same amount, taking that inflation rate to 6.1% (up from 4.9%) and weighted median inflation also  rose to 5.0% from 4.2%. It is hard to reconcile these latest inflation figures with the RBA’s recent slowdown in hiking to only a 25bp hike at their last meeting, and we believe these numbers must push the odds strongly back in favour of a 50bp hike at their next meeting. South Korea: According to local business surveys, business outlook continues to deteriorate. Both manufacturing and non-manufacturing see a cloudy outlook. The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI)’s all-industry expectation index fell to 86.5 in October (vs 87.4 in September). The Bank of Korea’s survey also showed sentiment falling. The non-manufacturing outlook declined 3 pts, while the manufacturing survey fell a further 2 points. The BoK survey was conducted from October 11th to 18th, when local credit conditions squeezed sharply, and it seems that the effect had a negative impact on corporate sentiment. What to look out for: ECB meeting and US GDP Australia CPI inflation (26 October) South Korea GDP (27 October) China industrial profits (27 October) ECB meeting (27 October) US durable goods, initial jobless claims and 3Q GDP (27 October) Tokyo CPI inflation (28 October) Australia PPI inflation (28 October) Taiwan GDP (28 October) US personal spending, core PCE and Univ of Michigan sentiment (28 October) Read this article on THINK
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    After MSFT's and Google's earnings, it's over to you, Meta (FB)

    Peter Garnry Peter Garnry 26.10.2022 14:43
    Summary:  Microsoft and Alphabet did little to help the Q3 earnings season improve on the clear trend of margin pressure. Rising wage pressures, energy costs, lower advertising prices, slowing PC sales and too much hiring impacted operating income and the outlook against estimates. Later tonight Meta is on stage delivering Q3 earnings and given the signals from Snap and Alphabet on the global advertising market we expect significant pressure on Meta's business. Zuckerberg has only one option to please investors and that is by dialing down his efforts on Metaverse which is burning cash on an unprecedented scale. Margin compression is indeed a theme for technology companies Apple recently raised its prices on various of its services offerings from music to TV, and Spotify is also considering raising its prices. The culprit is rising wage pressures and higher energy costs that are hitting energy hungry applications running in the cloud. Microsoft gave the best hint of this saying that it expects $800mn more in energy costs in the current fiscal year which is approximately 1% of its current operating income. As the net profit margin chart below shows, US technology companies are right now facing the biggest margin compression since the Great Financial Crisis. Microsoft and Alphabet disappoint investors The two technology giants, Microsoft and Alphabet, delivered a weaker than estimated outlook. Microsoft’s Q3 revenue and earnings per share were slightly above estimates, but its guidance on growth was lower than estimated. Higher energy costs, wage pressures, slowing PC sales, slowing ad sales and a strong USD are contributing to the expected hit to the operating margin. In order to mitigate some of the cost headwinds and slowing growth the software maker has more or less introduced a hiring freeze. Alphabet was hinted to be weak as Snap last week reported weak advertising sales, but investors did not take the hint adjusting their expectations lower as Alphabet has previously been decoupled from Snap’s performance. But this time investors should have listened to Snap as Alphabet reported a miss on both revenue and operating income with revenue at $69.1bn vs est. $70.8bn and operating income at $17.1bn vs est. $19.7bn. The company added 10,000 new employees in Q3 which is an aggressive increase given the slowdown in the economy but it says that hiring will be significantly lower going forward. Alphabet’s EBIT margin was declining in the 10 years leading into the pandemic which then turbocharged ads pricing because of the high growth in the online economy, but the past year has been a different story with the operating margin declining from 32.3% to 24.8% in Q3 this year. Zuckerberg has one mission tonight Meta is one other Silicon Valley company that is following Alphabet’s hiring bonanza and its bet on the Metaverse, which seems to have hit critical road blocks in terms of user adoption, is burning cash on an unprecedented scale. In Q2, Meta’s operating margin fell to 29% from 42.5% a year before as advertising prices were coming down hard after Apple’s new data privacy rules are making it more difficult for Meta to serve targeted ads. Given the earnings reports from Alphabet and Snap we expect Meta to show margin compression and revenue pressure in Q3 and in our view the pressure is significantly increasing on CEO Mark Zuckerberg to rein in operating expenses. This includes a hiring freeze, or maybe even cuts, and a drastically less ambitious target for Metaverse, and if Zuckerberg dares to admit failure on Metaverse then investors might reward the company with a much higher valuation. European earnings are a bright spot It is still early days on Q3 earnings, but the initial indications suggest that European earnings are doing better than US and Chinese earnings with the strong USD of course creating a tailwind for profits outside Europe. Given relatively better earnings dynamics, lower equity valuations, and a lower discount rate there is a good case to be made for being more positive on European equities rather than US equities. Source: Microsoft and Alphabet Q3 results disappoint Meta on tap tonight | Saxo Group (home.saxo)  
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    In Q2 number of active Meta (FB) users decreased by over a million!

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 26.10.2022 22:39
    Today (October 26) we will learn the results of Meta Platforms (Facebook), a social media company that is part of the five Silicon Valley tech giants known as FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google). The environment for the company appears to be unfavorable following the published disappointing results of competitor Snap. Metaverse future, or just a fantasy? Meta has not enjoyed a good run since the beginning of this year. The Metaverse project may have been negatively received by investors, as it could be seen from the company's share price drop of more than 59% since the beginning of the year. The company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to have decided to put everything on the line, which has brought, due to the project's attention, more than $13 billion in costs so far. In addition, we could hear many rumors from the media about the internal situation of the company, or the perspective of employees. However, let's try to verify all assumptions based on hard data regarding the company's core business. Meta Platforms' performance and financial position Last quarter was the first period in which Facebook lost about 1.4 million active users. The company reported that the situation has improved. However, it could be assumed that investors especially decided to watch the development of the company's new project. Analysts predicted earnings per share EPS of 1.89 (previously 2.46).According to one of Altimeter Capital's major shareholders, CEO Brand Gerstner in an open letter to the company, “Meta needs to rebuild trust with investors, employees and the tech community to attract, inspire and retain the best people in the world. [...] Meta shares have declined 55% over the past 18 months (compared to an average of 19% for its big-tech counterparts). The P / E ratio fell from 23x to 12x and is currently half the average P / E ratio of peers. Importantly, this decline in stock prices reflects lost confidence in the company, not just bad sentiment in the market. " In addition, Tuesday's problems with WhatsApp, which stopped working for several hours, may give us an environment of potentially extreme negative sentiment on the company's shares.As Gerstner mentioned in the letter, it seems that valuation has significantly detached itself from the company's core business. Facebook does not seem to have stopped making money from sales, however, it has clearly seen a slowdown in advertising sales, as could be seen from last quarter's results, in which the company reported its first y/y revenue decline. It fell from $29.08 billion to $28.82 billion. At the same time, EBITDA fell from $14.35 billion to $10.33 billion. Everything may depend on the cost of the Metaverse? With such seemingly pessimistic sentiment for this company, all eyes may be on the update and further plans for the Metaverse project. A key piece of information would perhaps turn out to be the subsequent costs incurred for this project. However, someone could get the impression that most of the negative comments have been factored into the stock price. But would the stock market say "buy when the blood pours" be confirmed? What does Wall Street think of Meta Platforms' stock price? Source: Conotoxia MT5, Facebook, WeeklyAccording to Market Screener, the company has 55 recommendations, most of which are buy recommendations. The average target price is set at $209.97, more than 50% higher than the last closing price. The highest target price is at $466, and the lowest is at $150.Author: Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Read more reviews and open a demo account at invest.conotoxia.com Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Yesterday S&P 500 decreased by less than a percent, NASDAQ lost more as Meta's (FB) earnings disappoint

    ING Economics ING Economics 27.10.2022 08:50
    China's macroprudential changes help propel the CNY against a much weaker USD backdrop as the pivot story gets a nudge from the Bank of Canada Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: A disappointing revenue forecast from Facebook parent, Meta, helped push the NASDAQ down more than 2% yesterday, though there was a much smaller decline from the S&P500, which fell only 0.74%, holding just above support levels. Futures markets indicate a return to growth today. Yesterday's Asian equity markets were also mostly positive, and despite the US moves overnight, the mood looks fairly positive today. This could also set up Asian FX for another positive day after currencies made strong gains yesterday. The THB and CNY led the charge in Asia, with the CNY surging 1.33% taking it all the way back to 7.1730 from about 7.30 earlier in the session. Reuters reported that state-owned Chinese banks were sellers of USD on Tuesday to support the yuan, which suggests that this may also have been what happened yesterday. And there were also policy measures from the PBoC which also helped (see China section below). The USD was weaker across the board after the Bank of Canada raised rates only 50bp – lower than the market had been expecting – citing recession fears. The knock-on from this dragged down implied rates in the US and pulled down the 2Y US Treasury yield by 5.6bp, and the 10Y yield by 9.9bp, which is now only just above 4%. EURUSD was another beneficiary of the lower US yield environment, pushing back above parity for the first time since late September and ahead of today's ECB meeting. The AUD is back to 0. 6490 after a massive surge, and Cable has risen to 1.1631, its highest in more than a month. The USD weakness was also evident in the JPY, which returned to 146.22. The market will no doubt be awash with speculation about whether this represents part of the “pivot” story, which some elements have been desperate to see unfolding. Next move – the Fed. They can either quash any such thoughts or, as it seems to have been doing recently, kindle them with some encouraging noises even as it hikes rates by 75bp next week (03 November). We will see… G-7 Macro: Besides the Bank of Canada decision yesterday, it was a quiet day, with only US new home sales for September worth much of a look, and they were actually a fair bit better than had been expected. The September US trade figures were also out and showed the deficit widening back out to -USD92.2bn, which also won’t have helped the USD.  Today, the ECB takes centre stage, and they are expected to raise the refi rate by 0.75% to 2.0%. Later on, we get the advance 3QGDP release from the US. Bloomberg consensus estimates put this as rising 2.4% (saar), bringing the technical recession to an end, but maybe providing some pointers at a looming “non-technical” recession in the coming quarters.   China: The PBoC, China’s central bank, raised its macro-prudential parameter for cross-border finance from 1.0 to 1.25 yesterday. The last time PBoC implemented an increase of this parameter was in March 2020 when the yuan depreciated to over 7.1. Back then, the yuan peaked a little later (May 2020). During that time, State-owned enterprises (SOEs) with offices offshore (e.g. Hong Kong), sent more USD to onshore parent companies, which would then convert this into yuan. Some converted USD to yuan offshore and sent yuan onshore. The result was the same, namely that there was more demand and therefore, a stronger yuan. The PBoC is now using the same tool. As noted above in the section on global markets, this move comes against a backdrop of uncertainty about the Fed’s ongoing rate hike speed and Fed forward guidance next week will be important for the yuan's coming path. South Korea: GDP recorded a 0.3%QoQ (sa) gain in 3Q22 (vs 0.7% in 2Q22). Reopening-boosted pent-up consumer spending slowed while investment showed a more resilient recovery. Based on the grim outlook for consumption and exports from recently released data, we maintain our view that the economy will experience a moderate recession early next year. What to look out for: ECB meeting and US GDP South Korea GDP (27 October) China industrial profits (27 October) ECB meeting (27 October) US durable goods, initial jobless claims and 3Q GDP (27 October) Tokyo CPI inflation (28 October) Australia PPI inflation (28 October) Taiwan GDP (28 October) US personal spending, core PCE and Univ of Michigan sentiment (28 October) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    ECB's Hawkish Hike: Boosting EUR/USD and Shaping Global Monetary Policy

    Bank's of Canada cautious hike makes some think about the end of "hiking season". Meta's earnings strike stock price

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 27.10.2022 11:53
    Summary:  Market sentiment is choppy after a boost yesterday as the Bank of Canada decided to only hike 50 basis points rather than the 75 basis points expected, encouraging the narrative that peak central bank hawkishness may be in the rear-view mirror. Alas, equities closed weaker in the US and after hours, a dire earnings report from Meta dented sentiment further and crumpled Meta stock nearly 20%. Elsewhere, the USD remains weak on retreating treasury yields. What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) With weak technology earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, and especially Meta last night the focus is currently on Nasdaq 100 futures. Despite a falling Nasdaq 100 yesterday, the index futures are attempting a rebound this morning, which is quite surprising given the lackluster outlook on technology earnings. Nasdaq 100 futures are trading around the 11,485 level with the natural resistance at around 11,713. If downside momentum continues, which could happen after potentially weak outlook from Apple and Amazon tonight, then the 11,000 level is the natural support level to watch. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) Rallied yesterday to the 3,600 level and the index futures are currently hovering around this level in early morning trading. European equities are enjoying tailwind from easing energy and electricity prices due to wild weather and better than expected earnings showing more relative strength than US equities that are heavily impacted by the technology sector. Interest rate pressures and the strong USD are also easing, reducing the pain from financial conditions. If upside momentum continues the 200-day moving average at 3,685 is the next natural resistance level to watch. FX: USD remains down for the count, USDJPY nearing important support The drop in treasury yields has trumped choppy risk sentiment in driving USD weakness over the last couple of sessions, as key USD pairs saw the USD breaking down through key support: parity fell in EURUSD, the 1.1500 level in GBPUSD fell, and the 0.6400 area in AUDUSD likewise gave way. Interesting to note that even CAD managed to stabilize versus the greenback despite the smaller than expected hike from the Bank of Canada (more below). The next important USD support level to watch is perhaps 145.00 in USDJPY, which was an important line of resistance on the way up for the pair. A significant test below that level would likely require that US treasury yields continue lower – with 4.00% in the US 10-year benchmark a key focus over the next batches of data and the FOMC meeting next Wednesday. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) Both have steadied after receiving a boost from a weaker dollar and continued decline in US bond yields on speculation the US economy is getting close to rolling over. The attention is now turning to next week’s FOMC interest rate decision on November 2. While another bumper 75 basis points hike is expected, the FOMC may tilt towards slowing the pace at future meetings while assessing the impact of their rate and quantitative tightening actions. As a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. Until then watch the dollar and yields for inspiration, while silver needs a break above $20. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil trade higher for a third day near a two-week high supported by a softer dollar and tightening product markets due to a post-pandemic reduction in refinery capacity and buyers avoiding Russian barrels. Developments that saw US exports of crude fuel hit a record 11.4 million b/d last week at a time where domestic fuel supplies already are at a historic seasonal low. Fuel market tightness has seen refinery margins and not least diesel prompt futures spreads in NY and Europe trade sharply higher, thereby underpinning the price of crude while at the same time highlighting the ineffectiveness of releasing strategic reserves of crude when its products that are needed. Look out for additional technical upside in WTI above $89.25 while Brent’s next level of resistance is the October high at $98.75. High Grade Copper (HGc1) Broke higher on Wednesday and out of the narrowing range that has prevailed since July. While a tight supply outlook, both in London and Shanghai, has been lending support in recent weeks, the latest upside attempt was driven by the weaker dollar, especially against the yuan which reversed sharply higher on Wednesday after China’s central bank and foreign exchange regulator said they would maintain the healthy development of stock and bond markets while calling for a stable yuan. Speculators hold a neutral to bearish view on copper and for that to change the technical outlook needs further improvement. Support at  $3.50 with resistance being the recent highs at $3.59 and $3.69. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fell again yesterday, with the US 10-year treasury yield benchmark eyeing the important 4.00% level that was an important support level for the market as yields rose. The 2-year yield also eased lower, closing at a 2-week low near 4.40% as the market slowly unwinds forward tightening expectations from the Fed. The smaller than expected Bank of Canada hike yesterday was a contributor to that move (more below). An auction of 5-year  US Treasuries yesterday saw strong demand, also from foreign bidders. What is going on?    Meta shares plunge on huge losses on ‘Metaverse’ bet Meta shares were down 5.6% in yesterday’s primary equity sessions dragged down by Alphabet’s Q3 results showing significant slowdown in the global advertising market. However, the losses intensified in after-market trading down 20% as Q3 earnings showed a sharp decline in operating income and –5% y/y revenue growth. But as we wrote yesterday investors are sending the signal to Mark Zuckerberg that he should slow down the ambitions and cost associated with the Metaverse, but he is doubling down increasing the losses for next year and with revenue in its metaverse division missing big against expectations the growth profile of the company is coming down hard. This was a very ugly earnings release. Bank of Canada surprises with smaller than expected rate hike  The BoC only hiked 50 basis points, a surprise as the market had mostly priced a 75-bp move on the back of the most recent September CPI data surprising to the upside. The Bank’s statement still committed to further tightening in an “overheated” economy but was cautious on how much the rate tightening regime is already impacting growth, noting the increasing evidence of a slowdown in the interest rate sensitive parts of the economy, like housing. The Bank expects growth to be “close to zero” in the next few quarters. Canadian 2-year rates plunged some 25 basis points in the wake of the decision. Interestingly, while USDCAD jumped well over a figure higher on the back of the decision, much of that move was erased in the ensuing hours as the BoC caution encourages the notion that the Fed may also be set to wax more cautious at next week’s FOMC meeting.  UK Budget Statement delayed until November 17 The government was set to deliver a budget statement next Monday, October 31, but that has been delayed to give new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the reappointed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt time to assess how to cut spending some £35 billion to further improve the fiscal deficit trajectory after the recent wipeout in the UK gilt market and sterling on fears of spiraling deficits. What are we watching next?    ECB meeting up today The ECB is set to hike rates 75 basis points today, taking the deposit rate to 1.50%. The central bank is already in hot water with Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who weighed in against the ECB hiking rates in pointed comments in her first speech as PM yesterday. The ECB is also seen likely to grapple with preventing banks from profiting from rising rates and with its awkward message on eventual quantitative tightening, as the central bank deals with the unique issue of “fragmentation”, the uneven transmission of policy due to multiple sovereign bond markets across the Eurozone.  The bank is expected to hike 50 basis points more in December. Bank of Japan meeting tonight – will the cracks begin to show? No sign that Governor Kuroda and company are set to surrender on YCC policy, and the easing lower of yields this week has given the JPY enough of a boost that the BoJ is under less pressure tactically to cave on its commitment to easing. USDJPY 145.00 an important focus technically for JPY traders. The final US macro data points ahead of Nov 2. FOMC meeting The market is clearly leaning for more cautious guidance from the Fed on its tightening regime after the market had recently finally capitulated and accepted that the Fed is likely to take rates as high as, or higher than forecast in the September FOMC meeting (the peak was slightly above 5.00% by next March, now having retreated to 4.81%), with low probability that 2023 will see any rate cuts. But will the crystallization of that view at the FOMC meeting next Wednesday feed further risk-on and a weaker US dollar? And then there is the next US data, of which we haven’t seen enough for the Fed to draw any strong conclusions. The December 14 FOMC meeting will come after two more inflation prints and will offer a new set of forecasts. Perhaps the Fed will prefer to stay as quiet as possible next week, also given the mid-term elections on Nov. 8? Further out, stubbornly strong core inflation and/or activity surveys could spoil the plot and take yields back higher. The next important data points include today’s Q3 GDP estimate and weekly jobless claims, and we’ll have a look at the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge tomorrow – the PCE inflation data for September, followed by the October ISM Manufacturing survey next Tuesday. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Apple, Amazon, Intel, and Caterpillar. The latest round of weak earnings from technology companies driven by margin pressure from input costs, such as energy and wages, and weaker advertising demand is likely to hurt Apple and Amazon tonight. The recent price hikes announced by Apple should mitigate some of the expected weakness in the outlook while Amazon will face triple pressure points in its e-commerce, advertising, and cloud business. Intel is likely going to report a weak earnings report and with an outlook negatively impacted by slowing PC sales and significant capital expenditures to reshore some of its chip production. Caterpillar is the beacon in construction and mining activity, and analysts expect revenue growth to remain high at 13% y/y with unchanged margin telling the story again that the physical world is right now enjoying an advantage over the digital world. Today: ANZ, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Shopify, Teck Resources, Neste, Kone, TotalEnergies, EDF, STMicroelectronics, PetroChina, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, Oriental Land, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hoya, FANUC, Shell, Lloyds Banking Group, Universal Music Group, Repsol, Ferrovial, Hexagon, Evolution, Credit Suisse, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Merck & Co, McDonald’s, Linde, Intel, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Gilead Sciences, Pioneer Natural Resources Friday: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – UK Oct. CBI Reported Sales 1215 – ECB Rate Announcement 1230 – US Q3 GDP Estimate 1230 – US Sep. Durable Goods Orders 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1245 – ECB President Lagarde Press Conference 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1500 – US Oct. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing 1530 – Bank of England’s Woods to speak 1700 – US Treasury auctions 7-year notes 2100 – New Zealand Oct. ANZ Consumer Confidence 2330 – Japan Tokyo Oct. CPI 2330 – Japan Sep. Jobless Rate 0030 – Australia Q3 PPI Bank of Japan meeting Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – October 27, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Collapse Of The Silicon Valley Bank Weakened The Dollar And USD/JPY But Supported EUR/USD, AUD/USD, And GBP/USD

    Meta stock plunges, Caterpillar presents a decent report

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 27.10.2022 21:20
    US stocks are struggling for direction after a mixed bag of earnings was accompanied by economic data that supports the idea that the economy is weakening. It looks like the economy is still headed for a recession, but that might reinforce Fed pivot calls which still seems to be driving some inflows back into equities. ​ ​ ​ Super Thursday will resume after the close when Apple and Amazon report after the bell. ​ ​ This is peak earnings season and at the end of the day, we will know if investors are going to shun tech stocks for a little while longer. ​ Facebook takes a hit Mark Zuckerberg is looking reckless here. Meta shares plunged after revenue collapsed and they decided to nearly double their CAPEX. ​ It looks like Sheryl Sandberg’s departure was well-timed as this ship is clearly sinking. ​ Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment was boosted and now everyone is expecting Meta to have a free cash flow problem. Caterpillar Caterpillar did not disappoint this earnings season. ​ The heavy-equipment maker did everything right last quarter. ​ Caterpillar posted a strong earnings beat, trimmed their CAPEX budget a little, signaled demand is strong and that highlighted that margins momentum will continue next quarter. ​ Caterpillar also noted ‘some pockets’ of supply chain improvement. What was also very positive is that Asia/Pacific sales were little changed despite the slowdowns that have hit that part of the world. ECB The ECB delivered a third major consecutive rate increase across all three key rates. ​ The 75-basis point hike was well-telegraphed and the comment that “inflation remains far too high” indicates more massive rate increases could be warranted. They signaled they expect to raise rates further and markets are still convinced that they could raise rates by 75bp again in December. It seems the market is convinced that the ECB’s hiking cycle won’t have to be as aggressive next year and traders are now expecting rates to peak at around the 2.75% level. TLTRO changes signals they are going to remove some of the excess liquidity and incentivize the banks to pay back cheap loans before rates go up. US GDP and more The US economy appears to have bounced back from those two negative GDP readings with a solid 2.6% improvement in economic activity. The strong headline number is welcome news, but when you dig into the numbers it is clear that an economic slowdown is here. The international trade component helped this quarter and that obviously won’t continue going forward. ​ Consumer spending is softening and prices are coming down quickly. ​ Business investment is clearly weakening. ​ ​ The labor market remains tight as jobless claims edged slightly higher. Hiring freezes will become a growing trend across corporate America, but layoffs still seem distant as job openings still remain healthy. FX Fed expectations still widely expect a 75 basis point rate increase next week and for a downshift to a half-point in December. ​ The Fed won’t want to lock itself into softening its stance against fighting inflation before the data confirms pricing relief. ​ The economy is slowing and that is sending Treasury yields lower as recession bets grow. ​ Safe-haven flows are powering both the yen and dollar today as global recession risks grow. Oil Crude prices are rallying after the US economy bounced back last quarter. ​ Oil’s gains are capped as the key takeaway from this morning’s swathe of economic readings is that an economic slowdown is here. ​ The dollar remains volatile but safe-haven flows should keep it supported over the short-term and possibly leading up to next week’s FOMC decision. Gold Gold prices aren’t doing much today after the ECB rate decision and a swathe of US data confirmed a global economic slowdown is here. ​ Global bond yields are heading lower and that is good news for bullion, but a major move seems like it might have to wait until next week’s FOMC decision. Cryptos Bitcoin’s rally has run out of steam. ​ Momentum from the rally above the $20,000 level has stalled out as risk appetite struggles to find solid footing post earnings and US economic data. The global crypto market cap is flirting with the $1 trillion level and that might remain a hard barrier to break away from. Bitcoin seems likely to consolidate leading up to the FOMC decision, but it could see further strength if the dollar continues to soften. ​ If Wall Street grows more concerned with the economic outlook, rates could slide even further, which is great news for crypto. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. OANDA - Super Thursday! Massive earnings day, US GDP, ECB raises rates, FX, crypto momentum stalls - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    RBI's Strategic INR Support: Factors Behind India's Stable Currency Amidst Global Challenges

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Only The Dow Jones Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.10.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.61% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 fell 0.61% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.63%. The Dow Jones index Caterpillar Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 15.18 points or 7.71% to close at 212.14. Boeing Co rose 5.97 points or 4.46% to close at 139.76. McDonald's Corporation rose 8.50 points or 3.31% to close at 265.11. The losers were shares of Intel Corporation, which lost 0.94 points or 3.45% to end the session at 26.27. Apple Inc was up 3.05% or 4.55 points to close at 144.80 while Nike Inc was down 2.00% or 1.85 points to close at 90.54. .  The S&P 500  Among the S&P 500 components gaining today were ServiceNow Inc, which rose 13.44% to hit 415.67, Arista Networks, which gained 9.31% to close at 119.12, and Caterpillar Inc, which rose 7.71% to end the session at 212.14. The least gainer was Meta Platforms Inc, which shed 24.56% to close at 97.94. Shares of Align Technology Inc lost 18.10% to end the session at 181.53. West Pharmaceutical Services Inc lost 13.04% to 221.22. The NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were AgroFresh Solutions Inc, which rose 71.34% to hit 2.69, HeartCore Enterprises Inc, which gained 55.67% to close at 1.51, and also shares of Altra Holdings Inc, which rose 48.37% to end the session at 59.72. The least gainers were Core Scientific Inc, which shed 78.13% to close at 0.22. Shares of Kalera PLC lost 65.43% and ended the session at 0.07. Quotes of Transcode Therapeutics Inc decreased in price by 37.39% to 0.72. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,719) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,357), while quotes of 128 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,941 stocks fell, 1,821 rose, and 212 remained at their previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.40% to 27.39. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.21%, or 3.50, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for December delivery rose 0.73%, or 0.64, to $88.55 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 0.82%, or 0.77, to $94.56 a barrel. FX Market Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 1.14% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY shed 0.10% to hit 146.21. Futures on the USD index rose 0.83% to 110.46.     Relevance up to 05:00 2022-10-29 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/298704
    Reducing Animal Meat Production As Part Of Climate Policy

    McDonald's Recession Resistant | Macquarie Group's Results Better Than Forecast

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.10.2022 09:53
    Summary:  Our four minute video covers five stocks for you to watch. Could Boeing shares turn around as they expect greater sales from China. Recession-stalwart McDonald’s, delivers stronger than expected sales and sees sales getting beefier later this year. Computershare defies the Fed-induced bear market and rises 22%; will it continue to benefit from higher interest rates as its business typically does. Plus we also cover Macquarie, why its profits beat expectations, and why it could continue to do well if volatility picks up. And why to watch Marathon Oil with oil margins likely to rise amid oil supply tightness.   Here are five stocks to perhaps watch in no particular order    Boeing (BA) Boeing shares have underperformed this year, falling 33%, however, the question is, could its business be turning around? The company released a bullish 20-year forecast for China’s commercial jet market, saying China will need to double its fleet in two decades with Boeing saying China will be a major driver of its sales. Boeing sees China needing almost 8,500 new passenger and freighter planes valued at $1.5 trillion through 2041. So that’s something to think about. McDonald’s (MCD) Recession-stalwart McDonald’s (MCD) has been outperforming the market his year, as it typically does it tough markets. McDonald’s reported stronger quarterly sales than the market expected, showing its somewhat defying inflationary pressures. McDonald’s put its strong sales down to the McRib burger. With the CEO saying it’s the “the greatest of all time” seller, with the McRib to soon be available across the entire US from the end of this month. That’s something to sink your teeth into.   Macquarie Group (MGQ)  Macquarie Group (MGQ) is Australia’s biggest investment bank and reported profit results that beat market forecasts, with market volatility buoying its commodities and global market trading businesses. Macquarie’s net income for the half year rose to A$2.31 billion up from A$2 billion in the prior year. That also beat forecast, so its shares rose as a result. But here is something to consider; when commodity and market volatility picks up, we typically see financial trading businesses benefit. So, it could be worth keeping an eye on Macquarie. Computershare (CPU) Computershare (CPU) is a share registry business, which you may heard of if you’ve ever bought or sold shares. You may have received their statements in the mail, for share purchase plans perhaps. Computershare shares have been outperforming the market, they are up 21% this year. Businesses like Computershare also are highly leveraged to rising interest rates, meaning, their earnings typically rise when interest rates do. In 2022, consensus (or the market) upgraded Computershare's 2023 earnings by 42%, but Bloomberg is even more optimistic, expecting more earnings upside. Marathon Oil (MAR)  Marathon Oil (MAR) is on the best performing stocks in the US this year, trading up 87%. Its due to report financial results in November. It’s also worth noting that our chief commodity strategist Ole Hansen has been expecting oil margins to rise again, given the oil price is moving up, with the oil market in tight supply and worried about the escalating prices of fuel in the northern hemisphere winter. So that means, oil companies like Marathon could continue to gain momentum. -For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/five-stocks-to-watch-boeing-mcdonalds--macquarie-computershare-marathon-oil-28102022
    The Gold Rally Is Continuing To Stall, This Could Be A Good Year For Crude Oil

    The Risk Is Aggravated By The Weakness Of The Japanese Yen (JPY) |Gold And Oil Are Doing Well

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.10.2022 10:02
    Summary:  A rocky session for equity markets once again yesterday, which tried to find cheer on falling bond yields, only for a thorough thrashing after the close yesterday on Amazon issuing its weakest ever holiday sales outlook, which saw its shares knocked some 13% in the aftermarket. Elsewhere, Apple shares managed to stabilize after its earnings report in, as revenue and earnings topped estimates. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The recent string of US earnings have not done much to keep the recent momentum in US equities alive. Neutral earnings from Apple last night was topped with awful outlook from Amazon, the second largest stock in the US equity market, that saw its shares decline 13% in extended trading. S&P 500 futures are retreating this morning trading around the 3,790 level despite a sizeable readjustment lower in the US 10-year yield to 3.93%. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities saw more diverging price action yesterday but closed above the 3,600 level again, but this morning STOXX 50 futures are coming down 1% trading around the 3,570 level with 100-day moving average at 3,528 being the next support level to watch. There are no economic releases in Europe of importance today so it will be interest rate direction and sentiment on earnings that will drive price action into the weekend. FX: USD pulled in two different directions as falling yields negative, weak sentiment positive The further drop in US treasury yields fail to extend the US dollar sell-off yesterday, as a far less hawkish than expected ECB took EURUSD back below parity and the Bank of Japan sent no new signals on its terminally stuck policy mix of ongoing QE and yield-curve-control.  Weak risk sentiment seems to provide offsetting support from the greenback, but the dollar will find stronger support if US data remains resilient and the Fed is faced to stay on message with further tightening, especially now that the market has significantly downshifted expectations for peak Fed Funds rate beyond the 75 basis point move expected at next Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, with less than 100 basis points of further tightening now priced and a peak rate near 4.78% by next March. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold remains on track for a second week of gains although some caution has emerged ahead of next week's FOMC meeting. Yesterday, the positive sentiment received a knock as the dollar regained some ground, especially against the euro after the ECB stayed far less hawkish than expected. Countering this potential gold negative development, US bond yields continued lower with the US 10-year treasury yield benchmark falling below the important 4% level to record a +25-basis point drop on the week. While the FOMC is expected to deliver another bumper 75 basis points hike they may tilt towards slowing the pace at future meetings while assessing the impact of their rate and quantitative tightening actions. As a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil remains on track for a second week of gains but for now without challenging resistance indicating a market still struggling for direction with no overriding theme being strong enough to set the agenda. Strength this week has been driven by a developing tightness in the fuel product market, US exports of crude and fuels setting a weekly record and the weaker dollar, as well as strong buying from China as refineries there plan to boost fuel exports through the end of the year. Diesel markets in Europe and the US continues to signal tightness ahead of winter with elevated refinery margins and prompt spreads signalling tight market conditions. Focus next week on the Nov 2 FOMC meeting and major OPEC producers beginning to cut their production. Additional technical upside in WTI above $89.25 while Brent’s next level of resistance is the October high at $98.75. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The US 10-year treasury yield benchmark fell through the important 4.00% level yesterday, with the yield trading as low as 3.90% before treasuries found resistance. The 3.85% area is arguably a pivotal level if treasuries continue to rally. The entire yield curve dropped yesterday, in part on a less hawkish ECB continuing the trend recently of central banks delivering less than expected on guidance, as German 10-year Bunds dropped below 2.00% for the first time in weeks on the ECB meeting yesterday (more below). It looks like we’ll be heading into next week’s FOMC meeting with a fairly hard market lean for a significant downshift in the Fed’s hawkish message. What is going on? ECB the latest central bank to surprise dovish The ECB hiked its key rate 75 basis points to 1.5% from 0.75%. Officials dropped a reference to hikes continuing for "several meetings," in the statement, while saying they expect further action. Christine Lagarde said in the press conference that more rate hikes were on the way: "We still have ground to cover." The bank will continue to reinvest all maturing assets in its asset purchase program (QE) and QT won’t be discussed until the December meeting. The market read the meeting as a strong dovish surprise, as another 20 basis points of tightening were removed from forward expectations for 2023 (down some 50 basis points now from peak expectations just over a week ago.) Apple is a fortress FY22 Q4 revenue came out at $90.2bn vs est. 88.6bn up 8% y/y keeping up with inflation and EPS at $1.29 vs est. $1.26 driven by a new all-time high of active devices. The number of paid subscriptions, which Apple has recently announced will see price hikes, have doubled in three years to 900mn. Shares were unchanged in extended trading. Amazon shares plunged 13% on Q3 results Revenue in Q3 hit $127.1bn vs est. $127.6bn up 15% y/y but operating income hit $2.5bn vs est. $3.1bn. The weaker than estimated operating income was driven by a negative revenue surprise in their cloud business AWS with revenue of $20.5bn vs est. $21bn. The free cash flow in Q3 was still negative at $5bn with the combined negative free cash flow over the past year at $26bn. The change in cash generation for Amazon indicates that the pandemic turned out to be bad for the business as it spent too much on expanding capacity that could not be maintained. The outlook for Q4 was what terrified investors with the retailer guidance operating income in the range $0-4bn vs est. $4.7bn and revenue of $140-148bn vs est. $155.5bn. Japan announces massive fiscal stimulus Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kushida announced a ¥71.6 trillion (nearly $500 billion) stimulus package overnight, in a purported bid to “ease inflation” and shore up his government’s popularity. The new spending in the package is set at ¥39 trillion and will focus on incentivizing companies to raise wages, national security/defense and subsidies to reduce the impact of energy costs, especially electricity bills. With the Bank of Japan not allowing government bond yields to adjust, this risks adding to the yen’s weakness as long as other major central banks are not in easing mode. Caterpillar, McDonalds, and Boeing positive stories in the negative backdrop A few positive stories to highlight amidst the massive drop in marquee megacap names include Caterpillar, which soared a massive 7.7% on impressive results. Elsewhere McDonald’s (MCD) shares rose 3.3% on reporting sales that handily beat analysts’ estimates, despite inflationary pressures. McDonald’s results were boosted by McRib sales, and the fast-food chain will offer McRib nationwide in the US from the end of this month. Meanwhile, Boeing (BA) shares jumped a day after an ugly drop on its earnings report. Yesterday, shares rose 4.5% with the company releasing a bullish 20-year forecast for China’s commercial jet market, saying China will need to double its fleet in two decades and that China will be a major driver of Boeing sales. Boeing expects China to need 8,485 new passenger and freighter planes valued at $1.5 trillion through 2041. A tough week for coffee, cotton and sugar The Bloomberg Commodity Softs index trades down 5% on the week led by a 6% drop in Arabica coffee (KCH3) $1.79/lb, a 14-month low as money managers continue to exit long-held bullish bets, now turning increasingly sour amid concerns a global recession will hurt demand at a time where the outlook for the 2023/24 crop in Brazil is showing signs of improving. However, a combination of exchange monitored stocks lingering at a 23-year low and oversold condition may soon drive a technical bounce ahead of support at $1.73/lb. Sugar (SBH3) meanwhile has been hurt by a weaker Brazilian Real boosting incentives to export. Cotton (CTZ2), down 52% from its May peak has plunged to near a two-year low on weak demand for supplies as consumers around the world cut back on spending. Weekly export sales from top shipper, the US, plunged from a year earlier with overall sales for the current season being well behind last year and the long-term average. What are we watching next? Market leaning very hard now for a dovish downshift at next Wednesday’s FOMC After the Bank of Canada surprised with a smaller than expected hike this week and the ECB surprised with more dovish forward guidance, the market is now. But will the US data cooperate and is the maximum conceivable downshift from the Fed next week already in the price – given that the Fed itself has said that it will continue to hike even as the economy – including the labor market - weakens? After all, the market has removed nearly 25 basis points of tightening through the March FOMC of next year from the peak of just above 5.0% a bit more than a week ago to just under 4.8% now, and is more aggressively pricing the Fed to begin cutting rates by late next year (December ‘23 FOMC yield down almost 50 bps from peak).  Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is on the two oil and gas majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron expected to report strong earnings in Q3. Exxon Mobil is expected to grow revenue 44% y/y with the operating margin expanding further. NextEra Energy is also worth watching given the recently passed US bill on renewable energy because it may lift the outlook for the industry. Today: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Earnings releases next week: Monday: Daiichi Sankyo, Stryker Tuesday: Toyota Motor, Sony Group, Mondelez, AMD, Airbnb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, BP Wednesday: KDDI, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Booking, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Humana Thursday: Cigna, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Zoetis, Canadian Natural Resources, DBS Group Friday: Duke Energy, Enbridge Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Germany Q3 GDP0900 – Eurozone Oct. Confidence Surveys1200 – Germany Oct. Flash CPI1230 – Canada Aug. GDP1230 – US Sep. Personal Income/Spending1230 – US Sep. PCE Inflation1400 – US Oct. Final University of Michigan Sentiment   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-28-2022-28102022
    Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

    Amazon Is Still Under Pressure | Apple Has A Price Power

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.10.2022 13:04
    Summary:  Amazon issued its weakest Q4 revenue growth outlook in the company's history and missed significantly on its operating income forecast relative to estimates suggesting Amazon is still under pressure on input costs and weakening demand with a negative surprise on its AWS revenue in Q3. Apple on the other turned out to be the bright spot this week among many disappointing earnings releases from technology companies. Next week, the earnings season will be less busy but there are still plenty of important earnings that can move equities. Amazon plunges 14% on gloomy outlook Just like Meta has seen an epic decline in free cash flow generation, Amazon is losing money on an unprecedented scale with 12-month trailing free cash flow declining to $-28.5bn from $-8.8bn from a year ago. Amazon overspent during the pandemic expanding its capacity to a level that is now far above its current demand from customers. Amazon’s Q3 revenue was $127.1bn vs est. $127.6bn up 15% y/y driven by third-party seller services, AWS, and advertising. The two biggest surprises in Q3 were the operating income at $2.5bn vs est. $3.1bn and AWS revenue of $20.5bn vs est. $21bn. However, the biggest shock for investors was the Q4 revenue outlook at $140-148bn vs est. $155.5bn indicating a growth rate of just 5% y/y and thus the weakest Q4 growth in the company’s history. The Q4 outlook for operating income was $0-4bn vs est. $4.7bn indicating severe issues with short-term profitability. While sentiment is short-term negative for Amazon things could improve in 2023 as costs are reined in and logistics costs are coming down due to lower container freight rates. Amazon shares are trading around $97 in pre-market trading taking the stock back to levels not seen since the pandemic lows in early 2020. Apple’s performance the past year with a cost-of-living crisis, supply chain constraints, and soaring input costs has been phenomenal and last night’s result confirms that Apple is a fortress that can withstand the volatile environment. Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett did the right assessment on Apple’s moat characteristics choosing Apple for its technology exposure over other technology companies. Apple has pricing power on both its hardware and software (recently they have announced that they will raise prices on their subscriptions). In it FY22 Q4 earnings report the company reported revenue of $90.1bn up 8% y/y with solid revenue growth across all segments except for the iPad that saw double digit decline. All geographies showed growth except for Japan. Growth is miniscule now in its Greater China segment while Europe was surprisingly strong. While the numbers look good there is a considerable margin squeeze on Apple with the EBITDA margin hitting 30.8% down from 32.1% a year ago which also one of the reasons why the company is raising its subscription prices. Shares are up 1% in pre-market trading. Key earnings next week The Q3 earnings season is leaving a busy week with key US technology earnings that have seen disappointments from Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Amazon. Next week is less busy, but there are still plenty of important names. Toyota and Sony are key Japanese earnings to watch on Tuesday, and on the same day in the US, we will watch AMD and Airbnb earnings. On Wednesday, European equities will watch earnings from Novo Nordisk, Maersk, and Vestas. Novo Nordisk will be judged on its obesity drug adoption rate, Maersk will have to manage a weakening outlook for container shipping, and Vestas is struggling with profitability and its order intake. On Wednesday, the US earnings focus will be on Booking as an indicator of travel demand and Fortinet in the cyber security industry. Thursday is the big day with key earnings from Orsted, BNP Paribas, BMW, ConocoPhillips, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and MercadoLibre. Friday ends with key European banking earnings from Societe Generale and Intesa Sanpaolo. Monday: COSCO, Daiichi Sankyo, Stryker, NXP Semiconductors, Global Payments Tuesday: Toyota Motor, Sony, BP, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AMD, Mondelez, Airbnb, Uber, Wednesday: Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, GSK, Electronic Arts, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, Ferrari, Albemarle Thursday: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/earnings-watch-apple-is-a-fortress-and-amazon-predicts-weak-q4-28102022
    Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

    Grain Prices May Rise As A Result Of Russia's Actions | Stock Markets Increased Profit

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 31.10.2022 08:58
    Summary:  Equities closed higher on Friday on the Wall Street, sending a bid tone to Asian stocks to start the new week. However a host of risks ahead including the Fed meeting which will see another jumbo rate hike but focus is also whether the members send out signals of a downshift in rate hike path. WSJ Timiraos has now hinted at higher for longer interest rates in his latest article, and this has helped a bid tone in US dollar to return in early Asian trading hours. Geopolitics also took an ugly turn with Russia backing off from grain export deal, threatening food crisis again. What is happening in markets? Need to know Asian stocks look to build on last week's US gains, though investors may be cautious ahead of the FOMC meeting. The S&P 500 jumped 2.5% on Friday in another turbulent session, buoyed by tech shares and some modestly positive economic data. Treasuries snapped a three-day rally, with 10-year yields rising back to around 4%, while the dollar inched up. Russia pulls out of the agreement to allow Ukrainian crop shipments, meaning its ready to halt Ukraine Wheat exports. Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a flurry of foreign leaders this week, making a return to the world stage after China's Covid Zero restrictions. On Thursday some Chinese cities ramped up COVID-19 restrictions and the IMF downgraded China’s growth expectations to 3.2%, after a 8.1% rise in 2021. Oil and gold both retreated. The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) trade near 6-week highs Apple (AAPL) shares rocked up 7.6% after it reported mostly better than expected results last week, and the sentiment buoyed technology shares, helping the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 notch their longest weekly rising streak since August. Plus, economic data showed small signs of improvement in the battle against inflation. This week, the most prominent companies to report quarterly results include; Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway, Advanced Micro Devices, Qualcomm, UBER, PayPal, and Starbucks. If you are looking for inspiration this week, here is the Five Stocks To Watch video. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) futures suggest a bullish 1.3% rise on Monday AM The Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday is expected to deliver a 2nd straight quarter of 0.25% hikes on Tuesday’s meeting, according to Bloomberg. Australia’s corporate bond market is showing signs of succumbing to the global volatility in fixed income, unleashed by central bank tightening. And this is causing Australian tech stocks to remain pressured. Focus today is on earnings from Nickel Mines (NIC), Origin Energy(ORG), and coal company Corando Global (CRN). Elsewhere, pressure will likely be on iron ore giants, which might expect their selling rout after China increased covid-19 restrictions. Focus will be on Fortescue Metal, BHP and Rio Tinto which are all trading under their 200-day moving average. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) trades at $88. Iron ore (SOCA) erases 3-years of gains Oil fell on Friday with WTI (CLX2 & LCOZ2) settling near $88 but posting a 3.4% weekly gain, despite the biggest crude importer, China, widening its COVID-19 curbs. This week; OPEC unveils its 2022 World Oil Outlook at the ADIPEC conference Monday. Plus, there is a swathe of energy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Nigeria will also weigh in, as well as CEOs from BP and Occidental. Meanwhile, Iron ore (SCOA) now trades at its lowest level since 2019, US$78.40 after China confirmed it will maintain its covid-19 policies. Markets, businesses, commodities with high exposure to China see heavy selling this week. Will it continue?  Assets with exposure to China are being heavily penalized as it seems investors are realigning their portfolios somewhat with the priorities of President Xi and his policy on stronger state control over the economy, which means markets could be challenged for years. Xi confirmed this stance on Sunday 24 October, and on top of that China increased covid-19 curbs, which is why Hong Kong’s Heng Seng suffered at 8.3%, drop last week, while the iron ore (SCOA, SCOX2) price fell ~15% last week, and now traded at $78.40 its lowest level since Feb 2019, on concerns that the biggest iron ore consumer will further slow demand, all while iron ore seems oversupplied. The biggest pure play iron ore company in the southern hemisphere, Fortescue (FMG) shares fell 10% last week, plus what added to the selling was that Fortescue affirmed it is increasing its spending, while its margins are tightening. Fortescue says it will ramp up iron ore production at its expanded facility in March, instead of June. Meaning, this could likely further push the iron ore market into greater oversupply. Some investors are concerned Fortescue Metals technical indicators show that perhaps more selling could be ahead, despite the stock trading somewhat in oversold territory. US dollar back on the front foot in Fed week The US dollar was seen returning to mild gains against most major currencies after Fed-pivot bets picked up last week. A turnaround in comments from Fed whisperer Nick Timiraos who is now suggesting higher-for-longer rates (read below) may be one of the reasons. The uptick in geopolitical worries with Russia pulling out of the grain deal may however also play a part in bidding safe haven flows to the dollar. Fed is expected to hike rates by another 75bps this week, and pricing for December is also close to 75bps still. This will likely revive pressure on the JPY this week, while GBP seems to have priced in all the good news for now. USDJPY heading to 148 in early Asian hours while GBPUSD testing 1.1600. Wheat futures (ZWZ2) gap higher Wheat futures (ZWZ2) gapped up 7% to open at $8.88/bushel after Russia pulled out of the UN brokered black sea grain deal over the weekend after Ukraine carried out an attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet off Sevastopol. Corn has also gained 2.5% to open at $6.96/bushel. What to consider? US core PCE sends no clear signal to the Fed The US core PCE, Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, remained elevated for September as expected. The core measure came in at 5.1% YoY from 4.9% previously, but remained a notch softer than expected at 5.2% YoY. On a m/m basis, gains were flat at 0.5% as expected. While the case for November’s 75bps rate hike from the Fed is still intact, it still remains hard to argue a downshift with the kind of strength we are seeing in the US economy. WSJ Fed whisperer now signalling higher-for-longer rates Nick Timiraos, who is seen as the Fed’s messenger, had sent shivers across markets last week with a report suggesting that the November FOMC meeting may be used to signal a downshift to smaller rate hikes. This saw equity markets extending gains while the USD was on the backfoot last week, but now he has come out with another article saying that higher savings buffers and lower interest expenses could make the Federal Reserve raise rates higher and keep them there for longer. Russia exits Ukraine grain deal Russia suspended its participation in the Ukraine grain export deal after a swarm of drones targeted at least one Russian warship from the Black Sea navy. This will block the passage of millions of tonnes of grain via southern Ukraine and may lead to a fresh jump in prices. The report is especially catastrophic as it comes together with massive wheat crop damage with the US crop belt seeing La Nina for its third consecutive year. Putin is getting desperate after losing ground militarily and in terms of Europe’s winter gas requirement, so he has likely gone back to using the food crisis as another tool. Fed, BOE, RBA meet – what can you expect The Fed and BOE and RBA are expected to hike this week, with robust labour markets defying efforts to tamp down inflation, despite predictions of a imminent recession. Companies are complaining of chronic worker shortages, and a persistent mismatch between hiring demand and supply is supporting wages and shielding consumers from slowdowns. Consensus expects the RBA to take the cash rate from 2.6% to 2.85% on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Fed meets and consensus expects to take rates up by 0.75% to 4%. All in all, Goldman Sachs raised its peak Fed rate prediction to 5% from 4.75%, citing "uncomfortably high" prices will keep rates higher for long. On Thursday the Bank of England meets, and consensus expects to take the rate from 2.25% to 3%. This means FX markets are expected to be quite volatile along with equity market, especially interest rate sensitive parts of the market, tech, consumer spending and real estate stocks. Lula’s comeback in Brazilian presidential elections Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed a victory in Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, defeating incumbent rightwing leader Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points and setting the stage for a return to leftwing governance in Latin America’s largest nation. Brazilian ETFs including such as EWZ:arcx, IBZL:xams, RIO:xpar, BRZU:arcx, or BRQ:arcx may be the ones to watch, as will be the BRL later in the day. BRL has been the best performer in the EM basket (excluding Russian rouble) against the USD so far this year. Lack of economic plans from Lula may make a case for market outperformance somewhat weaker, however. China PMIs out today at 9:30am SGT/HKT China’s October PMIs are due for a release today and expectations are for the manufacturing number to dip into the contractionary territory with Bloomberg consensus expecting a 49.8 print from 50.1 in September. A slowdown is also expected in the non-manufacturing print, but it still may remain in expansion.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-31-oct-31102022
    Preparation Of A Common Currency For South America, Gold Trades Softer

    Victory In The Elections Of Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva | Smoother Crude Oil Trade

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 31.10.2022 09:13
    Summary:  Equity markets closed strongly on Friday, even as the narrative that has purportedly driven strength at times in the equity market of late, the hope that central banks and especially the Fed are set for a dovish shift, failed to offer any fresh support on Friday. After a fresh article from “Fed whisperer” Nick Timiraos from the Wall Street Journal suggested that the Fed fears that it may have to keep the policy rate higher for longer, the event risk of the week will be the FOMC meeting this Wednesday, though other important central bank meetings are in the mix, including a Bank of England meeting on Thursday.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Strong Friday close in the S&P 500 futures reaching the highest closing price for the up cycle that began earlier this month. S&P 500 futures are now up 8.7% from their lowest close on 12 October. This morning the index futures are trading lower hovering around the 3,898 level which is just below the 100-day moving average. This week is all about the FOMC decision and the ongoing US earnings. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities had a less spectacular performance on Friday and the impressive performance in US equities has not positively impacted STOXX 50 futures this morning trading lower around the 3,620 level. European equities have done better than US equities over the past month as the US technology sector has had weak Q3 earnings. FX: USD mixed as Wednesday’s FOMC meeting eyed Mixed developments for the US dollar on Friday, with the wild rally in equity markets a headwind, while the sharp, partial unwind of the anticipated dovish shift from the Fed at this Wednesday’s FOMC meeting offered some offsetting support as yields perked up slightly after testing key levels last week (see more below in What are we watching next?). After the brief foray above parity and nearly to 1.0100, EURUSD has been tamed back well below that level, while GBPUSD remains relatively bid and well clear of the pivotal level of 1.1500 ahead of the key event risk of the week for sterling, the BoE meeting Thursday (preview below). Elsewhere, USDJPY is coiling within the 145.00-150.00 range, while USDCNH has rebounded sharply and nearly back to the cycle highs. Broad CNH volatility is worth watching for contagion across asset markets. Wheat futures gap higher on Ukraine supply worries Wheat futures (ZWZ2) in Chicago surged as much as 7.7% to $8.93 on the opening after Russia over the weekend pulled out of the UN brokered black sea grain deal (see below). Since the UN and Turkey supported grain corridor opened three months ago Ukraine has shipped more than 9 million tons of foodstuff and it has helped ease tight world supplies and control global food costs. Money managers have been wrongfooted by the latest developments after raising bearish bets on Chicago wheat futures by 63% to a 28-month high in the week to October 25. Food exports from Ukraine also includes corn and sunflower oil and reduced supply of those has lifted corn futures (ZCZ2) in Chicago by 2.3% to trade near resistance at $7/bu and soybean oil futures by 2%. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades nervously within a narrowing range ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC meeting where another bumper rate hike is expected. What may follow, however, has caused a great deal of volatility across markets with traders looking for guidance regarding the pace and strength of future rate hikes. Gold is heading for its seventh straight month of declines, the longest losing streak since at least the late 1960’s (Bloomberg) while bullion-backed ETF holdings have dropped to a 30-month low and money managers hold a net short near the highest in four years. All developments supporting an eventual recovery, but not until we reach peak hawkishness from where we could see yields and the dollar soften. As a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil trades softer therefore trimming a monthly gain driven by already tight markets and OPEC+’s planned supply cuts from next month. The latest weakness once again being driven by weak economic data from China and a stronger dollar ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC meeting after the famous FOMC whisperer at WSJ in an article speculated the Fed will need to keep rates higher for longer (see below). In addition to OPEC+ production cuts, the market will also have to gauge the impact of EU planned sanctions on Russian oil flows in December, a development that could be a “big hit” to already tight fuel supply, especially in Europe according to Eni’s CEO. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The low water mark for the US 10-year treasury yield benchmark was near 3.90%, a key pivot level this week as we await the FOMC meeting and how the Fed’s guides for its future policy moves now that it is reaching an important inflection point in which the market expects it is likely the Fed will begin to hike in smaller increments as soon as December. It’s a delicate communication task to guide for a downshift without appearing too dovish. The important US economic data this week includes Thursday’s October ISM Services and especially the Friday October payrolls and earnings data for October. The October CPI is up next week. What is going on? Russia exits Ukraine grain deal Russia suspended its participation in the Ukraine grain export deal after a swarm of drones targeted at least one Russian warship from the Black Sea navy. This will block the passage of millions of tonnes of grain via southern Ukraine and may lead to a fresh jump in prices. The report is especially catastrophic as it comes together with massive wheat crop damage with the US crop belt seeing La Nina for its third consecutive year. Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said 218 ships had been immediately affected. This included 95 that had already left its ports and were waiting at the inspection site before unloading, 101 waiting for inspection before collecting Ukrainian grain, and a further 22 that were loaded up and ready to set sail. “Putin needs leverage as things go south for him on the battlefields in Ukraine, so the threat of global food crisis needs to be put back in the Russian toolbox of coercion and blackmail,” wrote Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace via the FT. Lula’s comeback in Brazilian presidential elections Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed a victory in Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, defeating incumbent rightwing leader Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points and setting the stage for a return to leftwing governance in Latin America’s largest nation. Brazilian ETFs including such as EWZ:arcx, IBZL:xams, RIO:xpar, BRZU:arcx, or BRQ:arcx may be the ones to watch, as will be the BRL later in the day. BRL has been the best performer in the EM basket (excluding Russian rouble) against the USD so far this year. Lack of economic plans from Lula may make a case for market outperformance somewhat weaker, however. What are we watching next? Is Fed concerned that market is expecting too much of a dovish shift at FOMC meeting this Wednesday? Nick Timiraos, who is seen as a kind of “Fed whisperer” and possible conduit of Fed communication with the market, had sent shivers across markets last week with a report suggesting that the November FOMC meeting may be used to signal a downshift to smaller rate hikes. This saw equity markets extending gains while the USD was on the backfoot last week, but now he has come out with another article: Cash-rich Consumers Could Mean Higher Interest Rates for Longer, saying that higher consumers savings buffers and a low level of interest expenses could require that the Federal Reserve raise rates higher and keep them there for longer due to less sensitivity to interest rates than was seen likely previously. The December 2023 EuroDollar contract had rallied as much as 50 basis points off the lows recently, correcting some 15 basis points Friday and slipping a bit lower to start this week as the market is unsure of how aggressively it should lean for dovish guidance. Big week ahead for central bank meetings The general theme is “downshifting” of guidance (As noted in the FOMC comments above). The FOMC meets Wednesday and is expected to hike 75 basis points with guidance indicating that the pace of hikes may start to slow as soon as at the December meeting (if likely with no commitment in either direction). First up, however, is tonight’s RBA meeting, where Governor Philip Lowe and company are expected to only hike 25 basis points tonight after a string of 50 basis point moves as the RBS is concerned about the impact of further tightening on consumption and mortgage payments, though a small minority still expect another 50 basis points moves. On Thursday, we have a pivotal Bank of England meeting, the first after the violent market swings during the uproar over former PM Truss’ fiscally risky policy moves. With calming markets and the new Sunak government rolling out far tighter budget plans, BoE expectations have fallen like a stone, but with the market still expecting the first ever 75 basis point move for this cycle. The BoE has s history of bad communication with the market – and an austere budget brings forward and increases the severity of the coming recession. Finally, Norges Bank also meets Thursday and is expected to hike 25 basis points, seemingly in no hurry despite a very weak currency and high inflation readings, and even having guided that it soon sees an end to the tightening cycle. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Stryker which is expected to see its earnings growth increase to 7% y/y with operating margin still under pressure. Otherwise, as we look ahead, earnings tomorrow from Toyota, Sony, BP, AMD, and Airbnb will have the market’s focus. Monday: Daiichi Sankyo, Stryker Tuesday: Toyota Motor, Sony Group, Mondelez, AMD, Airbnb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, BP Wednesday: KDDI, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Booking, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Humana Thursday: Cigna, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Zoetis, Canadian Natural Resources, DBS Group Friday: Duke Energy, Enbridge Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Switzerland SNB Weekly Sight Deposits 0930 – UK Se. Mortgage Approvals 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Flash CPI estimate 1000 – Eurozone Q3 GDP estimate 1345 – US Oct. Chicago PMI 1430 – US Oct. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity 1500 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak 0145 – China Oct. Caixin Manufacturing PMI 0330 – Australia RBA Cash Target Announcement Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-31-2022-31102022
    GBP: BoE Stands Firm on Bank Rate and Mortgage Interest Relief, EUR/GBP Drifts Lower

    In the previous week both S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained over 2%

    ING Economics ING Economics 31.10.2022 09:44
    China PMIs in the spotlight today as Covid cases rise again Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: US Stocks finished last week on a winning streak after 4 out of five days of gains for the S&P500 (even the one down day was fairly muted The index rose 2.46%, while the NASDAQ, which had been hit over the week by soft earnings and sales projections from major firms, rose 2.87%). The same cannot be said of Chinese stocks. The CSI300 finished down most days last week including Friday. US Equity futures are pointing to an essentially flat open today, with only a slight downward bias, which should leave most Asian markets (though perhaps not those in China) open to gains today. Currency markets (and bond markets) aren’t quite in synch with equities. EURUSD edged fractionally lower to 0.9959 and the AUD is back to just above 64 cents, while Cable is barely higher at 1.1599 while the JPY has returned to weakening, reaching 147.66. In other Asian FX space, moves have been quite muted, with the CNY showing the most weakness, moving up to 7.2524 from 7.229. The KRW was also soft, rising to 1421.60. At the other end of the spectrum, the PHP gained 0.43% on Friday taking it to 57.98. There were further outsize moves on bond markets at the end of last week. The 2Y US Treasury yield surged back by 14bp, as pivot doubts set back in, and 10Y US Treasury yields rose 9.4bp to 4.012%. G-7 macro:  Friday’s data releases included German October CPI inflation, which rose more than expected to 10.4% from 10.0% in September. The equivalent harmonised index inflation rate rose to 11.6% YoY.  In contrast, in the US, the PCE deflator inflation rate for September rose slightly less than expected, coming in flat at 6.2% YoY, while the core rate also slightly undershot expectations, rising only to 5.1% from 4.9% (5.2% expected).  University of Michigan 1Y inflation expectations also drifted off by 0.1pp to 5.0%, while the 5Y rate remained at 2.9%. None of which really fits in with the price action in the bond market on Friday. Today, Eurozone CPI due today will likely go the same way as the October German figures, namely rising, with some upside risk to the consensus forecast of a 10.3%YoY rate. German retail sales for September are expected to fall sharply. It’s a pretty quiet day for US data. China: PMIs for October will be released this morning at 09:30 Hong Kong / Singapore time. The data could show a mixed bag of growth and contraction in sub-indices of both manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs. There was a long holiday in October, which should lead to increases in retail and travel on a monthly basis. This should also result in stable month-on-month manufacturing even though October is still the peak-export season in China. Adding more complications is the number of covid cases, which climbed towards the end of October and should lead to a fall in activity in the last week of October. Adding up all these factors means there is more uncertainty in the economy. The number of Covid cases has climbed and some infection cases from a Foxconn factory have returned to their hometowns, which may increase the number of Covid cases further in the less healthcare-equipped rural areas. This will drag on production and exports for the economy in November. Depending on the number of Covid cases in big cities and therefore the scale of possible lockdowns, we should be cautious about the growth prospect of the economy in the coming months. Korea: September IP was weaker than expected, and also weaker than what last week’s 3QGDP had suggested. Manufacturing IP contracted -1.8% MoM in September (vs -1.4% revised August, -0.8% market consensus), recording the third monthly drop. Weakness in September was mainly driven by semiconductors (-4.5%) and basic metals (-15.7%). POSCO closed some facilities due to a typhoon in September and expects to gradually recover within a few months. Service sector output, which was the driver of growth, declined -0.3% in September (vs 1.8% in August) with retail/wholesale and health/social welfare down -2.1% and -1.0%, respectively. The forward-looking orders data was a bit mixed. Machinery orders declined in September but still recorded a solid gain in three-month sequential terms. For construction orders, these rebounded sharply in September, mainly led by non-residential construction such as factories, warehouses, and civil engineering. Japan: Monthly activity data has been mixed. September Industrial production declined -1.6%MoM sa in September (vs 3.4% in August, -0.8% market consensus). In contrast, retail sales were stronger than expected (+1.1% in September vs 1.4% in August, 0.8% market consensus) with motor vehicles and household machines up sharply by 11.1% and 14.6% respectively.   India: Fiscal deficit numbers for September are due later today. The deficit tally has been broadly keeping track with what is needed to meet the Government’s 6.4% (GDP) deficit target for the fiscal year, so the appropriate metric here is how they perform relative to last year’s equivalent release, which came in at INR58,852 Crore. Australia: September retail sales rose by 0.6%MoM, higher than expected, and maintaining a strong run of readings. Floods in October in SE Australia may provide a speedbump. But for now, these numbers show few signs that spending is slowing enough to bring prices down.  What to look out for South Korea industrial production (31 October) Japan retail sales (31 October) Australia retail sales (31 October) China PMI manufacturing and non-manufacturing (31 October) Thailand trade (31 October) South Korea trade (1 November) Indonesia CPI inflation (1 November) US ISM manufacturing and JOLTS (1 November) South Korea inflation (2 November) Australia building approvals (2 November) Australia trade balance (2 November) US trade balance, durable goods orders and initial jobless claims (2 November) Japan Jibun PMI (3 November) Philippine trade and inflation (3 November) Thailand CPI inflation (3 November) Singapore retail sales (3 November) US non-farm payrolls (3 November) Read this article on THINK TagsAsia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    China: PMI positively surprises the market

    Investors Are Withdrawing Capital From Chinese Equities

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 31.10.2022 11:37
    Summary:  Financial trading firms were going through a boom during the pandemic as trading activity accelerated, but since the economy reopened activity has been declining and the stocks of financial trading firms have underperformed. But last week was a strong rebound week for the industry driven by better than expected Q3 results and an improving outlook. While the industry generally was up 7% last week, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing had a terrible week down 15% extending the year's decline to 53% as the market is getting worried about the outlook for the participation of foreign investors in the Chinese equity market following the recent Chinese leadership shuffle. Financial trading firms in comeback as uncertainty drives activity Our financial trading basket was the best performing basket last week rising 7.1% outperforming other strong themes such as NextGen Medicine and Renewable energy. While it was a strong comeback week for financial trading firms the theme has still  had a tough year underperforming the MSCI World Index. Financial trading firms are keeping up with inflation so far growing revenue by 7% y/y although earnings down 3% y/y as wage pressures are impacting margins. Analysts are generally still positive on the industry and the rising interest rate environment should create a tailwind on earnings for these companies. The best performing stock in the basket last was Flow Traders that delivered better than expected Q3 earnings. The medium outlook for the industry is improving as higher volatility in currencies and bonds is typically good for trading activity and the rising interest rates make excess client funds more valuable. After the initial repricing of the equity market in the beginning of the year, the financial trading industry has got back on its feet outperforming the MSCI World Index by 5.7% since mid-July. Since early 2016, the industry has outperformed global equities by 60%. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing was caught in the Chinese rout last week Last week was dramatic for Chinese equities due to the significant leadership shuffle in China which we covered in our Monday equity note. The market is judging the leadership shuffle to be long-term negative for the private sector and negative for earnings growth. For an exchange such as Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEC) the rout in Chinese equities was bad taking the stock price down 15% during the week. One thing is the short-term interpretation of the leadership shuffle, but the long-term impact on the Chinese equity business is seen quite obvious in the plunging share price of HKEC which is down 53% this year. One of the key drivers of future revenue is participation of foreign investors, but we see signs now that investors are pulling out capital in Chinese equities pushing up the Chinese equity risk premium. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/weekly-update-saxo-thematic-investing-performance-31102022
    Positive Start Expected as Nvidia's Strong Performance Boosts Market Confidence

    Dow Jones Saw The Biggest Profits And The German DAX Index Rebound From Declines

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 31.10.2022 12:13
    October 2022 seems to have brought respite to many asset classes. During this time, the stock, bond or cryptocurrency markets tried to pick up, while the US dollar seemed to lose value at the same time, along with the falling VIX "fear index" contract. Performance of key indices and companies In October,one of the popular futures contracts, the contract for the U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average index saw the biggest gains. It rose by almost 13 percent during this period. Although the month is not yet over, for the moment, only Verizon ranks in the entire index since the beginning of October with a negative result. On a monthly basis, the decline is 0.92 percent. In contrast, the biggest increase in the index was achieved by Caterpillar (up more than 30 percent). The company reported that sales and revenues in the third quarter of 2022 recorded an annual increase of 21 percent, reaching $15 billion. The company's profit was $2.04 billion, an increase of 43.13 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, BBN reported. Operating profit rose 45.73 percent year-on-year to $2.42 billion. Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Caterpillar, Monthly DAX also with growth in October The second popular instrument, which seemed to rebound from earlier declines, was the contract for the German DAX index. Although emerging macroeconomic forecasts for the German economy appear to be worsening, and the European Central Bank raised interest rates, the DAX rose nearly 10 percent. The company that may have gained the most was Deutsche Bank, as the month's performance was up more than 30 percent by now. The German bank reported its best results since 2016 in October. Net income for the third quarter of 2022 was €6.9 billion, up 15 percent year-on-year and the highest third-quarter income since 2016. The dollar exchange rate fell nearly 1 percent. Market hopes that the U.S. Fed will slow down interest rate hikes at the end of the year and in the first quarter of 2023 may have led the U.S. dollar to fall in October. At the moment, the USD index is trading 0.9 percent lower than at the beginning of the month at 111 points. The EUR/USD exchange rate is near parity at 1.0000, all likely in anticipation of the Fed's November 2 interest rate decision. The market seems to be expecting a 75bp hike to 3.75-4.00 percent, while the end of the hike cycle could be priced in at 4.75-5.00 percent in early 2023. October's biggest declines? It seems that among the popular contracts, the biggest drop in October may be the VIX, which fell 15 percent to 26.86 points this morning. Looking at the chart of the contract showing expected volatility on the S&P500 index, someone could  see that this month's trading may have turned around at a potential resistance level. Source: Conotoxia MT5, VIX, Weekly Will volatility continue at lower levels in November? Here, a lot may depend on the US central bank and events in Eastern Europe. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Read more reviews and open a demo account at invest.conotoxia.com Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    On The New York Stock Exchange Much More Securities Fell Than Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 01.11.2022 08:09
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.39%, the S&P 500 fell 0.75% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.03%. The Dow Jones The leading gainers among the components of the Dow Jones index today were The Travelers Companies Inc, which gained 2.59 points (1.42%) to close at 184.55. Quotes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose by 3.03 points (0.89%), ending trading at 344.85. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 4.11 points or 0.75% to close at 555.35. The losers were shares of Intel Corporation, which lost 0.64 points or 2.20% to end the session at 28.43. Microsoft Corporation was up 1.59% or 3.74 points to close at 232.13, while Dow Inc was down 1.58% or 0.75 points to close at 46.73 . The S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Wynn Resorts Limited, which rose 9.61% to hit 63.90, Coterra Energy Inc, which gained 3.49% to close at 31.15, and also shares of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc, which rose 3.47% to end the session at 72.99. The biggest losers were Global Payments Inc, which shed 8.83% to close at 114.25. Shares of Newell Brands Inc shed 8.24% to end the session at 13.81. Quotes of Meta Platforms Inc decreased in price by 6.09% to 93.16. The NASDAQ  The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Sonnet Biotherapeutics Holdings Inc, which rose 66.38% to 1.93, Acorda Therapeutics Inc, which gained 63.36% to close at 1.07. as well as shares of Shineco Inc, which rose 37.96% to close the session at 1.09. The biggest loser was Y mAbs Therapeutics, which shed 59.80% to close at 3.61. Shares of Tusimple Holdings Inc lost 45.64% to end the session at 3.43. Quotes Bull Horn Holdings Corp. decreased in price by 45.61% to 6.50. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1604) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1472), while quotes of 118 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, papers of 2004 companies fell, 1753 rose, and 165 remained at the level of the previous closing. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.50% to 25.88. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.53%, or 8.65, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 1.95%, or 1.71, to $86.19 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 1.32%, or 1.24, to $92.53 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD was down 0.80% to hit 0.99, while USD/JPY was up 0.87% to hit 148.74. Futures on the USD index rose 0.77% to 111.45.   Relevance up to 04:00 2022-11-02 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/299126
    The US Dollar Index Is Expected A Pullback Rally At Least In The Near Term

    The US Dollar Started The Week Stronger | Expectations For The RBA's Decisions

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.11.2022 08:44
    Summary:  A return to hawkish expectations for the FOMC and risk-off from weak China data as well as possible issues in Russia-Ukraine grain deal saw markets tumble on Monday and US 10-year yields reversed back to 4.10%. Dollar strength returned as well, with gains most pronounced against the sterling and yuan. However, demand concerns returned, while oil also retreated with President Biden’s hopes of a windfall tax on profits of US energy companies weighing as well. Gold extended its downtrend with the surge in yields. Reserve Bank of Australia on watch in the day ahead, with some key Japanese names like Toyota and Sony also reporting earnings. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) fall on Monday ahead of Fed, but hold onto monthly gains US stocks fell into the red on their last trading day of the month with end of month rebalancing coming into play, while stocks were also on the back foot as bond yield climbed ahead of Wednesday's Fed decision. Still the S&P500 held onto a monthly gain of 8%, but on Monday the index dropped 0.75%. The Nasdaq fell 1%, but held a 4% October gain. Most Treasury yields rose, with 10-year notes up to around 4.05%, while the dollar climbed against every G-10 partner, save the kiwi. Oil and gold both retreated. Energy shares whipsawed on news that President Joe Biden will call on Congress to consider tax penalties for oil producers accruing record profits. JPMorgan Chase Marko Kolanovic is joining strategists who believe the aggressive Fed hiking is nearing an end. He thinks the Fed will raise rates by 50 basis points in December and pause after one more 25-basis-point hike in the first quarter. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 1.5% with iPhone’s Foxconn plant in central China grappling with virus outbreak.  Fertilizer giant, Archer Daniels (ADM) rose 2.2% with traders expecting higher agricultural prices amid supply concerns from added geopolitical tension. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) futures suggest a 0.15% rise on Tuesday, ahead of the RBA rising rates today The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to deliver its 2nd straight month of 0.25% hikes at today’s meeting, according to Bloomberg consensus, which will take the cash rate from 2.6% to 2.85%. However it will be a tough decision, with stronger-than-expected third-quarter inflation data from last week, and hot retail and credit data yesterday giving room for a potential 50-bp (0.5%) hike. This could trigger a knee jerk jump in the Aussie dollar vs the US (AUDUSD), however we maintain our bearish view of the AUDUSD given the Fed has more ammo to aggressively rise. Also note, Governor Philip Lowe has regularly wrong-footed forecasts. Still, swaps imply only a 20% chance of an outsized move, and Australian 10-year yields are a full 25 bps below similar-dated Treasuries, meaning there are expectations that RBA will take a softer line than the Fed. The RBA will last month previously noting loan arrears and insolvencies have picked up in Australia, while housing loan commitments declined -  ‘demonstrating the effect of high interest rates on housing’. This demonstrates, the RBA has a tough task of rising rates to slow inflation, without compromising the health of the economy. FX: Dollar returns to gains ahead of FOMC Dollar started the week on a firmer note as WSJ Timiraos comments turned more hawkish over the weekend after dovish Fed expectations possibly went a bit far. The worst performer was GBP, and we had raised concerns yesterday that it was pricing in all the good news so there was scope for disappointment. GBPUSD broke below 1.1500 with EURGBP also reversing back higher to 0.8620 despite EURUSD weakness to sub-0.99. USDJPY rose back above 148.50, with US 10-year Treasury yields touching 4.1% at one point. Japan’s Finance Ministry data showed a record USD 42.8bln was spent on multiple interventions in the FX market last month to attempt to cushion the Yen’s fall. The Chinese yuan continued to slide, USDCNH rose to 7.34 and the onshore spot USDCNY seen close to 15-year highs of 7.30+ at Monday’s close. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) worried about oil demand Crude oil prices were lower on Monday as concerns of weaker demand weighed on sentiment with the Fed commentary from whisperer Nick Timiraos shifting towards a hawkish stance again. Meanwhile, China’s PMIs fell below the 50 mark which separates expansion and contraction. On the other hand, OPEC’s World Oil Outlook estimates demand will climb 13% to reach 109.5mb/d in 2035, then hold around that level for another decade and secretary-general Haitham al Ghais said that the oil supply surplus was the main reason for the decision to cut output. There were also some reports suggesting that President Biden is considering a potential windfall tax on US energy companies. WTI futures slid towards $86/barrel. Gold (XAUUSD) in a downtrend Gold (XAUUSD) fell for a third consecutive day approaching the recent support area $1,625 as US dollar broadly strengthened with 10 year treasury yield touching 4.10% at one point on Monday. With the Fed poised for another 75bps rate hike this week, pressure on gold could increase, but we continue to see fundamental strength in gold especially given the higher-for-longer inflation expectation. But as a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called.   What to consider? What next for the RBA after peak hawkishness? The Reserve Bank of Australia meets today and is expected to continue with a smaller pace of rate hikes with 25bps priced in despite a hotter than expected Q3 CPI. Q3 CPI rose by 7.3% YoY from previous print of 6.1%, coming in higher than expectations. RBA’s preferred Trimmed Mean CPI was seen at 6.1% vs. expected 5.6% (prev. 4.9%), while PPI also accelerated in Q3 to 6.4% from 5.6% previously. There are, therefore, some calls for an outsized 50bps rate hike as well as inflation continues to inch above the central bank’s 2-3% target range. An update on the latest growth and inflation projections will also be seen along with today’s rate decision. AUDUSD will need a clearly larger than expected rate hike of 50bps, or a very hawkish commentary with a 25bps rate hike to make any substantial gains. If RBA tows the line, focus shifts to USD and the Fed meeting on Wednesday. AUDNZD is also key to watch, with the 1.1000 handle on test. Eurozone GDP and inflation prints continue to make the ECB’s job tougher Eurozone inflation data for October YoY printed another record as it soared to 10.7% (prev. 9.9%), and well above the median Bloomberg expectation of 10.3%. Meanwhile, Q3 GDP growth slowed to 0.2% QoQ or 2.1% YoY (prev. 0.8% QoQ, 4.1% YoY). While mild whether and full storage hasn’t unleashed the full effects of energy shortages this year, the threat continues to loom and this could mean the macro story could deteriorate further. China PMIs and Hong Kong GDP growth send red flags China’s manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI both plunged into contractionary territory in October with Covid curbs likely continuing to weigh on demand and manufacturing ahead of the CCP meeting. China's official manufacturing PMI declined to 49.2 in October after a brief rebound to 50.1 in September following a two-month decline. Meanwhile, services activity fell to 48.7 in October from 50.6 last month. Also, Hong Kong recorded its worst quarter in over two years, with Q3 GDP growth coming in at -4.5% YoY vs. expectations of -0.8%. The QoQ growth was also in negative territory at -2.6%, signalling recession concerns if such a performance continues despite the economy’s reopening. Key Japanese earnings on watch Big Japanese names Toyota (7203) and Sony (6758) report earnings today. While high inflation and interest rates remain a key consideration to watch for consumer spending trends, the effect of a weak yen will also be key to consider. Sony will be key to watch after the US tech tumble last week, and consensus is looking for a 10% drop in its operating profit from a year ago. Toyoto will likely continue to highlight the supply chain pressures, but possible buyback announcements could support.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-1-nov-01112022
    China's Position On The Russo-Ukrainian War Confirmed At The G20 Meeting

    Positive Signals In Global Markets Helped The Asian Stock Market

    TeleTrade Comments TeleTrade Comments 01.11.2022 09:15
    Chinese equities are enjoying significant gains after upbeat Caixin Manufacturing PMI data. The market mood has turned cheerful which has weighed on the DXY. Oil prices have picked bids despite the soaring fears of a slowdown in overall demand. Markets in the Asian domain have extended their recovery on Tuesday amid positive cues from global markets. More traction in risk-perceived assets has trimmed the US dollar index (DXY) appeal. The DXY has slipped to near 111.30 as investors have shrugged off uncertainty ahead of the interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve (Fed). At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 added 0.10%, ChinaA50 soared 2.60%, Hang Seng jumped 2.37%, and Nifty50 gained 0.74%. Chinese equities are having a ball after the release of the upbeat Caixin Manufacturing PMI data. The economic data landed higher at 49.2 vs. the projections of 49.0 and the prior release of 48.1. The PMI data has remained solid despite the continuation of the no-tolerance approach to Covid-19 by the Chinese administration. Also, the official manufacturing data from the China National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was weaker than projections. Outside Asia, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Philip Lowe hiked its Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) for the second time to 2.85%. Australian central bank policymakers have adopted a less hawkish approach, keeping in mind that economic prospects could not be sacrificed entirely in achieving price stability. On the oil front, oil prices have rebounded firmly after sensing buying interest around $85.00. Black gold has witnessed demand despite a fresh rate hike cycle by western central banks. This week, the Bank of England (BOE) and the Fed will announce their monetary policies. As per the projections, the central banks will announce a rate hike of 75 bps. This may trigger fears of a slowdown in overall demand and may also dampen the demand for oil.
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    US 10-Y Treasury Yields Have Eased Back | Airbnb Expects Revenues To Increase

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.11.2022 09:42
    Summary:  Risk sentiment remains near the local highs heading into tomorrow’s FOMC meeting, where the market is hoping for guidance that suggests a downshift in the pace of tightening. Another micro-hike of 25 basis points from the RBA increases the sense that more central banks are set to slow their fight on inflation via rate hikes. Elsewhere, unconfirmed stories swirling overnight in China that that Covid restrictions are set to be lifted saw a potent rally in Chinese equities.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Momentum is trying to come back into US equities after yesterday’s retreat with S&P 500 futures trading around the 3,902 level. A higher close today could set in motion an extended rally into tomorrow’s FOMC rate decision lifting expectations for the Fed to signal a slowdown in rate increases. Given the latest macro figures we have gotten this might still be too early for the market to expect this, but if the Fed confirms the ‘peak hawkishness’ narrative then the 4,000 level in the S&P 500 futures is not outrageous. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) Strong earnings from BP lifting sentiment in early trading in addition to positive spillover effects from the Chinese equity session seeing Hang Seng futures 6.1% higher on unconfirmed news that Chinese policymakers are considering phasing out its strict Covid policy. STOXX 50 futures are pushing higher this morning trading around the 3,649 level, which is the highest level since 13 September. The market is increasingly adjusting to the ‘peak hawkishness’ theme and if momentum extends here the 200-day moving average at the 3,675 level is the big area to watch out for. FX: USD on its back foot as market hopes for dovish downshift at FOMC meeting The market’s hope for a dovish downshift in the Fed’s guidance is a bit nuanced, as the expectations for the coming handful of meetings are back near the cycle highs, with the Fed funds priced to reach nearly 5.00% at the March or May FOMC meeting next year, while expectations farther out into next year and in 2024 are 25 or more basis points from the cycle highs. But with the USD on its back-foot and risk sentiment clearly unafraid of the Fed at the moment, the surprise side this Wednesday would be a stern message from the Fed that checks sentiment. Watching parity in EURUSD as an important psychological barometer, 1.1500 in GBPUSD, which was briefly broken yesterday, and eventually 145.00 in USDJPY and 7.25 area in USDCNH if the sudden USD drop overnight on hopes that China Covid policy is set for relaxation sticks and follows through. HG Copper (HGZ2) recovered all of Monday’s losses during Asian trading ...partly driven by a report that a “Reopening Committee” has been formed led by a Politburo Standing Member. The committee is reviewing data to assess various opening scenarios, targeting a March 2023 reopening. In addition to a weakening dollar and demand towards renewable energy, the copper market is being supported by persistent supply challenges highlighted by top supplier Codelco lowering its annual guidance for the second time in three months. The futures price remains stuck within a narrowing trading around $3.45 and looks poised for a breakout soon. Given the latest developments the risk of an upside break has risen. Gold (XAUUSD) trades higher … after falling for a third consecutive day on Monday, thereby extending its monthly losing streak to seven, the longest since the late 1960’s. The market bounced with support from lower bond yields and a softer dollar but as a minimum the yellow metal needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. The WGC reported that central banks bought a record 400 tons during the third quarter, more than quadruple the amount of a year earlier, thereby more than offsetting the 227 tons reduction in holdings across bullion-backed ETFs Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil trades higher within the established range after advancing with the broader market overnight as OPEC+ begins to cut production by around 1.2 million barrels per day, a decision that has been driven by excess supply according to its secretary-general. OPEC also released its World Oil Outlook in which they estimate demand will climb 13% to reach 109.5mb/d in 2035, then hold around that level for another decade. A weaker global economic growth hurting demand, OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions on Russian crude from December have all clouded the outlook, thereby supporting the current rangebound price action. Focus on Wednesday’s FOMC meeting and its potential impact on the dollar. Brent has since the September low several times been bouncing off trendline support, currently at $92 with resistance at $97.25 and $98.75. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US 10-year treasury yields have eased back toward 4.00% after briefly touching above 4.1% yesterday. The focus on continued strength in bond markets will be the 3.90% pivot low yield posted last week, which could open up for a run to the 3.50% area, but would such a move represent a flight to safety (weak risk sentiment) or be celebrated as a sign of easing pressure on asset valuations. The key two event risks are the FOMC meeting Wednesday and how the yield curve reacts as well as the US jobs report on Friday, with the ISM Services Thursday also an interesting data point. What is going on? RBA hikes 25 bps, ups inflation forecasts, downgrades GDP and remains dovish Will the RBA stop hikes early? The RBA hiked the cash rate by 25bps (0.25%) as most expected to 2.85%, maintaining its dovish stance and bordering on restrictive, as it again acknowledged tighter financial conditions are yet to be felt in mortgage payments, but higher rates and inflation have put pressure on household budgets, causing a small amount of loan arrears and insolvencies. This rate hike cycle since May, has been the second fastest in history. We note the RBA was the first major central bank to under-deliver on rate hike expectations last month. The RBA raised its year-end 2022 CPI forecast from 7.8% to around 8%. The RBA revised its GDP forecast down, with growth of around 3% expected this year and 1.5% in 2023 and 2024. AUD knee-jerked lower on the decision, but recovered most of the lost ground against a stumbling US dollar in Asia, while sticking near local lows against the NZD. BP had exceptional Q3 in gas marketing and trading The European oil and gas major is lifting sentiment in Europe with strong net income beating expectations while cash flow generation is coming in below estimates. The energy company is increasing its buyback programme further by $2.5bn. Toyota down 2% on big operating income miss Japan’s largest carmaker is lowering its fiscal year production target as Volkswagen also recently did while posting a Q2 operating income of JPY 563bn vs JPY 765bn due to soaring materials costs and one-off items. The lower production target comes as the industry is still facing a chips shortage. UK Treasury says all Britons will have to pay more tax Chancellor Hunt said that “those with the broadest shoulders should be asked to bear the greatest burden” as the clear message from the new Sunak government, after the previous Truss-Kwarteng team triggered chaos in UK Gilts and sterling, is that financial stability is priority number one. The particulars of the new budget and policy will be laid out in a statement on November 17. US President Biden rails against oil companies not reinvesting profits, promising to raise taxes on profits that are “windfall of war”... ... saying that “The oil industry has not met its commitment to invest in America.” Such a move would require a bill to pass through Congress, however, which would likely prove difficult after the mid-term elections next week, if projections of a strong GOP showing flip the House and possibly the Senate into their hands, making for a largely lame-duck presidency for the next two years. Eurozone GDP and inflation prints continue to make the ECB’s job tougher Eurozone inflation data for October YoY printed another record as it soared to 10.7% (prev. 9.9%), and well above the median Bloomberg expectation of 10.3%. Meanwhile, Q3 GDP growth slowed to 0.2% QoQ or 2.1% YoY (prev. 0.8% QoQ, 4.1% YoY). While mild weather and full storage has not unleashed the full effects of energy shortages this year, the threat continues to loom, and this could mean the macro story could deteriorate further. Japan spent a record $42 billion to defend JPY in October The Finance Ministry is said to have another 10 trillion yen, or about $68 billion in ready cash left to throw after defending the JPY if pressure mounts again, although Japan’s central bank reserves are many, many multiples of these amounts, currently at $1.24 trillion. What are we watching next? Another small hike from a central bank (the RBA) encourages speculation of dovish shift at the FOMC meeting on Wednesday A number of recent central bank meetings of late, including the latest RBA meeting overnight, which saw Australia’s central bank only hiking rates 25 basis points for the second consecutive time, encourage the notion that the Fed is set for a dovish shift at this Wednesday’s FOMC meeting. Working against that narrative have been a number of possible “leaks” by journalists at key publications thought to have strong Fed sources, including the WSJ’s Nick Timiraos and a NY Times reporter, whose latest musings suggest that the Fed is not set to indicate any backing down from its hawkish message. An overtly defensive and hawkish FOMC meeting tomorrow could badly shock the market, which coming into this morning, at least, seems hopeful that the Fed is set to downshift its tightening guidance this week. Or at least, given that Fed expectations for the next six months or so are within a few basis points of the cycle highs, isn’t obviously afraid of the message the Fed is set to deliver: equities are up near the local highs after a ripping rally off October lows. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is AMD, Airbnb, and Uber with analysts expecting revenue growth of 31% y/y for AMD but EPS down 5% y/y as input pressures are eating up growth coming from strong product introductions. Airbnb is still riding the reopening tailwind with revenue expected to increase 26% y/y in Q3 and EBITDA expanding significantly to $1.39bn up from $888mn a year ago. Uber has a goal of becoming self-funded by 2024 and could achieve this based on the current trajectory. The company is expected to deliver revenue growth of 67% y/y and EPS of $-0.06 up from $-0.42 a year ago. Today: Toyota Motor, Sony, BP, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AMD, Mondelez, Airbnb, Uber Wednesday: Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, GSK, Electronic Arts, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, Ferrari, Albemarle Thursday: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy, Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0820 – Australia RBA Governor Lowe to speak 1400 – US Sep. JOLTS Job Openings 1400 – US Oct. ISM Manufacturing 2000 – New Zealand RBNZ publishes Financial Stability Report 2030 – API Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 2145 – New Zealand Q3 Average Hourly Earnings 2145 – New Zealand Q3 Employment Change/Unemployment Rate 2230 – Canada Bank of Canada Governor Macklem to speak 0030 – Australia Sep. Building Approvals Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-1-2022-01112022
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Was Red

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 02.11.2022 08:17
    At closing time on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.24%, the S&P 500 was down 0.41% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 0.89%. Dow Jones The leaders among Dow Jones index components in today's trading were shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. which gained 2.28p (1.81%) to close at 128.16. Nike Inc rose 1.09 pct (1.18%) to close at 93.77. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose 3.94p (1.14%) to close at 348.45. The least gainers were shares of Apple Inc, which fell 2.69p (1.75%) to close the session at 150.65. Salesforce Inc shares rose 2.79p (1.72%) to close at 159.80, while Microsoft Corporation dropped 3.96p (1.71%) to close at 228.17 S&P 500 The top gainers among S&P 500 index components in today's trading were ABIOMED Inc which gained 49.88% to 377.82, IDEXX Laboratories Inc which gained 9.80% to close at 394.93, and Hologic Inc which gained 9.34% to end the session at 74.13. Catalent Inc shares were the fallers, down 24.62% to close at 49.55. Shares of Zebra Technologies Corporation lost 15.86% and ended the session at 238.30. Ecolab Inc dropped 8.98% to 142.96. NASDAQ  The gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite index in today's trading were shares of ABIOMED Inc. which gained 49.88% to 377.82, Sonnet Biotherapeutics Holdings Inc. which gained 46.63% to close at 2.83 and shares of NLS Pharmaceutics AG which gained 44.00% to close the session at 0.74. Varonis Systems shares were the fallers, dropping 35.49% to close at 17.27. Shares of China Liberal Education Holdings lost 27.39% to end the session at 1.14. Acorda Therapeutics Inc. was down 25.22% to 0.80. On the NYSE, 1,960 securities gained more than 1,172 which closed negative and 95 were flat. On NASDAQ, 2,101 stocks gained in value, 1,680 declined, and 194 remained flat. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on the S&P 500 options trade, fell 0.27% to 25.81. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 0.55%, or 8.95, to $1.00 per troy ounce. In other commodities, December WTI crude oil futures rose 2.02%, or 1.75, to $88.28 a barrel. January Brent crude futures traded up 1.83%, or 1.70, to $94.51 per barrel. FX Market Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD remained unchanged 0.08% to 0.99, while USD/JPY dropped 0.33% to 148.23. The USD index futures rose 0.02% to 111.44.     Relevance up to 04:00 2022-11-03 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/299302
    Bank of England survey highlights easing price pressures

    The Bank Of England (BoE) Starts Selling Bonds | Airbnb Down, Sony Up

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 02.11.2022 11:50
    Jay Powell will probably hammer the dovish hopes, and the latest risk rally when he speaks following the FOMC decision today. Fed In preparation for an unpleasantly hawkish Fed statement today, the US 3-month yield spiked above the 4.20% mark, the level it was normally supposed to be in 18 months, the 2-year yield returned above the 4.50% mark, the US dollar index advanced and the US equities sold off, as yields jumped. The ADP report is due a couple of hours before the Fed decision, and is expected to have eased below 200’000 in October. Any positive surprise will likely further boost the Fed hawks, and dampen the mood in risk assets. China In China, stocks extend gains on an unverified social media post that China will end its Covid measures. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said he was unaware of the plan. Disneyland in Shanghai was shut with people in it, after a Covid case was found in the park… I wouldn’t cry victory just yet! UK In Britain, the first day of bond selling from the Bank of England was a success. The BoE sold 1$750 million worth of bonds, demand exceeded offer, gilt yields pulled lower and sterling was steady. Airbnb Airbnb fell 5% post-market on disappointing Q4 outlook, Sony jumped near 10% in NY as softer yen helped boosting sales, BP announced the second biggest quarterly results, while Abiomed jumped 50% after Johnson & Johnson announced to buy the company. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:18 Will Powell save the risk rally? 2:22 Market update 4:17 Oil stocks extend rally, BP announce strong profits 5:45 Airbnb down, Sony & Abiomed up 7:11 BoE starts selling bonds successfully 8:42 EUR, XAU faith in Powell’s hands… Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #rate #decision #USD #ADP #US #jobs #report #crudeoil #ExxonMobil #Chevron #BP #China #covidzero #UK #QT #GBP #BoE #Sunak #EUR #XAU #Sony #Abiomed #JohnsonJohnson #Airnbn #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___  Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    The Gold Rally Is Continuing To Stall, This Could Be A Good Year For Crude Oil

    Can We See An Improvement In Supplies In The Black Sea Region? | Crude Oil Is Growing

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.11.2022 11:57
    Summary:  A surprisingly strong survey of US job openings yesterday suggests that the US labor market remains extremely tight, potentially continuing to feed inflationary pressures. Today sees the latest FOMC meeting, at which the Fed will have to grapple with guidance and whether to flag the much-anticipated possible downshift from 75 basis point hikes at the December meeting. Given the recent easing of financial conditions and strong risk sentiment, the Fed may try to lean against the market and hawkishly keep all options on the table. Industrial metals run higher on speculation China is preparing to ease Covid rules.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The fear of recession has eased quite a bit in October and as a result equities have rallied from their lows in October. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 3,868 level this morning as the US 10-year yield has moved higher above 4% again. The big event is tonight’s FOMC rate decision which will prove to be a delicate balancing act for the Fed keeping financial conditions tight enough but smooth the transition to this higher level of interest rates without breaking the market. If the market interprets a dovish tilt tonight the 4,000 level is quickly the main focus point in the S&P 500 futures. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) STOXX 50 futures touched the 200-day moving average yesterday before retreating, but this morning the index futures are continuing higher trading around the 3,661 level, which is just below the 200-day moving average. The 3,800 level in STOXX 50 futures could be the next big level to watch if momentum continues. European equities are enjoying tailwinds from easing energy and electricity markets and better than expected GDP reports in Q3 showing that the European economy can absorb the input cost shocks for now. FX: USD rallies on very strong JOLTS survey, eyes FOMC The greenback rebounded yesterday on the very strong September JOLTS jobs openings survey, which jumped sharply from the large August dip (see more below), helping US treasury yields back higher. See the FOMC meeting preview under What are we watching next? below. Today and in the wake of the important US jobs data tomorrow, the pivotal areas for EURUSD are perhaps 0.9850 and parity on the daily/weekly close, for GBPUSD, the 1.1400-1.1500 area is the zone of contention, and in AUDUSD, 0.6350-0.6530. USDJPY will be sensitive to any sharp move in US treasury yields, leaning toward 150.00 if yields jump in the wake of tomorrow’s US jobs report or challenging 145.00 if the Fed fails to surprise hawkish today and the jobs data is weak. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold reached $1657 before running into sellers as bond yields rose following stronger US economic data. The dollar and yields developments continue to haunt the metal, especially ahead of today’s critical Fed meeting. Silver, initially enjoying a trifecta of support from rising gold and copper as well as the weaker dollar, traded up to once again challenge resistance at $20/oz before running out of steam. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil trades higher for a second day with WTI challenging a recent high at $90 and Brent moving closer to $97.25 resistance. Oil prices initially received a boost from China reopening speculation, the weaker dollar and OPEC+ production cuts before extending gains after the API reported a bumper 6.5-million-barrel drop in crude inventories. Apart from today’s official inventory report from the EIA, crude oil traders will turn their attention to today’s FOMC meeting given the potential impact the rate decision and comments may have on the dollar and the general level of risk sentiment. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The key US 10-year treasury yields pulled back above the important 4.00% level after the strong September jobs openings survey out of the US yesterday, but far more important are today’s FOMC meeting and further incoming data, discussed below. The recent price action makes it clear that the 3.90% area is important resistance for bond yields and at the shorter end of the curve, the 5.00% level will be an important focus, given that the market has been unwilling to take Fed expectations more than a couple of basis points beyond that level as it continues to see the Fed cutting rates by the end of next year. What is going on? Metals run higher on China speculation Copper and nickel led a surge in base metals on speculation - which was later denied - that Beijing is preparing to ease Covid rules. However, metals held gains after China’s outgoing premier Li Keqiang said China will strive for a "better" economic outcome and promote stable, healthy and sustainable development, saying China’s economy is showing signs of stabilizing, as well as “rebounding momentum" thanks to stimulus. Developments showing the potential support for industrial metals when restrictions are being lifted, and it brought the focus back on supply issues in Copper, with inventories running low on exchanges and major producers struggling to meet their production targets. The BCOM Metal index jumped 3.4% with steel and iron ore prices also receiving a bid. HG copper’s further advance will be challenged by multiple resistance levels between $3.55 and $3.78. European earnings This morning we have got strong results from Novo Nordisk, Maersk, and GSK, while the wind turbine maker Vestas misses big on revenue and EBIT. Vestas is also adjusting its FY EBIT to –5% from previously –5% to 0%. Novo Nordisk reports Q3 revenue of DKK 45.6bn vs est. DKK 44.4bn and EBIT of DKK 20.2bn vs est. DKK 19.2bn in addition to increase its sales forecast due to strong demand for its obesity drug Wegony. Maersk is still enjoying strong earnings beating estimates on EBIT in Q3, but the container shipping company is lowering its forecast for container volume and in general the market is expecting a slowdown in 2023. US job openings and ISM manufacturing complicate Fed’s message US job openings saw an unexpected rebound in September amid low unemployment, suggesting more wage gains could be in store. JOLTS job openings came in higher at 10.7 million in September from a revised 10.3 million in August. This likely thrashes expectations of any material downshift from the Fed after today’s widely expected 75bps increase. Meanwhile, October's ISM manufacturing index also remained in expansion at 50.2, albeit falling from last month’s 50.9. However, disinflationary trends were emphasised as the index of prices paid fell to an over 2-year low. Still, sticky shelter and services inflation remains materially high suggest still-higher interest rates remain on the horizon. Terminal rate pricing for Fed funds futures has picked up again to 5% levels, and it would be hard for the Fed to push it any higher at this point, but what it can clearly hint at today is pushing out of the rate cut expectations for next year. Read our full FOMC preview here for further insights. Lack of insurance halted UN Black Sea shipments, but progress being made The UN halted grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Wednesday, after Russia warned ships weren't safe using the route and demanded guarantees from Ukraine. However, reports suggested early on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached and ships will start to sail again from Thursday, as pressure on Russia continues to build. We continue to watch crop and fertilizer prices, as a meaningful reversal could come through if we see improving shipments across the Black Sea region. AMD earnings supported by servers despite weak PC sales Advanced Micro Devices rose in the after-hour trading as it reported better than estimated Q3 earnings, although issuing guidance that missed analysts’ expectations. EPS came in $0.67 vs estimated $0.65, revenue $5.57B vs estimated $5.62B. Guidance suggested AMD is expecting strong growth in its server chip business in the coming quarters. Q3 results were in-line with a warning issued by AMD on October 6 which helped to reset expectations, as weak PC sales continued to underpin. Airbnb drops on disappointing guidance Airbnb reported its highest revenue and most profitable quarter but a muted Q4 outlook as consumer preferences are shifting back to cities which tend to have lower rates based on smaller sized spaces. Q3 revenue rose 29% to $2.88B, estimated $2.84B. Net profit rose 45.6% to $1.21B. But the company said it expected bookings to moderate after a bumper third quarter. Sony surges on profit beat Weak yen propped up revenues for Sony and also nudged up the fiscal year profit outlook, pushing shares higher in early trading. Q2 sales came in at 2.75tr yen, est. 2.67 tr yen while operating income was 344bn yen vs. 280.66bn yen expected. Operating profit beat was broad-based, except in games. Australian home-lending falls more than expected in September House lending in Australia fell 8.2% YoY in September (far more than the market expected) while building construction lending fell 36.6% YoY, with the weaker data sets coming out just a day after the RBA remained dovish - raising Australia’s official cash rate by 25bps (0.25%) to 2.85%. Yesterday the RBA acknowledged tighter financial conditions and the ‘full effect’ of increased interest rates are yet to be felt in ‘mortgage payments’, but the rate hikes since May, combined with higher inflation have already put pressure on household budgets. What are we watching next? FOMC meeting – Fed may want to keep a low profile, but can’t afford to be seen dovish The September JOLTS jobs openings data point yesterday was the latest to suggest that the Fed will have a hard time pre-committing to any slowdown in the pace of its policy tightening after the 75-basis-point hike that is priced in for today’s meeting. The December 14 FOMC meeting odds have not shifted much over the last couple of weeks, as investors still favour a downshift to a 50-basis-point move then and another 50 basis points of tightening early next year over the space of a couple of meetings. To surprise hawkish today, the Fed may have to make it very clear that it is willing to continue tightening beyond current expectations and beyond its September forecasts to boost the greenback via rate guidance, but is probably also reluctant to pre-commit to anything. Pointing to high reactivity to further incoming data may be one way to achieve this. That will then mean extreme volatility on the next bits of Incoming data ahead of the December meeting, starting with the ISM Services tomorrow and then the October jobs report this Friday and two more CPI releases before December 14. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, and Albemarle. Analysts expect revenue to decline by 11% y/y at Estee Lauder but improving operating margin. The cosmetic business is facing headwinds from labour costs and transportation. Booking is expected to deliver strong earnings growth given the better-than-expected result from Airbnb yesterday. Analysts expect 26% y/y revenue growth and EPS growth of 35% y/y. Fortinet is one of the market leaders in the fast-growing cyber security industry and with the ongoing war in Ukraine we expect demand for cyber security solutions to be high; analysts expect Fortinet to grow revenue by 30% y/y in Q3. Albemarle is riding the demand for lithium as electric vehicle sales is seeing explosive growth. Albemarle is expected to deliver 168% y/y growth in revenue and EPS growth of 545% y/y. Today: Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, GSK, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, Ferrari, Albemarle Thursday: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy, Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Oct. Manufacturing PMI 0855 – Germany Oct. Unemployment Change/Rate 1215 – US Oct. ADP Employment Change 1430 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1800 – US FOMC Meeting 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2000 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before Parliamentary Committee 0145 – China Oct. Caixin Services PMI  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-2-2022-02112022
    Bestway Might Have Larger Designs On The UK's Second Biggest Supermarket

    Eyes On Bank Of England (BoE) | Gold Is Under Pressure

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 03.11.2022 10:35
    Jerome Powell abated the latest risk rally yesterday, saying that the rate hikes will slow down, but the levels will go higher. Equities sold off, the yields jumped, the dollar gained, and hopes of seeing the end of the market turmoil got completely dashed. US Stock Market The US 2-year yield soared to 4.90%. The Dow Jones lost more than 1.50%, the S&P500 dived 2.50% and Nasdaq fell more than 3%. Forex In the FX, the prospect of higher terminal rate from the Fed boosted the USD appetite. The dollar index gained yesterday, as the EURUSD slipped again below its 50-DMA, Cable slipped below 1.14, the dollar-franc is back above parity, the dollar-yen is set for another advance to 150 on the back of the diverging rate prospects between the Fed that is now set to increase rates slower, but higher, and the Bank of Japan (BoJ), set to do nothing, for now. Gold & Bitcoin Gold is also under the pressure of a stronger US dollar and the higher US yields. Bitcoin, on the other hand, is surprisingly resilient to the broad risk selloff. Crude Oil The barrel of American crude rose to $90, as the latest EIA data showed that the US crude inventories fell by more than 3-million-barrel last week, much faster than a 200’000 barrel decline expected by analysts. Bank Of England Today, the Bank of England (BoE) is also expected to raise rates by 75bp today, but that expectation is down from around 100-150bp hike expected when Liz Truss was busy shaking the financial markets with her crazy mini budget. The BoE should no longer act twice as aggressively to compensate for the actions of an irresponsible government, but it still must fight the rising inflation in Britain. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 Powell points at slower but higher rates, investors sell assets 4:13 Oil up on falling inventories 5:00 USD up against majors 7:05 BoE to hike by 75bp today 8:13 Gold under pressure, but Bitcoin surprisingly resilient Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #rate #decision #USD #ADP #US #jobs #report #crudeoil #Apple #Amazon #Meta #Google #ExxonMobil #selloff #UK #inflation #BoE #GBP #EUR #XAU #Bitcoin #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Russia Look Set To Double Its Exports For The First Half Of 2023

    Volatility In The Grain Market May Continue | Global Demand For Containers Will Fall This Year

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.11.2022 10:45
    Summary:  Traders were given a case of whiplash yesterday over the FOMC meeting after the new monetary policy statement confirmed the impression that the Fed will soon downshift the size of rate hikes after another 75 basis points hike at this meeting. But then a very hawkish press conference from Fed Chair Powell took Fed terminal rate expectations next year to new highs for the cycle, pummeling risk sentiment and lighting a fire under the greenback. The next key focus will be tomorrow’s US October jobs report.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Powell delivered a jolt to equities communicating on the FOMC press conference that the terminal rate could be higher than what the market expects and that rates will stay higher for longer. S&P 500 futures could out many support levels on the downside in the last night session and are continuing lower this morning trading around the 3,765 level with the 3,700 level being the next level to watch on the downside. Powell’s remarks confirm our view that inflation and interest rates will remain higher for longer and that equities will be under pressure in the medium term, being negatively impacted by higher interest rates and more margin compression. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) STOXX 50 futures are naturally responding to Powell’s statements yesterday trading lower this morning around the 3,575 level with the 100-day moving average around the 3,528 level being the gravitational point on the downside to watch. FX: USD bull market is back in business after hawkish Fed Chair Powell presser The dollar was first weak yesterday on the new monetary policy statement before the hawkish Powell presser lit a fire under the greenback as he made it clear that the ceiling could be raised next year for the “ultimate level” of Fed funds rate, de-emphasizing the size of rates from here after several 75-basis point moves. The US dollar ripped back to the strong side, generating compelling reversal patterns for USD bulls almost across the board, with the important 0.9876-0.9850 area falling in EURUSD, GBPUSD slipping below the bottom of the 1.1400-1.1500 zone, AUDUSD crushed back below 0.6400, USDJPY support at 145.00 surviving yesterday with the pair lifting back well north of 147.00, etc. Of course, the USD will be sensitive to incoming data, but yesterday established a clear line in the sand that USD bulls will now use for longs, eyeing the cycle highs for the greenback against most other G10 currencies. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades lower following a volatile session where Fed Chair Powell managed to wrongfoot most markets. Following the expected 75 bp rate hike the written statement raised the prospect of the FOMC pausing to assess the “cumulative tightening” impact before saying at the press conference “We still have some ways to go. And incoming data since our last meeting suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates will be higher than previously expected”. Most markets, including gold, responded by turning sharply lower with the yellow metal slumping 2% from the high. These comments send a signal that we have not yet reached peak hawkishness and with that the risk of a prolonged period of dollar and yield strength slowing gold’s recovery. It’s the incoming data that everyone will have to watch, starting with US payrolls this Friday. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil traded lower after the FOMC meeting raised expectations for a higher peak in US rates and together with continued uncertainty over China demand they helped offset support from a tightening fuel market. Earlier in the day the market jumped after the EIA reported US gasoline supplies had fallen to a 2014 low while distillate supplies on the East Coast had reached a near record seasonal low. China’s zero-Covid tolerance remains the overall strategy according to the government, thereby removing some earlier optimism about a change. However, OPEC+ cuts from this month and upcoming EU sanctions is likely to keep the market rangebound with resistance in Brent at $97.25. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The hawkish Powell press conference yesterday (more below) took Fed rate expectations to new highs for the cycle and the 2-year rate is pushing on cycle highs near 4.62%, while the 10-year merely rebounded above 4.00% as the yield curve is close to its most inverted for the cycle at below –50 bps for the 2-10 spread. Incoming US data will be the focus next for the longer end of the yield curve and whether 10-year yields can threaten the cycle highs well north of 4.25%. What is going on? FOMC one-two as dovish interpretation of new policy statement reversed by hawkish Powell presser The initial read of the FOMC statement was dovish, as the new statement inserted the phrase: “The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time. In determining the pace of future increases in the target range, the Committee will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.” This read a bit dovish as the market assumed that this means the anticipated downshift in Fed rate hikes is coming and US yields dropped, risk up, USD down, etc. In the press conference, however, Fed Chair Powell was far more hawkish, saying there is a “ways to go”, and spelling out that the incoming data means that the “ultimate level” that the Fed funds reaches is likely to move to higher levels than was though at the September meeting. This had Fed expectations for the spring of next year edging back toward the cycle highs of 5.00% and then closing the day a full 10 basis points higher near 5.10%. While Powell did say it may be possible that the Fed steps down to smaller hikes as soon as the December meeting, the FOMC felt that the speed of hikes Is becoming “less important” (leaving market to infer that the Fed just keeps hiking at more meetings if incoming data supports doing so. As well, we must remember that the Fed has cranked up the pace of quantitative tightening in the background, which provides its own tightening pressure on markets and arguably equates with several hundred basis points of rate tightening over the course of a year. European earnings this morning Orsted is raising its full-year guidance on EBITDA excluding new partnerships to DKK 21-23bn and Q3 revenue was DKK 36.5bn vs est. DKK 26.7bn highlighting the increased profitability in power generation using renewable energy. BNP Paribas beats on both revenue and net income driven by strong results in its fixed-income, commodities, and currencies trading. BMW is also beating on both Q3 revenue and EBIT and maintaining its EBIT margin fo 7-9%. US earnings recap Fortinet, the industry leader in cyber security, delivered Q3 revenue of $1.15bn vs est. $1.12bn and adj. EPS $0.33 vs est. $0.27 and Q4 outlook on revenue of $1.28-1.32bn vs est. $1.27bn and Q4 EPS outlook of $0.38-0.40 vs est. $0.35, but despite strong figures shares were lower in extended trading. Albemarle delivered high growth in Q3 on revenue and earnings, but lowered its fiscal year revenue and EPS a bit against their previous guidance. Wheat (ZWZ2) prices slump as Russia to resume grain deal participation Amid mounting pressure on Russia to avoid a galloping food crisis, Russia finally agreed to resume its participation in the Ukraine grain deal, allowing safe passage of Ukraine’s crop exports. Wheat prices dropped over 6% on the news and corn was lower as well, with vessels likely to resume normal operations today. Russia however threatens to pull out of the agreement at any time, which suggests volatilities can continue till the war goes on. Better-than-expected US ADP turns attention on NFP US ADP national employment reported a 239k increase in October, above the expected 193k and the prior, revised lower, 192k, ahead of the key NFP on Friday. While there is little confidence in this data set as the methodology has been recently revised and there is limited backward data, a tight labor market is still the clear read. Focus now turns to NFP due on Friday, with unemployment rate and wage growth remaining as the key metrics to track. Bloomberg consensus expectations are still set for a headline gain of 200k for October, with unemployment rate inching a notch higher to 3.6% from 3.5% previously and wage growth slightly weaker at 4.7% YoY from 5.0% YoY previously. Maersk warns about rapid economic deterioration Maersk, the world’s largest owner of container ships, said it expects global container demand to decline by up to 4% this year, as against its previous estimate of +/- 1%. It also warned that next year could be worse, signalling further downturn in global trade may be on the cards. Still, Q3 earnings before interest and tax rose to $9.48bn vs. $8.63bn expected. What are we watching next? Next US data points and impact on US yields Fed Chair Powell made it clear yesterday that he didn’t feel the size of Fed rate hikes are very important after yesterday’s 75 basis point move, but that the Fed could continue to tighten beyond what the Fed itself was forecasting less than two months ago, suggesting a higher peak rate. Currently, peak Fed rates for next year are projected at 5.10% by next spring, a new cycle high and well above the prior highs just above 5.0% after Powell made a hawkish impression at yesterday’s press conference. That leaves the market still very sensitive to incoming data for gauging how high the Fed might take rates next year, with the next data points of note the October US ISM Services survey up today and the October jobs data up tomorrow. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is ConocoPhillips, PayPal, Starbucks, MercadoLibre, and Cloudflare. Based on previous results in the energy sector we expect ConocoPhillips to deliver good results. PayPal has had headwinds for some time and could disappoint. One of our worst performing theme baskets has been e-commerce which has been hit by difficulties in advertising targeting due to Apple’s data privacy decision, supply chain bottlenecks, and explosive prices on logistics. MercadoLibre is the South American version of Amazon and analysts expect revenue growth of 45% y/y and EPS growth of 24% y/y. Cloudflare will be in focus and given the negative sentiment over Fortinet’s earnings release last night expectations might be too high for any cyber security company to deliver on. Today: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy, Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0730 – Switzerland Oct. CPI 0805 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 0900 – Norway Norges Bank Deposit Rate announcement 1130 – US Oct. Challenger Job Cuts 1200 – UK Bank of England Rate Announcement 1230 – UK Bank of England Governor Bailey press conference 1230 – US Sep. Trade Balance 1230 – Canada Sep. Building Permits 1230 – Canada Sep. International Merchandise Trade 1230 – US Q3 Nonfarm Productivity/Unit Labor Coasts 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1330 – Czech Central Bank Rate Announcement 1400 – US Sep. Factory Orders 1400 – US Oct. ISM Services 1430 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Strorage Change 0030 – Australia RBA Monetary Policy Statement 0030 – Australia Q3 Retail Sales Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-3-2022-03112022
    The Commodities Feed: Anticipating LNG Strike Action and Market Dynamics

    Revenue of Paramount Global turned out to be 5% lower than expected. Actual EPS amounted to $0.39, 5 cents less than the estimated figure

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 02.11.2022 15:39
    Paramount Global missed Q3 consensus on top and bottom lines. PARA shares have sold off 10% after the earnings announcement. Streaming subscribers and revenue improved during the quarter. Paramount Global (PARA) collapsed 10% on Wednesday morning after unleashing a none-to-good quarterly report for the third quarter. The stock is now trading at a new all-time low of $17.25, although shares of the media company dropped below $17 in the premarket. Paramount Global earnings news Paramount missed Wall Street consensus for adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by 5 cents after the figure came in at $0.39. That number is down 48.7% compared with the same quarter in 2021. The bottom line figure was greatly affected by a $169 million charge for restructuring and other corporate needs. Revenue of $6.92 billion rose nearly 5% YoY but missed consensus by $130 million. Subscription revenue did improve, but investments in content and international expansion took that growth and then some. Advertising revenue in the company's broadcast TV division dropped 2% YoY, which management blamed on the macro picture. Total direct-to-consumer subscriptions, such as streaming, rose to 67 million customers. This segment includes Paramount+, PlutoTV and BET+. Paramount+ added 4.6 million subscribers during the third quarter, increasing revenue in the process by 95% YoY. Paramount Global stock forecast As already stated, PARA stock is at an all-time low. When this happens, there are no historical price levels to measure against, so instead we have to use the financial equivalent of alchemy – Fibonacci levels. As we have it, PARA has found early support on Wednesday at the 50% Fibo level, which in point of fact is not actually part of the Fibonacci sequence. A better estimate for the near-term bottom would be the 61.8% Fibo at $16.13. The 78.6% level at $15.05 also might be eyed by bears. Regardless, if PARA does bounce off of one of these levels, then expect a move toward the 23.6% Fibo level at $18.57. PARA daily chart
    Unlocking the Future: Key UK Wage Data and September BoE Rate Hike Prospects

    The Rate Hike Generated An Increase In The Price Of Gasoline In The USA

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 03.11.2022 13:15
    Oil prices have declined only slightly, and it's all the fault of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's statement that interest rates will rise higher than previously forecast. West Texas Intermediate futures fell below $89 per barrel after rising 4% compared to the previous two sessions. Powell said it was "premature to think about suspending the rate hike cycle" after the Fed raised rates again by 75 basis points. All major central banks are currently trying to curb rampant inflation, which puts pressure on demand and energy. The bearish sentiment caused by the increase in rates offset the rise in gasoline prices in the United States, but this was not enough to seriously affect the situation. Growing concerns about the slowdown in the global economy will inevitably affect the oil demand, which will limit the upward potential of the trading instrument. However, the battle between the bearish demand forecast and the bullish supply forecast continues to be waged in full. It is difficult to say how energy carriers will behave in winter since they are largely tied to geopolitical risks and factors. Premarket: Qualcomm shares lost 6% after the company reported weak earnings. Forecasts and targets also fell short of analysts' expectations, as demand was lower than expected due to China. According to Refinitiv, the technology company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.13. Revenue for the quarter was $11.39 billion, compared with an estimated $11.37 billion. Shares of the Roku streaming TV platform fell nearly 20% after the company said fourth-quarter revenue would be lower than Wall Street expects. The company reported third-quarter results that beat analysts' forecasts: a loss per share of 88 cents compared with a loss of $1.28. Revenue was $761 million, more than the estimated $694 million. However, forecasts for the future have ruined everything. Etsy securities jumped more than 10% after the company reported quarterly profit that exceeded expectations. The online store reported revenue of $594.47 million against the expected $564.48 million. The company also expects continued sales growth in the fourth quarter, leading to a share increase. Zillow shares rose 2.7% after reporting earnings that beat analysts' expectations. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 38 cents, above the forecast of 11 cents. Revenue was $483 million, while Wall Street expected $456 million. As for the technical picture of the S&P500, after yesterday's decline, demand for the index remains rather sluggish. The main task for buyers now is to protect the support of $3,735. As long as trading is conducted above this level, we can expect a return in demand for risky assets - especially if the US data disappoints. This will create good prerequisites for strengthening the trading instrument and returning $3,773 under control, just above which the level of $3,808 is located. A breakthrough in this area will strengthen the hope for an upward correction with an exit to the resistance of $3,835. The farthest target will be the $3,861 area. In a downward movement, buyers must declare themselves in the $3,735. A breakdown of this range will quickly push the trading instrument to $3,699 and open up the possibility of updating the support of $3,661.     Relevance up to 12:00 2022-11-04 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/326182
    Oil Prices Rise as OPEC Cuts Output and API Reports Significant Inventory Drawdown

    The Bank Of England (BoE) Is Likely To Follow The Fed

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 03.11.2022 14:23
    The US stock market continues to fall sharply. Stock index futures continued their decline as Jerome Powell warned that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates further, if necessary. This undermined risk appetite. The US dollar eventually won. S&P 500 futures declined by 0.7% after falling by 2.5% on Wednesday. The industrial Dow Jones lost about 0.4% and the high-tech NASDAQ index sank by nearly 1.0%. Two-year Treasuries rose to 4.72% and remained below the 5.06% yield peak. The sell-off spread to Europe and Asia. China intends to continue its Covid-Zero policy and this dashed investor hopes. Meanwhile, the market is focused on another central bank. The Fed made a 75 bps hike and the Bank of England is likely to follow suit. Although the interest rate in the UK is much worse than in the US, the regulator is not expected to give up its fight against inflation, even amid an expected severe recession in the economy. Yesterday, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell disappointed traders who had bet on a reversal, saying that the US economy remains resilient, which will continue to spur inflation. A similar situation occurred at the end of the summer of this year, when investors, encouraged by a bullish rally suffered huge losses. History repeats. Every time the market participants hope for a bit of dovish rhetoric, they watch the market crash and burn. While investors are concerned about the impact of the central bank's tightening policies on economic growth, Powell said there was no doubt that the committee was ready to raise rates as high as necessary at any time to calm inflation. ECB President Christine Lagarde also spoke today and warned that a moderate recession in the eurozone may be coming soon but it was not enough to stop price hikes. Meanwhile, the US dollar rose against risky assets. The British pound fell by more than 1%, as fears that the Bank of England's interest rate hike could worsen the situation in the economy increased. The rally in Chinese stocks also came to an end before it could begin amid rumors of Covid Zero cancellation. However, this rumor remained a rumor. Economists see a further sell-off in emerging markets in Asia as the US dollar is rising. Wheat prices fell after Russia agreed to renew a deal allowing the safe passage of Ukrainian crop exports. Oil fell after Powell's comments on interest rates overshadowed supply cuts. As for the technical picture of the S&P 500 index, after yesterday's decline, the demand for the index remains rather sluggish. Bulls need to protect the support of $3,735. As long as the trading instrument is trading above this level, we can expect the demand for the risky assets to come back if the US data occurs to be weak. This may strengthen the index and bring it back to the level of $3,773 under control, opening the way to the level of $3,808. If the price breaks through this level, it may start an upward correction and reach the resistance of $3,835. The next target is located at $3,861. If the index declines, bulls will have to show some activity at $3,735. If this level is pierced, the trading instrument may be pushed down to $3,699 and to a new support of $3,661.     Relevance up to 12:00 2022-11-04 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/326184
    Stocks: Roku's revenue much higher than expected. In Q3 new Roku accounts grew 2.3M

    Stocks: Roku's revenue much higher than expected. In Q3 new Roku accounts grew 2.3M

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 03.11.2022 15:55
    Roku cut Q4 revenue guidance by $94 million. ROKU stock has slid 20% on the outlook. ROKU share price is trading at January 2019 level. Roku (ROKU) stock appears ready to open on Thursday down a hefty 20%. The streaming company stock has sold off severely on the back of fourth-quarter guidance well below Wall Street's expectations. Management is now guiding for $800 million in Q4 revenue, while analysts had a consensus figure of $894 million. That latter consensus figure was already cut dramatically by about $300 million this year, so subsequent guidance below that level stunned the market. The share price of the pandemic favorite is now off 91% from its high of $490 back in July 2021. Roku earnings results For the third quarter, Roku delivered a GAAP earnings per share of $-0.88. This was much better than consensus of $-1.23 however. Revenue also outperformed earlier guidance, coming in at $761 million. That figure was about $68 million ahead of the forecast average. Revenue grew 12% YoY. Costs for the company ballooned, however. The Q3 operating loss of $147 million was much worse than the $69 million operating profit from Q3 2021. "Platform revenue was up 15% YoY to $670 million, representing 88% of total revenue," said CFO Steve Louden. "While platform revenue came in above our expectations and was a positive given the difficult macro environment, the advertising business continues to grow more slowly than our beginning of year forecast due to the current weakness in the overall TV ad market and the ad-scatter market in particular." Louden has found a successor CFO and will be leaving Roku shortly. Besides the worrisome lowered revenue guidance for Q4, management also said the fourth quarter loss could balloon to $-1.75, about 60 cents worse than earlier projections. Roku added 2.3 million new accounts during the third quarter for a total of 65.4 million. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), however, grew by just 15 cents to $44.25. This is much slower growth than shareholders had gotten used to. During the pandemic, ARPU rose as much as $12 YoY during some quarters. Roku stock forecast The 91% drop-off in Roku's share price is one of the worst performances of any large-cap stock during 2022's tyrannical bear market. Readers will remember that Roku stock actually peaked in July 2021 several months before many of its peers, which mostly peaked in November. By November of 2021, Roku stock had already reached oversold levels on the weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI). Now with its share price in the low $40s, Roku is trading at this price level for the first time since January 2019. There is only one historical support level here, which can be seen on the weekly chart below. The $27 price level was the December 2018 low four years ago. At this point, ROKU shares have been bouncing in and out of oversold levels for a year now, while the share price has continued to sink. At the moment ROKU is not even at oversold levels, because the RSI is "relative". There are no positives here. Despite Roku selling for two times the revenue, the chart leads us to believe that Roku will not bounce back anytime soon. ROKU weekly chart
    OPEC+ Meeting: Saudi Arabia Implements Deeper Voluntary Cuts to Boost Oil Prices

    Supply Outlook Of Crude Oil Remains Challenged | The Norges Bank (NB) Took The Dovish Path

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.11.2022 08:44
    Summary:  While the Fed surprised hawkish this week, most other central banks have been surprising dovish, with the latest being Bank of England which tried to cool down the aggressive market pricing for their terminal rate. Meanwhile, Norges Bank also took the less hawkish path, and this has made USD the king again with sterling suffering the heaviest blow. US stocks and bonds were lower, and oil prices, as well as precious metals, also suffered in the aftermath of Fed’s hawkish tilt. Focus turns to NFP today which should continue to suggest a tight labor market. What is happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continued to slide on hawkish Fed and weaker outlook U.S. stocks continued to adjust for the second day to the increased prospect of interest rates being higher for longer following Powell’s pushback to the market’s speculation for Fed pivot on Wednesday, with S&P falling 1.06% and Nasdaq 100 down 2%. For a discussion on the implication of Powell’s hawkish comments on equities, please refer to Peter Garnry’s article here. Information technology, falling 3%, was the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500 while energy, up 2%, and industrials, up 1% were the outperformers. Announcements of hiring or headcount freezes from Amazon (AMZN:xnas), Apple (AAPL:xnas), Lyft (LYFT:xnas), and Morgan Stanley stirred concerns among investors about the outlook of the economy and corporate earnings. After closing, Starbucks (SBUX:xnas) reported above expectations revenues and earnings while a number of software companies, including Atlassian (TEAM:xnas), Twilio (TWLO:xnys), Appian (APPN:xnas), missed revenues guidance. 10-year U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The U.S. yield curve bear flattened as the 2-year yield jumped to as high as 4.74%, before finishing the session at 4.71%, the highest level since 2007. It brought the 2-10 year spread to was wide as -58 and close at -56, the most inverted level in 40 years. The market has brought another 75bp hike in December back to the table, pricing in a slightly more than 50-50 chance. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Being hit by the double whammy of the reiteration from China’s National Health Commission that dynamic zero-Covid is the primary pandemic control strategy and a hawkish Fed Chair Powell hinting at higher terminal rates, Hang Seng Index tumbled 3.06% and the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) dropped 3.8% on Thursday. China Internet, EV, healthcare and property stocks dragged the benchmark indices lower. Following the hike by the U.S. Fed overnight, five leading commercial banks in Hong Kong raised their prime rates by 25bps. On the data front, Caixin China PMI Services came in at 48.4 in October (consensus: 49.0; Sep: 49.3), falling further into contractionary territory. CSI300 performed relatively more resilient and pared some losses in the afternoon to finish the day losing only 0.8%. Semiconductors, defence and basic chemicals gained. Buying emerged overnight in the U.S. hours, Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index jumped more than 3% and Hang Seng futures were nearly 1.5% higher from Hong Kong closing. FX: GBPUSD suffered on BOE-Fed differential The USD is seeing another leg higher not just on the back of Powell’s hawkishness this week, but also with the other central banks taking the less hawkish path. Both Norges Bank and BOE surprised dovish yesterday, in continuation of the trend that we have seen from Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada and the ECB earlier. GBPUSD fell over 2% to sub-1.12 on the announcement that BOE thinks market’s current pricing is too aggressive. December pricing is still at another 50bps rate hike but it won’t be a surprise if it is pulled lower after we had two dovish dissenters on Thursday. NOK saw a selloff as well, while USDJPY continues to find trouble to overcome 148.50 despite the fresh surge in US yields. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) worried about demand After a hawkish FOMC, commodity markets have once again started to focus on demand weakness that could come as a result of Fed’s rapid tightening pace. Meanwhile, any hopes of a recovery in Chinese demand have also been crushed for now with authorities still standing by their zero Covid strategy. WTI futures traded close to $88/barrel while Brent futures were below $95. Supply outlook remains challenged however going into the winter, with OPEC+ having announced production cuts followed by EU sanctions on Russian crude flows from December. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) to face short-term pressures Our Head of Commodity Strategy Ole Hansen wrote yesterday on how gold and silver turned sharply lower yesterday after Fed Chair Powell delivered a hammer-blow to sentiment across markets as he managed to both pull off the idea of the Fed may indeed soon pivot to a slower pace of rate hikes, but that any talk of a pause is “very premature”. Gold touched sub-1620 levels yesterday before a slight recovery later in the session while Silver took a look below $19. There is likely to be more pressure in the short term, but as yields get closer to a peak or as the possibility of central bank policy mistake increases, while inflation continues to run higher, the outlook for the precious metals could revert to being positive.   What to consider? Bank of England’s dovish hike The BOE hiked by 75bps to 3%, as expected by the consensus, but strongly pushed back against expectations for the scale of future moves, saying that the terminal rate priced in currently by the markets would induce a two-year recession. There were also two dovish dissenters at the meeting, one calling for 50bps rate hike and another for a mere 25bps. New forecasts were also released, which gave a particularly grim outlook for the economy, looking for a GDP print of -0.5% QoQ in Q3 2022 vs -0.1% expected in September. The inflation forecast now shows a peak around 11% in Q4, which is marginally hotter than the prior meeting’s projection. US weekly jobless claims tick lower, ISM services softened There was a slight decline in initial jobless claims to 217k from previous 218k, coming in marginally below the expected at 220k. Still, labor market remains tight despite some signs of cooling and continues to provide room to the Fed to continue its tightening cycle. Meanwhile, the ISM services index fell more than expected to 54.4 in October from 56.7 previously, however the prices paid gauge increased by 2% pts to 70.7 and remains elevated. Norges Bank hiked by 25bps With expectations split between a 25 or 50bps rate hike, Norges Bank took the dovish path as well despite a deteriorating inflation outlook. However, the Committee continues to place emphasis on the growth situation writing "there are signs that some areas of the economy are cooling down" and acknowledging the tightening effect that the higher policy rate is beginning to have. For the December gathering, the Committee points to a further hike being likely. Australia to double its Royal Australian Airforce cargo fleet in a $10 billion US military deal US officials are looking to approve the sale of $10 billion of iconic cargo aircraft, including 24 Hercules planes, to Australia. The US Defence Security Co-operation Agency says Australia is one of its most important allies in the western Pacific and its location and economic power ‘contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region’. Australia has operated the Hercules aircraft for decades, with the aircraft playing a major role in moving troops and equipment in and out of war zones and evacuating civilians after the fall of Kabul last year. It has also performed countless missions flying humanitarian supplies to countries hit by natural disasters. Australia trade surplus swells on surging energy exports Australia’s trade surplus swelled to $12.4 billion in September, smashing expectation of a $8.75 billion surplus. It comes as exports rose far than expected, up 7% vs the 1% consensus expected thanks to greater demand for mineral fuels for energy, while iron ore exports also rose. Imports remained unchanged month on month. Multiple reports of hiring freezes emphasizing margin pressures Apple paused all hiring for roles outside research and development. Amazon will pause new incremental hires in its corporate workforce, citing an "uncertain" economy and its recent hiring boom. Lyft will eliminate 13% of staff, or around 683 people.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-4-nov-04112022
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    On The New York Stock Exchange, Over 2000 Of Securities Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.11.2022 08:14
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.26%, the S&P 500 rose 1.36%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.28%.  Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Nike Inc, which gained 5.43 points (6.01%) to close at 95.83. Quotes Dow Inc rose by 2.52 points (5.41%), ending trading at 49.01. Caterpillar Inc rose 4.37% or 9.58 points to close at 228.84. The least gainers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 6.54 points or 4.47% to end the session at 139.79. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 5.46 points (1.00%) to close at 538.15, while Apple Inc shed 0.27 points (0.19%) to end at 138. 38.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc, which rose 11.53% to 35.20, Estee Lauder Companies Inc, which gained 8.69% to close at 210.62, as well as Newmont Goldcorp Corp, which rose 8.55% to end the session at 41.02. The least gainers were Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which shed 12.87% to close at 10.43. Shares of Live Nation Entertainment Inc shed 7.25% to end the session at 70.88. ServiceNow Inc lost 6.12% to 361.95. NASDAQ Among the components of the NASDAQ Composite Index today, the leaders of growth were Huadi International Group Co Ltd, which rose 70.26% to 180.00, Sentage Holdings Inc, which gained 34.54% to close at 4.09 , as well as shares of Digimarc Corporation, which rose 29.35% to close the session at 18.95. The least gainers were Pulmonx Corp, which shed 60.94% to close at 4.82. Shares of Funko Inc lost 59.38% and ended the session at 7.92. Quotes of Sensus Healthcare Inc decreased in price by 51.23% to 6.34. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2275) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (839), while quotes of 85 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2070 companies rose in price, 1658 fell, and 202 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.96% to 24.55, hitting a new monthly low. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 3.30%, or 53.90, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery rose 5.08%, or 4.48, to $92.65 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 4.24%, or 4.01, to $98.68 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 2.16% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY shed 1.12% to hit 146.60. Futures on the USD index fell 1.91% to 110.65.     Relevance up to 04:00 2022-11-08 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/299846
    China's Position On The Russo-Ukrainian War Confirmed At The G20 Meeting

    China Will Maintain Its Zero-Covid Policy | US Dollar (USD) Back Into Gains

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.11.2022 08:58
    Summary:  Speculation about China relaxing its stringent dynamic zero-Covid policy stirred up risk-on trades on global equities and commodities on Friday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index surged 5.4% and China’s CSI 300 rose 3.3%. A mixed job report brought about a choppy session in the U.S. and stocks managed to finish the day higher as materials and industrials rallied in the afternoon when Investors turned their focus to the China reopening notion and strength in commodities. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rebounded on Friday but were still down for the week Following a mixed job report, the U.S. equity markets had a choppy session on Friday, fluctuating between gains and losses, and finished the day higher. S&P500 gained 1.4% and Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.6%. For the week, however, S&P 500 was down 3.4% and Nasdaq 100 was 5.7% lower. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 gained on Friday, with materials having done the best and up 3.4%. Software names underperformed on earnings and revenue misses. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields were largely steady after the job report U.S. treasury yields surged initially on the stronger-than-expected non-farm payroll gain of 261K jobs in the establishment survey but pared the rise after the market focus shifted to the higher unemployment rate of 3.7% and a decline of 328K in employment in the household survey. The yield curve turned steeper notably, with the 2-year yield down 6bps to 4.66%, the 10-year yield up 1bp to 4.16%, and the 30-year yield jumping 7bps to 4.25%. The market is pricing in a 65% chance of a 50bp hike at the December FOMC and a terminal Fed Fund rate at around 5.1% next year. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied dramatically on reopening hope Stocks in Hong Kong and the mainland surged on intensification of speculation on relaxation (not abandoning but relaxing) of the dynamic zero-Covid policy, newswire stories reporting that the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has completed the first round of inspection on Chinese ADR ahead of schedule, and an article from Vice-Premier Liu He on the People’s Daily pledging to boost domestic aggregate demand.  Hang Seng Index jumped 5.4% and CSI300 surged 3.3%. Hang Seng China Enterprise Index surged 6% and China Internet stocks climbed 10% to 17%, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 11%, and Tencent (00700:hkxg) up 7.8%. FX: USD gains return as China asserts commitment to Zero Covid FX: USD gains return as China asserts commitment to Zero Covid With plenty of chatter last week about China’s reopening, commodity currencies had been supported with NZD leading the gains against the USD and being up over 2%. AUDUSD also surged above 0.6450 into the end of the week on hopes of a recovery in commodities demand. However, weekend reports from China’s Health Ministry confirmed that China will maintain its present zero-Covid regulations but improve the pandemic control measures, hinting that protracted lockdowns will be avoided. This has sent dollar back into gains this morning, with AUD and NZD leading the declines. GBPUSD also slid back to 1.1300 and EURUSD back at the 0.99 handle. Commodities rally Commodity screens all in the green on the back China reopening hopes. The Crude Oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) price rose 5% to $92.61, its highest level since August after rising 5.4% last week. Iron Ore (SCOA, SCOZ2) is up 1.6% today $87.30 after gaining 8.3% last week. The Copper price (HGA, HGZ2) rose 7.8% today, after rising 7.5% last week.   What to consider Mixed US jobs report to keep the Fed on a tightening path US NFP headline gains of 261k were above expectations of 200k but slowed from last month’s 315k which was revised higher from 263k. Job gains were broad-based with strong gains in healthcare, professional and business services and manufacturing. Wage growth also held up strongly, coming in at 0.4% MoM in October from 0.3% MoM previously although a tad softer on a YoY basis at 4.7% from 5.0% YoY previously. However, the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% from 3.5% (exp. 3.6%), although it was met with a 0.1% decline in the participation rate to 62.2%. However, with layoffs rising recently, especially in tech, it will be interesting to see how that impacts the headline NFP and the Fed tightening path in the months to come. Heightened anticipation of relaxation of the implementation of pandemic control in China Speaking at a meeting hosted by a U.S. investment bank last Friday, the former Chief Expert of Epidemiology of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the relaxation of pandemic control had already started and more would come, citing the resumption of state visits, sports events (e.g. the Beijing Marathon this Sunday), and relaxing PCR test requirements and starting to charge for the tests. At a press conference last Saturday, China’s National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention reiterated adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy. This may dampen somewhat investors’ optimism about reopening. Nonetheless, the Chinese health officials pledged at the same press conference to improve the implementation of the pandemic control measures so as to avoid massive and protracted lockdowns. China’s approval of BioNTech vaccine for foreigners living in mainland China also stirred up some anticipation of the possibility of allowing the more effective BioNTech vaccine to be available eventually beyond foreign residents. Stocks of interest to watch First up this week, Champion Iron (CIA) goes ex-dividend today, along with Macquarie (MGQ). National Australia Bank (NAB) is due to report results on Wednesday 9th. Mosaic (MOS) a fertilizer giant reports on Monday in the US. Walt Disney (DIS) reports 9th November. On with Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and Constellation Energy (CEG) report as well. Note Oxy and CEG are some of the US' best performers this year). Ralph Lauren (RL) reports on Thursday.    For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-7-nov-07112022
    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

    Maersk Expects The Eurozone Enter Into A Recession | iPhone's Demand Is Coming Down

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.11.2022 09:12
    Summary:  Traders witnessed a wild session on Friday as the market decided that the US data would not add any further risk of a hawkish Fed for now, helping risk sentiment to rebound sharply as US treasury yields eased a bit lower. The US dollar was pummeled for sharp losses, particularly against commodity currencies that rebounded on chatter of China moving to ease Covid restrictions, only to see those hopes dashed over the weekend. Focus this week on US October CPI release this Thursday.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities are holding up pretty well given the remarks on Wednesday from Fed Chair Powell and assessment by Larry Summers that the terminal rates probably should be closer to 6% than 5%. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 3,767 level with the index futures likely trying to attempt again to move to the 3,800 level, but our view is that tighter central bank policy will begin to impact US equities negatively again and the 3,600 level is our shorter-term target for S&P 500 futures. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities are up 13% from late September as European earnings have been better than expected and the energy situation has eased. But this optimistic view might be premature as the economic activity in the euro area is slowing down fast and the winter has not even started, so we do not know the true strength of the European energy market. Also, the idea that ECB will begin pausing is not credible as the inflationary pressures are very high and will force ECB to continue being more aggressive on policy rates. STOXX 50 futures are trading just above the 200-day moving average this morning at the 3,680 level, with some potential to move higher if the index futures can close above Friday’s close. But overall, we maintain that it is more likely that equities will begin to roll over here as central bank hawkishness on terminal rates will sink in. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) While China’s National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention reiterated its adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy at a press conference last Saturday, the health officials added that local governments should not unreasonably double down on the implementation and must ensure people’s livelihood and economic activities remain normal.  Investors took note of the above and recent signs of incremental flexibility in the implementation of pandemic control measures in China and saw the Hang Seng Index more than 3% higher as of writing. The resumption of large-scale sports events including the Beijing Marathon last Sunday, multinational sports events scheduled for 2023 such as Shanghai F1 and Hangzhou Asian Games, relaxation of PCR test requirements, increases in international flights, cancellation of circuit breaker for international flights, and approval of BioNTech vaccine for foreigners living in mainland China are among the factors cited by investors who anticipate gradual reopening in the coming months. Mainland A-shares’ reactions were more modest, with CSI300 climbing only 0.2%. FX: USD bounces back as China reasserts Zero Covid commitment after Friday’s huge sell-off The market absorbed Friday’s US data without further punishing US treasuries, as yields were capped and eased back. This saw the former USD strength reversing sharply to pronounced weakness Friday as risk sentiment also rebounded. Chatter late last week about China’s reopening added to brightening of sentiment. Commodity currencies had been supported with NZD leading the gains against the USD and being up over 2%. AUDUSD also surged above 0.6450 into the end of the week on hopes of a recovery in commodities demand. However, weekend reports from China’s Health Ministry confirmed that China will maintain its present zero-Covid regulations but improve the pandemic control measures, hinting that protracted lockdowns will be avoided. This has sent dollar back higher overnight, with AUD and NZD leading the declines, but this still appears merely a small consolidation of Friday’s weakening move. Focus this week on US CPI release on Thursday (more below). Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD) and copper (HGZ2) … all raced higher on Friday, before giving back some of those gains overnight. The China reopening story gained its own momentum last week and while the official line has not changed, the tone has softened (see HK and China update above).  The extended rally despite a stronger-than-expected US report was driven by copper which recorded its best day since 2009, rallying close to 8% and in the process breaking through several key levels of resistance, thereby triggering some extra buying momentum from traders, not positioned for a bounce. The strong surge fed through to silver, up 7% on day, which found its own momentum above $20 and finally also Gold which had its biggest jump since March 2020. It may still be too early to call for a reversal given continued worries about the global economic outlook and Fed action, but Friday’s action will force a rethink of whether the sell-into-strength strategy is still valid. China developments, the dollar and incoming US data will provide most of the answers to this question.  Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil trade lower following Friday’s strong gains with the market responding negatively to weekend headlines about zero-Covid policies being maintained in China. However, looking a bit deeper there is no doubt a softening approach is happening. The People’s Daily in an article on November 3 told people not to worry too much about “long Covid” ie the aftermath health problems from Covid while the health officials told local government not to make measures over stringent. With demand in China potentially starting to recover, the ill-timed OPEC+ production cut and EU sanctions against Russian crude is likely to keep the price risk focused to the upside, but with Brent failing to break above $98.75, and WTI above $93.65, the October highs, the market may spend the start of the week consolidating last week’s strong gains. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US Treasury yields dropped back slightly on Friday as the US data was not seen stoking additional fears of the Fed intensifying its hawkish stance further for now, with this Thursday’s CPI weighing more in the balance than the mixed jobs report Friday. Focus is on the 4.32% top in the US 10-year treasury benchmark yield and the 3.90% low-water mark of the recent consolidation lower. What is going on? Mixed US jobs report US NFP headline gains of 261k were above expectations of 200k but slowed from last month’s 315k which was revised higher from 263k. Job gains were broad-based with strong gains in healthcare, professional and business services and manufacturing. Wage growth also held up strongly, coming in at 0.4% MoM in October from 0.3% MoM previously although a tad softer on a YoY basis at 4.7% from 5.0% YoY previously. However, the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% from 3.5% (exp. 3.6%) on a rather weak Household Survey although it was met with a 0.1% decline in the participation rate to 62.2%. However, with layoffs rising recently, especially in tech, it will be interesting to see how that impacts the headline NFP and the Fed tightening path in the months to come. Apple lowers iPhone output by 3mn units The demand for iPhones is coming down and Apple is now announcing a cut of 3mn units as consumers are under pressure from inflation and might be extending the life of their old phones. Apple has recently hiked prices on some of its services aiming to offset the weakness in its hardware business. Meta to start layoffs according to WSJ Investors have been frustrated with Meta following the Q3 earnings release as Mark Zuckerberg has reinforced the image that he does not listen to the concerns of investors that Meta is spending too much capital on its metaverse bets. According to Wall Street Journal, Meta might have listened after all as the technology company is expected to begin laying off thousands of employees. Ryanair lifts passenger target If there is an airliner that can do well during a recession in Europe it is Ryanair and the first half result this morning is a bit better than expected and the airliner expects net income of €1-1.2bn in the FY23 (ending 31 March). The Danish shipping giant Maersk sees the world entering a recession Maersk cut its forecasts for container demand this year. The drop is expected to reach minus 2 to 4 %. This matters because the company is often seen as a barometer for global trade. This is explained by well-known factors we have mentioned several times here: high inflation across the board, structural energy crisis in Europe, the geopolitical tensions and higher cost of capital. All of this weighs on consumer purchasing power and can potentially cause a global recession. Maersk expects the eurozone to be already or to enter into a recession, and potentially the United States as well. At Saxo Bank, we share this view, especially regarding the recession risk in the eurozone. Last week, ECB governor Martins Kazaks (which is seen as a hawk) acknowledged that the eurozone recession is now the baseline. This was the first time that an ECB governing council member said that officially.  The number of penny stocks is increasing on Euronext Paris With the significant equity drop that started earlier this year, many stocks are now close to zero. In Euronext Paris, the number of listed companies with stock value below 0.01 euro has jumped in recent months. For instance: Pharnext (biopharmaceutical company), NFTY (NFT and blockchain marketing services), Safe (specialized in the design and manufacture of medical devices) etc. Retail investors need to be very careful regarding small caps investment (especially when the valuation of the company is below 100 million euros). There are a lot of stocks that are not liquid enough and can represent a high risk of losses. What are we watching next? US inflation to test the 8% level, watch core and stickier components Bloomberg consensus expects US October CPI to drop below the 8% mark and come in at 7.9% YoY from 8.2% previously, but still higher at 0.6% MoM from 0.4% in September. The core measure is also expected to ease slightly to 6.5% YoY, 0.5% MoM (prev. 6.6% YoY, 0.6% MoM) but still remain elevated compared to historical levels. Key to watch also will be the drivers of inflation, particularly the stickier shelter and services costs, which if stuck higher could move the December Fed funds future pricing more towards another 75bps rate hike, resulting in another round of selloff in equities and dollar gains. However, with another CPI report due before the next Fed meeting in December, market impact of this week’s report will likely remain restrained unless a major deviation from expectations is seen. For this week’s CPI data, we will be watching the USD, and bond yields, which may be expected to rally up if the data is hotter than expected. US mid-term elections tomorrow Pundits suggest that the Republicans have very strong odds of flipping the House of Representatives in their favour, while the odds look finely balanced for whether the Senate ends retaining the slim Democratic majorities. Republicans taking both houses has few immediate ramifications, as US President Biden has the presidential veto, but a stronger than expected Democratic showing that somehow sees them retaining the House and strengthening their Senate majority would be a game changer – opening for more policy dynamism (and inflation from fiscal stimulus) from the US over the next two years rather than the expected lame-duck presidency. Uncertainty is high as pollsters have had a hard time gathering accurate indications for the election results since Trump’s victory in 2016. Earnings to watch The Q3 earnings season is slowing down this week but there are still important earnings releases to watch in certain industries or equity themes. Today our earnings focus is Ryanair, Palantir, and SolarEdge. Palantir is part of the technology segment that has been hit hard on valuations and with revenue growth slowing down and a negative EBITDA in Q2 the pressure is on Palantir to deliver a credible path to profitability; analysts expect 21% y/y revenue growth. Solar panel growth is still high and SolarEdge is enjoying this tailwind with revenue expected to grow 57% y/y and EPS up 57% y/y to $1.46. Monday: Westpac Banking, Coloplast, Ryanair (see earnings review above), Activision Blizzard, BioNTech, Palantir Technologies, SolarEdge Technologies Tuesday: Bayer, Deutsche Post, KE Holdings, Nintendo, Walt Disney, Occidental Petroleum, Lucid Group, DuPont Wednesday: National Australia Bank, KBC Group, Genmab, Siemens Healthineers, E.ON, Adidas, Honda Motor, Coupang, Rivian Automotive, Roblox, DR Horton, Trade Desk Thursday: Brookfield Asset Management, Fortum, Engie, Credit Agricole, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, SMIC, Nexi, AstraZeneca, ArcelorMittal, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Becton Dickinson, NIO Friday: Richemont Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – Germany September Industrial Production Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-7-2022-07112022
    US Inflation Rises but Core Inflation Falls to Two-Year Low, All Eyes on ECB Rate Decision on Thursday

    Saxo Bank's Podcast: Discussion On US Consumer Credit Growth, China Is In Focus Over Its Covid Situation

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.11.2022 11:54
    Summary:  Today we step back and look at last week's price action and especially after the FOMC rate decision. China is in focus over supposedly easing its Covid restrictions lifting copper and other industrial metals including emerging market equities. The USD also seems to be rolling over in the short-term easing financial conditions a bit and lifting risk sentiment. On the macro side, we discuss US consumer credit growth and what it means for the cycle and we highlighting the plunge in European economic activity over the past three months. On equities, we discuss rumoured Meta layoffs and Apple cutting its iPhone production target. Today's podcast features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-7-2022-07112022
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    Australia’s Consumer Sentiment Dropped | USA: A Stronger Than Expected Democratic Showing

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.11.2022 08:39
    Summary:  Equities extended their rebound from post-Powell lows on Monday with China reopening reports not taking any clear direction. US treasury yields jumped higher, but more so on a heavy corporate calendar rather than macro-driven, and dollar continued to slip for a second consecutive day. Asian economic data sending some warnings signs with China export/import growth turning red and Australian confidence dropping to fresh lows. US midterms ahead, and a clean Republican sweep can be further dollar negative. Earnings focus on Walt Disney in the day ahead. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rose with tech and energy leading gains Ahead of the U.S. midterm election, equity market sentiments maintained a risk-on tone. Both S&P 500 and NASDAQ rose about 1%.  Community services, energy, and information technology led gains while utilities were the largest loser in S&P 500. On corporate news, Meta (META:xnas) gained 6.5% after the company announced plans to cut staff. Viatris (VTRS:xnas) surged 13% after the pharma company agreed to acquire Oyster Point (OYST:xnas). Lyft (LYFT:xnas) plunged 15% in extended-hour trading after reporting weaker-than expected ridership growth. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), losing 5%, dragged the benchmarks indices most. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edged higher on incoming supply Yields across the treasury curve rose around 6bps ahead of refunding auctions of the 3-year notes, 10-year notes, and 30-year bonds for a total of USD96 billion from Tuesday to Thursday. A rise of 16bps across the pond in the 2-year UK Gilt yield also added to the pressure on treasuries. Investors will be watching closely the U.S. mid-term election on Tuesday and CPI on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) continued to rally on China reopening hopes Stocks in Hong Kong shrugged off the headlines about China’s National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention reiterating adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy over the weekend. Investors took note that the health officials added that local governments should not unreasonably double down on the implementation and must ensure people’s livelihood and economic activities remain normal.  In addition, the resumption of large-scale sports events, relaxation of PCR test requirements, increases in international flights, cancellation of circuit breaker for international flights, and approval of BioNTech vaccine for foreigners living in mainland China were among the factors cited by street analysts in their reports anticipating gradual reopening in the coming months. The Hang Seng Index rose for the second day in a row, finishing 2.7% higher. Financials outperformed, with HKEX (00388:xhkg) up 5.4%, HSBC (00005:xhkg) up 3.7%, and AIA (01299:xhkg) up 3.3%,  China property names surged on better-than-expected home sales data from some tier-1 cities. Country Garden (02007:xhkg), up 11%, was the top gainer in the Hang Seng Index. Despite Apple (AAPL:xnas) cutting iPhone production, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) jumped 11%. MMG (01208:xhkg) surged 16%, following the removal of blockage by locals to the company’s copper mine in Peru. Zinjin Mining (02899:xhkg), up 10.3%, announced to buy a 20% stake in Zhaojin Mining (01818:xhkg), up 9.7%.  China’s October trade data came in weaker than expected but it did not have much impact on the market on Monday. FX: Dollar’s decline extends despite rise in 10-year yields The US 10-year yields rose to last week’s post-Powell highs at 4.20%+, but the dollar tumbled for a second day in a row to drop to over one-week lows. Dollar decline was broad-based, against all G10 currencies barring the loonie. Gains were led by sterling, with GBPUSD above 1.1500 and EURGBP also sliding lower to 0.8700. EUR benefitted from the weaker dollar which helped EURUSD rise above parity from lows of 0.9900 even as President Lagarde reiterated her usual tone noting inflation must be brought back down to 2%. Midterms bring further volatility risks to FX, with a clean Republican sweep likely being dollar negative as yields will likely plunge amid speculation of a hamstrung administration limiting scope for fiscal support.    Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) lower despite dollar weakness Oil prices ended lower as hopes of China easing its zero covid policy faded, even as near-term supply constraints continued to limit the slide. OPEC has begun reducing output in line with the agreement to reduce quotas by 2mb/d at its last meeting. The market is also facing the deadline for European imports of Russian oil before sanctions kick in on 5 December. This has left fuel inventories tight, with Brent crude oil futures still below $100 per barrel and WTI futures staying above $91. Meanwhile, US natural gas futures soared on cold weather fears in the West and the Northeast. December natural gas futures contracts climbed as much as 12.8% to $7.22 per MMBtu before trimming the advance later. Copper (HGZ2) trimmed last week’s gains Copper reversed back to $3.60 after racing to $3.70+ levels on Friday on China reopening optimism. However, reports that China would stick with its adherence to strict virus controls, made the metal reverse some gains. Weak economic data also weighed on sentiment with China’s imports of Copper ore down and overall imports also unexpectedly falling for the first time in more than two years. Gold (XAUUSD) held steady despite the lower USD, and it may still be quite early to call a reversal in the short-term downtrend.   What to consider US mid-term elections to spook market volatility Pundits suggest that the Republicans have very strong odds of flipping the House of Representatives in their favour, while the odds look finely balanced for whether the Senate ends retaining the slimmest of Democratic majorities. Republicans taking both houses has few immediate ramifications, as US President Biden has the presidential veto, but a stronger than expected Democratic showing that somehow sees them retaining the House and strengthening their Senate majority would be a game changer – opening for more policy dynamism from the US over the next two years rather than the expected lame-duck presidency. Uncertainty is high as pollsters have had a hard time gathering accurate indications for the election results since Trump’s victory in 2016. China’s October trade data disappointed China’s exports in USD terms declined 0.3% Y/Y in October, much worse than the growth of 4.5% expected in the Bloomberg survey and the 5.7% in September. It was the first decline in export growth since May 2020 and might point to a turning point of deceleration in exports as the global economy slowed. If adjusting for inflation in export prices, the decline of China’s exports would be even larger in the real term. Imports in USD terms declined 0.7% Y/Y (vs consensus 0.0%, Sept: +0.3%). Bank of Japan affirms easy policy, but not without some mention of a future exit The Bank of Japan released summary of opinions of the October policy meeting today, broadly reaffirming the easy monetary policy stance. Still some members stuck a slightly different tone, noting that Japan's inflation likely to remain fairly high as there are signs service prices starting to rise, and “cannot rule out chance prices will sharply overshoot forecasts.” Still, sustained wage gains remained the base case for Japan to achieve its price target and members agreed that there was no immediate need to tweak monetary policy. Importantly, one member noted that the Bank of Japan must continue examining how a future exit from ultra-low interest rates could affect financial markets, in a rare mention of an exit. Big slump in Australian business and consumer confidence Australia’s consumer sentiment tumbled to its lowest level in 2.5 years and business confidence also weakened as higher interest rates and surging inflation stoke caution over the economic outlook. NAB business confidence plunged to 0 from 5 in September, while the Westpac consumer confidence index was down to 78 for November from 83.7 previously. This bodes ill for spending ahead, suggesting RBA’s caution on rate hikes may continue to prevail despite the continued hot CPI reports. Walt Disney earnings ahead Walt Disney is scheduled to report on Tuesday with analysts expecting Q4 (ending 30 September) revenue growth of 15% y/y but EBITDA at $3bn down from $3.86bn in Q3 highlighting the ongoing margin pressure. Layoffs are coming to Meta and Apple cuts iPhone production The demand for iPhones is coming down and Apple is now announcing a cut of 3mn units as consumers are under pressure from inflation and might be extending the life of their old phones. Apple has recently hiked prices on some of its services aiming to offset the weakness in its hardware business. Meanwhile, investors have been frustrated with Meta following the Q3 earnings release as Mark Zuckerberg has reinforced the image that he does not listen to the concerns of investors that Meta is spending too much capital on its metaverse bets. According to Wall Street Journal, Meta might have listened after all as the technology company is expected to begin laying off thousands of employees. Read our equity strategist Peter Garnry’s note here.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-8-nov-08112022
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    All Eyes On The US Midterm Elections | Republicans Are Favoured To Take The House

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 08.11.2022 10:08
    Investors are tense and undecided into the US midterm elections today.Joe Biden had a rough time since he is in office: he Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the global energy crisis, the skyrocketing inflation, a pitilessly tighter Federal Reserve (Fed) policy, rising mortgage rates… all these factors will weight on the wrong side of the balance for Democrats at today’s election. The consensus expectation is a divided government between White House and Congress. Republicans are favoured to take the House and have at least 50/50 seats at Senate. What does that mean for the US monetary and fiscal policies, the financial markets, and the dollar? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:20 US midterm elections: what to expect? 2:03 Impact on the Fed policy & USD 5:41 Impact on the fiscal policy & USD 7:34 Impact on stocks Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #midterm #election #2022 #USD #JPY #EUR #Gbp #CHF #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    China: PMI positively surprises the market

    Podcast: China Is Set To Ease Up On Its Covid Restrictions, Eyes On The USA

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.11.2022 11:53
    Summary:  Today we look at markets as we await US elections today and the US CPI data print on Thursday, all while everyone has very twitchy trading fingers on hopes that China is set to ease up on its Covid restrictions. We also discuss the simultaneous decline in bond market and equity market volatility and ask which asset class might be more attractive. Equity sentiment has improved sharply and is near six-month highs. In commodities, we zero in on nat-gas, gold, cocoa and coffee. Stocks to watch, including Tesla, upcoming earnings from Disney and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-8-2022-08112022
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    The Dow Jones Hit A Monthly High, The S&P 500 Index Also Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.11.2022 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.02% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 index grew 0.56%, the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 0.49%. Dow Jones Amgen Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 15.37 points or 5.55% to close at 292.39. Quotes Boeing Co jumped by 4.71 points (2.86%), closing at 169.62. American Express Company rose 2.19% or 3.22 points to close at 150.20. The worst performers were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which shed 0.30 points or 0.78% to end the session at 38.29. The Walt Disney Company was up 0.53 points (0.53%) to close at 99.90, while Chevron Corp was down 0.27 points (0.15%) to close at 185. 34. S&P 500 The top performers in the S&P 500 index today were SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which surged 19.13% to 251.73, Expeditors International of Washington Inc, which gained 9.06% to close at 104.40, as well as Welltower Inc, which increased by 8.22% to end the session at 66.51. The least gainers were Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, which shed 13.68% to close at 93.57. Shares of Medtronic PLC lost 6.25% to end the session at 80.19. Quotes of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc decreased in price by 4.96% to 91.41. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Taskus Inc, which rose 37.22% to hit 22.01, GrowGeneration Corp, which gained 35.05% to close at 4.47, and Skywater Technology Inc, which rose 31.60% to end the session at 11.37. The least gainers were Bioventus Inc, which shed 57.51% to close at 3.00. Shares of R1 RCM Inc lost 49.76% and ended the session at 7.41. Quotes of Athersys Inc decreased in price by 43.36% to 1.28. The numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1834) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1256), while quotes of 125 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,894 stocks fell, 1,771 rose, and 259 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 4.89% to 25.54. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 2.15%, or 36.20, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 2.83%, or 2.60, to $89.19 a barrel. Brent futures for January delivery fell 2.39%, or 2.34, to $95.58 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD climbed 0.56% to hit 1.01, while USD/JPY fell 0.73% to hit 145.55. Futures on the USD index fell 0.46% to 109.49.     Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/300198
    The French Housing Market Is More Resilient | The Chance Of Republicans Winning The Senate Is Up

    The French Housing Market Is More Resilient | The Chance Of Republicans Winning The Senate Is Up

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.11.2022 08:31
    Summary:  Risk sentiment remained upbeat despite the fallout in the crypto world as equities focused on the results of the midterm elections. Bitcoin made fresh YTD lows in the wake of Binance's acquisition of FTX. But US yields and the dollar tumbled, helping Gold and Silver to run higher breaking some key resistances. Another surge in China’s Covid cases still kept a check on gains in oil prices, and focus today will be on inflation data from China. Disney’s disappointing results further add to this quarter’s earnings misery, and Rivian and Roblox report today. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) closed higher in a choppy session A political gridlock with a divided Congress after mid-term elections was historically positive for the equity market. S&P 500 gained nearly 1.4% and Nasdaq 100 rose as much as 2% at one point before paring all the gains and more in the early afternoon, dragged by a selloff in the crypto space. Stocks managed to bounce in the late afternoon and recover some of the early gains, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 finishing a volatile session 0.6% and 0.8% higher respectively. Lyft (LYFT:xnas) tumbled 23% after weak rider growth was reported the day before. Walt Disney (DIS:xnys) plunged 6.4% in extended-hours trading on earnings miss which was dragged by weak streaming results. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell on hopes for political gridlock and strong demand in the 3-year auction US treasury yields fell 4bps to 9bps across the curve with the best performance in the 5-year to 10-year segment, with the 10-year yield down 9bps to to 4.12%. Anticipations of political gridlock in Washington that historically restrained fiscal policies saw buying in treasuries. Demand in the 3-year auction was solid with awarded yields stopped at more than 1bp richer from the time right before the auction. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) took a pause as Covid cases surged The China reopening trade took a pause in Hong Kong and the mainland bourses as domestically transmitted new cases in the mainland doubled to 7,455. Guangzhou, the capital city of the Southern Guangdong province reported 2,377 new cases and launched mandatory testing in 9 of the 11 districts of the city, and extended the lockdown of Haizhu district to Friday. Hang Sang Index fell 0.2% and CSI300 lost 0.7%. China’s passenger vehicle sales growth slowed in October to +7.3% Y/Y but new energy vehicles sales, rising 75% Y/Y, remained solid. However, EV stocks declined, with NIO (09866:xhkg) falling the most, down 9% following analysts cutting price targets on the stock. Among China internet names, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) underperformed, losing 3.7%. Macau casino stocks were the top performers, rising 2% to 4%, following Macau’s decision to relax entrance rules for some visa holders starting Sunday. FX: Weaker dollar and lower yields amid an expected Republican sweep Expectations of a split Congress saw lower US yields and further USD selling on Tuesday, and eyes are now on US CPI due later this week. Meanwhile, the crypto fallout in the wake of FTX being acquired by Binance sparked a wave of volatility. Yen gained with USDJPY falling below 146. EUR gained a firmer footing above parity amid the latest ECB rhetoric including from de Guindos who noted they will continue raising rates to levels that ensure price stability, while ECB's Nagel said he will do his utmost to make sure the ECB does not let up in the inflation fight and said that large rate hikes are necessary. GBPUSD also reclaimed 1.15 handle. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) slid with API inventory build WTI futures slid below the key $90 mark on Tuesday and Brent slid to $95 despite a weaker dollar as a fresh surge in China’s Covid cases further sparked concerns on whether China will part ways with its Zero Covid policy. Xinjian reported its fourth highest number of new cases nationally on Monday. Inner Mongolia, which was sealed off in early October, saw cases jump to almost 1800. New infections in the province of Henan almost doubled. Meanwhile, supply concerns eased with API inventory build coming in larger than expected with crude oil inventory up 5.6mm barrels last week and gasoline inventory also coming in higher. Still, US EIA also cut its 2023 oil production estimate to 12.31mm barrels/day, suggesting structural supply concerns are here to stay. Copper (HGZ2), Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) The weakness in the dollar drove metals higher. Copper led the base metals sector higher on dwindling inventories amid positive signs for demand, challenging the September high of $3.6925 once again, ahead of $3.78. Bold move higher in gold and silver as well last night with renewed USD weakness, with the most notable being gold up at one-month highs breaking through $1680/85. A break above $1735 would likely confirm a low in the market. Silver finding some technical resistance here at $21.50 but the break above $21.15 has opened up for a move to $22.25.   What to consider Republicans likely in a strong position in the US mid-term elections Looking at the latest odds on Predictit, the chance of Republicans taking the House is up to 95% from 90% earlier. The chance of them winning the Senate is up to 83% from 74% earlier. All the closest races have tilted towards the Republicans as well. It can take several days to confirm which party will prevail, especially in the Senate. More so if we go to recounts, where the votes cast in a close race are retabulated to verify the initial results. A split Congress, as we wrote yesterday, lowers the expectation of fiscal support measures thereby leading to investors expecting a sooner Fed pivot again. This can spark a further tactically rally in equities and will likely be USD negative. Risk of a contagion in the crypto market After a weeklong dispute between crypto exchanges Binance and FTX, the former is set to acquire FTX, stating a significant liquidity crunch for FTX. This may fuel further contagion throughout the crypto market, as not only FTX but also Alameda Research - the highly linked trading firm to FTX - may be insolvent. Our crypto analyst expects increased volatility in the next couple of days and weeks. Further, this may lead to contagion across the crypto market as experienced in May and June this year, so in our view, traders and investors in the crypto market should act cautiously in the foreseeable future. Likewise, Bitcoin's correlation with NASDAQ has been record-high throughout this year - and relatively high today. Please be aware that the development of crypto may impact particularly NASDAQ. Read more here. China’s PPI and CPI are expected to slow in October China’s PPI is expected to fall -1.5% Y/Y in October vs +0.9% Y/Y in September, due to the high base last year resulting from increases in material and energy prices. Unlike other major economies, CPI in China is expected to slow to +2.4% Y/Y in October from +2.8% in September. Walt Disney reported disappointing FYQ4 results Walt Disney reported FYQ4 revenue at USD20.2 billion, about USD1 billion below street consensus estimates. Adjusted EPS declined to 30 cents, missing substantially the Bloomberg consensus of 51 cents. Subscriptions rose to 164.2 million in FYQ4, up 12 million from 152 million in FYQ3, beating expectations. The operating loss in the direct-to-consumer segment, driven by the Disney+ streaming service, however, jumped to USD1.47 billion in FYQ4 from USD1.05 billion in FYQ3. The management told analysts that they expect the direct-to-consumer segment losses “to narrow going forward and that Disney+ will still achieve profitability in fiscal 2024, assuming [they] do not see a meaningful shift in the economic climate.” France’s housing market is cooling down The combination between high inflation across the board (CPI hovering close to 6% on a year-on-year basis), lower purchasing power and higher interest rates is pushing housing prices down in France. According to the real estate promoter Century21 (one of the leading player in this market), real estate prices went down under the threshold of 10.000 Є per square meter in Paris. The deceleration in prices is however limited so far. Contrary to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Hong Kong, the parisian housing market is not in a situation of a speculative bubble. Prices are overvalued however. Expect prices to go down a bit more due to a drop in solvent demand. But we won't see a large decrease in prices as it is currently happening in several major cities in the United States, for instance. The French housing market is more resilient for mostly two main reasons: fixed interest rates and a comparatively low household debt (it represents about 124% of net disposable household income versus a peak at 249% in Denmark). For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-9-nov-09112022
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    Investors Continue To Watch Events Unfold In The USA

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 09.11.2022 12:16
    Equity markets are mixed on Wednesday as investors continue to watch events unfold in the US for a sense of what impact they’ll have on sentiment. The impact of the midterms will probably be short-lived, if impactful at all, as far as markets are concerned. Of course, the political implications may be significant if Democrats can manage to retain control of the House and Senate but at this stage, only one of those looks plausible which means deadlock in Washington. The bigger takeaway from the election may well be what support there is for Trump-backed candidates and what that does for his own re-election hopes in two years. But that’s unlikely to sway the markets now, not with so much else to focus on. Investors are more focused on the inflation data on Thursday and whether that will pave the way for a slower pace of tightening in December and early next year. There’s unease about the central bank’s views on the terminal rate but those could abate if we see a favourable inflation number tomorrow. Turmoil at FTX sees cryptos plunge For a long time, bitcoin has aligned itself with broader risk appetite in the markets but it goes without saying that Tuesday was not one of those days. Cryptocurrencies have been pummeled at the start of the week with bitcoin down almost 20% in two days at one stage amid concerns over FTX and the implications for the FTT token. Alameda’s balance sheet is a major factor in those fears which has seen that pain spread to Solana, with contagion fears dragging on the crypto space as a whole. Bitcoin fell to a near-two-year low at one stage and is down almost 3% again today. Nervy days ahead for cryptos as Binance looks to come to the rescue. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
    UK Labor Market Shows Signs of Loosening as Unemployment Rises: ONS Report

    Jim Cramer: "The Digitizers And Disruptors Are Being Burned"

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 09.11.2022 11:38
    While the markets are waiting for the US CPI report, other important events take place. Deutsche Bank is successful and the IMF has signed an agreement. Attention is also focused on the US elections. In this article: The agreement US elections: Gretchen Whitmer won Deutsche Bank Affirm situation Refuse new reality Agreement at staff level IMF tweets about an agreement between IMF staff and the Bangladesh authorities. IMF staff and the Bangladesh authorities have reached a staff-level agreement to preserve macroeconomic stability, build climate resilience, and support strong, inclusive growth, while protecting the vulnerable. Learn more here: https://t.co/L62a73m1q8 pic.twitter.com/hIvVr9MiCU — IMF (@IMFNews) November 9, 2022 Agreement is always important for the general good. Bangladesh's new program supported by the Fund aims to maintain macroeconomic stability and foster strong, inclusive and green growth, while protecting vulnerable people. Such cooperation may have a positive result in the economic field, which will translate into the standard of living in Bangladesh. Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won a second term CNBC Now writes about Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer in its post Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer defeats Trump pick Tudor Dixon, winning a second term, NBC News projects https://t.co/zSdVIGOE4s — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) November 9, 2022 The topic of the US elections is closely watched. There are forecasts, expectations and sepulations. The news posted by autroa tweet is important because The election marked the first time that women have been at the top of the ticket for both major parties in Michigan. The top volume performers in the Securities Lending In its last post Deutsche Bank write about further successes. Deutsche Bank wins @BSEIndia's top volume performer in Securities Lending and Borrowing award for the fifth consecutive year. Read more: https://t.co/GxyU2RB203#SecuritiesServices — Deutsche Bank (@DeutscheBank) November 8, 2022  Deutsche Bank was ranked among the top volume performers in the Securities Lending and Borrowing (SLB) segment by the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Another year in a row, the bank shows its strong position. Some time ago I wrote that the bank is developing in terms of modern forms of payment. We are now finding out that it is once again a leader in another sector in the field of securities lending. Successes and development favor a stronger positioning of the bank. It will also increase the trust of customers and may attract new ones. Read more: Deutsche Bank Continues To Grow | A Look At The US Public Debt| FXMAG.COM Pay later is ineffective Peter Schiff tweets about Affirm. So #Affirm is tanking 20% after hours (down over 92% from its 2021 high) to a new low on an earnings miss. Buy now, pay later doesn't work. Who would have thunk it? Wait until all the people who bought now can't pay later. That's when $AFRM goes from loan now, to bankrupt later. — Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) November 8, 2022 The author of the tweet describes the current situation. He emphasizes that the method to crash afterwards can have very undesirable consequences. It will also indicate that if people who buy now with the option to pay later, they may not have the funds to do so. From a logical point of view, it makes sense, because if you don't have money now, then how can you get it later? Underlining that such action may lead to bankruptcy is important information for investors who pay attention not only to the results but also to the actions. The market’s distaste for tech stocks Mad Money On CNBC tweets about CNBC's Jim Cramer’s comment on the stock market .@JimCramer also warned that many investors refuse to embrace the “new reality” of the market’s distaste for tech stocks. https://t.co/i3tdSNJvSF — Mad Money On CNBC (@MadMoneyOnCNBC) November 9, 2022 Jim Cramer is closely monitoring the developments in the stock market. His statements are a valuable source of information. According to the author of the tweet, the expert emphasizes that the actions of technology companies are not doing well. Tech companies have become more popular with investors, but are currently not the best place to invest. An expert's indication of which companies are doing better and which are worse may significantly affect investment decisions, as well as the situation of companies.
    In Crypto, You Could Prove You Own A Private Key Without Revealing It

    Saxo Bank's Podcast: Huge Liquidity Pressures In The Crypto Space

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.11.2022 12:41
    Summary:  Today we look at the US mid-term election results, where the House looks set to flip Republican and the Senate may go down to a December 6th run-off in Georgia (as in 2020 and providing fodder for election denier conspiracy theories, etc...) but either way cementing the lame duck second half of Biden's presidency. Elsewhere, we look at the massive gold rally yesterday, in part on huge liquidity pressures in the crypto space that have prices tumbling there. Also, Tesla, Disney, stocks to watch, the USD on edge ahead of critical CPI release tomorrow and more on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app:           If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-9-2022-09112022
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    The Number Of Securities That Fell Exceeded The Number Of Those That Closed In Positive Territory

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 10.11.2022 08:25
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.95%, the S&P 500 fell 2.08%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 2.48%. Dow Jones Merck & Company Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 0.09 points (0.09%) to close at 101.59. Quotes of McDonald's Corporation fell by 0.61 points (0.22%) to end trading at 277.79. Procter & Gamble Company lost 0.33 points or 0.24% to close at 136.48. The least gainers were Walt Disney Company, which fell 13.15 points or 13.16% to end the session at 86.75. Chevron Corp was up 4.00% or 7.41 points to close at 177.93 while Dow Inc was down 3.97% or 1.97 points to close at 47.68. . S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Akamai Technologies Inc, which rose 6.19% to hit 89.08, Gen Digital Inc, which gained 6.01% to close at 22.92, and also shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, which rose 5.67% to end the session at 403.49. The least gainer was Walt Disney Company, which shed 13.16% to close at 86.75. Shares of Occidental Petroleum Corporation shed 9.22% to end the session at 67.93. Quotes Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd fell in price by 8.74% to 15.77. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 212.75% to 12.51, Outset Medical Inc, which gained 29.90% to close at 14.90, and also shares of Neurobo Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 29.60% to close the session at 1.62. The least gainers were Clovis Oncology Inc, which shed 71.62% to close at 0.28. Shares of Telos Corp lost 68.84% and ended the session at 3.44. Quotes of Athersys Inc decreased in price by 56.45% to 0.56. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2539) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (564), while quotes of 97 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,848 stocks fell, 900 rose, and 221 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.15% to 9/26. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.44% or 7.60 to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 3.77%, or 3.35, to $85.56 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 3.15%, or 3.00, to $92.36 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD was down 0.62% to hit 1.00, while USD/JPY was up 0.52% to hit 146.41. Futures on the USD index rose 0.75% to 110.37.   Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-11 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/300382
    Meta Is Cutting Discretionary Spendings And Extending Its Freeze On Hiring

    Meta Is Cutting Discretionary Spendings And Extending Its Freeze On Hiring

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.11.2022 09:12
    Summary:  Risk sentiment took a beating again as the midterms fever faded with a lack of a Republican wave, and focus shifted back to the crypto turmoil and continued surge in Covid cases in China. Tech layoffs also took another step up with Meta slashing 13% of its workforce. USD gained despite lower US yields as it is likely turning more risk-sensitive than yield-sensitive, but focus on US CPI will add to some caution ahead of the release. A hotter-than-expected core print will likely bring the focus back on Fed’s hawkishness. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) dropped on crypto selloff, earnings disappointment, lower oil prices, and midterm elections S&P 500 plunged 2.1% and Nasdaq fell 2.4%. The sell0ff was board based with all 11 sectors of the S&P 500 in the red. The energy sector was the worst performer, falling 4.9% as crude oil prices down nearly 4% on rising US inventory levels. The collapse in crypto prices deepened, following Binance’s decision to walk away from its short-lived takeover bid for the ailing FTX. Robinhood Markets (HOOD:xnas) fell 13.8% as investors were concerned if FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried might liquidate his 7.5% stake in Robinhood. Disney (DIS:xnys) plunged 13.2% on disappointing earnings. Meta Platforms (META:xnas) gained 5.2% after the company announced to layoff 13% of its employees to cut costs. US treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell in a mixed session U.S. treasuries, in particular, the frontend of the curve were supported by selloff in equities and crypto, dovish comments from Fed Evans, and strong rallies in the European bond markets, seeing 2-year yields down 7bps to 4.58%, and 10-year yields falling 3bps to 4.09%. European bond yields dropped on the news that Russia was withdrawing its troops from Kherson, a Ukrainian regional capital city annexed by Russia less than two months ago. Chicago Fed president Charles Evans, who is retiring, said in an interview that there are “benefits to adjusting the pace as soon as” the Fed can and the Fed should not keep raising rates by a large amount every time on disappointing economic data. The 10-year auction did poorly with weak demand from investors but the market managed to shrug it off and had a strong close. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The China reopening trade continued to fade on Wednesday as new domestically transmitted cases surged further to 8,176 the day before. Hang Seng Index retreated 1.2% and CSI 300 slid 0.9%. China’s CPI fell to 2.1% Y/Y and PPI declined 1.3% Y/Y in October, signaling weak domestic demand. Share prices of Chinese developers however surged, following Chinese authorities saying that they were expanding an existing credit support programme by RMB250 billion to help private enterprises, including developers, in raising debts, by providing debt insurance or bond buying. Country Garden (02007:xhkg), up 13.9%, Longfor (00960:xhkg), up 4%, were top performers in the Hang Seng Index. After trading 1% to 4% lower during the Hong Kong session, China Internet names continued to face selling pressure overnight in New York, with ADRs of Alibaba (09988), Tencent  (00700:xhkg) ,and Meituan (03690:xhkug)  each falling around 3% from their Hong Kong closing levels. FX: USD gains return as risk sentiment deteriorates The USD was back on the front foot on Wednesday ahead of the critical US CPI data due today. US midterms still ended in a political gridlock, even though a Republican wave was avoided. However, limited implication on policy means market focus can return to other key events, such as the crypto turmoil and further rise in China’s Covid cases. US 10-year yields dropped below 4.1% but it appears that the USD is not more risk-sensitive rather than being yield-sensitive. Geopolitics turned calmer with Russia retreating from the only Ukrainian regional capital captured, Kherson, but that brings some risk of new escalations as Putin gets desperate. Focus on US CPI however brought some weakness back in the DXY in early Asian hours with USDJPY back below 146.20. GBPUSD bounced back after a brief slide below 1.1350 and the EUR bounced back higher from parity. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) WTI futures dipped further below $90/barrel mark, now touching the $85 handle, while Brent moved lower to sub-$93. Oil prices declined as the EIA reported US crude stocks rose by 3.9 million barrels to the highest since July 2021. This was offset by tightness in the fuel product markets. Gasoline inventories fell by 900kbbl, and distillate fuel stockpiles fell by 521kbbl. Meanwhile, sustained rise in Covid cases in China continued to take a hit on the demand outlook. New cases in Beijing jumped to the highest level in more than five months. Of particular concern was the number of infections found outside quarantine, suggesting the virus is still circulating through the community and would likely delay the easing of Zero Covid policies. Wheat (ZWZ2) prices lower, along with Corn, after USDA report The USDA released it’s November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, which led to mixed but mostly lower grain prices. While the overall wheat consumption outlook was raised, USDA said demand may drop in some places, including Indonesia and Sri Lanka, due to high prices. Wheat prices plunged 2.5%. The agency also lifted its soybean output and stockpiles outlook, but robust export demand lifted prices. Meanwhile, USDA expects to see the seventh-largest corn crop on record this year, with a new estimate of 13.93 billion bushels.   What to consider? US midterms avoided a Republican wave Even with votes still being counted and runoffs yet to come to determine the US Senate majority, the midterm election didn't bring the red wave that was expected. Republicans are inching towards control of the House, but with a far narrower margin than what was predicted. Meanwhile, Democrats are likely to keep their majority in the Senate but the outcome won’t likely be confirmed for a while as Georgia heads to a runoff on December 6. The end result is still a political gridlock, much as expected, but with far smaller market implications given lack of a firm policy direction. US inflation to test the 8% level, watch core and stickier components Bloomberg consensus expects US October CPI to drop below the 8% mark and come in at 7.9% YoY from 8.2% previously, but still higher at 0.6% MoM from 0.4% in September. The core measure is also expected to ease slightly to 6.5% YoY, 0.5% MoM (prev. 6.6% YoY, 0.6% MoM) but still remain elevated compared to historical levels. Key to watch also will be the drivers of inflation, particularly the stickier shelter and services costs, which if stuck higher could move the December Fed funds future pricing more towards another 75bps rate hike, resulting in another round of selloff in equities and dollar gains. However, there is another CPI report due before the next Fed meeting in December, and we are going into today’s release with a weak risk sentiment following the crypto meltdown seen this week. This suggests that even a print that matches expectations, or is above it, will likely bring another selloff in equities and further support for the dollar. Binance walked away from FTX acquisition, another plunge in Bitcoin The contagion in the crypto and equities we mentioned yesterday is already here, and getting worse as latest developments suggest that Binance backed away from its earlier pledge, tweeting Wednesday afternoon that it would not pursue the acquisition of FTX. It cited due diligence and a reported US investigation into the exchange. Bitcoin plunged below $16,000, , while Ether followed and dipped to its lowest price since July, barely hanging on to the $1,100 level. China is in disinflation China’s PPI declined 1.3% Y/Y in October due to falls in energy and materials prices and weaknesses in metal processing. CPI inflation was also weaker than expected and fell to +2.1% in October from 2.8% in September on weak consumer demand, falling residential costs, and declines in vegetable prices. Meta to layoff 13% of its workforce Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the social platform’s plan to layoff over 11,000 employees, about 13% of its workforce. Zuckerberg also said Meta is cutting discretionary spendings and extending its freeze on hiring through Q1 2023. The company reaffirmed its Q4 revenue guidance of USD30-32.5 billion, in line with expectations. Capex for 2023, according to the Company, will be in the range of USD34-37 billion, at the low end of prior guidance of USD34-39 billion.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-10-nov-2022-10112022
    The USD/JPY Price Seems To Be Optimistic

    Correlation Between The USD/JPY Pair And US 2-Y Treasury Yield Remains High

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.11.2022 09:17
    Summary:  When Sep CPI came lower than prior but higher than expected, S&P 500 index futures (ESZ2) had immediate reaction selling off ~3% and USDJPY - best carry trade among G10 yielding 5% - also rallied 100 pips so these two are expected to be most obvious ones to trade and show instant price action in terms of sensitivity to the data. First headline squawk highlighted in red that I saw this morning on my Bloomberg terminal was “BITCOIN DROPS BELOW $16,000…”. Last time Bitcoin (BTCUSD) dipped below $16,000 was 2 years ago and now it has fallen 77% from all time high $69,000 that was traded 1 year ago. Also to put this price action into perspective, Bitcoin/gold ratio has declined to just over 9 times compared to 35 times last year. When I checked on coinmarketcap.com, FTX - on the verge of potential bankruptcy - was the fourth biggest cryptocurrency spot exchange based on traffic, liquidity & volume, hence the risk-off sentiment has well and truly arrived as some of the notable crypto related stocks got hammered – COIN -10%, MSTR -20%, GLXY -16% while safehaven US dollar bid up broadly heading into October US CPI release tonight at 9:30pm. However we are yet to see significant systematic risk as VIX sitting at 26 with futures term structure of contango and high yield junk bond ETF (HYG) has not crashed trading 2.2% above recent low $70.40 as well as credit spread is also off 100bps below from the recent high 600bps. The current macro backdrop continues to focus and assess on the relative impact on inflation from rising real yield (10 year at 1.7%) or aggressiveness of interest rates hikes while Fed’s QT has been shrinking its balance sheet by about 3.2% from $8.9t to $8.6 in the last seven months. Even though last week’s unemployment rate looks to have bottomed from 3.5% to 3.7%, two of the mostly watched yield curves – 3m10y and 2y10y - still remain inverted at 9bps & 48bps respectively and we are not seeing substantial steepening happening yet therefore the futures implied terminal rate ~5% in 2Q next year may still have further rooms to move higher despite recent FOMC meeting’s down-shift signal and Powell’s cumulative tightening of 375bps, the most in one year since 1980.  The previous headline Sep CPI numbers 8.2% YoY showed major drivers were food, medical and shelter contributing nearly 1% each while energy and cars cooled. This time, energy may have gone up a bit and services would remain as a key area to watch as it has not stopped rising every month since Aug last year. The most recent PCE figures for Sep was 6.2% that is not only above Fed’s projection of central tendency 5.3%-5.7% but also far from its longer run target of 2%. After all, we have not seen sub 8% headline CPI since February number this year and actual result was less than estimate only once for July but given the estimate for tonight’s figures is anticipated at 7.9%, meeting this estimate may be sufficient for the equity market to find some relief rally. On 13 October, when Sep CPI came lower than prior but higher than expected, S&P 500 index futures (ESZ2) had immediate reaction selling off ~3% and USDJPY - best carry trade among G10 yielding 5% - also rallied 100 pips so these two are expected to be most obvious ones to trade and show instant price action in terms of sensitivity to the data. S&P 500 had a decent rebound last month digesting earnings as 456 companies have now reported with earnings surprise of 3% that is lowest in the last two years post Covid. S&P 500 forward earnings per share (EPS) estimated at 226 makes the PE ratio 16.6 times or 6% yield based on last night’s close 3,748 but again there-are-reasonable-alternatives (TARA) as 2 year treasury is at 4.6% and IG corporate bond ETF (LQD) giving nearly 6% with relatively lower implied volatility compared to SPY (13 vs 24). Lastly USDJPY is trading near a key level 145 that previously acted as resistance in September then turned into support level in the last two weeks. Correlation between USDJPY and US 2 year treasury yield remains high so the pair should be able to at least consolidate assuming 145 holds while long out-of-the-money call options could also work given 1 month implied volatility has fallen from 17 to 11 in recent weeks and 2 vol lower than realised volatility. Alternatively by taking more neutral to bullish view with possible Japan intervention, bull put spread (credit) could be considered using the same level 145 as the lower strike to long put and sell higher strike – say 148.50 that is half way between the recent high 152 and 145 – giving net premium of about 200 pips for one month expiry. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/forex/st-note---us-oct-cpi-preview-10112022
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation, The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation And More

    The Russia Has Announced The Intention To Withdraw Its Troops | Hopes For A Covid Zero Exit In China Fades

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.11.2022 09:22
    Summary:  Markets are increasingly spooked by the liquidity pressure in the crypto space, as the major crypto exchange FTX.com and its associated trading house Alameda Research may be set to go bust without a multi-billion dollar rescue, and as total market cap in crypto currencies has plunged over $100 billion over the last month. Elsewhere, the focus was meant to be on today’s US October CPI release. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities saw a hit to sentiment yesterday as Binance walked away from the deal to save the crypto exchange FTX setting in motion a plunge in cryptocurrencies. One of the largest shareholders in FTX, Sequoai Capital, is marking down its investment to zero suggesting little faith in the company and its ability to function. The risk-off moves spilled over into equity market with Tesla leading the declines among the mega caps down 7% with US President saying that Elon Musk relationships with foreign powers could be a national security issue. S&P 500 futures took out gains over the previous two sessions closing at 3,755 but the index futures are attempting to rebound this morning. Note the critical support level at 3,727 which could come into play later today if we get a negative surprise on the US inflation figures suggesting more sticky inflation. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Following the risk-off sentiments spilling over from the crypto space and then global equities, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks declined, with Hang Seng down 2% and CSI 300 0.6% lower. China EV and Internet stocks are the top losers.  Among Hang Seng Index constituents, LINK REIT (00823:xhkg) was the performer, gaining more than 2%. AAC (02018), Apple’s acoustic product supplier, surged 5.7% on earnings beat and analysts expecting the company gaining market shares from its arch-rival after the latter losing orders from a key foreign client (most likely Apple).  FX: USD finds bids on weak risk sentiment. US October CPI release key focus later today The US dollar clawed back some of its losses as cratering crypto prices are seeing widening contagion, and rising Covid cases in China continue to drive concerns that further lockdowns are on the way. The weakest currencies were those normally associated with risk sentiment, like the smaller G10 currencies, as AUDUSD trades this morning not far above 0.6400 after a spike to 0.6550 at the beginning of the week. Overall USD direction remains in play as the USD is somewhat down, but by no means out and today’s US October CPI to theoretically set the tone, although a liquidity crisis in crypto that continues to drive contagion elsewhere could yet steal the spotlight in the near term, with poor liquidity generally associated with USD strength. A weak US treasury auction yesterday is also a concern on that front (more below). Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Trades lower for a third day as hopes for a Covid zero exit in China fades after the country increased restrictions in a key manufacturing hub and new cases in Beijing jumped to the highest level in more than five months. WTI has returned to the $85 handle, down 9% from Monday’s peak, while Brent trades sub-$93. In addition, the market has also been hurt by the loss of risk appetite filtering through from the carnage in cryptos and after the EIA reported US crude stocks rose by 3.9 million barrels to the highest since July 2021. This was somewhat offset by tightness in the fuel product markets with gasoline inventories dropped to an eight-year low. Focus on China, the general level of risk appetite signaled through the dollar and today’s US CPI print for October.  Precious metals hold gains ahead of today’s US CPI print Gold trades above $1700 for a second day with shallow correction attempts since Tuesday's surge so far pointing to underlying support. However, with most of that currently being provided by a drop in Treasury yields and a softer dollar, today’s US CPI print for October will be watched closely. Another upside surprise may cause a temporary drop before potentially supporting prices as the market will start wondering whether the FOMC will be successful in getting inflation control. Some support also emerging from the chaos across the crypto market where the risk of contagion to other coins from the FTX fallout remains elevated. Gold support at $1682 and silver at $21 followed by $20.27. Crypto market: another plunge in crypto as Binance walks away from FTX acquisition  The contagion in the crypto and equities we mentioned yesterday is already here, and getting worse as latest developments suggest that Binance backed away from its earlier pledge, tweeting Wednesday afternoon that it would not pursue the acquisition of FTX. It cited due diligence and a reported US investigation into the exchange. Bitcoin plunged below $16,000, while Ether followed and dipped to its lowest price since July, barely hanging on to the $1,100 level. According to a research note from JPMorgan the crypto market is right now facing a cascade of margin calls and liquidity disappearing in the system. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US Treasury yields are sharply lower this morning, with the 2-year treasury yield closing below 4.60% yesterday, the lowest since the hawkish Fed Chair Powell press conference last Wednesday. Weak risk sentiment and contagion from the melt-down in crypto markets may finally be driving safe haven flows into what is traditionally the world’s most liquid asset: UYS treasuries. The 10-year treasury benchmark yield edged below 4.10% after a very weak 10-year auction, with bidding metrics the worst in years. The US Treasury is set to auction 30-year T-bonds today. What is going on? Wheat (ZWZ2) prices lower, along with Corn (ZCZ2), after USDA report The USDA released its November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, which led to mixed but mostly lower grain prices. While the overall wheat consumption outlook was raised, USDA said demand may drop in some EM countries due to high prices. Wheat prices plunged 2.5% with additional selling from the announcement Russia is moving its troops out of Kherson, a development that may clear the way for more crop shipiments out of Ukraine. The agency also lifted its soybean output and stockpiles outlook, but robust export demand lifted prices. Meanwhile, USDA expects to see the seventh-largest corn crop on record this year, with a new estimate of 13.93 billion bushels. Foxconn still sees high demand for high-end electronics  The electronics maker, and the biggest supplier to Apple, reported Q3 results today with operating profits and revenue beating estimates. The company still sees strong demand for consumer electronics at the high-end of the market, but sees overall consumer electronics falling in Q4 y/y. US earnings recap: Beyond Meat and Rivian The EV delivery van maker Rivian missed estimates on Q3 revenue yesterday due to supply constraints, but the EPS loss of $1.57 was less than estimated at $1.86. The EV maker still sees 2022 production target at 25,000 vs est. 26,166. Rivian shares gained 8% in extended trading hours. Beyond Meat missed big on both revenue and EBITDA, but tries to calm investors by putting out a positive cash flow level around the second half of 2023. Russia said to be set to pull troops from embattled Kherson  In the hardest fought area of the war after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian side has announced the intention to withdraw its troops to the Eastern side of the river after an intense battle to maintain control of the strategic city, which is the closest major city to the Crimean Peninsula and would bring many Russian targets, including key supply routes from Crimea, within range of Ukrainian artillery if Ukraine takes control of Kherson. UK October Home Price Survey shows massive deceleration in UK housing  The RICS House Price Balance has been tumbling in recent months as mortgage rates have spiked on the overall rate rise, but also as spreads have widened due to by poor liquidity in the market. The positive 30% reading in September was already a sharp drop from the very strong levels above 50% just two months prior, and the October survey was expected to show +19% (still shownig prices generally rising). Instead, it plunged all the way to –2%, suggesting that UK housing market pricing is decelerating at a record clip, with deeper negative readings ahead that will impact overall UK confidence. What are we watching next? US October CPI release today suddenly looking less pivotal? The crypto panic has quickly stolen focus from the US CPI data release here, possibly to a sufficient degree that even an inflation print that is solidly below the expectations could fail to spark notable relief across markets, as weak liquidity concerns possibly keep the US dollar firm and equity markets weak even if yields ease lower. The ex-Fresh Food and Energy number is expected to come in at +0.5% month-on-month and +6.5% year-on-year, after the multi-decade high of 6.6% YoY in September, with the headline expected at +0.6%/7.9%, which would be the first sub-8.0% year-on-year print since February.) Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is NIO which will be latest test for the EV market as maybe providing information on the factory situation in China amid rising Covid cases. The Chinese market is the most important market for Tesla so a dire outlook from NIO could translate into negative sentiment on Tesla shares. Thursday: Brookfield Asset Management, Fortum, Engie, Credit Agricole, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, SMIC, Nexi, AstraZeneca, ArcelorMittal, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Becton Dickinson, NIO Friday: Richemont Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US Oct. CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) 1400 – Poland Central Bank Governor Glapinski news conference 1530 – EIA’s Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1730 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter 2022) to speak 1800 – US Treasury auctions 30-year T-bonds 1830 – US Fed’s George (voter 2022) to speak 1900 – Mexico Central Bank Rate Announcement     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-10-2022-10112022
    ECB's Hawkish Hike: Boosting EUR/USD and Shaping Global Monetary Policy

    Saxo Bank's Podcast: The Equity Risk Premium, The Meltdown Of Crypto And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.11.2022 12:22
    Summary:  Today we look at the sudden shift of the plot over the last 24 hours as the crypto contagion effects from the meltdown in that space have reached sufficient magnitude to impact sentiment across markets. We emphasize caution on the network effects among many clusters of assets held by the same hands holding crypto. Also, a look at where we are with the equity risk premium as investors better not hope for "normal" equity valuations. A glance at FX and the USD rising on liquidity concerns and brushing off the drop in US treasury yields, which brings into question the reaction function around today's October US CPI release, which may not have the impact previously anticipated, even on a surprise. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-10-2022-10112022
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    If US CPI Meets The Expectations, The Us Yields Will Increase

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 10.11.2022 12:27
    Traders are focused on the upcoming US consumer price data this Thursday, but the inflation data due out a day later could be even more important in determining the short-term outlook for global markets. While the expected fall in the consumer price index is likely to be welcomed by investors, Friday's 5 to 10-year inflation expectations from the University of Michigan will resonate with Fed officials who fear a further increase in prices. The index rebounded to 2.9% in October, so another gain could put pressure on the bank and force it to raise rates even higher than expected. That would reduce risk appetite, from equities to bonds. On Thursday, Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin vowed that the central bank would not back down from a slow return to normal inflation levels, which could threaten the stability of inflation expectations. US yields could rise if the consumer price index is in line with forecasts. 5-10 year inflation expectations may surge to the highest since 2011, said Prashant Nyunaha, a senior rate strategist at TD Securities. A decline in the expected consumer price index should not provoke a significant market reaction, but retesting the January and June highs, according to the University of Michigan, will confirm that the rate hike to date has not had the expected impact on inflation Relevance up to 10:00 2022-11-11 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/326771
    The South America Are Looking For Alternatives To The US Currency

    ETF investing in Turkish stocks gained over 45% in Q3, Conotoxia's Grzegorz Dróżdż elaborates on selected exchange trade funds

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 10.11.2022 14:20
    ETF (exchange-traded fund) a type of passive fund that is designed to reflect the behavior of specific indices, or sectors. With this, we can achieve exposure to a particular market, sector or country while keeping costs low. Thanks to this, we don't have to buy, for example, all 500 companies in the S&P 500 index. So we decided to check which of these funds could achieve the most interesting results in the last 3 months. Fund performance Of the 200 funds surveyed, 24 percent had a positive return. The average volatility of the fund, measured by standard deviation, during the period was 15.12 percent. The largest index, the S&P 500, fell 7.17 percent during the period, reaching a volatility of 12.24 percent. It seems that based on this information, we can see the current moment of the business cycle. The best of the best If we wanted to juxtapose the best winners, we could compare their rates of return. However, it seems that such a comparison does not take into account the risk aspect of a given investment. For this purpose, we will use the Sharpe ratio, that is, the relationship of the achieved rate of return to the level of total risk (standard deviation), to measure the effectiveness of the investment. For this indicator, it is assumed that values above 50% are considered to be an outperformance of the market average over a long period.The iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (TUR) had the highest return, at 47.68 percent over the past quarter. The fund is designed to seek to track the investment performance of a broad index composed of Turkish stocks. It consists of 27.16 percent Turkish industrial companies and 19.47 percent material processing companies. The result of significant growth may have been influenced by rising inflation, which currently stands at, as much as 85.51 percent. Despite such a high decline in the value of the Turkish lira, the dollar-denominated ETF achieved such a result. Sharp for the period was 220.46 percent. Source: MT5, TUR, WeeklyThe second best return was achieved by the VanEck Oil Services ETF (OIH). The fund is designed to track the overall performance of companies listed in the United States and engaged in upstream oil services, which include oil equipment, oil services or drilling. Consisting of 25 companies, the fund's performance in the most recent quarter was 44.67 percent, with the Sharpe ratio at 185.51 percent. It appears that such strong performance may have been due to the oil market.In the final podium spot was the Invesco Energy S&P US Select Sector UCITS ETF (XLES), which, like its predecessor, mimics the performance of the US energy sector. This fund consisting of companies from the S&P 500 (US500) index, unlike its predecessor, is geared only towards energy companies. During the period under review, it achieved a performance of 29.77 percent with a Sharpe ratio of 182.51 percent. The result also seems to have been influenced by the price of oil The safest Among the funds with positive returns and the lowest volatility was the Xtrackers MSCI Japan UCITS ETF (XMUJ). A fund that gives exposure to key Japanese companies that hold a minimum of 85 percent of a given market. In addition, this dollar-denominated fund hedges against changes in the dollar-Japanese yen (USD/JPY) exchange rate. Volatility during the quarter under review was only 6.05 percent, and the fund was up 1.15 percent despite fluctuations in Japan's main NIKKEI 225 (JP225) index. The Sharpe ratio was 18.99 percent during the period under review. Source: MT5, XMUJ, DailyThe iShares MSCI India UCITS ETF (NDIA), which seems to have been growing rapidly for years, came in second with exposure to the Indian economy. What may seem interesting is that it is 24.73 percent composed of companies in the financial industry. In second place in terms of weight are companies from the information technology industry accounting for 15.02 percent of the fund. The volatility for the stated period was 8.09 percent with a performance of 3.47 percent. This gives a performance-to-volatility ratio (Sharpe's) of 42.89 percent.Specially highlighted ones include the AXS First Priority CLO Bond ETF (AAA), which boasts a volatility of just 0.91 percent despite a -0.98 percent drop in value. Sharp Under normal circumstances, this fund invests at least 80 percent of its assets in AAA-rated tranches of top-priority debt backed by credit obligations. This fund can invest in bonds of any maturity. In addition, this fund is actively managed and does not seek to mimic the performance of any particular index. Most independent When we want to reduce portfolio risk, according to portfolio theory, we should look for asset classes that are least correlated with each other. We usually measure the level of dependence by the correlation level of two assets, where a correlation value of 1 means perfectly correlated assets, a value of -1 perfectly opposite correlated (when one goes up, the other goes down exactly the same amount), and a value of 0 means no dependence at all.The lowest dependency ratio relative to the largest S&P 500 index (US500) was demonstrated by the United States Oil Fund, LP (USO), which seeks to reflect changes in the price of oil by investing in futures contracts on this commodity with various maturities. After a period of three months, the fund achieved a return of 6.02 percent with a risk of 18.87 percent. The correlation index (correlation) was 0.24, which may indicate a low correlation to the broad market. The Sharpe for this fund was 31.93 percent. Source: MT5, USO, DailyAuthor: Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    The South America Are Looking For Alternatives To The US Currency

    Dollar isn't that strong at the moment, if inflation persists to go down, Oanda's analyst seems to hint at the pit of stocks prices

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 10.11.2022 21:29
    This inflation report was a nice surprise. ​ Inflation has been very slow to come down, but this report gives up hope that this deceleration with pricing pressures might bring back hopes of a soft landing. The headline reading came in lower-than-expected, but most traders were focused with the month-over-month decline with core prices. ​ If this downward trajectory for inflation holds, then you can make a strong case that the bottom is in place for US equities. US stocks are rallying as Wall Street finally sees light at the end of the Fed’s tightening cycle tunnel. ​ This cool inflation report helped stocks post their best trading day in two years. ​ Treasury yields are in freefall, the dollar is tanking, and practically every risky asset is rejoicing over this inflation report. ​ ​ Inflation ​ ​ ​  Inflation has peaked but don’t hold your breath waiting for it to get to target. Inflation is cooling after the core reading only posted a 0.3% monthly increase. ​ The headline reading dropped more than expected to 7.7% from a year ago, which is noticeably better than the peak reading from June of 9.1%. Inflation almost always proves to be stickier, so traders should not be surprised if the descent in pricing pressures takes a little while longer. Good prices have been coming down and that was supported by lower readings from cars, apparel, and energy services. ​ Wall Street is closely watching shelter prices, which rose 0.8%, the most since 1990. ​ There was some optimism with housing affordability as the monthly gains slowed for rents. ​ Shelter prices always take the longest to come down, so investors will expect this key contributor to core PCE to remain hot for another quarter. ​ This inflation was a good sign that the Fed is on the right path to winning this war with inflation, but there will still be a lot of variables thrown its way over the next couple of quarters. ​ The Fed could easily bring rates to 5.00% and if inflation proves to be stickier, it could be as high as 5.50%. ​ FX King dollar has left the building after a soft inflation report cemented the Fed’s downshift to a slower pace of tightening and revived hopes of a soft landing. The price reaction to this inflation report was a bit excessive but could be justified if the next couple of inflation reports are just as cool. ​ ​ ​ ​ Cryptos A dark crypto period was supposed to begin following the FTX debacle, but a cooler-than-expected inflation report gave every risky asset a massive boost. ​ FTX contagion risks remain elevated and while today’s broad-based crypto rally is rather impressive with bitcoin rising over 10% and ethereum surging by 16%, investment into cryptocurrencies will likely struggle here as too many key institutional investors and crypto companies have money tied up with the bankruptcy bound exchange. ​ Until we see which players were impacted by FTX and if we see other exchanges vulnerable to a liquidity crunch, any crypto rebound might be faded. More details about the actions of FTX will lead to harsher regulatory guidelines for all crypto exchanges. ​ Reportedly FTX used customer assets for risky trades, which means it seems unlikely anyone will want to rescue this company. ​ ​ ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Inflation cools, stocks post best day in two years, bye-bye king dollar, FTX debacle, cryptos rally on soft CPI - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    Bank Indonesia Maintains Unchanged Rates Amidst Inflation Stability and IDR Pressure

    The remainder of the earnings season looks outstanding. Midterm elections are on the way, FTX faces headwinds and Nvidia, Walmart, Cisco are yet to release their results

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 10.11.2022 21:52
    As we slowly approach the end of the results season, we found ourselves with elections for the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States, after which we would find out whether Joe Biden's party would retain its majority in those chambers. In addition, we encountered a slump in the cryptocurrency market caused by the problems of the FTX exchange. Macroeconomic data This week it seems that we were able to relax relatively after last week's FOMC decision to raise interest rates in the United States and the announced use of all means by the Fed to choke off inflation. On Wednesday, we learned of the change in U.S. crude oil inventories, which rose by 3.25 million barrels (1.36 million barrels were expected) compared to the last period, in which they declined by 3.115 million barrels. We learned the results of the CPI inflation rate, which amounted to 7.7% y/y. (forecast 8 percent y/y). It seems that inflation surprises for another month in a row, falling, which could be perceived as a positive signal for the markets. Elections for the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States were held on Tuesday. The vote counting is still underway, but Republicans are in the lead in both chambers. Stock market On Monday, we were able to learn the results of gaming giants Activision Blizzard (Blizzard) and Take-Two (TakeTwo), among others. The former surprised positively, reporting earnings per share EPS of 0.68 (forecast 0.51). The second posted a loss per share EPS of -1.54 (forecast 1.38), in addition to reporting lower revenue than expected. Source: MT5, Blizzard, Daily On Tuesday, we learned the results of media giant Walt Disney (Disney), which reported a decline in earnings per share EPS to 0.3 (forecast 0.59). It seems that the entertainment industry is not doing well, which could support the thesis of the current economic slowdown. Today we were also able to learn how the medical industry has performed recently. Among other things, we learned about reports from the maker of medications and vaccines AstraZeneca (AstraZeneca), which showed earnings per share more than doubled relative to expectations. Medical instrument and machine manufacturer Becton Dickinson (BDickinson) showed earnings per share of 1.99, in line with expectations, on increased revenues. Elon Musk appears to be having problems with his workforce after taking over Twitter. After massive layoffs at the company, we could learn from the media about mistakes in this aspect and the dismissal of valuable employees, whom the billionaire seems to be trying to recruit back. Currency and cryptocurrency market After the publication of inflation from the US, the EUR/USD exchange rate broke out above parity and reached around 1.016 at its peak. It seems that the market needs to update its valuation when it comes to the announced US interest rate hikes, which may put pressure on the USD. Source: MT5, EURUSD, Daily Blood has been shed in the cryptocurrency market. After the largest crypto exchange Binance announced the sale of the FTT token (FTTUSD.p) belonging to the third largest FTX exchange, the price of the cryptocurrency fell from $26 to $2.7 (89 percent). This situation revealed the problems behind this exchange. This seems to have led to a massive outflow of capital from the virtual money market, as we could see from the largest of them. Bitcoin fell by more than 20 percent during this period, and the price of the second largest cryptocurrency ETH fell by about 28 percent. Source: MT5, FTTUSD.p, Daily What's in store for us next week? On Monday we would learn the GDP reading in the Cherry Blossom country. The current quarter-on-quarter forecast is for growth of 0.3 percent (previously 0.9 percent). China's reported year-on-year change in industrial production may seem key. The forecast, according to analysts, is for an increase of 5.2 percent (previously 6.3 percent). On Tuesday, we'll learn the results of Germany's ZEW economic sentiment index, which recently reached -59.2 points, where values below zero signify deteriorating economic conditions. On Thursday, we would find out how much inflation in the Eurozone was (forecast at 10.7 percent). Among the key Q3 earnings reports it seems we could count Monday's results from the largest retailer in the United States, Walmart (Walmart). On Tuesday, graphics card giant Nvidia (Nvidia) would present its report, along with one of the largest digital communications technology conglomerates Cisco (Cisco).Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    RBI's Strategic INR Support: Factors Behind India's Stable Currency Amidst Global Challenges

    The Positive Close Of The New York Stock Exchange, A Significant Part Of The Indices Increased

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 11.11.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 3.70% to a one-month high, the S&P 500 rose 5.54% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 7.35%. Dow Jones  Salesforce Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 14.24 points or 10.02% to close at 156.30. Quotes of Apple Inc rose by 12.00 points (8.90%), ending trading at 146.87. Home Depot Inc rose 24.95 points or 8.70% to close at 311.70. Shares of McDonald's Corporation led the decline, losing 1.91 points (0.69%) to end the session at 275.88. Merck & Company Inc was down 0.30 points (0.30%) to close at 101.89 while Amgen Inc was up 0.47% or 1.36 points to close at 291. .01. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Invesco Plc, which rose 17.85% to hit 18.75, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, which gained 17.83% to close at 50.62, and shares of T. Rowe Price Group Inc, which rose 16.36% to close the session at 124.65. The least gainers were McKesson Corporation, which shed 4.12% to close at 370.32. Shares of Cardinal Health Inc shed 2.79% to end the session at 77.93. Quotes of Altria Group decreased in price by 2.19% to 44.22. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Fast Radius Inc, which rose 156.19% to hit 0.26, SHF Holdings Inc, which gained 85.78% to close at 3.79, and also shares of EpicQuest Education Group International Ltd, which rose 73.79% to close the session at 1.79. The least gainers were Apyx Medical Inc, which shed 60.45% to close at 1.74. Shares of Veru Inc lost 53.56% and ended the session at 6.97. Quotes of AGBA Acquisition Ltd decreased in price by 50.89% to 5.50. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2830) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (347), while quotes of 80 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,100 companies rose in price, 694 fell, and 216 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 9.81% to 23.53, hitting a new monthly low. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 2.68%, or 45.95, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery rose 0.55%, or 0.47, to $86.30 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 0.90%, or 0.83, to $93.48 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 2.03% to 1.02, while USD/JPY shed 3.97% to hit 140.62. Futures on the USD index fell 2.55% to 107.65.     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-12 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/300576
    Crude Oil Ended Higher | Initial Jobless Claims Rose Marginally

    Crude Oil Ended Higher | Initial Jobless Claims Rose Marginally

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.11.2022 08:26
    Summary:  A softer US CPI print sent the equity markets skyrocketing in an extreme reaction, but there was some pushback against dovish expectations from Fed speakers and WSJ’s Timiraos, highlighting that a 50bps rate hike at the December Fed meeting is still in play. Dollar weakness fueled gains across the metals space, but oil market remained volatile on concerns around China’s covid cases even as the authorities urged targeted measures will remain in place. UK GDP due in the day ahead before focus turns to G20 meetings next week. What’s happening in markets? The S&P 500 (ESZ2) jumped 5.5% and Nasdaq 100 (NQZ2) soared 7.5%, staging the biggest rally in two years US equities surged the most since 2020 on a softer-than-expected CPI report. S&P 500 gained 5.5% and Nasdaq 100 soared 7.5%. The gains were board-based. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 rose, with the information technology, real estate, and consumer discretionary sectors leading the charge higher. Semiconductor names surge, Marvel Technology (MRVL) up 16.1%, Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) up 14.3%, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) up 14.3%.  Amazon (AMZN:xnas) surged 12%, Meta (META:xnas) gained 10.3% and Apple (AAPL:xnas) climbed 8.9%. The shift of sentiment from risk-off to risk-on saw the crypto stabilize and Bitcoin rally 13%. US treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) soared, yields tumbling 22 to 30bps across the curve Treasuries jumped in price and yields plunged on slower-than-expected CPI data. Large buying first concentrated on the 2-year and the 5-year notes. The yield curve bull-steepening in initially, with the 2-10 spread narrowed 8bps to minus-41bps at one point. However, the long ends rallied strongly in the afternoon following a strong 30-year bond auction. The curve reversed and became more inverted with 2-10-year finishing the session at minus-52 bps. At the close, 2-year yields fell 25bps to 4.33% and 10-year yields tumbled 28bps to 3.81%. On Fedspeak, Cleveland Fed President Mester said “services inflation, which tends to be sticky, has not yet shown signs of slowing” and she views “the larger risks as coming from tightening too little”. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly remarked “it was indeed good news that inflation moderated its grip a bit” but “one month of data does not a victory make”. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) retreated on Covid outbreaks Hong Kong and China stocks retreated on Thursday as China’s daily new domestic Covid cases came in above 8,000 second day in a row and Guangzhou extended lockdown in one of its districts. Hang Seng Index dropped 1.7% and CSI 300 lost 0.8%. China Internet and EV stocks underperformed. NIO (0988:xhkg) fell 13.2% on a bigger-than-expected loss in Q3 and a Q4 guidance below analysts’ expectations. Overnight in U.S. hours, Hang Seng Index futures jumped 4.6% after U.S. stocks soared on softer CPI data. ADRs of Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), and Tencent (00700) surged around 7% to 9% in New York hours. FX: Massive dollar selloff in the aftermath of the US CPI release The Dollar Index saw its greatest losses in a single day since 2009, falling to lows of 107.7 after the release of that softer-than-expected US CPI. The biggest gainer on the G10 board was JPY, no surprises there, given its yield-sensitive nature and the plunge in US yields. USDJPY broke below 141 although it has rebounded to 141.68 in the Asian morning. If we do see hawkish Fed comments in the coming days/weeks, some of this rally in the JPY is likely to be unwound but overall the trend in USDJPY remains biased to the downside now with most of the interest rate expectations already in the market. GBPUSD was also a big gainer as it surged to the 1.17 handle, but a test lies ahead with UK GDP release today likely to confirm the onset of a recession (read preview below). Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) volatile amid dollar weakness and China's Covid concerns Crude oil ended higher in a volatile session as earlier concerns of weak demand were overtaken by the broader market rally in response to lower inflation and the weakness in the US dollar. Concerns however remain on China’s Covid cases with Beijing reporting its highest number of cases in a year, which kept the gains restrained. WTI futures rose above $86/barrel while Brent went above $94 before retreating later. Cooler US inflation prompts gains across metals The weaker USD eased pressure on the base metals complex, with copper rising more than 2%. This was boosted by reports coming out of a Politburo Standing Committee meeting that suggest Beijing would take more targeted measures to avoid damage to the economy. If China’s Zero covid measures remain targeted, this could shift focus back to supply issues and dollar weakness. Copper (HGZ2) broke the September high of $3.6925, and is now testing resistance at $3.78. Gold (XAUUSD) also broke above the double top at 1730, likely suggesting that the bottom is in place. Silver (XAGUSD) rose to $21.83 but has since returned to the resistance turned support at $21.50.   What to consider? Softer US inflation, but what does it mean for the Fed? US CPI was softer than expected across the board, as headline M/M and Y/Y printed 0.4% (exp. 0.6%, unchanged) and 7.7% (exp. 8.0%, prev. 8.2%), respectively, while the core metrics came in at 0.3% M/M (exp. 0.5%, prev. 0.6%) and 6.3% Y/Y (exp. 6.5%, prev. 6.6%) on a Y/Y basis. Shelter prices still remained hot while the used vehicle prices declined by 2.4% M/M. While the inflation still remains high and far from Fed’s 2% target, it can be expected that the trend is lower. Markets cheered the release, expecting a downshift in Fed’s rate hike trajectory which has already been communicated at the last FOMC meeting. December Fed rate hike pricing is still close to 50bps, while the terminal rate projections have slid lower to 4.9% for May 2023. However, it is worth noting that there is one more labor market report and another CPI report due before the FOMC’s Dec 13-14 meeting. Fed speakers pushed back on the market rally The kind of market reaction we have seen to the soft CPI print in the US yesterday confirms that investors still remain on edge expecting a Fed pivot. This can prove to be counterproductive, as easing of financial conditions can derail this downtrend in inflation and reverse the less hawkish path that Fed is expected to take in the coming months. The Cleveland Fed’s Loretta Mester said that, while she was encouraged by October’s data, she sees bigger risks from tightening too little than too much. Kansas City Fed President Esther George said monetary policy “clearly has more work to do”, while the Dallas Fed’s Lorie Logan said earlier that inflation has a long way to go before it reaches the central bank’s target. They also noted it may be time to slow down the pace of hikes, however, but that it shouldn’t be interpreted as easing policy. Equally importantly, WSJ's Timiraos tweeted, "The October inflation report is likely to keep the Fed on track to approve a [50bps rate hike] next month. Officials had already signaled they wanted to slow the pace of rises and were somewhat insensitive to near-term inflation data". Easing financial conditions will likely drive the Fed speakers to a further hawkish tilt in the coming days. US jobless claims still underscore a tight labor market Initial jobless claims rose marginally to 225k from 218k, and above the expected 220k. Meanwhile, continued claims also exceeded consensus to print 1.493mln (exp. 1.475mln) from, the revised higher, 1.487mln. While this still continues to show a tight labor market in the US, it may be worth watching how it moves in the coming months especially after the wave of tech sector layoffs that we have seen in the past few weeks. The latest in the Crypto space Bloomberg reports a balance sheet hole of $8bn for FTX. Likewise, the Wall Street Journal reports that Alameda Research owes FTX about $10bn. Reuters says that the loan to Alameda Research was equal to at least $4bn. Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), however, went to Twitter to give an explanation. He goes on to talk about two major mistakes that he has made, one being that he underestimated the demand for sudden liquidity by clients withdrawing funds. In terms of liquidity, SBF further says that: “FTX International currently has a total market value of assets/collateral higher than client deposits (moves with prices!). But that's different from liquidity for delivery--as you can tell from the state of withdrawals. The liquidity varies widely, from very to very little.” Remember, that this is contrary to the story by Bloomberg and likely the Wall Street Journal and Reuters story. It now seems plausible that FTX has a serious hole in its balance sheet”, though, hard to judge anything at this stage given the amount of rumors and unconfirmed information floating around. What remains clear is that any liquidity event will unlikely remain isolated as cascading margin calls and contagion effects are likely to be felt beyond the crypto space. UK GDP to confirm the onset of a recession UK’s Q3 GDP is scheduled for release today and the first quarterly negative print of the current cycle is expected to be seen. Consensus forecast is seen at 2.1% YoY, -0.5% QoQ, significantly lower than the second quarter print of 4.4% YoY, 0.2% QoQ. August GDP data had already begun to show a negative print with -0.3% MoM and the trend will only likely get worse in September, exacerbated by a one-off factor relating to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in the month, which was a national holiday. The economy is already facing a cost of living crisis, and both fiscal and monetary policy have to remain tight in this very tough operating environment. Technically, a recession may still be avoided as activity levels picked up in October, but still it will remain hard for the UK to dodge a recession going into 2023. This suggests there maybe some downside for the sterling, especially as the market refuses to cater to the Bank of England’s warning that the current expectations of terminal rate may be too steep. Credit growth in China slowed in October China’s new aggregate financing fell to RMB908 billion in October, much lower that the RMB1,600 billion expected in the Bloomberg survey and the RMG3,527 billion in September. The growth of outstanding aggregate financing slowed to 10.3% in October from 10.6% in September. New RMB loans declined to RMB615 billion in October, below the 800 billion consensus estimate and much smaller than the RMB2,470 billion in September. New RMB Medium to long-term loans to corporate fell to RMB462 billion as loan demand was weak. China’s Politburo Standing Committee met to discuss pandemic control policies  On Thursday, President Xi and the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee had a meeting to discuss its policies on pandemic control. While the statement from the meeting reiterated adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy, it also highlighted the push for vaccination and treatments and called on government officials to implementation of control measures more scientifically targeted and precise and to avoid doubling down on each layer of execution.   China’s Singles’ Day this Friday, Nov 11 Investors will watch closely Alibaba, JD.com, and other online retailers’ sales on Singles’ Day this Friday to gauge the strength of China’s private consumption. Analysts are expecting slower sales growth as recent data indicated slower user growth across online shopping platforms.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-11-nov-2022-11112022
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    Meeting Of U.S. President Biden And China’s President Xi | Chinese Methods To Contain The Pandemic

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.11.2022 08:38
    Summary:  China released a set of 20-item guidelines on Friday to fine-tune the country’s pandemic control measures aiming at minimizing disruption to people’s livelihood and the economy. The move added fuel to the post-US CPI risk-on sentiments and saw Hong Kong and China stock soaring with Hang Seng Index up 7.7% and commodities prices higher. S&P 500 rallied another 0.9% on Friday and finished the week nearly 6% higher. Over the weekend, China’s financial regulators rolled out a 16-point plan to boost the property sector. What’s happening in markets? The S&P 500 (ESZ2) and Nasdaq 100 (NQZ2) extended post-CPI gains US stocks rallied for the second day, adding to the dramatic surge after the softer CPI prints on Thursday. S&P 500 gained 0.9% and Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.9%. The energy sector, up 3.1%, was the top performer in the S&P 500 as WTI crude oil price bounced 2.8% on China’s easing of pandemic control measures despite a rise in the number of new Covid cases. Gaming and casino stocks and consumer discretionary names also gained from optimism about China’s fine-tuning of Covid policies. FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday and its CEO and founder resigned. Coinbase (COIN:xnas), the largest US crypto exchange, bounced 12.8% on Friday after being dragged down by the FTX fiasco earlier in the week. Robinhood (HOOD:xnas), in which FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried has a 7.5% stake, surged 12.9% after steep declines on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the week, S&P 500 gained 5.9% higher and NASDAQ 100 surged 8.8%. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) markets were closed for holiday The US treasury cash markets, after the massive 25bp-30bp  post-CPI drops in yields on Thursday, took a break to observe the Veterans’ Day holiday on Friday. Treasury note and bond futures were little-changed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) soared on China’s fine-tuning of pandemic control measures Hang Seng Index soared 7.7% on the post-CPI rally in the U.S. stock market and the easing of pandemic control measures in China. Following a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s new Politburo Standing Committee on Thursday, China’s health authorities issued 20 new measures on Friday to fine-tune pandemic control policies including relaxing quarantine and PCR testing requirements and prohibiting excessive lockdowns. China Internet stocks soared, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 12.4%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 11.7%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 12.5%, JD.Com (09618:xhkg) up 16.1%, and Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) up 17.5%. EV maker NIO (09866:xhkg) jumped 20.4% despite missing Q3 earnings. XPeng (09868:xhkg) surged 16%. Macao casino stocks gained 8% to 9%. China consumption names also climbed on China’s easing of pandemic control. Share prices of China property developers were squeezed massively higher, with Country Garden (02007) soaring 35% and Longfor (00960 ) jumping 29%. The debt-laden CIFI (00884:xhkg) soared 72.2%. Subsequently, Bloomberg ran a couple of news reports saying China is rolling out a 16-point rescue plan to boost the ailing property markets and struggling developers. CSI300 gained 2.8%/ Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises ~4% last week. Stock poised to extend rally on China’s property measures All eyes will be on Australia tech stocks following the stellar run in the US, however Aussie tech stock gains may not shoot the lights be muted today after Australia’s 10-year bond yield rose seven basis points to 3.72%.  However, Commodity stocks will be a focus; on Covid hopes, with the Copper price up 4.1%, while precious metals are higher and aluminum had its best day since 2009. In New York BHP rose 3.6%, gapping up and rising above its 200-day moving average which could be seen as bullish sign, and also means local listed counterpart will likely follow. Lithium stocks will also be in the spotlight, with Australia’s biggest Allkem (AKE) and Pilbara (PLS) a focus with sentiment picking up and the stocks already trading in record-high territory ahead of China reopening. FX: the US Dollar continued to plunge in the aftermath of a softer CPI The US dollar index plunged 1.7% on Friday, bringing the weekly loss to 4%. After falling the post-CPI decline of 3.8% on Thursday, USDJPY fell another 1.5% to 138.81 on Friday. Over the week, USDJPY fell from 1.4662 to 138.81, a 5.3% decline. EURUSD surged 1.4% on Friday, bringing its weekly gain to nearly 4%. The Chinese renminbi strengthened further against the US dollar, benefiting from China’s easing of pandemic control in addition to the impact in the aftermath of the US CPI. USDCNH declined from 7.15 to 7.09 on Friday.The Aussie dollar is gaining on the back of China's property sector rescue package. China introduced 16 property measures to address the developer liquidity crisis; from blanket debt extensions, to loosening down-payment requirements for homebuyers. On top of that that, China’s eased covid restrictions; shortening to five-day quarantines, which is aimed at reducing the economic impact of Covid Zero, rather than relaxing restrictionsThe Australian dollar jumped 1.4% on Friday and 3.7% over the week. While the market still awaits further easing developments, the market is buoyed on forward looking hopes that the AUD will continue to be bid on commodity demand picking up. The iron ore (SCOA) price is back above US$90 after rising 6% last week, the copper price lifted about 5% last week, and the lithium price is also higher, with carbonate prices up 118% year to date.  Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) WTI crude oil gained 2.8% to finish the week at USD88.96 on China’s easing of pandemic control and a sharply lower dollar but it remained stuck inside its established trading range. In addition, as the fuel product market has been tightening in Europe and the US due to low inventories of diesel and heating oil, the crude oil price is likely to find support here and the tendency is more to the upside. OPEC issues its monthly market report on Monday so all eyes will be on that. Copper (HGZ2) rose nearly 5% on Friday on China easing Covid policies Benefiting from China fine-tuning Covid policies and a sharply lower US dollar, copper rose 4.7% on Friday and nearly 7% for the week to USD3.91. It is poised to challenge a key resistance zone near $4 in the near term. As noted by Ole Hansen, Saxo’s Head of Commodity Strategy, while the prospect of copper mines in Central America, South America, and Africa temporarily increasing production is significant, the outlook for copper prices remains positive since global electrification will continue to drive the demand for copper higher. Globally, especially in Europe, the need to reduce reliance on Russian-produced natural gas, oil, and the use of coal as energy sources will continue to build momentum for accelerated electrification. But enabling the grid to handle the additional baseload will require significant new copper-intensive investment in the coming years. In addition, producers such as Chile, the world's largest copper supplier, are not optimistic about their ability to increase production of copper mines in the medium and long term amid declining ore grades and water shortages. The slowdown of the Chinese economy is temporary, and the Chinese government's economic stimulus measures are focused on infrastructure and electrification, which require a lot of industrial metals, especially copper. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold climbed 0.9% to USD1771 on Friday, with the biggest weekly gain since March. In addition to a softer US CPI on Thursday, according to Ole Hansen, supporting the underlying improvement in sentiment was the recently published Gold Demand Trends Q3 2022 update from the World Gold Council. The update outlines how central bank demand reached a quarterly record of nearly 400 tons, thereby offsetting a 227 tons outflow from bullion-backed ETFs. What to consider? China issued 20 guidelines to fine-tune its dynamic zero-Covid policy measures China’s health authorities released 20 guidelines on Friday to fine-tune the country’s pandemic control measures, a day after the Politburo Standing Committee, led by President Xi, held a meeting to discuss how to best contain the pandemic. The key measures in the guidelines include reducing the number of quarantine days for close contacts from 10 days to 8 days, relaxing some centralized quarantine to home quarantine, limiting PCR testing, prohibiting excessively extending lockdowns, promoting vaccination and treatments, and prohibiting local authorities from shutting down production, schools, and transportation without proper approval. At a press conference on Saturday, the National Health Commission emphasized the fine-tuning was optimization measures based on scientific findings but not representing a shift in the principles of dynamic zero-Covid policy. China’s financial regulators rolled out a 16-point plan to boost the property sector The People’s Bank of China and the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission jointly issued a notice to financial institutions with 16 measures to address the liquidity squeeze faced by property developers through measures including the relaxation of previously imposed redlines restricting banks from lending over certain ceilings and calling for financial institutions to treat private enterprise developers equally with state-owned enterprises. A busy week of Fedspeak kicked off by Fed Governor Waller After the sharp easing of financial conditions after the massive asset price movements after the release of the CPI, helped by lower bond yields, higher stock prices, and lower US dollar, the market is eagerly monitoring if Fed officials will push back on pivot speculations in order to bring financial conditions back to tighter levels. Governor Waller previously proposed that the Fed should not pause until the monthly core PCE substantially falls below 3% on an annualized basis. Biden and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit U.S. President Biden and China’s President Xi will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia on Monday. It will be the first time they meet in person since Biden took the presidential office in January 2021. The White House said the meeting could last a couple of hours. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-14-nov-2022-14112022
    Bank of Japan to welcome Kazuo Ueda as its new governor

    Major US indices experienced another wave of gains on Friday as S&P 500 gained almost a percent and Nasdaq increased by ca. 2%. This week we get to know Japan CPI

    ING Economics ING Economics 14.11.2022 09:22
    China boosts sentiment with plans for the property sector and measures to lessen the economic impact of zero Covid Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: US stocks had another positive day on Friday continuing the positive momentum that the October CPI reading provided earlier in the week. The S&P500 rose 0.92%, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ rose 1.88%. Equity futures are signalling that this is far enough for now, though, and are indicating a small decline at the open. Asian equity futures are mostly signalling a positive start to trading today. With the public holiday on Friday in the US, there is no information from US Treasuries to input into the market moves of other assets, but in spite of this, EURUSD went in the direction of the equity markets on Friday, rising to 1.0327,  the AUD rose above 0.67, though has dropped back just below that level in early trading. Cable is sitting almost on top of 1.18 and the JPY is below 140 (139.30 at the time of writing). The Asia-Pacific currencies have made strong gains, most notably the high-beta KRW and THB. G-7 Macro: The G-20 conference in Bali, Indonesia, starts tomorrow. With the US and Russia unlikely to agree to anything substantive at this summit, the prospects for anything very useful are limited. Presidents Xi and Biden are expected to meet. North Korea’s recent missile belligerence will be raised. Later this week, the new UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, will outline the UK government’s proposals to balance Britan's books. Spending cuts and tax increases look inevitable.  There are no notable macro releases in the G-7 today. China: China has released a 16-point plan to support the beleaguered property sector as well as a 20-point plan for reducing the economic costs of containing Covid. The moves will clearly provide some further support to China’s economy, though have to be factored in against the rising Covid case numbers being seen across the country. This is probably more relevant for the medium-term outlook. But it's an encouraging development. Further supportive changes cannot be ruled out.    India: India publishes October inflation data later today, and we are in line with the consensus in looking for the inflation rate to drop back below 7% YoY (6.7% expected, down from 7.4% in September). While this still leaves inflation above the top of the RBI’s 4%+/-2% target range, it means that we can start to think about a slower pace of tightening at the December meeting, with perhaps just one more 25bp hike in early 2023 before the RBI can take stock and pause. What to look out for: China activity data India CPI inflation (14 November) Philippines remittances (14-17 November) Japan GDP and industrial production (15 November) Australia RBA minutes (15 November) China activity data (15 November) Indonesia trade balance (15 November) US empire manufacturing and PPI inflation (15 November) Fed's Brainard, Harker, Cook and Williams speak (15 November) Japan core machine orders (16 November) Australia Westpac leading index and wage price index (16 November) US retail sales (16 November) Fed's Williams and Barr peak (16 November) Japan trade balance (17 November) Australia labor data (17 November) Singapore NODX (17 November) Malaysia trade (17 November) Bank Indonesia policy meeting (17 November) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas policy meeting (17 November) US housing starts and initial jobless claims (17 November) Fed's Waller, Bullard, Bowman and Mester speak (17November) Japan CPI inflation (18 November) US existing home sales (18 November) Fed's Kashkari speaks (18November) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    In Crypto, You Could Prove You Own A Private Key Without Revealing It

    FTX And More Than 100 Affiliates Filed For Bankruptcy | The Aussie Dollar (AUD) Has Gained Ground

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.11.2022 10:03
    Summary:  Market sentiment closed last week on a strong note after the wild rally on Thursday in the wake of the softer-than-expected October US CPI data. Sentiment was checked in the Asian session today by rising Covid cases in China, although the Zero Covid policy approach there may be softening. US yields jumped a bit to start this week after a bank holiday on Friday and after Fed Governor Waller was the first significant Fed profile to push back against the market’s lower of forward Fed tightening expectations in the wake of a single data release.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Last was a spectacular week for equities with the MSCI World Index up 6.7% with our theme baskets e-commerce, cyber security, and semiconductors rallying 19.4%, 13.6%, and 12.8% respectively. High duration equity themes responded the most to broad-based easing of financial conditions last week and the key question is now if the market will extend its momentum. S&P 500 futures closed on Friday at the 4,000 level and have opened a bit lower this morning but are already attempting to climb back to the 4,000 level. If we look at financial conditions and where they mostly went last week there are theoretically room for a rally up 4,100 and even beyond that to the 4,200 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed 2.7% and CSI 300 edged up 0.9% on the news that the People’s Bank of China and the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission jointly issued a notice to financial institutions with 16 measures to address the liquidity squeeze faced by property developers through measures including the temporary relaxation of previously imposed redlines restricting banks from lending over certain ceilings to developers and calling for financial institutions to treat private enterprise developers equally with state-owned enterprises. Leading China private enterprise property developers listed in Hong Kong soared by 20% to 40% at one point. FX: USD picking up the pieces after massive downdraft on lower October CPI The US dollar lurched into an historic two-day plunge late last week after the release of the softer than expected US October CPI data on Thursday ahead of a three-day weekend for US rates (on Friday’s bank holiday). The move was so sharp that it can’t hope to maintain course, so for the nearest term, the market will try to feel out consolidation levels. EURUSD, for example, finally found resistance just above the key 1.0350 area, which was the major low back in May and June and prior to that, back in early 2017. The first support is the 1.0200 area, the 38.2% retracement of the rally sprint, with the reversal level at 1.0100, the 61.8% retracement and near the prior important resistance. For USDJPY, the market managed to take out the 139.40, the prior major high in July, around where it trades this morning. Amazingly, having fallen from 151.95 to the local low of 138.46, the 200-day moving average is still quite far away, near 133.00. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) remains rangebound ... trading softer into the European session in response to a recovering dollar after Fed’s Waller said the FOMC has some way to go before it stops raising interest rates. Earlier in the session commodity prices in general, including oil, were supported by demand optimism after China on top easing Covid restrictions issued a rescue package for its struggling property market. A pickup in Chinese demand, despite the current headwinds from rising virus cases, when EU is preparing sanctions against Russian oil and OPEC+ is cutting production, will likely lead to further tightening of the market. Focus on US economic data given its impact on risk appetite as well as Monthly Oil Market Reports from OPEC today and the IEA tomorrow. Gold trades softer following a two-week jump of almost 8% … after Fed’s Waller cautioned that the FOMC isn’t close to pausing interest rate hikes. The dollar strengthened while Treasury yields moved higher after having been closed on Friday for Veterans Day. Overall, however, the sentiment in the market seems to be changing with a period of consolidation, potentially the next phase. Focus on resistance-turned-support at $1735 and whether we have seen a shift in the trading behaviour among speculators from a sell-into-strength to a buy-on-weakness. ETF investors – net sellers for months - and speculators in the futures market now hold the key that could unlock further gains. Expect some consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735 with resistance at $1789 and $1804. Industrial metals remain focussed on China … and overnight iron ore, the key feedstock for steel production, jumped +3% after the Chinese government released a package of policies to rescue its property sector. The news came on top of last week's easing of some virus restrictions which drove a near 14% rally in the Bloomberg Industrial metals index to a five-month high. Copper, now up 25% from the July low was one of the main beneficiaries of the news, coming at a time when supplies are already showing signs of tightening. Overnight, the property news drove HG copper to a fresh five-month high at $3.96 per pound before some profit taking emerged just ahead of critical and potential sentiment as well as momentum changing resistance in the $4 to $4.05 area.  US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US Treasury yields (10Y) closed Thursday on a weak note after the plunge on the October CPI data ahead of a three day weekend for banks (treasuries not trading, even as equity markets were open). Yields have jumped a bit here at the start of this week after Fed Board of Governors member Waller pushed back against the market’s repricing of Fed tightening intentions since that CPI release (more below) in comments overnight. The low water mark for the 10-year treasury benchmark was just above 3.80%, with a jump back above 4.00% needed to suggest that this drop in yields is temporary. The next level of note to the downside is the 3.50% area, which was the high-water mark back in June that held for about three months before new highs were posted in September. What is going on? AUDUSD is up 9% from its low, gaining some extra ground on China’ property rescue package The Aussie dollar has gained ground on the back of China's introduction of a property sector rescue package. AUDUSD now trades at a two-month high, hitting 0.666 in anticipation that Australia’s trade surplus will be further supported by exports into resurgent Chinese demand after China introduced 16 property measures to address its developer liquidity crisis. On top of that that, China’s eased some covid restrictions; shortening to five-day quarantines, which is aimed at reducing the economic impact of Covid Zero. US Fed’s Waller pushes back against market’s lowering of Fed expectations Federal Reserve Governor (and therefore voter) Christopher Waller has been the first high profile Fed official to emerge and push back against the market’s repricing lower of the Fed’s rate tightening trajectory in comments overnight. Speaking at a Sydney, Australia conference, Waller said that “These rates are going to...stay high for a while until we see this inflation get down closer to our target”. “We’ve still got a ways to go. This isn’t ending in the next meeting or two.” The market is now pricing the Fed to reach a peak policy rate below 5.00%, either at the March or May FOMC meeting next year, with a 50-basis point hike priced for December to take the Fed Funds rate to 4.25-4.50% and slightly more than 50 basis points of further tightening priced beyond that. This is some 25 basis points below the prior peak in expectations. Crypto market fear is spreading On Friday, the CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX stepped down, and FTX and more than 100 affiliates filed for bankruptcy, with the filing revealing that FTX and Alameda Research (related trading firm) have liabilities in the range $10-$50 bn. Contagious effects have already appeared with examples of as Genesis has $175 mn stuck in FTX and the crypto lender BlockFi stating that they would be limiting activities in wake of the FTX collapse. As the confidence in centralized exchanges is shrinking, a record-high amount of Bitcoin was moved out of exchanges and into self-custody wallets due to increased fears of exploitation and mismanaging of user funds. What are we watching next? Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard to speak today Brainard is thought to be one of the most dovish of prominent Fed figures and possibly behind what was seen as slightly dovish insertion in the November FOMC monetary policy statement before Fed Chair Powell’s press conference. What will Brainard say now that the market seems ready to pounce on a single month’s data to significantly alter its projections of Fed policy? NY Fed President and voter Williams will also speak today, with a rather busy schedule of Fed speakers in the week ahead. Incoming US data Traders will remain nervous around incoming US data after the wild reaction to last week’s Thursday October US CPI release. The US macro calendar highlights this week include Tuesday’s October PPI releases, the Oct. Retail Sales data on Wednesday and November NAHB Housing Market Index release the same day. Finally, the US reports October Housing Starts/Building Permits data on Thursday. Major China Internet companies are scheduled to report this week Meituan (03690:xhkg) kicks off the busy earnings calendar of  China Internet companies on Monday, followed by Tencent (00700:xhkg) on Wednesday, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) on Thursday, and JD.COM (09618:xhkg) on Friday. Analysts’ estimates for top-line growth in Q3 are subdued due to weak consumption recovery and the macro environment. Slow merchandise value (GMV) growth during the Singles’ Day festival may point to a sluggish Q4 outlook. Alibaba's GMV growth during the Singles' Day festival was flat. JD.COM has not yet announced its numbers except saying GMV had positive growth Y/Y during the period (from Oct 31 evening to Nov 11 end of the day). According to estimates, eCommerce platform GMV grew about 14% Y/Y but the large traditional eCommerce platforms were estimated to see GMV growth at just around 3% Y/Y. UK Autumn Statement on 17 November Expect a contractionary 2023 UK Budget. The new Prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to find savings worth about £30-40bn/year to convince the independent Office for Budget Responsibility that debt won’t rise across the medium-term as a percentage of GDP. This is not an easy task. But this is certainly the only way for the United Kingdom to win back investor confidence after the disastrous mini-budget presented in September. All of this will likely increase the depth of the UK recession and poverty across the country. The outlook is really grim. The Bank of England expects the UK to be in recession from mid this year all the way through to mid 20024. Then growth will pick up only very modestly (annualized rate of 0.75 %). Poverty is also increasing. The country’s largest foodbank charity says 11.5 million meals were handed out over six months – more than 63.000 a day on average. This is a record. The 2023 budget will likely make things worse. The UK is facing an emerging market economy dynamic. Earnings to watch The Q3 earnings season is still slowing down but with important earnings releases still coming out this week. Today’s focus is Chinese e-commerce giant Meituan, Brazil-based fintech bank Nu Holdings, and finally DiDi Global which is the Uber equivalent in China. For foreign investors the earnings from Nu Holdings will get the most attention as the bank is purely technology-driven, fast growing (expected to grow net revenue 188% y/y in Q3 to $1.09bn), and has Berkshire Hathaway as one of its biggest shareholders. Monday: Meituan, Sonova, Tyson Foods, Nu Holdings, Trip.com, DiDi Global Tuesday: Infineon Technologies, Vodafone, Alcon, Walmart, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Sep. Industrial Production 1630 – Switzerland SNB President Jordan to speak 1630 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to Speak 2030 – Weekly Commitment of Traders Report (delayed from Friday) During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report 0030 – Australia RBA Minutes 0120 – China Rate Decision 0200 – China Oct. Industrial Production / Retail Sales  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-14-2022-14112022
    Easing In Chinese Covid Measures | Crypto Distress Continues | Markets Trade Joyfully

    Easing In Chinese Covid Measures | Crypto Distress Continues | Markets Trade Joyfully

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 14.11.2022 10:25
    It has been an ugly weekend for cryptocurrencies, even though the selloff remained relatively contained in the sector giants like Bitcoin, compared to the size of the bad news that flew in last Friday. Market mood Market mood outside crypto is extremely joyful after last week’s inflation data surprised investors to the downside and China announced to relax Covid measures, and boost its shattered property sector. US And China Although the US inflation remains relatively high to contain a perhaps premature bull run on dovish Fed expectations, news from China could help keeping the mood nice and sweet. We will yet discover if the latest news will be enough to get international investors back on board of a Chinese dream that has been shot to the ground by the very Xi Jinping. Joe Biden and Xi Jinping  Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will talk today on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Talks could go either way; they could either boost, or hit risk appetite in Chinese, and global assets. China retailers & Nvidia earnings Other than that, investors will watch the Q3 earnings from Nvidia, and some US and Chinese retail giants throughout this week! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 FTX goes bankrupt, crypto distress continues 4:40 Traditional markets trade joyfully post-US CPI… 6:49 And easing in Chinese Covid measures! 8:26 Investor attention shifts to US, China retailers & Nvidia earnings Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #FTX #bankruptcy #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Solana #crypto #selloff #USD #inflation #data #Fed #expectations #China #Covid #measures #market #rally #retailer #Walmart #Target #Alibaba #JD #earnings #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    The South America Are Looking For Alternatives To The US Currency

    Stocks: Fake account's tweet affected one of companies' stock price

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 14.11.2022 23:46
    After Elon Musk took over Twitter, along with delisting the company's shares (delisting), he introduced an option to buy confirming account authentication with the Twitter Blue stamp for $8. As it turned out, this feature was used against US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (EliLilly), whose market value fell by nearly $20 billion. The situation on the Twitter platform In a post dated Friday, November 11, the impersonators wrote: "We are excited to announce insulin is free now." After the incident, ELI Lilly's share price fell by more than 5 percent. Only by the end of the day we could already read the following Tweet on the company's official profile: "We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad."It seems that such events, where an asset rose or fell significantly after a Twitter post, we might have associated more with the cryptocurrency market or the tweets of Elon Musk himself. Interestingly, a similar event befell defense and aerospace company giant Lockheed Martin (Lockheed) on the same day. Source: MT5, Lockheed, Daily A bargain in the market, or a legitimate discount? The manufacturer of, among other things, insulin, or a vaccine for polio disease, which has been in existence since 1876, boasts Q3 revenues for this year of $29.24 billion, an increase y/y. of 2.5 percent, and operating profit (EBIT) of $7.2 billion (down 10.85 percent y/y). However, the company boasts a very good profitability (ROE) of 64 percent. According to Statista, the average profitability for the drug manufacturer sector in 2022 is 16.97 percent. This gives us a result more than 47 percentage points above the industry average. In addition, the company appears to classify itself as a passive company paying a regular dividend, which averages 1 percent of the share price per quarter.The current macroeconomic situation does not seem to have a negative impact on the company's stock price, whose shares have risen from a price of about $270 to $352 (30% YTD) since the beginning of the year. The annual risk for this company, as measured by standard deviation, was 28.04 percent, where it was 24.61 percent for the main S&P 500 index (US500) during the period. The maximum decline from local peaks (Drowdown) was 13.63 percent, compared to 25 percent for the S&P 500.In addition, the company's shares appear to present a correlation to the broad market of 0.48, which we could interpret that the company is moderately dependent on the market situation. What does Wall Street think of Eli Lilly's stock price? According to Market Screener, the company has 23 recommendations, most of which are buy recommendations. The average target price is set at $364.29, more than 3 percent higher than the last closing price. The highest target price is at $441, and the lowest is $202.Given the current situation, which seems to have no impact on the company's operations. The overvaluation of the stock after the entry from the fake account seems to be a signal for the price to return to pre-decline levels. Source: MT5, EliLilly, WeeklyAuthor: Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    Euro-dollar Support Tested Amidst Rate Concerns and Labor Strikes

    The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Was Mostly Red

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 15.11.2022 08:09
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.63%, the S&P 500 fell 0.89%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 1.12%. Dow Jones Merck & Company Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 2.39 points or 2.44% to close at 100.35. Quotes of Johnson & Johnson rose by 2.66 points (1.57%), ending trading at 171.91. Visa Inc Class A rose 1.86 points or 0.91% to close at 206.86. The least gainers were Walmart Inc, which shed 4.19 points or 2.94% to end the session at 138.39. Home Depot Inc was up 2.55% or 8.02 points to close at 306.92 while Dow Inc was down 2.24% or 1.19 points to close at 51. 95. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were CF Industries Holdings Inc, which rose 5.21% to hit 107.76, PENN Entertainment Inc, which gained 4.59% to close at 37.63. as well as Moderna Inc, which rose 4.57% to close the session at 179.03. The least gainers were Hasbro Inc, which shed 9.86% to close at 57.16. Shares of Bath & Body Works Inc. lost 8.17% and ended the session at 33.06. Quotes of SVB Financial Group decreased in price by 6.73% to 219.76. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Opiant Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 111.58% to hit 20.10, Freight Technologies Inc, which gained 113.15% to close at 0.44, and also shares of Toughbuilt Industries Inc, which rose 72.27% to end the session at 3.79. The least gainers were Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc, which shed 83.22% to close at 0.68. Shares of Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc lost 43.96% to end the session at 2.55. Quotes of Nuwellis Inc decreased in price by 40.00% to 0.12. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2188) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (956), while quotes of 111 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,257 companies fell in price, 1,538 rose, and 202 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 5.37% to 23.73. Gold Gold Futures for December delivery added 0.30%, or 5.30, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 4.24%, or 3.77, to $85.19 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 3.57%, or 3.43, to $92.56 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.21% to 1.03, while USD/JPY advanced 0.77% to hit 139.86. Futures on the USD index rose 0.53% to 106.73.       Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-16 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/300975
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    Fresh China Stimulus Has Added To The AUD/USD Pair Rally | Meeting Of President Biden And President Xi Showed Some Goodwill Gestures f

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.11.2022 08:39
    Summary:  Perhaps reality set in that markets could perhaps have been a bit too euphoric after just one inflation print showed CPI had dropped. Investors took profits from the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 seeing the indices fall 1% & 0.9% ahead of US PPI and following Fed officials’ remarks about ‘additional work to do’ and “a ways to go” to bring down inflation. Inflation expectations in a New York Fed consumer survey increased. Crude oil took a haircut, falling 4.2% after OPEC cut its oil demand outlook. Despite the US dollar rising against almost all major G-10 peers, The Aussie dollar nudged up to 0.67 ahead of the RBA meeting minutes. What’s happening in markets? Investors took profits from the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) seeing the indices fall 1% and 0.9% as there’s ‘additional work to do’ to bring down inflation  Perhaps reality set in, that markets could perhaps have been a bit too euphoric after just one inflation print showed CPI had dropped. The major US indices snapped their two-day rally because US Federal Reserve speakers raised the alarm that the Fed had extra work to do to bring down inflation. Fed Governor Christopher Waller warned that “the market seems to have gotten way out in front over this one CPI report” and the Fed has “got a ways to go”.  Adding to that, Fed’s Vice Chair Lael Brainard said there is “additional work to do”. Putting it into perspective, the S&P500 has still managed to hold onto a gain of 10% from October 10. Given the rhetoric of ‘more work to do’ has been reinforced, it’s important to remember bear markets produce wild swings in markets, and volatility might be expected to pick up given the uncertainty. Ten of the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined with Real Estate, Consumer Discretionary, and Financials falling the most and Health Care being flat. Amazon (AMXN:xnas) dropped 2.3% as the company announced plans to layoff about 10,000 employees. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) declined 2.6% as Elon Musk said he had too much work to juggle and was running Tesla “with great difficulty”. Toll and board games maker, Hasbro (HAS:xnas) tumbled nearly 10% on analyst downgrades. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) as China rolling out financial support to the property sector Hang Seng Index climbed 1.7% and CSI 300 edged up 0.1% on the news that the People’s Bank of China and the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission jointly issued a notice to financial institutions with 16 measures to address the liquidity squeeze faced by property developers through measures including the temporary relaxation of previously imposed redlines restricting banks from lending over certain ceilings to developers and calling for financial institutions to treat private enterprise developers equally with state-owned enterprises. Leading China private enterprise property developers listed in Hong Kong soared, with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) jumping 45.5% and Longfor (00960) surging 16.5%. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pared some post-CPI gains on hawkish Fedspeak and higher surveyed inflation expectations. US treasury yields rose about 6bps across the curve, paring some of the post-CPI gains, after returning from a long weekend, with the 10-year yield rising to 3.86% and the 2-year yield back to 4.39%. Hawkish comments from Fed Governor Waller that the market has gotten too much ahead of itself on one CPI report and there is still a long way to go triggered selling in treasuries during Asian hours. To add to that, the usually dovish Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said there is additional work to do in fighting inflation. Higher inflation expectations from the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations weighed on the bond markets. Median one- and three-year-ahead inflation expectations increased to 5.9% and 3.1% from 5.4% and 2.9%, respectively. The median five-year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 2.4% from 2.2%. Also weighing on the markets during the session as about 12 billion corporate bond issuance. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) trades at its highest level since June; focus on CBA today   The biggest bank in Australia and the second biggest company on the ASX, Commonwealth Bank (CBA) reported its financial results today, with the bank reporting its net profit after tax (NPAT) from continuing operations grew just 2% compared to the prior quarter to A$2.5 billion. Its common equity Tier 1 ratio fell slightly to 11.1% vs. 11.5% q/q (showing its holding slightly less cash), and it also declared a loan impairment expense of A$222 million from bad debts, (showing Australians are feeling the pinch of the rate hikes). All in all, CBA’s income rose 9%, driven by higher margins and volume growth, which partly offset the reduced non-interest income. Meanwhile, CBA’s expenses rose, 4.5% (excluding remediation) with higher staff costs adding to the bill. CBA’s shares have risen 21% from their June low. And the technical indicators on the monthly chart suggest its slow grind up could perhaps continue, but the monthly and daily charts look somewhat mixed/choppy- it guess you could say, showing volatility may pick up. A lot can be taken by the RBA’s commentary, which has alluded to insolvencies rising up. Which we can see has been reflected in CBA’s results. Also remember the RBA said that the rate hikes from May have not fully been felt by Australians yet. That means, CBA’s margins could remain thin given inflationary pressures and rising rates. If you are looking for alpha, we still believe commodities offer the most potential over banks. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) took a haircut, falling 4.2% after OPEC cut its oil demand outlook WTI crude price fell 4.2% as OPEC cut its global oil demand outlook down 0.1million bpd to 99.6 million bdp for 2022 and down 0.1 million bdp to 101.8 million bdp for 2023.  In the natural gas market, Freeport LNG will likely extend an outage that began in June, curbing the much-needed supply to customers in Europe and Asia. AUDUSD holds steady at around 0.67 after balanced RBA meeting minutes Despite the US dollar rising against almost all major G-10 peers, the Aussie dollar has held its ground, thanks to fresh China stimulus (with China announcing a property sector rescue package, as well as relaxing some Covid restrictions). This has added to the AUDUSD rally, with the pair now gaining 6.2% this month, in anticipation that Australia’s trade surplus will bolster, with hopes that commodity demand will improve. In its minutes released this morning, it shows that the RBA considered the case for a 50bp rate hike but settled at raising 25bps as the RBA was mindful of the full impacts of prior hikes were yet to be fully felt.  What to consider? US PPI today to watch In the October CPI released last week, a decline in health insurance costs due to technical factors contributed to the deceleration in the service component of the core CPI. In the calculation of core PCE, which the Fed watches most closely, the healthcare services prices are estimated from the PPI dataset than the CPI database. As a result, investors are likely to pay more attention to the October PPI numbers scheduled to release on Tuesday than usual as they are trying to gauge the trend of the service component of the core CPI. Bloomberg consensus estimates for headline PPI are +04% M/M and +8.4% Y/Y and for core PPI are +0.3% M/M and +7.2% Y/Y. Biden and Xi stroke a conciliatory tone but key issues unresolved  The 3-hour long meeting between President Biden and President Xi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali showed some goodwill gestures from both sides. Nonetheless, key issues remain unresolved.  In a relatively conciliatory tone, the two leaders agreed to resume talks on climate change and economic issues between officials of the two countries. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken plans to visit China early next year. Japan’s Q3 GDP unexpectedly declined Japan reported Q3 GDP that unexpectedly declined by 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, contrary to the consensus expecting a 1.2% growth. Falling net exports and a decline in housing investment drove the weakness. China’s October activity data are expected to be weak October retail sales in China are expected to decelerate to +0.7% Y/Y according to the Bloomberg survey from +2.5% Y/Y in September as the surge in COVID cases and pandemic control restrictions took their toll on consumption. Industrial production is estimated to slow to +5.3% Y/Y in October from +6.3% Y/Y in September, amid Covid-related restrictions, slower auto production, and weak exports. Retail bellwether companies report Q3 results today Home Depot (HD:xnys) and Walmart (WMT) are scheduled to report Q3 results today. Investors will be monitoring the top-line growth figures and assessment of business outlooks to gauge the state of US consumers. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-15-nov-2022-15112022
    US-China Tensions Continue To Ramp Up, Dollar Off Its Highs

    The US And Chinese Leaders Criticized Russia For Its Threatening The Use Of Nuclear Weapons

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.11.2022 09:47
    Summary:  Equity markets traded largely sideways, as did the US dollar after the wild sell-off late last week in the wake of the soft US CPI data. Markets in Asia traded on a strong note overnight after friendly headlines from the long Biden-Xi talk yesterday. The focus on incoming data in the days ahead will be on US PPI today and Retail Sales tomorrow, with the UK set to announce a much anticipated autumn budget statement on Thursday, likely to include new windfall taxes on power and fossil fuel companies.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Despite a strong session in China there is little spillover effect into developed market equities with S&P 500 futures still hovering just below the 4,000 level. Today’s key events are earnings from Walmart and Home Depot, or news coming out of the G20 meeting. US equities are tilted short-term in favour of an upside move with the 200-day moving average in the S&P 500 futures at 4,080 being the natural gravitational point for the market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China’s equity markets surged for the third day in a row, with Hang Seng Index soaring 3.4% and CSI 300 climbing 1.7%, as optimism returned to the markets due to favourable policy shifts in China regarding pandemic control and property developers’ access to funding and goodwill gestures shown by China’s President Xi and the US’ President Biden at their first face-to-face meeting after President Biden took office. China Internet companies were among the top gainers, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 11%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 10%, and Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 6%. Investors brushed off the rise of new Covid cases to 17,772 in mainland China as well as weaker-than-expected retail sales (shrinking 0.5%) and industrial production (+5%) in October. FX: USD still on the mat after massive downdraft on lower October CPI After the massive two-day plunge last week on the release of the softer than expected US October CPI data on Thursday, the US dollar largely tread water in yesterday’s session, with traders unwilling to take it lower still after a huge, one-off adjustment to Fed expectations that will require more weak incoming data from the US if investors want to solidy their case for a coming Fed pivot. EURUSD continues to trade near the key 1.0350 area, which was the major low back in May and June and prior to that, back in early 2017. The first support is the 1.0200 area, the 38.2% retracement of the rally sprint, with the reversal level at 1.0100, the 61.8% retracement and near the prior important resistance. For USDJPY, while the market managed to briefly take out the 139.40, the prior major high in July, it has bounced back above 140.00 at times since yesterday. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) returned to the lower end of their current ranges ... after OPEC cut its forecasts for global oil demand in the fourth quarter, virus infections continue to climb in China. In addition, a monthly Drilling Productivity Report from the EIA cast doubt on US shale growth and as oil production per drilled well has fallen to the lowest since July 2020. Weaker than expected China data also highlighted the risk to oil demand during the final quarter before an expected tightening driven by OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions against Russian oil. Focus on US economic data given its impact on risk appetite as well as IEA’s Oil Market Report for November due later today. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold has so far seen three shallow corrections during the run up from the post-FOMC low at $1620 on November 3, highlighting an emerging “buy-the-dip" mentality as short positions are being reduced while others trade the current positive momentum. An attempt to reverse some of last week's drop in the dollar and yields initially supported a correction but gold did not get close to test key support at $1735 before receiving a bid after Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said it would be appropriate for the Fed to slow its monetary-tightening pace soon. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – have yet to show any appetite while speculators cut their net short by 80% to –8k lots in the week to November 8.  Expect some consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735 with resistance at $1789 and $1804. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries failed to consolidate much of last Thursday’s enormous slide in yields, with the 4.00-4.10% area the somewhat far away upside swing zone, while the next major focus lower will be on the major pivot high near 3.50% from June. What is going on? Xi-Biden summit sees positive headlines After a three-hour talk between the US and Chinese heads of state, both sides issued statement suggesting a friendly reset of the tone between the two countries. The two sides are set to resume cooperation on climate change and food security and both leaders criticized Russia for its threatening the use of nuclear weapons. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the talks represent a “new starting point” with both sides hoping “to stop the tumbling of bilateral ties and to stabilize the relationship.” Weak incoming data from China overnight Industrial Production rose 5% YoY in October, a slowing of the pace from the month before and below estimates of 5.3%. Retail Sales for the month were down –0.5%, far below expectations of a rise of +0.7%. Infineon Technologies blasts earnings estimates The German semiconductor manufacturer reports strong Q4 results (ending 30 September) with revenue at €4.14bn vs est. €3.93bn and segment profit of €1.06bn vs est. €970mn. For the current fiscal year, the company guides segment profit margin of 24% vs est. 22.2% and revenue of €15.5bn vs est. €15bn. Fed Vice Chair Brainard mentions slowing the pace of Fed rate hikes In an interview yesterday, Lael Brainard, widely considered the chief dove on this FOMC, confirmed forward market expectations for lowering the size of future rate hikes. After last Thursday’s softer US October CPI print, the market had already lowered expectations to a 50-bp move, so there was little market impact despite a flurry of headlines. Brainard said “It will probably be appropriate soon to move to a slower pace of increases...but I think what’s really important to emphasize, we’ve done a lot, but we have additional work to do.” Higher US inflation expectations ... from the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations weighed slightly on bond markets. Median one- and three-year-ahead inflation expectations increased to 5.9% and 3.1% from 5.4% and 2.9%, respectively. The median five-year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 2.4% from 2.2%. Also weighing on the markets during the session was about $12 billion corporate bond issuance. What are we watching next? ECB’s TLTRO repayments on Friday This is usually a non-event for traders, only ECB watchers care about that. But this is before the European Central Bank (ECB) decided on 27 October to change the rules retroactively and increase the targeted longer-term refinancing operation (TLTRO) rates from 23 November onwards. The interest rate will be directly indexed on the ECB’s deposit rate (which could peak at 2.50 % next year) instead of being calculated over the entire life of the operation. This creates strong incentives for commercial banks to repay in advance (the bulk of the TLTRO was going to be repaid in June 2023). This is aimed to reduce the eurozone balance sheet and with that to contribute to the overall monetary policy normalisation. At this stage, it is still unclear what will be the exact consequences on the flow of credit in the eurozone. This is something to monitor, however. Incoming US data Traders will remain nervous around incoming US data after the wild reaction to last week’s Thursday October US CPI release. The US macro calendar highlights this week include today’s October PPI releases, the Oct. Retail Sales data on Wednesday and November NAHB Housing Market Index release the same day. Finally, the US reports October Housing Starts/Building Permits data on Thursday. Hints of new taxes for the coming UK Autumn Budget Statement on 17 November The new Prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to find savings worth about £30-40bn/year to convince the independent Office for Budget Responsibility that debt won’t rise across the medium-term as a percentage of GDP.  At the same time, Sunak was out yesterday promising the return of the “triple lock” he suspended for 2022-23 as Chancellor, under which pensions are adjusted higher by the highest of inflation, average earnings, or 2.5%. Current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering a new 40% windfall tax on electricity producers. He may also extend the current windfall tax on oil and gas producers to 2028 and raise it to 35% from 25% in Thursday’s budget statement. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot which are both giants in the US consumer sector. Walmart is expected to deliver 5.2% y/y revenue growth and lower EBITDA margin at 5.5% down from 6.3% a year ago. Home Depot is expected to deliver revenue growth of 3% y/y and unchanged EBITDA margin at 17.5% compared to a year ago. Sea Ltd is also reporting today and was at one point the darling of the market delivering high growth rates and strong returns but the last year has been brutal. Analysts expect revenue growth of 12% y/y down from a revenue growth rate of 122% y/y a year ago as e-commerce, gaming and financial services have slowed down in Southeast Asia. Today: Infineon Technologies, Vodafone, Alcon, Walmart, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – IEA’s Oil Market Report for November 1000 – Germany Nov. ZEW Survey 1000 – Eurozone Sep. Trade BAlance 1000 – Eurozone Q3 GDP estimate 1330 – US Oct. PPI 1330 – Canada Sep. Manufacturing Sales 1400 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) to speak 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) to speak before Senate panel 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock report 0030 – Australia Q3 Wage Price Index  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-15-2022-15112022
    Rates Spark: Discussing the Potential of 4.5% and its Impact on Markets

    China Could Be The Next Hit To Global Inflation | Donald Trump's Announcement

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 15.11.2022 09:52
    Equities saw some profit taking in last week’s post-US inflation rally, as some Federal Reserve (Fed) officials reminded investors that the 7.7% inflation is still high and that the Fed would continue fighting to bring it lower. G20 In geopolitics, yesterday’s meeting between Jow Biden and Xi Jinping went well. US-listed Chinese stocks extended gains. Crude Oil In energy, American crude dived on the news that OPEC cut its oil demand outlook and warned of uncertainties around global growth. Earnings In earnings, big US retailers Walmart and Home Depot are due to release earnings today Donald Trump And in fun news, Donald Trump will make an important announcement! Whoo! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:41 Fed members warn of premature optimism 2:54 US inflation expectations go up 4:31 China could be the next hit to global inflation 5:05 Crude oil down on OPEC demand outlook cut 6:20 Biden, Xi meeting went well! 7.49 Crypto selloff cools 8:53 What to watch today? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #US #inflation #expectations #G20 #Biden #Xi #meeting #US #China #crude #oil #FTX #bankruptcy #Bitcoin #Ethereum #selloff #Binance #recovery #funds #Walmart #HomeDepot #earnings #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Most Securities Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 16.11.2022 08:02
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.17%, the S&P 500 rose 0.87% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.45%. Dow Jones Walmart Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 9.05 points or 6.54% to close at 147.44. Nike Inc rose 2.32 points or 2.22% to close at 106.71. Salesforce Inc rose 3.41 points or 2.15% to close at 162.07. The least gainers were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, which shed 10.74 points or 2.09% to end the session at 503.01. The Travelers Companies Inc was up 1.75% or 3.20 points to close at 179.50 while Verizon Communications Inc was down 1.59% or 0.61 points to close at 37.70. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were SVB Financial Group, which rose 9.18% to 239.93, Ceridian HCM Holding Inc, which gained 8.30% to close at 72.68. as well as Match Group Inc, which rose 6.66% to end the session at 51.92. The least gainers were Capital One Financial Corporation, which shed 7.18% to close at 103.56. Shares of Albemarle Corp shed 6.48% to end the session at 295.86. Quotes Synchrony Financial fell in price by 4.85% to 35.92.  NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Tenax Therapeutics Inc, which rose 45.74% to hit 0.14, Qurate Retail Inc Series B, which gained 37.28% to close at 7.14. , as well as shares of Exagen Inc, which rose 42.38% to close the session at 2.99. Shares of Jowell Global Ltd. were the biggest losers, losing 56.65% to close at 0.69. Shares of Fast Radius Inc lost 47.79% and ended the session at 0.10. Quotes of Kingstone Companies Inc decreased in price by 45.03% to 0.91. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2,346) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (788), while quotes of 102 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2499 companies rose in price, 1319 fell, and 197 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 3.41% to 24.54. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 0.29%, or 5.15, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery rose 1.12%, or 0.96, to $86.83 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 0.62%, or 0.58, to $93.72 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.25% to 1.04, while USD/JPY fell 0.51% to hit 139.16. Futures on the USD index fell 0.15% to 106.37.   Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-17 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/301152
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    The RBA Downgraded Its Outlook For The Property Market | Walmart Is Increasing Its FY Outlook

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.11.2022 08:53
    Summary:  Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 ended higher, being lifted by softer-than-expected producer inflation. Walmart and Home Depot beat in earnings and topline. Chinese stocks surged on additional financial support to the property sector and a conciliatory tone from the Biden-Xi meeting. Hang Seng Index rose 4% to 18,343, more than 25% higher from its October low. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) gained on softer-than-expected US PPI Investors got a lift from the softer-than-expected PPI data which added to the post-CPI optimism that the US inflation may have peaked. S&P 500 gained 0.9% and NASDAQ 100 rose 1.5%. Stocks pared gains in the afternoon when the news of Russian missiles landing in Poland, a NATO member, hit the wires. Stocks nonetheless managed to recover from the missile news and finished the session higher.  Nine out of 11 S&P 500 sectors gained, with communication services, consumer discretionary, information technology and real estate led. On earnings, retail bellwether Walmart (WMT:xnys) surged 6.7% after reporting earnings and revenue beats and raising full-year outlook guidance. Home Depot (HD:xnys) gained 1.7% on earnings beating estimates and reaffirming full-year guidance. US  treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied on PPI prints, with the 10-year yield falling 8bps to 3.77% US treasuries rallied, with yields falling 5-9 basis points across the curve. The 10-year yield fell 8bps to 3.77%. The market surged in price after the growth in PPI, both in headlines and core measures, slowed more than expected. A stronger Empire State manufacturing index, returning to the expansionary territory and Fedspeak from Bostic, Barr, and Harker reiterating the slower pace but still additional work to do message, did not tame market sentiment. Adding to the fuel was some safe-haven buying of treasuries after Russian missiles hit Poland and killed two people. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) on fire as risk-on sentiment returned Hong Kong and China’s equity markets surged for the third day in a row, with Hang Seng Index soaring 4.1 % and CSI 300 climbing 1.9%, as optimism returned to the markets due to favourable policy shifts in China regarding pandemic control and property developers’ access to funding and goodwill gestures shown by China’s President Xi and the US’ President Biden at their first face-to-face meeting after President Biden took office. In addition, the Chinese authorities announced that they will allow developers, after meeting some requirements in their financials and supports from their banks, to tap into some of the presale deposits now placed in escrow accounts. China Internet stocks and semi-conductor names were among the top gainers. Commodities lift; Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) rose more than 1% after Russian rockets hit, iron ore (SCOA,SCOZ2) extended its gain and wheat whipped up 1% Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) rose more than 1% after the EIA published a report saying inventories in developed nations sunk to an 18-year low of less than 4 billion barrels. The EIA says a potential EU ban on Russian supply will add further pressure, and its output may drop below 10 million b/d next year, from about 10.7 million so far this year. For the next technical indicators and levels to watch in oil, click here. Moving to metals, the Iron ore (SCOA) price rose 1.7%, continuing its rebound and has now risen 25% this month on the back of fresh China stimulus, however the iron ore price is still down 13% from its high. The question is, if China continues to ease restrictions, will the iron ore price continue its rebound, and support affiliated iron ore equities. Meanwhile in crop markets, wheat trades higher on concerns there could be a potential escalation of the war. What to consider Fed collects more evidence inflation is easing; US producer prices cool more than expected, clocking smallest gain in a year Investors got another piece of evidence the inflationary pressures are easing, with US producer price growth rising 8% Y/Y in October (below the 8.3% Bloomberg consensus expected and down from the 8.5% Y/Y in September), with prices rising 0.2% M/M (which was less than the 0.4% expected). Excluding volatile food, energy, and trade services, the core PPI grew 6.7% Y/Y in October- while the market expected the growth remains unchanged from the September level of 7.2%. After peaking in March at 11.7%, producer price growth has moderated from improving supply chains, softer demand, and weakening commodities prices. This means, following the softer-than-expected CPI print last week, the Fed has garnered more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes, which also provides further support to the equity market and bond market rallies. However, the next important data sets the Fed will be watching are due early next month; US jobs, and November CPI, which are ahead of the Fed’s next meeting (in the third week of December). RBA meeting minutes signal food and energy prices to rise, and property prices to fall Australia’s central bank sees food price inflation rising, along with energy prices, while the Unemployment rate is expected to rise as well off its lows. The RBA downgraded its outlook for the property market, expecting property prices to continue to fall, as they have in history when the RBA is in a rising cycle. It also sees housing loan commitments further falling. Yet the RBA affirmed it will keep rising rates till inflation is within its targets as the central bank wants underlying inflation to be within 2-3%. The RBA also hinted it may be close to its target, "in underlying terms, inflation was a little over 6% with most components of the CPI rising at annualized rates of more than 3%”. What are the investor takeaways from the RBA minutes? It could be worth looking for potential opportunities in investing in Food stocks, food ETFs, and the as well as wheat and corn. Secondly, it could be worth looking for potential opportunities in energy, like crude oil, or oil stocks such as Woodside Energy and Occidental Petroleum to name a few. And with property prices falling, along with lending, keep an eye on bank shares. Consider looking at CommBank (CBA) as a proxy. Will CBA continue to rally off its low on the back of the RBA's dovish stance, or will CBA and big banks take a haircut as banks’ profits are shrinking? Walmart and Home Depot earnings beat estimates Peter Garnry, Head of Equity Strategy wrote in his notes that Walmart showed a positive surprise on its operating margin and an upward revision to the FY results and Home Depot is delivering a decent Q3 result,= as well.  Walmart, the largest US retailer reported FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue of $152.8bn up 9% y/y beating estimates and adj. EPS of $1.50 vs est. $1.32 while announcing a $20bn buyback programme. The third quarter result is so strong that Walmart is increasing its FY outlook on adj. EPS to -6% to -7% y/y from previously -9% to -11%. The 12-month trailing revenue figure eclipsed $600bn for the first time in its history. As we have seen throughout this Q3 earnings season, retailers and consumer industries have been able to either preserve or expand operating margins. Walmart is valued at a 12-month forward EV/EBITDA of 11.6x compared to 12x for the S&P 500 Index.  The largest US home improvement retailer Home Depot reports FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue of $38.9bn vs est. $37.9bn up 6% y/y and EPS of $4.24 vs est. $4.13 as the US consumer remains in good shape despite inflation and higher cost of living. Home Depot is confirming its fiscal year guidance. Tencent (00700) is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday Tencent is scheduled to report Q3 results today. Bloomberg survey shows the street is expecting revenues to edge down around 1% Y/Y with both advertisements and gaming down Y/Y. On adjusted EPS, the consensus is calling for an 8% year-on-year decline. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-16-nov-2022-16112022
    Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

    Apple Shares Rose | As Trump Still Enjoys Personal Popularity

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.11.2022 09:08
    Summary:  Equity markets were in for a wild ride yesterday as the melt-up continued in early trading, only to violently reverse on an apparently errant missile killing two in a Polish town bordering Ukraine. The price action has since stabilized, with risk sentiment still strong in Asia on hopes for incoming stimulus from China. Important incoming US data up today includes the October Retail Sales data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Big rejection in S&P 500 futures yesterday with the index futures coming off 1.3% from the intraday highs to close below the 4,000 level. Yesterday’s upside driver was a lower than estimated US PPI print and then later the downside move was triggered by news that a rumoured Russian missile had hit Polish territory killing two persons. This morning S&P 500 futures are attempting to push above the 4,000 level again, but we want to emphasize cautiousness here as geopolitical risks remain high and markets that seem fragile and trading on thin liquidity across many markets. Today’s key earnings event in the US is Nvidia reporting after the market close. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks consolidated and took a pause on the strong rally since last Friday, with Hang Seng Index losing 1% and CSI 300 Index sliding 0.7%. Chinese property names retraced. Leading private enterprise developer Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunged 14% following the placement of new shares. Chinese EV makers underperformed, with leading names dropping by 2% to 6%. New Covid cases in mainland China went above 20,000 for the first time since April. FX: USD volatile on risk sentiment swings yesterday The US dollar was pummelled yesterday as the risk sentiment melt-up initially continued yesterday in early trading in the US before a missile hitting a Polish town (more below) sharply reversed sentiment. The situation has since stabilized, but the reversal of the spike put a considerable dent in tactical USD downside momentum. GBPUSD traded the most wildly ahead of today’s CPI and tomorrow’s Autumn Budget Statement, squeezing from 1.1750 early yesterday to all the way north of 1.2000 briefly before trading back to 1.1800 and closing the day south of 1.1900. The USD volatility was less pronounced elsewhere, particularly against Asian currencies. The incoming US data and risk sentiment swings around that data (or as we saw yesterday from other sources) will likely drive the next USD move. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil ended lower on Tuesday following a volatile trading session that briefly saw prices spike on news a Polish border town had been hit by a Russian-made but probably Ukrainian fired missile (see below). Overall, the crude oil market remains rangebound with demand worries currently weighing a touch harder than supply concerns driven by OPEC+ production cuts and from next month, EU sanctions against Russian oil, a development that according to the IEA may drive a 15% reduction in Russian output early next year. In China the number of virus cases have surged to near 20,000 thereby testing local authorities' appetite for maintaining the covid-zero restrictions. Focus on EIA’s weekly stock report after the API reported a 5.8m barrel drop in crude and smaller increases in fuel stocks. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold touched resistance at $1788 on Tuesday as the dollar hit a fresh cycle low after US PPI showed the smallest increase since mid-2021. Later in the day, a brief safe haven bid quickly fizzled out after Biden said the rocket that hit Poland was unlikely to have been fired from Russia. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – remain elusive with total holdings falling to a fresh 31-month low and with that in mind expect continued consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735. Resistance at $1788, the 38.2% retracement of the 2022 correction and $1804, the 200-day moving average. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries punched to new local lows yesterday, with the 10-year treasury benchmark dipping below 3.80% after a likely errant missile hit a Polish town bordering Ukraine and on slightly softer than expected PPI data. But yields have rebounded today and are back to slightly below the close from last Thursday after that day’s surprisingly soft October US CPI release. Key levels are 3.50% to the downside, the pivot high around the June FOMC meeting when the Fed hiked 75 basis points for the first time for this cycle, while 4.00-4.10% is perhaps the upside swing area. What is going on? UK October CPI was out at 11.1% YoY, a new cycle high This was vs. 10.7% expected and 10.1% in September. Core CPI matched the cycle high from September at 6.5% YoY, versus 6.4% expected. Sterling trades a bit weaker after the initial reaction to the data point, as higher inflation will likely require more fiscal and monetary tightening that will make the coming UK recession deeper, a sterling negative. Missile comes down in Poland town bordering Ukraine, killing two The source of the missiles is a mystery, with US President Biden saying after an emergency meeting with other leaders that the missile was “unlikely” to have been launched in Russia, while Poland claimed that the missile was “Russian made” and convened an emergency security meeting yesterday afternoon. Markets reacted strongly to the development initially, as Poland is a member of NATO. Russian officials said that claims of an intentional missile firing are a “deliberate provocation with the goal of escalating the situation.” Donald Trump declares third bid for the White House in 2024 Trump was widely seen as the chief liability in a very poor Republican showing in the mid-term elections last week, with candidates strongly denying the results of the 2020 election losing badly in almost every case. The Democrats are set to gain a slightly larger majority in the Senate and the Republicans will only eke out the narrowest of majorities in the House of Representatives. As Trump still enjoys an unmatched “base” of personal popularity, it will be difficult for any Republican profile to rise up to challenge Trump, just as it is likely impossible that Trump can win independent voters and those that are not his base. It’s ideal ground for the formation of a new party. Apple set to shift to US-based chip production Apple shares rose over 2.1%, moving to their highest level since early November after the Apple CEO unveiled the company will be using US-made Chips from Arizona in 2024, as part of reducing its reliance on Asian chip manufacturers and shifting to producing its own. CEO Tim Cook also told staff Apple plans to expand its chip supply into European markets. The moves underscore the necessity for technology companies to reshoring semiconductors from Asia to reduce supply chain risks. These types of moves will add to inflationary pressures in the future. US earnings recap: Walmart, Home Depot, and Sea Ltd Yesterday’s earnings releases from these three consumer retailing companies were all better than expected with Walmart lifting guidance and beating on revenue growth. Home Depot had the most downbeat reaction from investors as the home improvement retailer’s revenue growth beat was only due to inflation and not higher volume. The biggest positive reaction was in Sea Ltd shares as the Southeast Asia gaming and e-commerce company posted a narrower operating loss and beat on revenue growth; however, the company took down guidance in its gaming division. Read more details in our earnings review note from yesterday. US producer prices cool more than expected, clocking smallest gain in a year Investors got another piece of evidence inflationary pressures are easing, with US producer price growth rising 8% Y/Y in October (below the 8.3% Bloomberg consensus expected and down from the 8.5% Y/Y in September). Excluding volatile food, energy, core PPI rose 6.7% Y/Y in October- when the market prices to rise 7.2%. After peaking in March at 11.7%, producer price growth has moderated from improving supply chains, softer demand, and weakening commodities prices. The Fed has therefore garnered more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes, which also provides further support to the equity market and bond markets. However, the next important data sets the Fed will be watching are due early next month; US jobs, and November CPI, which are ahead of the Fed’s next meeting (in the third week of December). Arabica coffee (KCc1) dropped 4.4% on Tuesday … thereby extending a rout that has seen the price retrace almost 61.8% of the 2019 to 2022 surge to a multi-year high above $2.50 per pound. Fast forward nine months and the global economic slowdown has led to a reduction in away-from-home consumption at a time where the production outlook from South America has improved. Stocks at ICE monitored warehouses have risen for the past seven days from a 20-year low and could more than double soon with more than half a million bags awaiting assessment. A new LNG exporter is born Mozambique is now officially a new LNG exporter after the first shipment on Monday left the Coral South floating liquefaction unit, which has a 4.4 bcm annual export capacity. This is positive news for Europe who is desperately looking for new energy suppliers since the Ukraine war has started. It was a long-decade process for Mozambique to get its first LNG supply out of the country. Based on official estimates, this is one of the largest LNG offshore fields in Africa. What are we watching next? Fed hawk Christopher Waller to speak on Economic Outlook tonight Waller is an FOMC voter as he sits on the Board of Governors and is widely considered one of the most hawkish Fed members and may unleash a blast of hawkish rhetoric, although it seems the market is more likely to listen only to Fed Chair Powell himself and more importantly, at incoming data. US October Retail Sales data today An interesting data release is up today, the US Retail Sales for October. This data series suggests rather sluggish US growth and is reported in nominal month-on-month terms, not real- or inflation-adjusted terms. The last three months of the headline data have averaged almost exactly 0.0%, while the “ex Food and Energy” series has averaged +0.36%. Today’s headline number is expected at +1.0% MoM and +0.2% for core sales. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Nvidia which is expected to deliver a 18% decline in revenue y/y to $5.8bn and EPS of $0.70 down 31% y/y as the market for GPUs is cooling down as crypto mining is becoming less profitable from lower prices on cryptocurrencies. Tencent is expected to report earnings today following a new round of layoffs announced yesterday as revenue growth is expected to be down 1% y/y in Q3. Today: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – ECB Financial Stability Review 1300 – Poland Oct. CPI 1315 – Canada Oct. Housing Starts 1330 – US Oct. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Oct. CPI 1330 – US Oct. Import & Export Prices 1415 – US Oct. Industrial Production 1450 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak 1500 – US Nov. NAHB Housing Market Index 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) to testify before House Panel 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1935 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak 0030 – Australia Oct. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source:https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-16-2022-16112022
    US Dollar Plunges Despite Hawkish Fed Expectations, Inflation Data and Sentiment Indicators in Focus

    World’s Population Has Reached 8 Billion People | Trump’s Third Run For President

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.11.2022 11:59
    Once again we can get to know Jim Cramer's comments on the stock market. The market of new technologies, including cryptocurrencies, deserves attention. In addition, information about the re-candidacy of Donald Trump appeared. In this article: Stock Market via Jim Cramer Global Population Trump’s campaign Cryptocurrencies NVIDIA Jim Cramer’s comments Mad Money On CNBC tweets stock market situations.   Stocks rose on Tuesday after the October producer price index data signaled that inflation is cooling. https://t.co/gIMz8ZPn4q — Mad Money On CNBC (@MadMoneyOnCNBC) November 16, 2022 Jim Cramer observes and comments on the situation on the stock market. His comments are very valuable as he is an expert in this field. In his opinion, the current rally in the market may last until the middle of next month, based on chart analysis. 8 billion people The IMF in its post addresses the topic of demographic problems Today the world’s population has reached 8 billion people. But the greatest demographic challenge facing the world is actually population aging, according to @HarvardChanSPH's David E. Bloom and Leo M. Zucker. Read their new F&D article here. https://t.co/ahrBTUSg8F — IMF (@IMFNews) November 15, 2022 On November 15, humanity surpassed 8 billion, but what does that mean? For a long time we have been struggling with general overpopulation, which can have ecological, political and economic consequences. In highly developed countries, the main problem is an aging society, in such countries large families are reluctantly established because it is associated with costs and high responsibility, and now the focus is on career. In underdeveloped countries, where sex education is very low, more and more children are born, which deepens poverty. Alan Weusman in his book Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope For A Future On Earth? have addressed this problem. As we know, the more people, the greater the demand for food, water and a place to live, which will also affect the condition of our planet, and the economy may struggle with greater problems of poverty or other problems. Donald Trump will try again CNBC Now tweeted that Donald Trump will run for president again. Donald Trump launches 2024 presidential campaign https://t.co/zw0nXvNnHv — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) November 16, 2022 There are still two years until the presidential election in the United States. Former President Donald Trump has officially launched a campaign for president in 2024. The announcement comes just a week after Republicans lost key midterm races. I recently wrote about the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives' endorsement of President Joe Biden's re-election. In connection with the information received, is there a possibility of another revalidation on the Biden-Trump line for the presidency. Recall that in 2020 Trump sought re-election and lost. Cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile Morningstar, Inc. tweets about the lesson that investors got on the example of cryptocurrencies. What lessons can investors take away from crypto's implosion?For one, the dangers of volatility cannot be avoided, writes John Rekenthaler. https://t.co/xOG2nEG4H2 pic.twitter.com/RoNQ1B6G6E — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) November 15, 2022 Some markets are more prone to volatility than others, but volatility is always very likely. This statement comes as no surprise. Cybercurrency buffs can trade countless differences between various digital assets and debate which ones have the brightest future, but knowing them didn't prove helpful when the cryptocurrency bear market hit. A year ago, cryptocurrencies were all the rage. Now the situation in this market is different. What more conclusions can current and future investors draw, maybe the CEO of Binance is right in saying that the market needs regulation? New technologies market Bloomberg Terminal tweets about new technologies market A faltering metaverse, a stagnating crypto market, and weakness in the gaming market signals that @nvidia's gaming arm may need an extra life. Check out the graphics using MODL <GO> on the #BloombergTerminal as Nvidia reports earnings. pic.twitter.com/HiAhopnww9 — Bloomberg Terminal (@TheTerminal) November 15, 2022 Stagnation in the cryptocurrency market and more affects the gaming market, including NVIDIA.As the tweet shows, the situation on the new technologies market is difficult.
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The NASDAQ Stock Exchange 2,616 Companies Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 17.11.2022 08:02
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.12%, the S&P 500 was down 0.83% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 1.54%. Dow Jones McDonald's Corporation was the leading gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 4.67 points or 1.74% to close at 272.51. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 8.51 points or 1.69% to close at 511.52. Home Depot Inc rose 0.96% or 2.98 points to close at 314.91. The least gainers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 6.95 points or 4.29% to end the session at 155.12. Intel Corporation was up 3.84% or 1.18 points to close at 29.53, while Dow Inc was down 2.11% or 1.09 points to close at 50.51. . S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were TJX Companies Inc, which rose 5.19% to hit 79.02, Campbell Soup Company, which gained 3.89% to close at 50.71, and also shares of W. R. Berkley Corp, which rose 3.83% to end the session at 71.76. The least gainers were Advance Auto Parts Inc, which shed 15.06% to close at 156.24. Shares of Carnival Corporation shed 13.71% to end the session at 9.63. Quotes of Target Corporation decreased in price by 13.14% to 155.47. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Fast Radius Inc, which rose 106.29% to hit 0.21, Qurate Retail Inc Series B, which gained 45.90% to close at 10.41 , as well as shares of InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 36.33% to close the session at 3.79. The least gainers were shares of Dlocal Ltd, which lost 50.71% to close at 10.46. Shares of Brainsway Ltd lost 31.56% and ended the session at 2.19. Quotes of Cuentas Inc decreased in price by 28.00% to 0.25. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2104) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1012), while quotes of 119 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,616 companies fell in price, 1,142 rose, and 236 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.75% to 11/24. Gold Gold Futures for December delivery added 0.04%, or 0.65, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for December delivery fell 1.83%, or 1.59, to $85.33 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 1.29%, or 1.21, to $92.65 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.43% to 1.04, while USD/JPY advanced 0.15% to hit 139.49. Futures on the USD index fell 0.13% to 106.15.     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-18 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/301333
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    Australian Employment Rose | Microsoft Will Use Nvidia's Graphics Chips

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.11.2022 08:47
    Summary:  The hotter-than-expected US retail sales data and hawkish-leaning comments from Fed officials weighed on equities but boosted buying of long-dated bonds as investors focused on the likelihood of Fed overdoing in monetary tightening and triggering a recession. Target disappointed with Q3 miss and weak Q4 sales guidance, highlighting the pain of the US retailers and consumers. Nvidia's results beat expectations, moving its shares up after hours. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated on strong retail sales and hawkish Fedspeak The Good news is bad news phenomenon persists. The hotter-than-expected 1.3% rise in October retail sales, followed by several hawkish-leaning comments from Fed officials triggered concerns that the Fed would overdo monetary tightening and bring about a recession. The fall in yields at the long end of the US treasury curve did not lend support to the equity market as in recent months as stock investors took it as a sign of bond market pricing in a higher recession risk. Nasdaq 100 fell 1.5% and S&P500 declined 0.8%, with 68% of S&P 500 companies and 9 out of 11 sectors closing lower. Energy, consumer discretionary, and information technology led the benchmark index lower while the defensive utilities sector and consumer staples sector managed to finish the session with modest gains. Target (TGT:xnys) fell 13% following the retailer reported a large miss on earnings and cut its outlook for the current quarter far below analyst estimates. Lowe’s (LOW:xnys) gained 3% after reporting better-than-expected comparable sales and raising full-year earnings guidance. Micron (MU:xnas) dropped 6.7% as the chipmaker said it was cutting DRAM and NAND wafer production. After the market closed, Nvdia (NVDA:xnas) and Cisco (CSCO:xnas) reported earnings beating analyst estimates. Nvida rose 1.3% and Cisco gained 3.9% in the extended hours trading. US  treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied with yields in the long end of the curve falling most on recession concerns The US treasury yield curve bull flattened, with the 2-year yield edging up 2bps to 4.35% while the 10-year yield fell 8bps to 3.69%. The much-watched yield curve inversion between the 2-year and the 10-year widened to 67bps, the most invested since February 1982, and heightened the growth scare among investors. The market has largely priced in a 50bps hike in December but is unwinding some of the post-CPI optimism that the Fed may do less next year, after Fed’s George, Daly, Waller, and Williams pushed back on the notion of pausing. The strong results from the 20-year bond auction on Wednesday helped supported the outperformance of the long ends.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) on fire as risk-on sentiment returned Hong Kong and China stocks consolidated and took a pause on the strong rally since last Friday, with Hang Seng Index losing 0.5% and CSI 300 Index sliding 0.8%. Chinese property names retreated, following new home prices in the 70 major cities of China falling 1.6% Y/Y in October, the largest decline in seven years, and Agile (03383) announced that the developer will sell new shares at an 18% discount. Agile tumbled 23%. Country Garden (02007:xhkg), which also announced share placement earlier, plunged 15%. Investors also became increasing concerned about the rising trend in new Covid cases in mainland China, which having gone above 20,000 for the first time since April. In New York hours, the ADRs of Tencent (00700:xhks) rose 3.4% versus their Hong Kong closing level after reporting earnings beating estimates while Meituan (03690:xhkg) dropped 6.7% from Hong Kong closing as Tencent said it would disburse its stake on Meituan to shareholders. What to consider U.S. Retails hotter-than expected U.S. headline retail sales grew by 1.3% M/M in October (consensus:  +1%, Sep: 0%). The control-group retail sales increased by 0.7% M/M (consensus: +0.3%, Sep: +0.4%). U.K. headline CPI jumped to 11.1% in October, the highest in 41 years U.K’s October headline CPI came in at 11.1% Y/Y (vs consensus 10.7%), the highest in 41 years. Core CPI remained at 6.5%. Australia’s unemployment falls, employment rises more than expected in October, following Australian wage growth growing more than expected; AUDUSD trades flat Australia’s jobless rate fell to 3.4%, from 3.5% last month, which supports the RBA continuing to rise rates, and not pause on rate hikes at their next meeting in December. Australian employment rose by 32,200 month-on-month in October, almost double the 15,000 jobs expected to be added to the economy. Job growth is also up markedly from the tiny 900 jobs that were added the month prior. The AUDUSD is staying range bound for now. Target reported Q3 earnings miss and full-year guidance reduction Target’s Q3 adjusted EPS fell to USD1.54, nearly 30% below the median of analyst estimates. The retailer is predicting a drop in comparable sales for the first time in five years and estimating operating margins will shrink to about 3%, which is half of its previous forecast. Target is looking to axe $3 billion in costs, but says there will be no mass layoffs. This highlights the pain of the US retailers and also the consumer – who is reluctant to spend on non-essential items in the face of rising interest rates and inflation. Nvidia earnings beat Software graphics giant Nvidia (NVDA) reported revenue for the third quarter that beat analyst estimates. Revenue fell 17% y/y to $5.93 billion, beating the expected drop of 18% y/y to $5.84 billion. NVIDIA’s outlook for the fourth quarter was a bit vague though, but more or less points to improvements in revenue, citing revenue is expected to hit $6.00 billion, plus or minus 2%. Nvidia said Microsoft will use its graphics chips, networking products, and software in Microsoft’s new AI products. Nickel Miners could be under fire Profit taking in oil equites is likely with the after the oil price fell on reports the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Europe had restarted, WTI Crude Oil fell 1.9%. Elsewhere, Nickel miners shares could be under fire today move after Nickel futures fell 9% on Wednesday. LME is said to be stepping up surveillance of sharp swings earlier in the week on supply fears. Keep an eye on Australia’s Nickel Mines (NIC) and IGO, Japan’s Pacific Metals, Sumitomo Metal Mining, and Indonesia’s Vale Indonesia, Aneka Tambang. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-17-nov-2022-17112022
    Share of Russian metal grows in LME warehouses

    Copper And Silver Both Extended Their Declines | The USD Edged Higher

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.11.2022 10:17
    Summary:  The strong equity market rally eased yesterday as a very strong US Retail Sales report for October pushes back against the notion that the US economy is rapidly weakening. Today features a pivotal Autumn Budget Statement that will allow the market to make a vote of confidence on sterling on whether the new spending cuts and tax rises will inspire further confidence in sterling after its recent comeback.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures fell yesterday to close at 3,968 as investors are not following through on the momentum around the ‘peak rates’ narrative. This morning the index futures are trading higher with the 3,964 level being the key level to watch on the downside and 4,000 on the upside. Today’s macro events that can impact the equity market are US housing starts and permits, Philly Fed Business Outlook and initial jobless claims with the latter in focus given the latest mass layoffs in the technology sector. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks retreated for the second day in a row, with Hang Seng Index falling around 2% and CSI 300 declining 1%. Tencent (00700:xhkg) fluctuated between small gains and losses after reporting Q3 EPS beating analyst estimates but a 2% Y/Y decline in revenues, being dragged down by online gaming and advertisement. Meituan (03690:xhkg) however fell nearly 8%, following Tencent’s announcement to disburse its 17% stake in Meituan to shareholders. NetEase (0999:xhkg) tumbled 12% after US gaming company Blizzard Entertainment (ATVI:xnas) would not renew its expiring licensing agreement with NetEase. Also weighing on sentiment was the People’s Bank of China’s emphasizes on financial stability and warns against potential inflation risks in the central bank’s Q3 monetary report, as well as news reports about the temporary suspension of redemption in some investment products suffering losses from the recent rise in Chinese bond yields. In addition, new Covid cases surged to 23,132, a new high since April. FX: GBP focus today as USD stabilizes on very strong October US Retail Sales report Strong US data is at odds with the recent drumbeat of softer inflation numbers that have helped inspired the recent steep sell-off in the US dollar, and kept the 2-year yields and Fed rate expectations from falling any further yesterday, even if longer US yields dipped to new local lows yesterday. The USD edged higher, with the recent lows the key support for the greenback and with the currency trading more in line with risk sentiment now. The top-tier incoming data won’t arrive until the early-mid December time frame, save perhaps for the PCE data on November 30. The bigger focus today is on GBP as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to deliver the Autumn Budget Statement and a chance for thje market to judge whether the UK is an attractive place to invest in addition to whether the moves ill stabilize the country’s finances as it also risks worsening the depth of the coming recession. 1.2000 appears a key in GBPUSD, while EURGBP is choppy in the 0.8700-0.8800+ range. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil remains on the defensive trading near the lowest levels this month on continued concerns about the demand outlook in the world’s two largest consumers. The US yield curve has inverted the most since the early 1980’s underscoring concerns about the risk of recession next year while China continues to battle with rising covid cases, now nearing the all-time high seen earlier this year. Both developments leading to demand growth for next year being downgraded, thereby offsetting some of the tightness the EU embargo on Russian oil will help create into early 2023. WTI will be looking for support ahead of the recent low at $82 with Brent focusing on the $90-area. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades lower as the market pauses for breath following a 170-dollar run up in prices from the November 3 low. The metal is currently dealing with mixed signals as elevated recession worries, highlighted by the most inverted yield curve in almost four decades, are being offset by the biggest increase in US retail sales in eight months, indicating Fed tightening has further to run to bring inflation under control. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – picked up a bit on Wednesday, but not enough to signal a change in their behaviour, and with that in mind expect continued consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735. Resistance at $1788, the 38.2% retracement of the 2022 correction and $1804, the 200-day moving average. Copper (HGH3) and silver (XAGUSD) Copper and silver both extended their declines following a recent strong run up in prices. Copper ran out of steam ahead of major resistance in the $4/lb area and after breaking back below $3.78 the next line of support now comes in at $3.68. Industrial metal traders are keeping a watchful eye on covid developments in China, the US yield curve signalling an increased risk of a recession next year, extreme volatility in nickel market and in copper specifically, an emerging contango indicating a market with ample supply.  currently. Silver meanwhile trades back below its 200-day moving average with the first level of support in the $20.95 area. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries punched to new local lows again yesterday, supported by a strong 20-year auction result, and despite the strong US Retail Sales news, with the 10-year treasury benchmark dipping below 3.70% and within 20 basis points of the next psychologically important level and pivot high from mid-June near 3.50%, a level that was quickly reached in the context of the market realizing that the FOMC was set for its first 75 basis point rate hike since 1994. The much-watched yield curve inversion between the 2-year and the 10-year widened to 67bps, the most invested since February 1982, and heightened the growth scare among investors. The market has largely priced in a 50bps hike in December and is unwinding some of the post-CPI optimism that the Fed might do less next year, after Fed’s George, Daly, Waller, and Williams pushed back on the notion of pausing. What is going on? Strong October US Retail Sales, weak November housing Market survey After a string of weak reports, the US October Retail Sales report came in far stronger than expected, with a strong +1.3 % MoM rise (vs. +1.0% expected) for the headline and an even more impressive +0.9% MoM rise in the “ex Food and Energy” print, on top of a +0.3% revision to the September data point. Elsewhere, we can see the massive shift higher in US mortgage rates continue to weigh on housing activity, as the November US NAHB Housing Market Index plunged 5 more points to 33, the lowest reading since the very worst month of the pandemic outbreak shock in 2020 and before that since 2012. Siemens Q4 results beat estimates The German industrial giant reports FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) revenue of €20.6bn vs est. €19.3bn and orders of €21.8bn vs est. €20.4bn. In addition, the company says that it sees higher operating margins in three divisions and that downside risks from Russia are minimal now. Target reports earnings miss and downgrades sales guidance Target’s Q3 adjusted EPS fell to $1.54, nearly 30% below the median of analyst estimates. The retailer is predicting a drop in comparable sales for the first time in five years and estimating operating margins will shrink to about 3%, which is half of its previous forecast. This indicates that the substitution effect is increasing as the consumer is increasingly under more pressure. Target is looking to reduce $3bn in costs but says there will be no mass layoffs. Nvidia earnings beat Software graphics giant Nvidia (NVDA) reported revenue for the third quarter that beat analyst estimates. Revenue fell 17% y/y to $5.9bn, beating the expected drop of 18% y/y to $5.8bn. NVIDIA’s outlook for the fourth quarter was vague citing revenue is expected to hit $6.0bn, plus or minus 2%, which will translate into a 20% drop in revenue in the important holiday quarter. Nvidia also said Microsoft will use its graphics chips, networking products, and software in Microsoft’s new AI products. The slowdown in demand for GPUs is driven by less profitable crypto mining and as a result GPU pricing is plummeting and inventories on the balance sheet rising to $4.45bn up from $2.23bn a year ago. EPS was $0.28 down 73% y/y. Australia’s unemployment falls, employment rises more than expected in October Australia’s jobless rate unexpectedly fell to 3.4%, from 3.5% last month, which now supports the RBA continuing to raise rates, and not pause on hikes at their next meeting in December (market priced at 50-50 odds of a 25-bp hike). Australian employment rose by 32,200 month-on-month in October, almost double the 15,000 jobs expected to be added to the economy. The AUDUSD is staying range bound for now after its recent sharp rally, consolidating a bit on weak risk sentiment in Asia overnight. The RBA has said it expects the jobless rate to rise. US Fed’s Waller, noted Fed hawk, says he is “more comfortable” with smaller hike It appears that Fed consensus is settling on lowering the pace of rate increases at the December FOMC meeting after one of the more hawkish FOMC voters, Governor Christopher Waller said he is “more comfortable” with a smaller hike in December after the Fed’s four 75-basis points moves since the June FOMC meeting, although he still declared the move is data-dependent. What are we watching next? UK Autumn Budget Statement to be announced today Ahead of the speech, the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility told the treasury that by 2026-27, the budget deficit could grow to £100 billion from earlier projections of £32 billion. Several moves by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have already been made to reverse the original budget laid out by former Chancellor Kwarteng under PM Truss’ leadership, including a shortening of the energy bill cap scheme to just six months. Corporate taxes are also set to be raised to 25 percent from 19 percent, and windfall taxes on electricity and oil and gas firms, together with more income earners set to pay tax at the top 45% rate and taxes on capitali gains and dividends set to rise. Still, the pension benefit will be set to rise at September’s 10.1% CPI rate in April of next year. Critics might suggest that much of the tax implementation will be “back-loaded” to beyond the 2024 election to avoid a further hit to Tory popularity. This statement will be critical for the direction of sterling from here. Earnings to watch In today’s US earnings focus we expect Applied Materials to report revenue growth of 4% y/y and lower operating margin from a year ago following the signs we observe in the semiconductors industry. In the cyber security industry, Palo Alto Networks is also reporting today with revenue growth expected to 24% y/y and EBITDA of $349mn up from $-8.8mn a year ago. The Chinese technology and consumer sectors have faced a lot of headwinds over the past year and Tencent’s result yesterday was not rosy either, so there might be a downside risk to Alibaba’s result today. Analysts expect Alibaba to report revenue growth of 4% y/y and EPS of CNY 11.21 up 65% y/y. Today: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0955 – UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presents Autumn Budget Statement 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Final CPI 1230 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Pill to speak 1300 – US Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 1330 – US Oct. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1330 – US Oct. Philadelphia Fed 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1440 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter 2022) to speak 1530 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change  1540 – US Fed’s Jefferson and Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 1600 – US Nov. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Activity 1845 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. National CPI 0001 – UK Nov. GfK Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-17-2022-17112022
    Saxo Bank Podcast: Nvidia And Siemens Earnings, The Budget Statement From UK And More

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Nvidia And Siemens Earnings, The Budget Statement From UK And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.11.2022 11:01
    Summary:  Today we look at risk sentiment taking a breather after a particularly strong US October US Retail Sales report, although long US treasury yields fell on the day and took the yield curve inversion to its most negative in over forty years as markets continue to price a recession ahead. The key incoming data doesn't start rolling in for another couple of weeks, so we wonder if a possible shift in weather into proper winter mode could change the complacent stance in energy markets. Elsewhere, we wonder if the Budget Statement from UK Chancellor Hunt can continue to support sterling, look at the plunge in coffee prices, Nvidia and Siemens earnings, and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-17-2022-17112022
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Jason Sen talks Nasdaq December shorts, Emini Dow Jones and Emini S&P - November 17th

    Jason Sen Jason Sen 17.11.2022 10:58
    I think we will see the bear trend resume from 4000/4020. Nasdaq December shorts at key resistance today at 11850/950 are starting to work. A good chance the market has ended the counter trend correction & the bear trend resumes from here. Emini Dow Jones futures have recovered 61.8% of the losses for 2022. Incredible! The index is only down 3000 ticks or 8% from the all time high. 3 neutral candles indicate the recovery has run out of steam. Remember when support is broken it usually acts as resistance & vice-versa. Update daily by 06:00 GMT. Today's Analysis. Emini S&P December holding Fibonacci resistance at 4000/4020 yesterday starts to put bears in control. Minor support at 3970/60 has also held (as we trade sideways as predicted) but below a break below 3960 is likely today for a sell signal targeting strong support at 3925/15. A low for the day expected if test but longs need stops below 3900. A break below here is an important sell signal. Fibonacci resistance at 4000/4020 but we also have strong resistance at 4070/80 & shorts need stops above 4090. Nasdaq December could be nearing the end of the recovery now as we reverse from key resistance at 11850/950. Again shorts need stops above 12100. Bulls need a sustained break above 12100 for a buy signal. Our shorts at key resistance at 11850/950 held first support at 11750/700 perfectly yesterday but a break below 11700 is expected soon for a sell signal targeting 11580/540, perhaps as far as 11400/350. Emini Dow Jones tests resistance at 33700/800 & our shorts need stops above 34050. A break higher targets 32230/250. Our shorts at 33700/800 target 33400/350 but we should eventually continue lower for 33200 & support at 32800/700.
    European Markets Face Headwinds Amid Rising Yields and Inflation Concerns

    Nvidia's earnings beat expectations. Did you know that crypto mining account for ca. 1% of company's revenue?

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 17.11.2022 16:12
    On Wednesday, we were able to learn about the Q3 financial report of the software giant Nvidia Corp. (Nvidia), a technology company that develops software and processors, among other things. Although the recent environment seemed unfavourable, the financial results may have positively surprised analysts. Is Nvidia's performance dependent on cryptocurrencies? Along with Intel and AMD, Nvidia is one of the top three suppliers of processors and graphics cards. It seems that one of its revenue drivers is the sale of chips, used especially in graphics cards. It could be thought that, due to their computing power, they were mainly bought by cryptocurrency 'miners' in recent years. Following recent problems and the bankruptcy of one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, bitcoin (BTC/USD) has seen a decline of more than 76% since its peaks. Read next: Many sued in FTX scandal, Elon Musk to reduce his time at Twitter, EU stocks edged higher on Thursday| FXMAG.COM However, Nvidia states: "We believe the recent transition in verifying Ethereum cryptocurrency transactions from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake has reduced the utility of GPUs for cryptocurrency mining." This category, according to the report, makes up around 1.2% of revenue, illustrating how small this segment is for the company. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Weekly The company's Q3 revenue was US$5.93 billion (US$5.77 billion was expected), down y-o-y. by 22%. Cloud computing power sales service accounted for as much as 65% of the company's revenue and sales. This increased by 29% year-on-year. In second place was revenue from the gaming sector, accounting for 26% of revenue, but recording a decline of 51%, which appears to be the aftermath of the pandemic. With this data, we could say that Nvidia's performance does not appear to be linked to risks in the cryptocurrency market. An additional argument in favour of the independence of these assets is their correlation, which stands at 0.55 since the beginning of the year, which may indicate their low level of dependence. Earnings per share EPS for the period came in at US$0.58, below analysts' expectations (US$0.69 was expected). The company's gross margin was also negative, falling to 53.6% (previously 65.2%), which the company attributed to increased chip inventory due to falling demand in China. Maribel Lopez, principal analyst at Lopez Maribel comments: “...there is a long tail of AI workloads which will create a return to growth, but it may take several quarters ”. “The issue for Nvidia is the short term, the next several quarters will be rough. Investors will have to take a longer view, similar to what’s required with Intel." - Lopez said. What does Wall Street think of Nvidia shares? Source: Conotoxia MT5, NVDIA, Daily According to Market Screener, the company has 40 recommendations, with 'buy' opinions prevailing. The average target price is set at USD 200.93, 26% higher than the last closing price. The lowest target price is at USD 320 and the highest is USD 110. Author: Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    The American Dollar's Unyielding Strength Amidst Market Surprises and Economic Divergence

    Leverage - One Of The Main Features Of Futures

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 13.11.2022 11:31
    Investing on the stock exchange, on the international Forex market and on other markets using various investment instruments requires knowledge, experience and the ability to use various tools. They also include financial leverage. Leverage or financial leverage - these are almost magical words for those who start their adventure with the derivatives market. Leverage is also a feature that is the main factor behind the significant rotation of participants in this market. Definition Leverage - one of the main features of futures contracts - in the long run is primarily suitable for portfolio diversification and should be dosed in moderation. This is a mechanism that allows you to achieve high profits using relatively small capital outlays. Importantly, for this to happen, the investor must use external financing, i.e. find an entity that will help multiply the funds that are the investment force. Who is it most often? Funds are obtained, for example, from banks granting loans in a fixed amount. To calculate the amount, the leverage ratio is used. An institution that agrees to support the investment by providing a specific amount receives appropriate remuneration in the form of interest on the loan. Leverage therefore helps players with less equity to enter the currency markets. Leverage is a way to increase equity, but whether it will be possible to use it depends on the lending institution. Leverage effect What effect can we talk about when we mean the financial leverage tool? It all depends on whether it helped the investment, generated more profits, or rather contributed to the loss of the investor. The effect is positive or negative. The first one can be discussed when the return on equity increases. The second is the opposite - if the operation fails, the effect will be negative. Formula: Determining whether leverage has resulted in profit or loss requires the use of a formula. Thanks to it, you can determine whether the effect of its application has a positive or negative value. The obtained result is the degree of financial leverage. If the calculated value is greater than 1, it is said to be a positive effect, in the opposite situation - a negative one. The level of financial leverage can be calculated according to the formula Or In order to calculate the financial leverage ratio, you first need to calculate return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA), and then divide ROE by ROA. When and where to use? Leverage is used when investing on the Stock Exchange, as well as on the Forex market. It involves the involvement of external capital, such as loans and credits, in order to finance the company's activities. The effect of their application is to increase the profitability of the investor's equity. In practice In fact, it is a very simple tool for multiplying investment profits. If an investor only has 1,000 euros, pounds or dollars, which can be spent, for example, on the purchase of shares, should not expect large profits from the operation. The solution is to use leverage, i.e. external support. The missing amount is added, for example, by a bank or other institution, thus enabling the achievement of much greater profits from the planned operation. Leverage therefore helps to multiply capital, and the loan and scheduled interest return to the lender. It should be remembered that the higher the planned rate of return on investment, the greater the risk of the operation. Benefits There is no doubt that leveraged investing has many advantages. Among them are: the possibility of taking higher investment positions thanks to a significant increase in capital, the ability to invest in different classes of assets, increasing the chance for substantial profits earned in a short time, the ability to earn higher profits during periods and markets with low volatility. What to fear? Trading with leverage does indeed have the potential to make high profits, but if a person's prediction turns out to be wrong, then they could lose a lot more money than they invested. Leverage magnifies losses if the market moves in the opposite direction to what the trader previously assumed. Source: Jakubczyc J.(1999). "Zarządzanie finansami. Odpowiedzialność finansowa", investing.com
    A Bright Spot Amidst Economic Challenges

    What Is Flash Crash And What Causes It? Simple Moving Average (SMA) - Type Of Moving Average

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 13.11.2022 10:50
    The stock market crash is a moment that investors fear. It usually leads to the sale of the securities held. Flash Crash is a special kind of crash - unexpected and short-lived. Numerous universities around the world have studied the causes of the phenomenon. In this article, we will explore this type of crash and nail the SMA. Simple Moving Average (SMA) In the previous article EMA – Exponential Moving Average was discussed. Today we focus on Simple Moving Average (SMA). Definition: A simple moving average (SMA) is an arithmetic moving average calculated by adding recent prices and then dividing that figure by the number of time periods in the calculation average. Formula: The use Traders use simple moving averages (SMAs) to plot the long-term trajectory of a stock or other security while ignoring the noise associated with daily price movements. This allows traders to compare mid-term and long-term trends over a longer time horizon. Disadvantages The SMA may rely too heavily on outdated data as it treats the impact of the 10th or 200th day the same as the first or second day. Similarly, the SMA relies entirely on historical data. Many people (including economists) believe that markets are efficient - that is, current market prices already reflect all available information. If the markets are indeed efficient, using historical data should tell us nothing about the future direction of asset SMA vs EMA The major difference between an exponential moving average (EMA) and a simple moving average is the sensitivity each one shows to changes in the data used in its calculation. More specifically, the EMA gives a higher weighting to recent prices, while the SMA assigns an equal weighting to all values. The two averages are similar because they are interpreted in the same manner and are both commonly used by technical traders to smooth out price fluctuations. Flash Crash Definition: Flash Crash is called a flash crash, a collapse in the stock market. The crash itself is a short episode, followed by a recovery, heralded by a moment of complete calm on a given security - no orders. Flash Crash is not only a disturbing phenomenon, but also not fully explained - the reasons for it are still being researched. Flash Crash is observed on stock exchanges - securities and cryptocurrencies. At the beginning, the phenomenon concerned stock trading and was most visible on American stock exchanges. An intense phenomenon also concerned silver and the aforementioned cryptocurrencies. This does not mean, however, that it will not occur on currency or other commodity markets. Cause Numerous universities around the world have studied the causes of the phenomenon. For a long time, it was believed that machine errors were responsible for stock market crashes. This is about investing, which is HFT - instant trading where the entire process is carried out through computers. While it's still not clear what exactly causes Flash Crash, two voices dominate among researchers. One theory is that a flashy and short-lived stock market crash is caused by a single large order, which has been estimated to occur in as many as 60 percent of cases. cases. At the same time, it was established that this phenomenon most often concerns shares of financial companies. There were also suggestions that the stock market crash could be caused by investors' panic caused by, for example, false information in the media. Therefore, the human factor would be responsible for the crash, and therefore the wrong decision of the investor. It should be noted here that an order causing a sharp drop in the value of a security may be placed by mistake - an incorrect entry in the order is enough. An example can be cited here - in 2010, an investor intended to sell 16 million shares, but entered 16 billion in the spreadsheet, which caused a violent reaction and a drop in the stock market. Such erroneous Flash Crash orders are canceled after the exchange closes. But what happens after a sharp decline? The crash lasts a few minutes, sometimes several dozen seconds, then the situation returns to normal, and losses are made up in a fairly short time. Source: investing.com, investopedia.com
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    Nvidia expects its earnings will beat Q3 results in the next quarter

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 17.11.2022 16:02
    NVDA stock gains more than 2% after hours following Q3 earnings. Nvidia missed non-GAAP EPS consensus by 17%. Management expects Q4 revenue to be higher than Q3. Nvidia (NVDA) stock gained 2.2% to $162.60 late Wednesday despite the fact that the premier chip designer in the world missed the Wall Street non-GAAP line of $0.70 a share. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) actually came in more than 17% below consensus at $0.52. "Why the advance for Nvidia price then?" you ask. It pretty much comes down to revenues. The market was expecting a third poor quarter in a row on the revenue front, but Nvidia emerged in Q3 with $5.93 billion. This was about $115 million ahead of the Street's average forecast. Nvidia earnings news The real silver lining, if you want to call it that, is that management pushed revenue expectations for Q4 higher than the present. Nvidia sales have been in a freefall for most of 2022 as many crypto miners have gone belly-up in the face of falling crypto prices and stopped buying their usual allotment of GPUs. Management, however, guided for $6 billion in Q4 sales, adding that the range was just 2% above or below that figure. The top line of that range at $6.12 billion was still about $20 million below the earlier analyst consensus, but the market has been optimistic this week. Much of that optimism is spillover from inflation data coming in soft and the US Midterm Elections having passed, but the market seems to believe that the worst is over for the semiconductor giant. Though Nvidia's share price remains down 47% year to date, NVDA stock has charged forward more than 35% in the past month. This does seem somewhat surprising, seeing as revenue is down about 17% YoY and EPS in Q3 was down by more than half over that same time period. Management's guidance for gross margin, however, also turned heads. Despite finishing the third quarter with a 56.1% adjusted gross margin, the executive said it would hit 66% in the fourth quarter. This signals to shareholders that notwithstanding the higher inventory levels reducing demand this year, Nvidia is not even close to being a price taker. While the gaming segment continues to deteriorate, down 51% YoY, data center revenue continued to outperform. Sales from that segment rose 31% YoY despite softness in China stemming from covid lockdowns. A big reason for its fall in gross margin during the quarter was a $700+ million charge caused by this lower demand from Chinese data centers. Read next: Many sued in FTX scandal, Elon Musk to reduce his time at Twitter, EU stocks edged higher on Thursday| FXMAG.COM Executives said the inability to sell its A100 and H100 data center processors to Chinese customers due to ongoing US sanctions also hurt results, but that Chinese customers instead chose to bulk up on other products. "We’re seeing surging demand in some very important sectors of AIs and important breakthroughs in AI," said CEO Jensen Huang, while noting that demand for general-purpose computing chips had slowed. "One is called deep recommender systems, which is quite essential now to the best content or item or product to recommend to somebody who’s using a device that is like a cell phone or interacting with a computer just using voice." Nvidia stock forecast Nvidia stock is beginning to trade lower in Thursday's premarket, however, alongside the broad market. Shares are off 1.4% in line with the Nasdaq Composite, so this does not seem to be a result of Nvidia's earnings. The major event has been St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard saying that a "doveish" Fed policy from this point would still require a full one percentage point hike to the fed funds rate. If the market does seek support, NVDA stock can find it at the 9-day moving average near $153. A more drastic sell-off could force it down to the 21-day average at $140. For bulls to come back into this name, Nvidia stock needs to break above the Tuesday high at $170. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is still in a bullish crossover stance, but it has begun to move sideways. NVDA 1-day chart
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    Declines At The Close In The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 18.11.2022 08:03
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.02%, the S&P 500 fell 0.31%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.35%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Cisco Systems Inc, which gained 2.20 points or 4.96% to close at 46.59. Merck & Company Inc rose 2.38 points or 2.38% to close at 102.31. Apple Inc rose 1.93 points or 1.30% to close at 150.72. The least gainers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 5.43 points or 3.50% to end the session at 149.69. The Walt Disney Company rose 2.66% or 2.50 points to close at 91.45 while American Express Company shed 1.27% or 1.93 points to close at 150. .64. S&P 500  Among the S&P 500 index components gainers in today's trading were Bath & Body Works Inc., which rose 25.18% to 38.97, Gap Inc, which gained 5.56% to close at 12.71., as well as shares of Qorvo Inc, which rose 5.25% to close the session at 97.70. The least gainers were West Pharmaceutical Services Inc, which shed 7.57% to close at 221.93. Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd shed 6.77% to end the session at 16.40. Paycom Soft quotes fell 5.73% to 318.34. NASDAQ  The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Ardelyx Inc, which rose 40.98% to hit 1.72, CytomX Therapeutics Inc, which gained 32.23% to close at 1.60, and shares of Cuentas Inc, which rose 28.00% to end the session at 0.32. The least gainers were shares of Inotiv Inc, which fell 56.97% to close at 6.82. Shares of Golden Sun Education Group Ltd lost 46.28% and closed the session at 2.31. Quotes Singularity Future Technology Ltd fell in price by 45.93% to 1.13. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1996) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1109), and the quotes of 147 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,280 companies fell in price, 1,467 rose, and 258 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.75% to 23.93. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.70%, or 12.40, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery dropped 4.23%, or 3.62, to $81.97 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 3.08%, or 2.86, to $90.00 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.23% to 1.04, while USD/JPY rose 0.46% to hit 140.18. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.37% to 106.55. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-19 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/301521
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    Elon Musk seems to be determined in applying his ideas

    Walid Koudmani Walid Koudmani 18.11.2022 08:55
    UK Retail sales show signs of improvement Retail sales in the UK rose by 0.6% in October compared to the expected 0.5% increase and previous 1.5% decline as British consumers managed to recover slightly despite rising inflation and the ongoing cost of living crisis. While this may appear to be a positive sign, there is still a long way to go before the economic picture begins to look brighter, particularly after yesterday's statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt referring to a recession. The pound is starting Friday's session attempting to hold onto some gains with GBPUSD pair testing the 1.19 area after pulling back to 1.175 yesterday. Meanwhile, the FTSE100 remains in the 7370 points area and it remains to be seen if it will be able to extend the upward move or fall further as investors continue to be uncertain. Read next: NVIDIA (NVDA) Q3 earnings results outperformed part of the markets forecasts| FXMAG.COM Twitter saga continues as offices close  Twitter's turbulent story continues after Elon Musk's company just announced the closing of its offices effective immediately until next week. The decision came as a surprise to many, including the employees who were told to comply with company policy. This adds further uncertainty and skepticism as to how the new owner intends to transform the business that took months to acquire while continuing to be a controversial figure. While Twitter stock is no longer available on the market, this is certainly an interesting situation as it could have ramifications and effects on the market as a whole with many holding varying opinions on the matter. In either case, it seems that Elon Musk is willing to take chances and act in unexpected ways if it means achieving his vision for Twitter even if it costs him employees.
    Bestway Might Have Larger Designs On The UK's Second Biggest Supermarket

    UK Yields Rose Yesterday | The Chinese Electric Vehicle Market Showing Strong Growth

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 18.11.2022 09:01
    Summary:  Market sentiment managed to bounce mid-session yesterday in the US and was steady overnight, with the USD back lower but still very range bound and US treasury yields rising off their lows, with a new extreme for the cycle in the yield-curve inversion, suggesting the market remains worried that the Fed’s tightening will lead to recession. The market shrugged off yesterday’s budget statement from UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as most of the measures were flagged ahead of his speech.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their declines yesterday to the 100-day moving average at around the 3,916 level driven by comments from Fed’s Bullard saying the sufficiently restrictive zone on policy rate was in the range 5-7% spooking markets. It is obvious, that the Fed is out trying to dampen expectations following the rally on the lower than estimated US October inflation print. S&P 500 futures are bounced back after the initial shock but closing lower for the session and this morning they are trading around the 3,950 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index snapped a two-day decline and bounced about 0.3% as of writing. China interest stocks led the charge higher following Alibaba reporting earnings beating expectations and adding to its share repurchase programme. The Chinese authorities’ grant of a new round of 70 online game licences to firms including Tencent and NetEase also help the market sentiment. Hang Sent Tech Index climbed 2%. In mainland bourses, healthcare shares gained as new Covid cases surged to above 25,000, a new high since April. Online gaming stocks rose on the new game license approval. Financials however continued to trade weak as investors are troubled by recent incidents of retail investment products losing heavily as bond yields rising in China. CSI 300 gained 0.2%. FX: USD rally eases on risk sentiment bounce of the lows yesterday The US dollar eased lower after a bout of weak risk sentiment was turned mid-session yesterday in New York and despite US treasury yields lifting all along the curve (with a new multi-decade low in the yield curve inversion suggesting the market remains concerned that the Fed’s tightening regime will lead to a recession. After the very sharp move lower off the back of the October CPI data, the USD has traded in a rather tight range in most places, with EURUSD bottled up near the 200-day moving average (currently 1.0414) and GBPUSD still hugging the 1.1900 area after the market shrugged off the autumn budget statement yesterday. Next week has the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, which usually sees light trading from Wednesday through Friday and the first key data is not up until the week after, so upcoming catalysts are not readily evident. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude dropped sharply yesterday to multi-week lows, trading as low as 89.53 in January Brent and 81.40 in December WTI. Concerns of weakening demand in China are purportedly behind some of the weakness yesterday, but with a new extreme in the yield curve inversion yesterday, rising market anticipation of an incoming recession is likely weighing on sentiment in oil. For the December WTI contract, the 81.30 level is the last significant pivot low ahead of the 75.70 September low for that contract. For January Brent, the  87.52 level is the last pivot low ahead of the 80.94 September low for that contract. Gold (XAUUSD) Pushed a bit lower yesterday on the rise in US treasury yields, trading above 1,760 this morning after the 1,786 high earlier this week. The 200-day moving average is near the important 1,800+ area. An extension of the recent rally likely requires further declines in yields and the US dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US yields surged across the entire yield curve with yields rising the most in the front end. The 2-year yield jumped 10bps to 4.45% and the 10-year climbed 8bps to 4.77%. The 2-10 year spread inverted further hitting a new low of minus 71bps. Selling concentrated on the front end as St. Louis Fed President James Bullard referred to the “sufficiently restrictive level” being “5% to 5.25%” and “that’s a minimum”. In addition, Bullard showed a chart that suggested a range of terminal rates from 5% to 7%. Meanwhile, Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari said the Fed is “not there yet” to pause and it is an open question of how far the Fed needs to go. What is going on? Japan’s CPI increased more than expected in October Japan released its national CPI data which came in hotter than expected. Headline CPI grew 3.7% Y/Y (consensus: 3.6%, Sep: 3.0%). CPI excluding Fresh Food was 3.6% higher than last year (consensus: 3.5%, Sep: 3.0%) and CPI excluding Fresh Food and Energy increased 2.5% Y/Y in October (consensus: 2.4%, Sep: 1.8%). UK budget statement sees little market reaction, but huge Gilt issuance set for next year The mix of measures was more or less as anticipated, with many of the specific larger moves well flagged ahead of yesterday’s speech on the budget from UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. After a strong surge in UK gilts (sovereign bonds), UK yields rose yesterday, as the Debt Management Office in the UK project that issuance of gilts in the 2023-24 financial year will rise almost 50% to £305 billion, with net issuance at £255 billion, almost double the previous high from 2011. Near term issuance to the end of the current fiscal year to April is expected somewhat lower than prior estimates. China urges local authorities to strike a better balance in pandemic control measures China’s National Health Commission urged local authorities to avoid “irresponsible loosening” of pandemic control measures. In a press briefing, health officials said local authorities “must continue to rectify the practice of excessive measures such as lockdowns and oppose the irresponsibility of evading a solution by loosening up”.The world’s second biggest lithium producer, SQM, sees lithium prices staying higher in 2023.SQM sees the Chinese electric vehicle market showing strong growth, buttressing solid demand for lithium. In its third quarter result, SQM’s income beat analyst estimates, rising by more than 10 times to $1.1 billion. The surge was fueled by the lithium price more than tripling over the past year, and rallying over 1,200% since 2020, amid tight supply and rising demand from EV makers. SQM sees the lithium market staying tight and higher prices for the rest of 2022 and into 2023. BHP (BHP) raised its takeover offer for copper giant, Oz Minerals (OZL) The offer was raised to $6.4 billion as global miners are hungry to boost copper production. Copper is a vital metal in electricity networks, electric vehicles, housing and renewable energy. BHP currently makes about 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper, and 24.6% from thermal coal.What are we watching next? Earnings to watch today: JD.com Today’s earnings calendar is light with only the Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reporting results. Analysts expect revenue growth of 11% y/y and EPS of $4.46 up 194% y/y on expanding EBITDA margin, but given the results from other Chinese companies we find it a bit unlikely that JD.com can deliver those types of results. Options expiry today in US to hit new record Options expire today on a notional $2.1 trillion in underlying instruments today as this month looks likely to set the record for options volume, with 46 million contracts in daily trading on average, up 12% from last month. Increasingly popular are contracts that expire within 24 hours, a phenomenon that may have driven the extreme volatility around the Thursday October CPI release last week. Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1315 – UK Bank of England’s Catherine Mann to speak 1330 – Canada Oct. Home Price Index 1340 – US Fed’s Collins (non-voter) to speak 1500 – US Oct. Existing Home Sales 1500 – US Oct. Leading Index Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-18-2022-18112022
    Kuroda Stayed On The Sidelines And The Yen Responded With Losses

    High Inflation Print In Japan | Most Fed Members Remain Relatively Hawkish

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 18.11.2022 10:57
    Inflation in Japan soared to the highest levels in more than 30 years, to 3.7% in October, up from 3% printed a month earlier. High inflation print sure revived the Bank of Japan (BoJ) hawks, and the calls for a policy rate hike, and kept the dollar-yen below the 140 level, but it’s unsure whether the BoJ will give up on its ultra-soft policy stance. Therefore, if the US dollar picks up momentum, which will certainly be the case, the USDJPY could easily rebound back above its 50-DMA, which stands near 145. US And the reason I think the US dollar will recover is because most Fed members remain relatively hawkish regarding the Fed’s policy tightening. Plus, option traders are building topside structure over the one-month tenor that covers the next US inflation report and the Fed’s next policy meeting in December. Stock market So, the ambiance in the stock markets is not as cheery as it was at the end of last week. UK In the UK, the autumn budget statement went happily eventless. Gilts rallied, pound saw limited sell-off, while energy companies’ reaction to windfall taxes remained muted. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:30 Japan inflation soars, Mr. Kuroda! 1:34 Should you prepare for another USD rally? 3:32 Market mood turns… meh. 4:01 The retail roundup 6:11 The happily eventless UK budget Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.   #hawkish #Fed #USD #recovery #US #retail #sales #Walmart #Target #Macys #HomeDepot #Lowes #Alibaba #earnings #UK #Budget #GBP #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Saxo Bank Podcast: A Massive Collapse In Yields, Fed's Tightening Cycle And More

    Fed Is expected To Hike The Rate Aggressively Again

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 18.11.2022 14:14
    The US stock market has seen another day of a sell-off following Fed policymakers' hawkish comments. They once again confirmed their pledge to aggressive tightening, dispelling rumors about a possible shirt to a softer stance. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said that she expects the central bank to raise interest rates at least another percentage point and possibly more before it takes a breather to evaluate how the inflation fight is going. "Pausing is off the table right now. It's not even part of the discussion," she said. "Right now, the discussion is rightly around slowing the pace and ... focusing our attention really on what is the level of interest rates that will be sufficiently restrictive." Daly noted that her most recent estimate puts the benchmark overnight lending rate around 5%. She added that the correct range is probably 4.75% to 5.25% of the current target range of 3.75%-4%. "I still think of that as a reasonable landing place for us before we hold, and the holding part is really important," she pinpointed. Over the year, the Fed has been raising the interest rate, which spills over into various consumer debt products. In December, the regulator is expected to hike the rate aggressively again. Traders assume that the central bank will raise the rate by 0.50 basis points. Premarket trading Gap stock rose by 5.5% at the end of the session and gained another 6% during the premarket after the company's earnings report topped Wall Street estimates. Gap also gave a rather cautious forecast for the holiday season. Palo Alto Networks shares dropped by 1.5%. Before that, they grew by 6.5% after its revenue report beat analysts' expectations. In today's premarket, its stock advanced by 5.6%. StoneCo stock jumped by 12% after its quarterly report exceeded the consensus forecast. However, its shares eventually declined by 5.0%. The company's earnings report was also slightly above analysts' forecasts. Its stock added 18.2% in the premarket. Applied Materials shares gained 3.4% after the semiconductor maker's third-quarter revenue report exceeded analysts' estimates. The stock climbed by more than 4.0% in the premarket. As for the technical outlook of the S&P 500, after a steep decline yesterday and a sharp rise today, it managed to stabilize. Bulls need to protect the support level of $3,942. As long as trading is carried out above this level, risk appetite will remain high. If so, the index may return to $3,968 and $4,003. A breakout of $4,038 will lead to an upward correction to the resistance level of $4,064. A more distant target will be the $4,091 level. In case of a downward movement, buyers need to protect $3,942. If bears push the index below $3,905, it could reach the support level of $3,861. Relevance up to 12:00 2022-11-19 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/327525
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Barclays and UBS correct their price targets on NIO

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 18.11.2022 14:48
    NIO is advancing in Friday's premarket. The Chinese EV maker has been hurt by renewed covid worries. Two analysts downgraded Nio stock this week. Nio (NIO) stock is advancing a little over a percentage point in Friday's premarket as the Chinese automaker continues to try to make up the ground it lost on Wednesday. In the middle day of this week, Nio stock gave up 8.5% on the news that Peking University was locked down due to a single covid case. Other rumors emerged that China is experiencing a covid resurgence, with some reports stating that authorities in the industrial hub of Guangzhou had set up temporary treatment centers and quarantine facilities. This is worrying, because Nio has already halted production twice this year to combat covid, and the news arrives just a week after Nio impressed shareholders by aiming for Q4 44% production growth in just one quarter. That is a lot of growth in a three-month time period, and any single obstacle could set the entire schedule back. Nio stock market news In addition to the covid situation battering Chinese share prices this week, Mercedes-Benz cut prices across the board on its Chinese stock of EVs. The lower end of these vehicles is thought to compete directly with Nio and more so now that prices have been reduced. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz EQE, the headline price was clipped by a little over 9%. This is quite poor timing as higher battery component prices in 2022 have hurt Nio's margins alongside the rest of the industry. Nio's adjusted earnings loss in the third quarter reported one week ago was nearly double what Wall Street had expected, primarily due to these higher input costs. Taking the lay of the land, two separate analysts cut their price targets on Nio stock on Thursday alone. UBS downgraded Nio from Buy to Neutral and cut its $32 price target the whole way to $13. Cutting your price target by more than half is never a good sign, but because it was about 25% above Nio's current price, shares closed up about 1.3% in the session. Barclays also clipped its price target from $19 to $18, noting the rising costs in the sector, but maintained its Overweight rating. One piece of news that may be spurring the Nio share price ahead is Thursday's Alibaba (BABA) earnings. As the most popular Chinese stock in the US market, Alibaba's quarterly earnings impressed the market by beating expectations for profitability and guiding for higher Q4 revenue. Other Chinese ADRs like NIO are benefitting from their national equity market standard-bearer. Nio stock market forecast Despite Wednesday's drawdown, Nio stock is 5.3% lower than a week ago, moving averages still have it looking bullish. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains crossed over and driving upward, and the 9-day moving average remains 26 cents ahead of the 21-day average. Both of these instances should have traders watching for further upside price action. Resistance at $12 from November 7, as well as the 14th and 15th, will be top of mind for bulls at present. Beyond here lies another resistance point at $13 and then again at $16.54. The last one has a number of price action activities surrounding it and giving it an air of greater significance. A close above $16.54 places Nio stock in rally territory. Support sits between $9 and $9.50. NIO 1-day stock
    Monica Kingsley talks S&P 500, crude oil and more - November 18th

    Monica Kingsley talks S&P 500, crude oil and more - November 18th

    Monica Kingsley Monica Kingsley 18.11.2022 15:58
    S&P 500 bulls came back, 3,910 support held, and the dollar was unable to hold on to intraday gains really. In the European morning, I doubted the bearish shift materializing later today as the Fed speakers‘ risk-off momentum did wear off already yesterday. Precious metals are indeed leading the charge among real assets, and I‘m still not writing off crude oil. S&P 500 looks likely to conquer the low 4,010s today, which would flip the daily chart distinctly bullish again. Paying off not to panic – the Fed‘s ability to tighten in the face of slowing economy, is correctly being doubted – 4.50% Fed funds rate year end is still a great tightening achievement but stocks are willing to run higher in its face. Keep enjoying the lively Twitter feed serving you all already in, which comes on top of getting the key daily analytics right into your mailbox. Plenty gets addressed there, but the analyses (whether short or long format, depending on market action) over email are the bedrock, so make sure you‘re signed up for the free newsletter and that you have Twitter notifications turned on so as not to miss any tweets or replies intraday. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook Fake breakdown on low volume attracting no sellers – that would be the most likely conclusion after today‘s closing bell. Credit Markets HYG posture is bound to improve further today – the downswing was bought, and white body candle awaits today while TLT more or less erases yesterday‘s decline. Gold, Silver and Miners We haven‘t seen an important precious metals top – the sector will likely hold on to and extend today‘s premarket gains. Silver is still recharging batteries, but will recapture $22 with ease. Crude Oil Oil downswing appears overdone, but unless $82.50 is recaptured and WTIC starts outperforming especially base metals, the short-term outlook is tricky. Oil stocks not joining in the slide, is though positive – so, I‘m not turning bearish.
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange Most Of Securities Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.11.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.59%, the S&P 500 rose 0.48% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.01%. Dow Jones UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was the top performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading, up 14.69 points or 2.85% to close at 530.00. Quotes of Cisco Systems Inc rose by 1.20 points (2.58%), closing the session at 47.79. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.92 points or 1.88% to close at 104.23. The least gainers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 1.65 points or 1.10% to end the session at 148.04. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was up 0.95% or 0.38 points to close at 39.75 while Chevron Corp was down 0.60% or 1.10 points to close at 182. .99. S&P 500 Among the S&P 500 index components gainers today were Ross Stores Inc, which rose 9.86% to hit 107.59, Gap Inc, which gained 7.55% to close at 13.67, and shares of Lincoln National Corporation, which rose 4.37% to close the session at 37.73. The least gainers were Live Nation Entertainment Inc, which shed 7.85% to close at 66.21. Shares of Fortinet Inc lost 3.66% to end the session at 52.16. Diamondback Energy Inc lost 3.44% to 156.22. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were AGBA Acquisition Ltd, which rose 50.67% to hit 6.78, Paxmedica Inc, which gained 37.42% to close at 2.13, and shares of Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc ADR, which rose by 32.91%, ending the session at around 1.05. Shares of Kiora Pharmaceuticals Inc were the biggest losers, losing 35.85% to close at 3.83. Shares of Bit Origin Ltd lost 29.80% and ended the session at 0.15. Quotes of InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc decreased in price by 28.13% to 2.76. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1884) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1211), while quotes of 138 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1985 companies rose in price, 1772 fell, and 237 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 3.38% to 12/23. Gold Gold futures for December delivery lost 0.66%, or 11.65, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for December delivery fell 1.73%, or 1.41, to $80.23 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery fell 2.17%, or 1.95, to $87.83 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.36% to 1.03, while USD/JPY rose 0.13% to hit 140.37. Futures on the USD index rose 0.25% to 106.86. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-22 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/301736
    The China’s Covid Containment Continued To Negatively Impact The Output At The End Of 2022

    In China The Outbreak Continues To Get Worse | The ECB Has Given Banks An Incentive To Get Rid Of Those Loans

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.11.2022 09:30
    Summary:  Markets remain on edge amid lack of economic data but heavy focus on Fed commentaries which were mixed at best with Collins remaining hawkish but Bostic again signaling a slowdown in the pace of rate hikes. Meanwhile, covid outbreaks in China continue to get worse, keeping expectations of a Xi pivot also restrained. Commodities including oil and gold gave up recent gains on higher USD and China concerns. Weekend elections in Malaysia saw its first ever hung parliament, although not a complete surprise. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) traded sideways US equity markets had a lackluster session with modest gains on Friday. Nasdaq 100 was unchanged and the S&P 500 edged up 0.5%. Nine out of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 gained, with utilities, up 2% being the top performer. Energy was the largest laggard, down 0.9% as WTI crude oil fell to as low as USD77.24 at one point before settling at USD80.08, down 1.9% on Friday and 10% for the week on the concerns of weakening demand. Retailers Foot Locker (FL:xnys), Rose Stores (ROST:xnas), and Gap (GPS:xnys) surged by 7% to 10% on earnings and guidance beating street estimates. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yield rose as Fed member Collins keeping 75bps on the table Investors sold the front end of the treasury curve, seeing 2-year yield up 8bps to finish at 4.53% on Friday, following Boston Fed President Susan Collins kept the option of a 75bps hike in December open. Nonetheless, the money market curve continue to assign a higher than 80% chance of a 50bp hike in the next FOMC meeting. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) consolidated on Friday but ended the week higher The risk-on sentiment in Hong Kong and mainland China faded towards the end of last week as investors became cautious about the surge of Covid cases in mainland China that might be testing the resolve of the Chinese authorities, in particular, that of the local governments to implement the 20-item guidelines of relaxing pandemic control measure. Hong Kong stock markets traded higher initially in the morning, led by China Internet stocks, following Alibaba (09988:xhkg) reporting earnings beating expectations and adding to its share repurchase programme and The Chinese authorities’ grant of a new round of 70 online game licences to firms including Tencent (00700:xhkg) and NetEase (0999:xhkg). China property developers declined and dragged the benchmark indices lower, after Moody’s warned that the recent government policy support to the mainland real estate sector was no game changer. Hang Seng Index dropped by 0.3% on Friday and gained 3.9% for the week. In mainland bourses, healthcare shares gained as new Covid cases surged to above 25,000, a new high since April. CSI 300 declined 0.5% on Friday and edged up by 0.3% for the week. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) suffering from worsening Covid outbreak in China WTI futures took a look below the key $80/barrel mark on Friday amid the return of demand concerns as the Covid outbreak in China continued to get worse. Further developments over the weekend (read below) suggest further caution on Xi pivot expectations will likely remain. Meanwhile, the winter demand has so far remained restrained but the week ahead may bring further volatility as the deadline for European sanctions on Russia crude looms. NatGas prices were also lower after Freeport LNG announced initial operations are set to resume from their export facility in mid-December, one month later than prior guidance. Gold (XAUUSD) still eying the hawkish Fed Gold stayed short of making an attempt at the key $1800 level last week and was down over 1% as the USD gains returned amid the generally hawkish rhetoric from Fed speakers confirming more rate hikes remain in the pipeline. It is now testing the resistance-turned-support at 1750, and a move higher needs support from further declines in yields and the US dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. FX: NZD in gains ahead of RBNZ rate decision this week The Reserve Bank of New Zeeland is likely to deliver its sixth consecutive 50bps rate hike this week, or more with consensus tilting towards a larger 75bps move. The calls for a hike come amid hot inflation at 7.2% YoY in Q3 – well above the RBNZ’s 1-3% target – which comes in conjunction with a tight labour market. Most members of the RBNZ shadow board also supported a 75bps rate hike. NZDUSD started the week on a stronger footing, after having touched 0.62 on Friday. AUDNZD remains in a downtrend with China’s Covid outbreak as well as a relatively dovish RBA limiting the prospects for AUD.   What to consider? Fed’s Collins says 75bps still on the table for December, Bostic dovish Fed’s Boston Governor Collins appeared on a CNBC interview on Friday, and said she hasn’t decided on the magnitude of next month’s interest rate hike, but that a 75bps rate hike still remains on the table. She also emphasised that there is no clear and significant evidence that the overall inflation is coming down at this point, and there is also no clear consistent evidence of softening in labor markets. In fact, her comments raised terminal rate expectations as she said that data since September have kind of increased the top of where the Fed may need to go with interest rates. On the economy, she is concerned there could be a self-fulfilling dynamic that could make a more severe downturn more likely. However, Collins is reasonably optimistic a recession can be avoided. On the other hand, we also heard from Atlanta Fed Governor Raphael Bostic who said he favours slowing down the pace of rate hikes and also hinted that terminal rates will be about 1% pt higher from here. Worth noting however that Collins is only a voter this year (and not in 2023) while Bostic is not a voter this year or next. China’s Covid outbreak is getting worse China reported its first Covid-related death in nearly 6 months in Beijing as the outbreak continues to get worse and cast doubts on a Xi pivot. The capital added 516 cases on Sunday, and called the situation "grim." There are some retail and school closures, and the request to stay home was made over the weekend and has been extended. Meanwhile, a district in Guangzhou has imposed a 5-day lockdown to conduct mass coronavirus testing in some areas. ECB balance sheet reduction kicks off Euro zone banks are set to repay 296 billion euros in multi-year loans from the European Central Bank next week, less than the roughly 500 billion euros expected, in its latest step to fight runaway inflation in the Eurozone. The ECB has given banks an incentive to get rid of those loans by taking away a rate subsidy last month. It was its first move to mop up cash from the banking system and the first step towards unwinding its massive bond purchases. While the odds of a 50bos are still in favor for the December 15 meeting, key focus will also be on how fast this move can reverse the ECB's 3.3-trillion-euro Asset Purchase Programme. Christine Lagarde continued to sound the alarm on inflation, saying that even an economic downturn wont be enough to tame soaring prices. However, Knot hinted at slower pace of rate hikes, expecting rates to reach neutral next month. He still reaffirmed that policy needs to be restrictive and QT should be used alongside. UK retail sales signals a temporary recovery in consumer spending A rebound in UK’s retail sales for October signalled that Q4 may see concerns on consumer spending ease slightly. Retail sales grew 0.6% MoM in October after a decline of 1.5% in September. However the outlook remains bleak given the squeeze on incomes amid high inflation and the rise in interest rates. Political gridlock in Malaysia After Saturday’s election, Malaysia saw its first ever hung parliament as none of the three major coalitions won enough seats to form a majority, extending the political crisis in an economy on a fragile rebound. It is unlikely to be a big shock to the markets, as the results were generally as expected. The king has asked the parties to name their PM candidates by Monday afternoon, and while a coalition will likely be formed it is hardly enough to ensure a smooth functioning government. Ex-PM Mahathir lost the election while the ruling coalition was reduced to 30 seats, signalling a complete lack of trust in the political framework.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-21-nov-2022-21112022
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Correlation Between Risk Sentiment And The US Dollar (USD), The Outlook Of Gold, Copper And Crude Oil

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.11.2022 11:54
    Summary:  Today we look at downbeat sentiment on the latest concern that the reopening trade in China isn't going to happen any time soon with the first official deaths from Covid there in months reported. Elsewhere, we look at tight inverse correlation between risk sentiment and the US dollar and positioning in the US FX futures market, the holiday-shortened week in the US, gold, copper & crude oil, incoming earnings including Dell and Zoom Video, the macro calendar for this week (including the US Thanksgiving holiday) and much more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-21-2022-21112022
    Investments In Specific Football Clubs Do Not Appear To Be Profitable

    World Cup Begins! |The Euro (EUR) Decline | Equity Rally Wanes

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 21.11.2022 10:54
    Stocks in Asia fell this Monday on news that China reported its first death in six months from Covid on Sunday, and two other deaths followed. The news spurred fear that the government could make a U-turn on its decision of easing the strict Covid zero rules, and wreak havoc in Chinese markets, yet again. US Elsewhere, the US-inflation-data boosted rally faded last week, on the back of a too-strong-to-be-happy retail sales print, and a couple of hawkish comments from Federal Reserve (Fed) Presidents, including a chart from Mr. Bullard where the Fed’s terminal rate stretched up to 7%!This week, investors will focus on interest rate hikes and the US Black Friday sales. Commodities In commodities, the barrel of US crude slipped below the $80 psychological level last week, below the post-pandemic ascending trend base. Forex In the FX, the US dollar kicks off the week on a positive footage, on the back of a retreat in dovish Fed expectations. Crypto In cryptocurrencies, contagion news from the FTX collapse continues making the headlines in cryptocurrencies. According to the latest news, FTX owes more than $3 billion to its unsecured creditors, and crypto.com, Binance and OKX suspended deposits of dollar-backed stablecoins, USDC and Tether before last weekend. World Cup In sports, the world’s most expensive World Cup kicked off this weekend in the middle of the Qatari desert, with a lot of unusual news, speculation and backlash about the CO2 emissions and limited sales of alcohol, among other criticism. Investors hope sports betting and beverage companies would see a boost from the event… Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:40 China Covid worries resurface 1:57 Equity rally wanes, as attention shifts to rate talks & Black Friday 4:19 Oil dips below $80pb 5:27 USD gains, as XAU, EUR decline 6:52 FTX contagion continues, Solana further pressured 8:20 World Cup begins! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #China #Covid #World #Cup #hawkish #Fed #USD #EUR #XAU #crude #oil #US #retail #sales #Thanksgiving #BlackFriday #FTX #contagion #Bitcoin #Solana #Tether #USDC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    The Minutes Of Fed May Help Shape The Upcoming Week On Wall Street

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.11.2022 13:21
    The minutes of the November meeting of the Federal Reserve are expected to help shape the upcoming week on Wall Street, which is shortened due to the holidays. U.S. stock and bond markets will be closed Thursday, Nov. 24, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, on Black Friday, trading will close early. The report on the discussions at the U.S. central bank meeting earlier this month, due out Wednesday, will be the highlight of the economic calendar in the coming days. The earnings calendar will also be relatively sparse as the third quarter reports come to a close. Stocks posted a loss last week despite a modest gain on Friday after hawkish statements from the Federal Reserve dampened optimism. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% last week: Nasdaq Composite lost about 1.6% as central bank members said they intend to continue aggressive policy tightening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average remained virtually unchanged over the week: Minutes from the latest meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) show that officials are planning a half-point rate hike at their December meeting. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said at a press conference that he and his colleagues have some avenues to mitigate rising prices, acknowledging that the inflation picture has become more complex. An aggressive increase in interest rates could lead to a recession in the U.S. economy, and Fed officials have recently become more open about this risk. Goldman Sachs raised its Fed rate forecast to a range of 5% to 5.25%, adding another 25 basis point hike in May, noting that the investment bank's exposure to its Fed outlook has turned up. "Inflation is likely to remain uncomfortably high for a while, and this could put pressure on the FOMC to deliver a longer string of small hikes next year," economists led by Jan Hatzius said. Wall Street is nearing the end of its reporting season, but the results from Dell (DELL), J.M. Smucker (SJM), Zoom Video (ZM) and Dollar Tree (DLTR) will be some of the key corporate updates in the report. According to FactSet Research, fewer companies are expressing recession fears in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. Of the S&P 500 companies that reported earnings between Sept. 15 and Nov. 16, 26% fewer companies mentioned the term "recession," with 179 mentioning the word, compared with 242 in the reporting period for the most recent quarter. Still, according to FactSet, this quarter still ranks third among companies stressing fears of a potential economic downturn, at least since 2010.     Relevance up to 10:00 2022-11-26 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/327652
    Swiss Inflation Falls Below Expectations; US Markets Closed, Fed Minutes Awaited

    RBNZ Could Deliver A 75bps Rate Hike This Week | A Big Beat For Dell

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.11.2022 08:40
    Summary:  Risk off tone in the markets spilled over to the US session on Monday after a fresh surge in Covid cases in China. Fed speakers tilted neutral-to-dovish, but the USD has turned more risk-sensitive rather than being yield-sensitive and ended the day stronger, especially against the Japanese yen. Oil prices whipsawed, falling 6% on OPEC output boost speculation which was later denied by Saudi Arabia, and Gold tested key support as well. Earnings from Zoom and Dell beat consensus, but a consistent message on a tough Q4 continued to dampen sentiment. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) closed in the red Nasdaq 100 dropped by 1.1% and S&P500 slid 0.4% in a relatively quiet session. The sentiment was dampened slightly by concerns of potential China backtracking in easing Covid control measures as new cases surged. On the other hand, dovish-leaning comments from the Fed’s Bostic and Daly boosted the sentiment somewhat. Among the sectors of the S&P 500, consumer discretionary, energy, and communication services declined the most. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) plunged 6.8% on a recall of over 300,000 cares for tail-lamp issues and the Covid outbreak in China. Walt Disney (DIS:xnys) surged 6.3% after Robert Iger, the entertainment giant’s former chairman and CEO to return as CEO, replacing Bob Chapek. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) finished a choppy session little changed The dovish comments from Atlanta President Bostic and San Francisco Fed President about the slowing the pace in December and a terminal rate potentially of around 5% did not have much market impact. The 2-year yield edged up 2bps to 4.55%. The long end however caught a bid in early New York trading, with the 10-year yield falling as much as 7bps to 3.76% at one point when the crude oil price fell over 6% to as low as USD75.08 intraday. The 10-year pared gains and finished the day unchanged at 3.83%.  The Australian share market opens 0.6% higher on Tuesday Bright sparks are in lithium, fertilizers, coal and banking. Lithium company Pilbara Minerals trades 4% higher and Allkem (AKE) ais also up about 3% with sentiment in the lithium sector buoyed after lithium giant SQM shares rose almost 10% in NY on announcing a US$3.08 dividend per share following their optimistic update last week. SQM also operates in fertizliers as well, so ASX fertilizers companies are seeing a sentiment uptick with Incitec Pivot (IPL) are trading higher. Coal companies such as Whitehaven (WHC) and New Hope (NHC) also are trading sharply higher with large block trades coming through with traders expecting higher prices for coal in January. Also in commodities, it’s worth watching copper company Oz Minerals (OZL) as options trading volume increased dramatically after BHP increased their takeover offer for company. Yesterday OZL options volume was almost 7 times the 20-day average, with 5,000 calls and zero puts, meaning the market expects a higher price for OZL. In banking Virgin Money (VUK), trades up 13% today after the London listed stock rose 15%. Virgin reported stronger than expected profits for the year to Sept. 30 and upgraded its outlook on Monday, saying it expects its net interest margin to expand in the medium term. Virgin Money’s Slyce, a buy-now-pay-later product that launched earlier this year, had a waitlist of about 40,000. So many are thinking the business could be potentially turning around.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) declined as Covid cases surged Investors turned their focus on how the Chinese authorities would be handling the surge in Covid cases towards the April high and whether China would backtrack the 20 fine-tuning pandemic control measures. Hang Seng Index fell by 1.9% and Hang Seng TECH Index plunged by 3%, with China Internet, consumer, Macau gaming, and EV stocks leading the decline. JD.com (09618:xhkg), Alibaba (09988:xhkg), and Meituan (03690:xhkg) dropped by around 5% each. In mainland bourses, CSI 300 slid 0.9%. Food and beverage, beauty care, services, and media stocks were the major laggards. Kweichow Moutai (600519:xssc), and Wuliangye Yibin (000858:xsec) fell by around 3% each.  FX: Dollar strength returns, mainly on the back of Japanese yen Risk off tone from the fresh surge in cases in China prompted a bid tone in the US dollar on Monday. Fed speakers were neutral-to-dovish, lacking the hawkish push seen from Collins and Bullard last week, but as we have written before, dollar is turning to be less yield-sensitive now, but more risk-sensitive as it draws safe haven flows. USDJPY rose above 142 with US 2-year yields inching above 4.55% and 10-year also somewhat higher. Even as the pace of Fed rate hikes slows down, most members have called for over 5% terminal rate, suggesting downside for the Japanese yen may be close but pressure isn’t completely off yet. Disappointing German PPI and dollar strength pushed EURUSD lower to 1.0222 lows.  Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) whipsaws on OPEC+ reports A volatile day for crude oil amid reports that OPEC was planning to lift production. Oil prices fell sharply with WTI touching $75/barrel and Brent below $84after the Wall Street Journal reported that OPEC+ alliance was considering an output increase of 500kb/d in light of the looming EU ban on Russian oil imports. Oil pared these losses after Saudi Arabia denied the report; instead insisting that the current cut of 2mb/d was in place until the end of 2023. Demand concerns broadly remained with rising virus cases in China and slowing global consumption as central banks around the world continue to tighten policy. A stronger dollar also weighed on oil prices.  Gold (XAUUSD) tested the key 1735 support A stronger dollar continued to push Gold lower on Monday, and it tested the key support at $1735. With FOMC minutes due this week, and more Fed speakers on the horizon, there may be more talk about a higher terminal rate pricing even as the pace of rate hike slows from December. This, together with the risk of repeat lockdowns in China, could continue to weigh on the precious metal. An extension of the recent rally likely requires further declines in yields and the US dollar driving fresh demand for ETFs or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. What to consider Development in China’s handling of the Covid outbreak across large cities to watch Daily new cases in mainland China surged to 26,824, a new high since April. Beijing reported three Covid deaths, the first time in more than half a year. Part of the population in Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Shizjiazhung are urged to stay home or under some sort of movement restrictions. It is a testing time for the local authorities of how to control the outbreak and implement the recently released fine-tuning measures to minimize disruption to daily lives and economic activities. The People’s Daily published an article to call for handling pandemic control scientifically and with precision in the spirit of the 20 fine-turning measures. The National Health Commission released four documents to provide further guidelines on how to do PCR testing, management of high-risk districts, quarantine at home, and health surveillance. As Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee was tested positive and he sat near President Xi in some meetings during the APEC Summit last week, investors are also closing watch if President will meet Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel when the latter visit China on Nov 24.  Fed’s Daly tilted dovish, while Mester was more neutral Mary Daly (2024 voter) called on the Fed to be mindful of the lagging impact hikes have on the economy.She suggested financial conditions are tighter than what is suggested by Fed rates, saying financial markets are priced like the FFR is at 6%, not 3.75-4.00%.She also said the Fed must be mindful of overdoing rate hikes but there is still more work to be done but inflation is moving in the right direction. She noted policy is in modestly restrictive territory but she sees it peaking at around 5%, saying 4.725-5.25% is reasonable. Meanwhile, 2022 voter Mester said it makes sense to slow down the pace of rate hikes and believes they can slow down from 75bps in December.Mester is beginning to see the Fed's actions work but they need more, sustained good news. She thinks the Fed is just barely there in regards to restrictive territory, adding they need to get there. Disappointing guidance from Zoom (ZM) Zoom reported Q3 EPS of $1.07, $0.24 better than the analyst estimate of $0.83. Revenue for the quarter came in at $1.1 billion versus the consensus estimate of $1.09B. But guidance disappointed as with expectations penned lower than consensus as Q4 2023 EPS of $0.75-$0.78 was seen, vs. the consensus of $0.80. Zoom sees Q4 2023 revenue of $1.095-1.105B, versus the consensus of $1.12B.  Dell Technologies (DELL) beats consensus A big beat for Dell as it reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.30 on revenue of $24.7 billion, compared with estimates for $1.61 per share and $24.4B, respectively. However, PC demand remained weak and weighed on demand outlook, while Q3 were boosted by favorable corporate-PC positioning and robust operational execution to drive the margin and EPS beat.  RBNZ’s hawkishness to continue to outperform while Riksbank to play catchup The monetary policy decision from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will be key on Wednesday to determine the direction of NZD, which has seen strong gains over the past month from higher hawkishness. After a series of 50bps rate hikes, there are some expectations that RBNZ could deliver a 75bps rate hike this week, as inflation and labour market conditions support the case for further front-loading. Inflation has reached 7.2% YoY in Q3 – well above the RBNZ’s 1-3% target. Most members of the RBNZ shadow board also supported a 75bps rate hike. Meanwhile, the Riksbank has been lagging other G10 central banks in tightening policy and is now playing catch up after delivering a 100bp hike in September. The Riksbank is expected to deliver a 75bps hike on Thursday while another 100bps hike can’t be ruled out.     For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-22-nov-2022-22112022
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    Stocks To Watch: Cisco Following Its Better Than Expected Results

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.11.2022 10:09
    Summary:  If you are looking for stocks to watch, this six minute video covers some potential companies to keep your eyes on. Including Lithium miners SQM and Albemarle, with their shares trading in record high neighbourhood as the lithium market remains tight and is expected to support lithium prices into 2023 according to SQM. Plus why watch stocks such as; iron ore major Fortescue amid the latest in China, copper play Oz Minerals with buy orders mounting, Ross Stores - the discount department store ahead of Christmas shopping and Cisco following its better than expected results. SQM (SQM) is the world’s 2nd biggest lithium company and shares are trading at a record all time high up 95% this year - and for good reason. It sees lithium prices staying higher and demand rising 40%  this year. It also sees prices and demand continuing to remain strong in 2023. SQM also sees strong demand from the Chinese electric vehicle market, which is buttressing solid demand for lithium. This varies to Goldman Sachs thinking, as they say Chinese EV market will move toward a demand-constrained state over the next 1-2 years. As a house, Saxo, remains optimistic on energy commodities, including lithium however we continue to monitor the situation. The risk is that there is a global recession  or oversupply kicks in. Goldman Sachs believes the lithium price in China will continue to rise into 2023 before falling in second half of the year, as it sees the market moving into oversupply. SQM makes about 33% of its revenue from lithium and the remainder is from fertizliers. And both markets are currently tight. Another lithium stocks to watch is Albemarle (ALB). Its shares are also trading in all time record high neighborhood. They are up 21% this year buoyed by the lithium price being elevated. I guess what you need to consider is, companies like SQM and Albemarle have been growing their revenue by triple digits, and this is even ahead of China reopening.  Fortescue (FMG) is Australia’s biggest iron-ore-only producer, and it makes the majority of its revenue from China. Fortescue Metals shares have strongly rebounded this month, rising up 32%, after the iron ore price rose about 23% this month with China announcing a series of policies to rescue its property sector. However, COVID cases in China are picking up, and one region near Beijing has asked residents to stay home. So, there are concerns China will clamp down on restrictions, which could see the iron ore price pull back, along with shares in iron ore companies. But we will have to wait and see.  Oz Minerals (OZL) is also front a centre with a strong increase in appetite for its shares, after BHP increased its takeover offer to $6.4 billion for copper company. This reflects the hungry to move into copper, given copper is a vital metal in electricity networks, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. BHP currently makes 26.7% of its revenue from Copper but wants to increase that. BHP also makes 24.6% from coal, and 48.7% from iron ore. As a house we are bullish on copper long term, given demand is expected to rise about 60% by 2040. The Copper price is up 11% from its July low with supply showing signs of tightening. For copper to potentially move higher, from $3.63, you might need to see it break over the $4 to $4.05  area, which could be a critical momentum changing resistance level, that might change things in Copper around. Ross Stores (ROST) is on watch with traders expecting solid Black Friday sales. Ross Stores shares are up 17% this month with the extra kick coming from the retail company upgrading its fourth quarter outlook. Its shares are now now trading up 62% off their low and are back at November 2021 levels. The discount department store is seeing sales momentum improving. For the year ahead, consensus is that 2023 sales growth will be flat, but profit growth is expected to marginally improve. Cisco (CSCO). It’s a $196 billion computer network giant, and its shares have continued to rally up off their two-year lows after the company reported stronger than expected earnings results and upgraded its full-year forecast. Recurring revenue from its new offerings rose to more than $23 billion on an annualized basis, with greater availability of chips helping Cisco fill more orders too. For total full 2023 year revenue, Cisco sees it rising 6.5%, which is more than its prior outlook (of 6%) and more than market expectations. On the other hand as for its expenses, like a lot of tech companies like Twitter, Meta and Amazon, Cisco is feeling the inflation and interest rate pain, so plans to cut 5% of its employees (amounts to about 4,000 people). From a technical perspective its shares are also worth watching too, particularly on the weekly and monthly charts as it looks like buying is picking up. To find out more about the these companies or other opportunities, head to Saxo's Platform.  For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source:https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/five-stocks-to-watch-including-lithium-giants-sqm-and-albemarle-which-trade-at-records-22112022
    Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

    Negative Sentiment Over Massive Recalls Of Tesla Cars In The US

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.11.2022 10:23
    Summary:  Markets started the week in a downbeat mood with a weak session in the US yesterday. China posted another weak session as the rise in China Covid cases there has dogged sentiment since the weekend. Crude oil was slammed with a huge sell-off on a report from WSJ that key swing producer Saudi is considering a production boost, but the sell-off was entirely erased yesterday by the end of the day on official Saudi sources denying the story.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are in a slow grinding downward trend from the recent peak over a week ago trading around the 3,955 level this morning with the 3,920 level being the first support level to watch and then the big 3,900 level. Key risk sources to monitor are the USD, falling Tesla share price which could spill over into other pockets of the market, and the potential bankruptcy of the crypto company Genesis. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Daily new cases in mainland China continued to surge. Hang Seng Index fell 0.8% while CSI 300 managed to edge up 0.5%. China internet shares slid. On the other hand, SOE telecommunication and infrastructure stocks surged as the Chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission said listed state-owned enterprises are undervalued by stock investors. China Unicom (00762:xhkg) jumped nearly 10% and China Communications Construction (01800:xhkg) surged 9%. FX: Dollar strength returns, mainly against the Japanese yen Risk off tone from the fresh surge in Covid cases in China prompted a bid tone in the US dollar yesterday. Fed speakers were neutral-to-dovish, lacking the hawkish push seen from Collins and Bullard last week, but as we have written before, the dollar seems to be less yield-sensitive now, but more risk-sensitive as it draws safe haven flows. USDJPY rose above 142 with US 2-year yields inching above 4.55% and 10-year also somewhat higher near 3.80%. USDJPY is unlikely to mount a full bullish reversal above the key 145.000 area unless US 10-year yields threaten back above 4.00% (and hit sentiment once again). Elsewhere, EURUSD bottomed out at 1.0222 yesterday, still well above meaningful downside pivot levels, the first being the 1.0100 area. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil prices whipsawed on Monday in response to a later denied report from the Wall Street Journal that the Saudis together with OPEC+ was considering hiking production by 500,000 barrels a day ahead of the EU embargo on Russian oil. The price quickly dropped $5 to a ten-month low before rallying to end the day close to unchanged. A move that left both buyers and sellers hurting, potentially worsening an already troubled market that is suffering from falling volumes and lower open interest given the current lack of clarity regarding demand and supply, and the potential impact of a G7-planned price-cap-plan on Russian seaborne flows. Russia may retaliate against the plan by refusing to supply crude oil to those involved. Demand concerns, however, broadly remain with rising virus cases in China (see below), slowing global consumption as central banks around the world continue to tighten policy and the stronger dollar weigh on prices Gold (XAUUSD) testing support at $1735 A stronger dollar continued to push Gold lower on Monday, and it tested the key support at $1735. In the short-term the direction will be determined by fund activity and whether they need to make further reductions in recently established, and now under water, long positions. With FOMC minutes due this week, and more Fed speakers on the horizon, there may be more talk about a higher terminal rate pricing even as the pace of rate hike slows from December. This, together with the risk of repeat lockdowns in China, could continue to weigh on the precious metal. An extension of the recent rally likely requires further declines in yields and the US dollar driving fresh demand for ETFs or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile trades higher for the first time in six days after retracing 50% of the recent rally. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields are a bit adrift here, awaiting the next incoming data for next steps, with tomorrow’s batch of US data unlikely to move the needle as we await next Wednesday’s PCE inflation data and next Friday’s November US jobs report. The key upside swing area for the 10-year yields is near 4.00%, while the major downside focus beyond the 3.67% pivot low is the 3.50% cycle high from June. The 2-10 yield curve inversion remains near its lows for the cycle, at –70 basis points this morning. What is going on? Development in China’s handling of the Covid outbreak across large cities to watch The number of new Covid-19 cases hit 27,307 and reportedly more than 40 cities across the country are under some sort of lockdown or movement. Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong reported over 8,000 new cases and Chongqing seconded with over 6,000 new cases. So far, the municipal government of Guangzhou avoids adopting stringent lockdowns. However, Chongqing the manufacturing hub of Western China has rolled out more stringent lockdown. Chinese local governments are struggling to strike the right balance between adhering to zero-Covid policy and minimising disruption to daily lives and economic activities. The swing from abandoning PCR testing a week ago but only to reinstate mandatory testing days later in the city of Shijiazhuang was an example of such dilemma. On a positive note, the People's Daily published an article to call for handling pandemic control scientifically and with precision in the spirit of the 20 fine-tuning measures. The National Health Commission released four documents to provide further guidelines on how to do PCR testing, management of high-risk districts, quarantine at home, and health surveillance. Tesla decline could ignite risk-off Shares were down 7% yesterday following negative sentiment over massive recalls of Tesla cars in the US and renewed uncertainty as China is battling with reopening its society. Investors are also increasingly worried that CEO Elon Musk is spending too much time on his Twitter acquisition and that his recent behaviour around Twitter is damaging his brand and ultimately Tesla’s brand. We know from surveys that there is a large overlap in investors owning cryptocurrencies, Tesla, and Ark Innovation ETF. UK retail sales signals a temporary recovery in consumer spending A rebound in UK’s retail sales (the release is a volume-based measure) for October signalled that Q4 may see concerns on consumer spending ease slightly. Retail sales grew 0.6% MoM in October after a decline of 1.5% in September. The outlook, however, remains bleak given the squeeze on incomes amid high inflation and the rise in interest rates. Disappointing guidance from Zoom (ZM) Zoom reported Q3 EPS of $1.07, $0.24 better than the analyst estimates of $0.83. Revenue for the quarter came in at $1.1 billion versus the consensus estimate of $1.09B. But guidance disappointed as with expectations penned lower than consensus as Q4 2023 EPS of $0.75-$0.78 was seen, vs. the consensus of $0.80. Zoom sees Q4 2023 revenue of $1.095-1.105B, versus the consensus of $1.12B. Dell Technologies (DELL) beats consensus A big beat for Dell as it reported third quarter adjusted EPS of $2.30 on revenue of $24.7 billion, compared with estimates for $1.61 per share and $24.4B, respectively. However, PC demand remained weak and weighed on demand outlook, while Q3 were boosted by favourable corporate-PC positioning and robust operational execution to drive the margin and EPS beat. What are we watching next? RBNZ up tonight with market uncertain of size of hike. Sweden’s Riksbank up tomorrow The monetary policy decision from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will be key on Wednesday to drive the direction of NZD, which has seen strong gains over the past month from anticipation that the RBNZ may stay on a determined tightening path. After a series of 50bps rate hikes, there are some expectations that RBNZ could deliver a 75-bp rate hike tonight to take the rate to 4.25%, as inflation and labour market conditions support the case for further front-loading. Inflation reached 7.2% YoY in Q3 – well above the RBNZ’s 1-3% target. Most members of the RBNZ shadow board also supported a 75-bp rate hike. Meanwhile, the Riksbank has been lagging other G10 central banks in tightening policy and is now playing catch up after delivering a 100-bp hike in September. The Riksbank is expected to deliver a 75-bp hike on Thursday, with some looking for another 100-bp move. Crypto lender Genesis in the spotlight on bankruptcy risk Genesis, a large crypto lender and creditor to the FTX fraud operation that recently blew up, is looking for up to $1 billion in funding and has warned that it may have to file for bankruptcy if it is unable to find funding, also claiming that the risk of bankruptcy is not imminent. Bitcoin trades today near the cycle lows below 16,000 as the market cap of the entire crypto space has dipped below $800 billion. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is technology earnings from VMware, Autodesk, and HP. On the consumer sector, investors will be watching earnings from Dollar Tree and Best Buy. Analysts expect HP revenue growth to be down 12% y/y in FY22 Q4 (ending 31 October) as PC sales and enterprise technology spending are down from the high levels during the pandemic. Today: Kuaishou Technology, Medtronic, Analog Devices, VMware, Autodesk, Dollar Tree, Baidu, HP, Best Buy Wednesday: Xiaomi, Prosus, Deere Friday: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Australia RBA’s Lowe to speak 1300 – Hungary Central Bank Rate Decision 1330 – Canada Sep. Retail Sales 1415 – UK Office for Budget Responsibility testifies to Parliament 1500 – Eurozone Nov. Preliminary Consumer Confidence 1500 – US Nov. Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index 1600 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter 2022) to speak 1645 – Canada Bank of Canada’s Rogers to speak 1915 – US Fed’s George (Voter 2022) to speak 1945 – US Fed’s Bullard (Voter 2022) to speak 2130 – API's Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 0100 – New Zealand RBNA Official Cash Rate  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-22-2022-22112022
    Expectations of decent sales during holiday season have let Best Buy gain

    Expectations of decent sales during holiday season have let Best Buy gain

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 22.11.2022 23:32
    US stocks are rallying as Wall Street continues to expect the Fed to downshift their tightening pace next month and on optimism that the risk of a railroad strike fueling inflation is low. ​ The latest round of Fed speak did not teach us anything new. ​ The Fed’s Mester noted that long-term inflation expectations are reasonably anchored. ​ The labor market is a key concern for the Fed, and Mester also pointed out that labor demand is still outpacing supply. Recent trends however are showing the labor market is showing signs of cooling. ​ ​ Some investors are growing confident that the potential railroad strike might not be as troubling for inflation as the Railway Labor Act will prevent key interruptions. ​ ​ Some traders are looking ahead to the upcoming Minutes, but they are dated (before the cool October inflation report) and will likely show many Fed members have an unclear rate path as inflation is a tricky beast to slay. Read next: Gold could be in some way prevented from rallying by unstable COVID outlook| FXMAG.COM FX/Fixed income Risk appetite is making an appearance today and that is helping send the Treasury yields and the dollar lower. ​ The 10-year Treasury yield fell 4.3 basis points to 3.784%. ​ Cooling inflation drivers, mainly an overpriced weakening of China and the railroad strike impact, are helping drive the dollar down today. The dollar’s weakness might be limited as options markets are showing too many excessive bearish bets being placed by hedge funds and money managers. Best Buy Best Buy shares are rallying after they raised their holiday outlook. ​ This was a welcomed surprise from the retailer that many feared was going to see a weaker consumer refrain from purchasing new TVs, appliances, and other gadgets. It looks like Best Buy is not expecting a disappointing holiday season and that is positive news for other retailers. US Data The Richmond Fed’s regional surveys of business activity showed manufacturing activity continued to soften in November. The composite manufacturing index remained negative and shipment and employment deteriorated slightly. ​ The economy is clearly weakening here and inflation should continue to come down as wages and employment decline. ​ Price trends data was mixed as prices paid declined and prices received rose higher, but that was somewhat expected given the return of supply chain issues. China’s reopening will be key for inflation heading lower next year. Crypto Wall Street is mostly green today and that has provided a little boost for cryptos. ​ Bitcoin is back above the $16,000 level but still remains in the danger zone as everyone waits for the next crypto domino to fall. ​ It seems crypto traders are already pricing in a bankruptcy for crypto lender Genesis. ​ Contagion for FTX will impact many but it seems a fresh catalyst is needed for sellers to take control. Bitcoin could continue to stabilize here if Wall Street rebounds, but that seems unlikely as this bear market for stocks has yet to bottom out. ​ Bitcoin has support ahead of the $15,500 level but if that does not hold, technical selling could send prices toward the $13,500 region. ​ ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Stocks rise on downshift hopes, Dollar lower for now, Best Buy brings holiday cheer, US data, Gold rebound faded, Crypto benefits from Wall Street rally - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    The New York Stock Exchange: The Dow Jones Rose 1.18% To A 3-Month High

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 23.11.2022 08:24
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.18% to a 3-month high, the S&P 500 rose 1.36% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.36%.  Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Intel Corporation, which gained 0.88 points or 3.04% to close at 29.82. Salesforce Inc rose 4.40 points or 3.04% to close at 149.25. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc rose 1.20 points or 2.96% to close at 41.79. The least gainer was Walt Disney Company, which shed 1.37 points or 1.40% to end the session at 96.21. Amgen Inc was up 1.11 points (0.39%) to close at 287.05, while Boeing Co was down 0.44 points (0.25%) to close at 172.50.   S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Best Buy Co Inc, which rose 12.78% to 79.88, Agilent Technologies Inc, which gained 8.08% to close at 156.86. as well as shares of CF Industries Holdings Inc, which rose 6.72% to close the session at 109.68. The least gainers were Dollar Tree Inc, which shed 7.79% to close at 152.37. Shares of Rollins Inc lost 6.14% to end the session at 39.53. Quotes of Medtronic PLC decreased in price by 5.30% to 77.93.  NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Cosmos Holdings Inc, which rose 86.93% to hit 0.33, Palisade Bio Inc, which gained 81.08% to close at 4.02, and also shares of Motorsport Gaming Us LLC, which rose 51.11% to close the session at 6.80. The least gainers were Eqonex Ltd shares, which lost 32.81% to close at 0.14. Shares of WiSA Technologies Inc lost 21.56% and ended the session at 0.20. Quotes of AGBA Acquisition Ltd decreased in price by 22.94% to 4.87. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2345) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (761), while quotes of 110 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2259 companies rose in price, 1542 fell, and 236 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 4.79% to 21.29, hitting a new 3-month low. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 0.07%, or 1.15, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for January delivery rose 1.41%, or 1.13, to $81.17 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for January delivery rose 1.22%, or 1.07, to $88.52 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.62% to hit 1.03, while USD/JPY shed 0.65% to hit 141.20. Futures on the USD index fell 0.63% to 107.05.     Relevance up to 04:00 2022-11-24 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/302134
    The Commodities Feed: OPEC+ meeting ahead

    Western Countries Are Set To Agree On Russian Oil Price Cap

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.11.2022 09:06
    Summary:  U.S. equity benchmark indices gained over 1%, with energy being the best-performing sector as WTI crude bounced 1.5% on a larger-than-expected draw in private US crude inventory data and continued denials from OPEC+ about any production increases. Deliberations on caps on Russian energy remain on watch. Fed speakers continued to steadily pushback against pivot expectations, and FOMC minutes will be key today. Lower yields and a weaker dollar saw gold steady ahead of key support. Investors are also watching closely the development of the Covid-19 outbreak in China. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Nasdaq 100 gained 1.5% and S&P 500 rose by 1.4%. All 11 sectors within the S&P 500 gained, led by energy, materials, and information technology. Trading was thin ahead of Thanksgiving. Investors were not overly troubled by yet another round of hawkish-leaning remarks from Fed officials on Tuesday. Best Buy (BBY:xnys), surging 12.7%, was the best performer in the S&P 500. The consumer electronic retailer reported better-than-expected earnings driven by smaller-than-feared declines in revenues and margins. On the other hand, Dollar Tree Store (DLTR:xnas), a discount store chain, tumbled 7.8%, after reporting earnings beat but downbeat Q4 guidance on margin pressure. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) In spite of a weak 7-year auction, treasuries were well bid over the day on Tuesday, in particular for the long end. The 2-year yield fell 4bps to 4.51% and the 10-year yield closed 7bps richer at 3.76%. Following a series of remarks from Fed officials since last week to push back to the market speculation of an early pause at a lower terminal rate next year, investors are adding onto their bets for a recession in the U.S. in 2023. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Daily new cases in mainland China continued to surge and approach the April high. Hang Seng Index fell 1.3% while CSI 300 managed to finish the session flat. Southbound investments registered an HKD5.8 billion net outflow, the largest outflow since August 2021. Southbound investors sold a net HKD3.5 billion of Tracker Fund (02800;xhkg) and HKD1.7 billion of Meituan (03690:xhkg). Meituan tumbled 8.3% and was the worst performer among stocks in the Hang Seng Index on Tuesday. On the other hand, SOE telecommunication and infrastructure stocks surged as the Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission said listed state-owned enterprises were undervalued by stock investors. China Unicom (00762:xhkg) gained 6.8% and China Communications Construction (01800:xhkg) rose by 8.4%. China Aluminum (02068) surged 25.5% after jumping as much as 42.8% at one point. FX: Dollar weakens as risk sentiment stabilizes Data and news flow was thin on Tuesday before it picks up today with FOMC minutes and PMIs due ahead of the US Thanksgiving holiday. Fed speakers Mester and George added little new information, continuing to reaffirm that the fight against inflation had further room to run. US Richmond Fed marginally improved, albeit still negative with mixed details. Philly Fed non-manufacturing survey improved slightly, but firm-level business activity dropped into negative territory alongside full-time employment falling. Dollar slid to lows of 107.11, with gains led by NOK and NZD (ahead of RBNZ meeting where expectations are for a 75bps rate hike). EURUSD is poking at 1.032 while USDJPY is attempting a move below 141. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil prices were bid on broader risk appetite and continued OPEC+ denials of any production increases. Meanwhile, there was also a larger-than-expected draw of crude inventories while deliberations around Russian energy price caps were held ahead of the planned December 5th implementation. However, there were also reports that China has paused some purchases of Russian oil ahead of the price cap implementation. Supply worries however remained with API reporting that US crude inventories fell by 4.8 million barrels for the week ended November 18, higher than the expected draw of 2.2 million barrels. API data also showed that gasoline inventories declined by about 400,000 barrels last week, and distillate stocks increased by 1.1M barrels. The official government inventory report due Wednesday is expected to show weekly U.S. crude supplies fell by about 1.1M barrels last week. WTI futures traded firm above the $80 mark while Brent futures were near the $88 mark. Natural gas prices also rose as much as 5.2% after Gazprom threatened to cut its gas flows sent via Ukraine — the last remaining route to western Europe — next week.   What to consider The increase in the ECB’s TLTRO funding costs for European banks came into effect Until today, European banks’ outstanding borrowings from the ECB’s Targeted Long-term Refinancing Operations III (TLTRO III). LTRO III has been funded at as low as 50bps below the average of the ECB’s Depository Facility Rate (DFR) over the entire life of those borrowings. The DFR, which is currently 1.5%, has been kept at minus 50bps from Sept 2019 to July 2022. It has been a large subsidy from the ECB in the form of below-market funding costs to European banks. Some banks are depositing these monies back into the ECB and arbitraging the interest rate differential. Last month, the ECB announced to change the calculation of the applicable DFR index with effect from Nov 23 to over the current period as opposed to the whole life of the borrowings.  The move will reduce European banks’ net interest income and withdraw liquidity from the banking system. Currently, the TLTRO III balance is EUR 2.1 trillion.     A testing time for the implementation of the fine-tuning measures for controlling Covid-19 outbreak in China The number of new Covid-19 cases hit 27,307 and reportedly as many as 48 cities across the countries are under some sort of lockdown or movement. Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong reported over 8,000 new cases and Chongqing seconded with over 6,000 new cases. So far the municipal government of Guangzhou avoids adopting stringent. However, Chongqing the manufacturing hub of Western China has rolled out more stringent lockdown. Chinese local governments are struggling to strike a right balance about adhering to zero-Covid policy and minimising disruption to daily lives and economic activities. The swing from abandoning PCR testing a week ago but only to reinstate mandatory testing days later was an example of such dilemma. In a press conference on Tuesday, health officials from the State Council reiterated the importance of implementing the 20 recently released fine-turning measures. Fed’s Mester and George keep the focus on inflation As investors continue to try and gauge the path of Federal Reserve rate hikes, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester reiterated on Tuesday that lowering inflation remains critical for the central bank, a day after supporting a smaller rate hike in December. Kansas City President Esther George said the central bank may need to boost interest rates to a higher level and hold them there for longer in order to temper consumer demand and cool inflation. Russian oil price cap in the works The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Western countries are set to agree on Russian oil price cap around $60 per barrel. However, it could be as high as $7 per barrel ahead of the December 5 start date. The sanctions that the G7, EU and Australia will set, will ban the provisions of maritime services for shipments of Russian oil unless the oil sells below the cap price. The aim is to reduce petroleum revenues for Russia's war machine while maintaining flows of its oil to global markets and preventing price spikes. EU’s new proposed cap on gas prices The EU proposed a cap of €275 per megawatt-hour on natural gas prices to defend consumers against a steep rise in energy costs. The level is well above the current price of about €120, but below last summer's highs when Dutch TTF gas prices went as high as €300+. The tool will only be used if futures on the Dutch Title Transfer facility exceed €275 for two weeks and the gap between TTF and liquefied natural gas prices is greater than €58 for 10 trading days. Even at the height of the crisis in the summer, the price didn’t stay above that level for two weeks, suggesting the tool would not have been activated had it been in place then. That led several market watchers to question how powerful can will actually be. If approved by EU countries, the cap would be available for one year from January 1. Ant Group could be fined more than USD1 billion, setting the stage for concluding regulatory overhaul over the company According to Reuters, the Chinese regulators may be close to a decision to impose a fine of over USD1 billion on the Ant Group. Since being called to stop its IPO in 2020, the group has been under regulatory overhaul. While the amount of the fine is substantial, initial reactions from the investment community to the news are positive as the fine could set the stage for the conclusion of the regulatory overhaul. JD.COM (09618:xhkg) cut senior management pays while increasing benefits for all employees JD.Com announced that the company is slashing the pay for about 2,000 managers by 10-20% and using some of the savings from the move to fund planned increases in staff benefits, including health and housing benefits, for all employees including hundreds of thousands of delivery staff. Founder Richard Liu will also donate 100 million yuan towards staff benefits. The OECD revised downward its 2023 growth forecasts Yesterday, the OECD published its latest Economic Outlook. There is not much surprise. Global growth is expected to slow down significantly in 2023 to 2.2% and to rebound modestly in 2024 at 2.7%. This will be a long and painful economic crisis. Asia will remain the main engine of growth in the short-term. But the zero Covid policy in China will likely limit the country’s contribution to global GDP growth. Before Covid, China represented about 30% of global growth impulse. It is now down to roughly 10%. The OECD warns that the fight against inflation will take time. But several countries are successful. For example, in Brazil, the central bank moved swiftly, and inflation has started to come down in recent months. In the United States, the latest data also seem to suggest some progress in the fight against inflation. Nevertheless, a pause in monetary policy is unlikely in most countries in the short-term. Get access to the full report here. FOMC minutes to be key for terminal rate pricing The FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The key message delivered by Powell at this meeting was that the pace of rate hikes will slow down as needed, and that will likely remain the highlight of the minutes as well. However, Powell managed to deliver this message hawkishly at the press conference, but the risk from the minutes remains tilted to the dovish side. There is likely to be little consensus about whether the rates are in restrictive territory or there’s still room for that, and the divide within the committee remains key to watch as investors remain on the edge to expect a Fed pivot sometime in 2023. Flash PMIs on the radar for US, UK and EU The S&P flash PMIs for the US, EU and UK will be released in the week, and will likely test the soft-landing rhetoric that has been gaining traction. We will likely see further broad-based easing in the metrics from the October prints, as consumer spending remains constrained amid high inflation and a rise in interest rates. While expectations for December remain tilted towards a downshift in rate hikes for the Fed, ECB and the BOE, the upcoming data point will be more key in determining the terminal rate pricing. Markets are now back at pricing 5% levels for the Fed, but the ECB’s pricing for the terminal rate is still sub-3% while UK’s is 4.7% with fiscal austerity being delayed. Singapore’s Q3 GDP revised lower The final print of Singapore’s Q3 GDP was revised lower to 4.1% YoY, 1.1% QoQ from 4.4% YoY, 1.5% QoQ in the preliminary estimate. This came primarily on the back of weaker-than-expected manufacturing sector growth amid global demand weakness, which resulted in the first decline in non-oil exports for October. Meanwhile, covid curbs in China also continue to weigh on Singapore’s growth trajectory. The 2022 growth forecast was also trimmed to around 3.5% from a range of 3%-4% seen previously, a reflection of an increasingly challenging global macro environment, while 2023 growth forecast was set at 0.5-2.5%.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Read our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-23-nov-2022-23112022
    EUR/USD Faces Pressure Amid PMI Releases: Is More Downside Ahead?

    The OECD Warns That The Fight Against Inflation Will Take Time | Credit Suisse May Lose $1.6bn In Q4

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.11.2022 09:12
    Summary:  Market sentiment bounced yesterday on little news, with sentiment steady in Asia overnight. Long US treasury yields dipped, and short yields were steady ahead of today's FOMC minutes release from the November 2 meeting, taking the US yield curve inversion to a multi-decade low of -75 basis points. The focus in Europe today will be on preliminary November PMI for a sense of how badly the EU is tilting into recession.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 1.3% yesterday closing at the 4,010 level, the highest close since 9 September, suggesting bulls are in control as bears are already sitting on strong profits for the year and therefore has little incentive to take bigger positions before yearend. The next big level on the upside is the 200-day moving average at around the 4,060 level. Today’s key events are preliminary US PMI figures for November and later this evening the FOMC Minutes which could provide more clues into the thinking of policymakers. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) According to Reuters, the Chinese regulators may be close to a decision to impose a fine of over $1 billion on Jack Ma’s Ant Group. Since its IPO was halted by the Chinese authorities in 2020, the group has been under regulatory overhaul. While the amount of the fine is substantial, initial reactions from the investment community to the news were positive as the fine could set the stage for the conclusion of the regulatory overhaul. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) jumped more than 4% on the news. China internet stocks gained, led by Kuaishou Technology (01024:xhkg) as the social media platform company surged 6.2% on better-than-expected Q3 results. After rising 25.5% yesterday, China Aluminum (02068:xhkg) continued its advance, rising 18% on Wednesday. Overall market sentiment remains cautious as the number of new cases reached 28,883 on Tuesday, just a touch below the April high of 29,317 cases. Hang Seng Index gained 1.2% and CSI 300 climbed 0.5%. In mainland A shares, infrastructure names surged while pharmaceutical and biotech stocks retreated. FX: Dollar drops as risk sentiment rebounds Softer long US treasury yields also pushed the US dollar lower as the US yield curve inverted to a new cycle low. Still, the big dollar has done very little after the huge, but brief sell-off move on the October CPI release nearly two full weeks ago, with today’s large data dump and FOMC minutes the last hope this week for providing a spark of volatility in either direction ahead of the long holiday weekend (tomorrow, US markets are closed, with most workers also out Friday). The FOMC minutes late today are not highly anticipated, but could surprise if there is more consensus on a hawkish stance than anticipated. EURUSD has carved out a 1.0222-1.0479 range now. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) Crude oil closed higher on Tuesday supported by a general recovery in risk appetite as the dollar softened and recent short sales in response to false production hike rumor were paired back. Crude oil prices have traded lower this month in response to a drop in demand from China as Covid cases surge to near a record with restrictions of movements currently impacting 48 cities. Ahead of today’s weekly EIA report, the API reported a 4.8 million barrel drop in US crude stocks. The data also showed that gasoline inventories declined by about 0.4m barrels last week, and distillate stocks increased by 1.1M barrels. EU diplomats will discuss and potentially approve a price cap on Russian seaborne oil sales today (see below), and if implemented Russia may retaliate by refusing to sell its crude to nations that adopt the cap. WTI resistance at $82.25 followed by $84.50 Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades nervously around the $1735 support level for a second day as the market awaits the release of FOMC minutes. The yellow metal managed a small bounce on Tuesday as the dollar softened after Fed officials indicated they were open to implementing less aggressive hikes going forward. In the short-term the direction will be determined by fund activity and whether they need to make further reductions in recently established, and now under water, long positions. An extension of the recent rally likely requires further declines in yields and the US dollar driving fresh demand for ETFs or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields were steady at the short end and dipped at the long end yesterday, driving a new extreme in the 2-10 yield curve inversion of –75 basis points. Traders are awaiting incoming US data today and the FOMC minutes for next steps, although more heavy hitting data awaits next week with Wednesday’s November PCE inflation data and next Friday’s November US jobs report. The key upside swing area for the 10-year treasury yield is near 4.00%, while the major downside focus beyond the 3.67% pivot low is the 3.50% cycle high from June. What is going on? New Zealand’s RBNZ hikes 75 basis points to 4.25% The market was divided on whether the bank would go with the larger rate hike after a string of 50 basis points moves prior to the meeting overnight. NZ two-year yields jumped back toward the cycle highs overnight as the market participants raised the anticipated peak in the policy rate by mid-year next year to almost 5.50%, up about 30 basis points after the decision. Fed’s Mester and George keep the focus on inflation As investors continue to try and gauge the path of Federal Reserve rate hikes, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester reiterated on Tuesday that lowering inflation remains critical for the central bank, a day after supporting a smaller rate hike in December. Kansas City President Esther George said the central bank may need to boost interest rates to a higher level and hold them there for longer in order to temper consumer demand and cool inflation. Russian oil price cap in the works The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Western countries are set to agree on Russian oil price cap around $60 per barrel. However, it could be as high as $70 per barrel on oil loaded after the December 5 start date. The sanctions that the G7, EU and Australia will set, will ban the provisions of maritime services for shipments of Russian oil unless the oil sells below the cap price. The aim is to reduce petroleum revenues for Russia's war machine while maintaining flows of its oil to global markets and preventing price spikes. Russian Urals crude oil already trades at around a 25-dollar discount to Brent, so the impact on Russia’s revenues at current international prices would be limited. Credit Suisse warns of big loss in Q4 The Swiss bank is stating in a press release this morning that it could lose $1.6bn in Q4 driven by losses in its investment banks. In addition, the bank says that it has seen net outflows of 6% relative to AUM in Q3. To improve profitability the bank is one-third of all investment banking employees in its Chinese subsidiary following a recent staff expansion in the country. HP cuts 6,000 employees as PC demand weakens The technology company reported Q4 results yesterday in line with estimates but its FY2023 (ending 31 October 2023) outlook was below estimates with adj. EPS guidance of $3.20-3.60 vs est. $3.61. Over the next two years the company expects to reduce staff level by 6,000 to improve profitability. The OECD revised downward its 2023 growth forecasts Yesterday, the OECD published its latest Economic Outlook. There is not much surprise. Global growth is expected to slow down significantly in 2023 to 2.2 % and to rebound modestly in 2024 at 2.7 %. This will be a long and painful economic crisis. Asia will remain the main engine of growth in the short-term. But the zero Covid policy in China will likely limit the country’s contribution to global GDP growth. Before Covid, China represented about 30 % of global growth impulse. It is now down to roughly 10 %. The OECD warns that the fight against inflation will take time. But several countries are successful. For example, in Brazil, the central bank moved swiftly, and inflation has started to come down in recent months. In the United States, the latest data also seem to suggest some progress in the fight against inflation. Nevertheless, a pause in monetary policy is unlikely in most countries in the short-term. Read the full report here. The increase in the ECB’s TLTRO funding costs for European banks came into effect Until today, European banks’ outstanding borrowings from the ECB’s Targeted Long-term Refinancing Operations III (TLTRO III). LTRO III has been funded at as low as 50bps below the average of the ECB’s Depository Facility Rate (DFR) over the entire life of those borrowings. The DFR, which is currently 1.5%, has been kept at minus 50bps from Sept 2019 to July 2022. It has been a large subsidy from the ECB in the form of below-market funding costs to European banks. Some banks are depositing these monies back into the ECB and arbitraging the interest rate differential. Last month, the ECB announced to change the calculation of the applicable DFR index with effect from Nov 23 to over the current period as opposed to the whole life of the borrowings. The move will reduce European banks’ net interest income and withdraw liquidity from the banking system. Currently, the TLTRO III balance is EUR 2.1 trillion.     JD.COM cut senior management pays while increasing benefits for all employees JD.Com announced that the company is slashing the pay for about 2,000 managers by 10-20% and using some of the savings from the move to fund planned increases in staff benefits, including health and housing benefits, for all employees including hundreds of thousands of delivery staff. Founder Richard Liu will also donate 100 million yuan of his own money towards staff benefits. Under the quest for “common prosperity” of the top government leadership, Chinese tycoons are mindful of doing their share in redistributing income. What are we watching next? Flash PMIs on the radar for US, UK and EU The S&P flash PMIs for the US, EU and UK will be released in the week, and will likely test the soft-landing rhetoric that has been gaining traction. We will likely see further broad-based easing in the metrics from the October prints, as consumer spending remains constrained amid high inflation and a rise in interest rates. While expectations for December remain tilted towards a downshift in rate hikes for the Fed, ECB and the BOE, the upcoming data point will be more key in determining the terminal rate pricing. Markets are now back at pricing 5% levels for the Fed, but the ECB’s pricing for the terminal rate is still sub-3% while UK’s is 4.7% with fiscal austerity being delayed. Copper demand growth shifting from China to Europe and the US At the FT Commodities Asia Summit in Singapore, Jeremy Weir, the CEO of Trafigura said demand for copper is shifting away from cooling building activities in China to energy transition demand, especially in Europe and the US. Weir said demand for copper has remained strong despite recent global headwinds. “We’re seeing for example very strong copper demand in Europe through electrification and even through the pandemic,” he said. “Even the current crisis and conflict in Ukraine is not reducing the demand for copper.” Following a recent rally, that got rejected ahead of key resistance at $4 per pound, HG copper has dropped back and currently trades near the middle of its established range around $3.55 FOMC minutes to be key for terminal rate pricing The FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The key message delivered by Powell at this meeting was that the pace of rate hikes will slow down as needed, and that will likely remain the highlight of the minutes as well. However, Powell managed to deliver this hawkish message at the press conference, but the risk from the minutes remains tilted to the dovish side. There is likely to be little consensus about whether the rates are in restrictive territory or there’s still room for that, and the divide within the committee remains key to watch as investors remain on the edge to expect a Fed pivot sometime in 2023. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Deere, the US manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment, with analysts expecting FY22 Q4 (ending 31 October) revenue growth of 18% y/y and EPS of $7.09 up 72% as momentum and pricing power remain strong due to high commodity prices on agricultural products. Today: Xiaomi, Prosus, Deere Friday: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Nov. Preliminary Manufacturing and Services PMI 0930 – UK Nov. Preliminary Manufacturing and Services PMI 1330 – US Oct. Preliminary Durable Goods Orders 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1445 – US Nov. Preliminary Manufacturing and Services PMI 1500 – US Nov. Final University of Michigan Sentiment 1500 – US Oct. New Home Sales 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stocks Report 1700 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage change 1905 – US FOMC Meeting Minutes 1905 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor at Parliament committee 2130 – Canada Bank of Canada Governor Macklem to testify to parliament committee Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-23-2022-23112022
    Kiwi Faces Depreciation Pressure: RBNZ Expected to Hold Rates Amidst Downward Momentum

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The FOMC Minutes, The RBNZ Rate Hike And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.11.2022 10:35
    Summary:  Today we look at the market bouncing back strongly yesterday as we await a data dump from the US today ahead of the long Thanksgiving weekend there. While the focus from the Fed is on how the FOMC delivers its "deceleration of tightening" message, it is worth noting that financial conditions are close to their easiest since the Fed began hiking in 75 basis point increments back in June. Will this receive any comments in the FOMC minutes release tonight? We also look at leading indicators pointing to an incoming recession, talk crude oil, copper and wheat, the RBNZ hiking 75 basis points overnight, stocks to watch and much more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-23-2022-23112022
    The South America Are Looking For Alternatives To The US Currency

    On Tuesday, the S&P 500 regained the key level of 4,000 as it climbed 53 points (+1.36%) to 4003, its highest level in 2-1/2 months. - Market update by InterTrader - November 23rd, 2022

    Finance Press Release Finance Press Release 23.11.2022 10:47
    MARKET WRAP: STOCKS, BONDS, COMMODITIES           On Tuesday, the S&P 500 regained the key level of 4,000 as it climbed 53 points (+1.36%) to 4003, its highest level in 2-1/2 months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 397 points (+1.18%) to 34,098, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 171 points (+1.48%) to 11,724.While investors awaited Wednesday's release of minutes of the Federal Reserve's November meeting, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield retreated 6.7 basis points to 3.760%.Semiconductors (+3.34%), energy (+3.18%), and consumer durables & apparel (+2.26%) sectors were market leaders.Best Buy (BBY) surged 12.78%, as the consumer electronics retailer raised its full-year comparable sales guidance.Agilent Technologies (A) jumped 8.07%, after the life science company posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and raised its full-year earnings guidance.Dell Technologies (DELL) climbed 6.77% and Urban Outfitters (URBN) advanced 8.89%, as both companies' quarterly results exceeded expectations.On the other hand, Dollar Tree (DLTR) plunged 7.79% after the discount store chain said it now expects full-year earnings at the lower end of its target range.Zoom Video Communications (ZM) fell 3.87%, and Medtronic (MDT) dropped 5.30%, as both companies gave down-beat business outlook.Regarding U.S. economic data, the Richmond Fed manufacturing index posted at -9 for November (vs +5 expected).European stocks also closed higher. The DAX 40 rose 0.29%, the CAC 40 gained 0.35%, and the FTSE 100 was up 1.03%.Oil prices were boosted by Saudi Arabia saying that OPEC+ was sticking with output cuts. U.S. WTI crude futures gained $1.10 to $81.14 a barrel.Gold price added $2 to $1,740 an ounce.           MARKET WRAP: FOREX           The U.S. dollar index softened against other major currencies. The dollar index fell back to 107.16.EUR/USD rose 60 pips to 1.0302. The Eurozone's official consumer confidence index posted at -23.9 for November (vs -26.8 expected).USD/JPY dropped 96 pips to 141.18.GBP/USD gained 66 pips to 1.1889.AUD/USD increased 41 pips to 0.6646. This morning, the S&P Global Australia manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 51.5 in November.NZD/USD rebounded 53 pips to 0.6153. Later today, New Zealand's central bank is expected to raise its key interest rate by 75 basis points to 4.25%.USD/CHF slid 65 pips to 0.9520.USD/CAD declined 77 pips to 1.3371. Canada's retail sales declined 0.5% on month in September (as expected).Bitcoin rebounded 3% to $16,100.           MORNING TRADING           In Asian trading hours, NZD/USD traded higher to 0.6178. New Zealand's central bank increased its key interest rate by a record 75 basis points to 4.25%, and signaled further tightening going forward.EUR/USD traded higher to 1.0317, GBP/USD was stable at 1.1884, and AUD/USD was little changed at 0.6644.USD/JPY edged higher to 141.32.Gold price was flat at $1,740 an ounce.Bitcoin advanced a further 1% to $16,450.           EXPECTED TODAY           November S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers index will be announced for the Eurozone (45.7 expected), Germany (45.4 expected), France (46.8 expected), the U.K. (45.6 expected) and the U.S. (50.1 expected).In the U.S., durable goods orders are expected to grew 0.3% on month in October. The latest number of initial jobless claims is expected to rise to 228,000.The number of U.S. new home sales is expected to fall to an annualized rate of 580,000 units in October.U.S. crude-oil stockpiles are expected to decline 1.055 million barrels last week.           UK MARKET NEWS           United Utilities Group, a water and wastewater services company, reported first-half results: "Revenue was down 13 million pounds, at 919 million pounds, largely reflecting lower consumption more than offsetting the allowed regulatory revenue increase. (...) Operating profit at 259 million pounds was 74 million pounds lower than the first half of last year, (...) Reported basic earnings per share increased from (31.7) pence to 51.8 pence. (...) The Board has proposed an interim dividend of 15.17 pence per ordinary share in respect of the six months ended 30 September 2022. This is an increase of 4.6 per cent compared with the interim dividend relating to last year."Oil & Gas, basic resources and auto & parts shares fell most in London on Monday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, BP (+6.52% to 488p) crossed above its 50-day moving average.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, Croda International (-1.07% to 6828p) crossed under its 50-day moving average.From a technical point of view, BAE Systems (+2.07% to 798.2p), BP (+6.52% to 488p) crossed above their 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   04:30 S&P Global/CIPS Manufacturing PMI Flash (Nov) 45.6 MEDIUM     04:30 S&P Global/CIPS UK Services PMI Flash (Nov) 47.6 MEDIUM     08:00 Building Permits Final (Oct) 1.526M MEDIUM     08:30 Durable Goods Orders MoM (Oct) 0.3% HIGH     08:30 Initial Jobless Claims (19/Nov) 228k MEDIUM     08:30 Durable Goods Orders Ex Transp MoM (Oct) 0.1% MEDIUM     09:45 S&P Global Manufacturing PMI Flash (Nov) 50.1 MEDIUM     09:45 S&P Global Services PMI Flash (Nov) 49.3 MEDIUM     09:45 S&P Global Composite PMI Flash (Nov) 49.5 MEDIUM     10:00 New Home Sales (Oct) 580k HIGH     10:00 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Final (Nov) 54.7 MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Gasoline Stocks Change (18/Nov) 383k MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change (18/Nov) -1.055M MEDIUM     13:00 Baker Hughes Total Rig Count (25/Nov)   HIGH     14:00 BoE Pill Speech   MEDIUM     14:00 FOMC Minutes   HIGH
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    The US Leading Indicators Are Suggesting The US Economy Is Close To Being In A Recession

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.11.2022 14:24
    Summary:  US equities rose yesterday to the highest close since 9 September despite US leading indicators for October delivered the biggest m/m decline since March 2009, if we exclude the pandemic, suggesting the US economy is deteriorating and getting closer to a recession. This is adding more evidence to our prediction that corporate earnings will fall next year making 2023 another troublesome year for equities and investors. An echo from the past US leading indicators for October came out yesterday at -0.8% m/m which is worst m/m change, excluding the pandemic, since March 2009 when the global economy was stuck in a global credit and banking crisis. Stretching out the perspective and smoothing the indicators, the 6-month average sits at the same level as in December 2007 when the US economy officially entered a recession that eventually continued and amplified into the Great Financial Crisis. As we recently wrote in one of our equity notes, the Eurocoin Growth Indicator (tracking real time GDP in the Eurozone) is already indicating that the European economy is in a recession, and now the US leading indicators are suggesting the US economy is close to being in a recession. The difficulty in these type of analyses is that recession dynamics change from time to time because the global economy is a complex system. This means that leading indicators fitting prior recessions well will intrinsically have difficulties getting the next recession right. In any case, we can say the economies in the US and Europe are slowing down rapidly due to the interest rate shock, and unless China pulls out a white rabbit successfully kickstarting their economy it will be difficult to avoid a recession. The next question is then what type of recession we get. Is it going to be shallow and short-lived, or is it going to be deeper and longer? Regardless of the severity of the recession the declining leading indicators are adding evidence to our prediction that corporate earnings will fall next year making 2023 another troublesome year for equities and investors. US leading indicators m/m | Source: Bloomberg Have the bears lost interest? S&P 500 futures rallied 1.3% yesterday on no significant new news and the theme basket gainers were predominantly the best performing baskets over the past year if we exclude semiconductors. In other words, it was a momentum driven session yesterday and took the S&P 500 futures to the highest level since 9 September. As we have discussed in our Saxo Market Call podcast the bears are sitting on solid gains for the year if they have been long energy, short bonds, and equities, and as such that there is little incentive for the bears to take a lot of risk in last five weeks of the year. This could lean the sentiment in favour of the bulls and could push equities higher despite the economic picture looks increasingly more negative as discussed above. S&P 500 futures weekly prices | Source: Saxo   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/us-leading-indicators-are-flashing-red-alert-23112022
    CZK: Koruna's Resilience Amid Global Influences - 16.08.2023

    It Would Be Hard To Expect More Positive Scenarios For Black Friday This Year

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 23.11.2022 13:51
    This coming Friday (25.11) is Black Friday, which is the colloquial term for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It traditionally marks the start of the pre-Christmas shopping season in the United States. Historically, it has kicked off one of the best months for retailers. However, let's examine how the markets have reacted to this time and how this year may unfold. Historical market behaviour According to data from the seasonax platform, on average for the period from 15 to 30 November for the last 37 years (since 1984), the main S&P 500 index (US500) has risen by an average of 0.64% (24 times) which would give a historical performance of as much as 63%. For the uptrend periods, the average gain was 4.44%, and the average loss was -5.55%. The maximum increase was in 2012 and amounted to approximately 15%, while the largest loss occurred in 1987 and amounted to -13%. Interestingly enough, that same year we saw the market collapse later called 'Black Monday'. Comparing this to the later period from the beginning of December to the end of the year for the same years, the index grew by an average of 3.69% (an efficiency of 64%). The average increase was 8.79% and the average loss was -5%. The maximum increase we could see was in 1991, which was 23.53%, and the largest loss of -12% was seen in 1996.  It seems that historically for the stock market this period may have been one of the best for investment. Given the data presented and the current price of the S&P 500 index at 4,000 points, we could see a change in price by the end of the year with about 64% probability to levels around 4148 points, with an average increase to around 4352 points and an average decrease around 3800 points. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Weekly What can we expect in the current year? More often than not, the declines in these periods were during the year when there were financial market crises. For example, we could see falls of more than 5% in 2007 (real estate crisis), 2002 and 2003 (years after the "DOTCOM" crisis), 1986 (Black Monday gold market collapse). The best periods almost always seemed to be linked to a good performance year for the companies. We saw increases above 15% in 1999 (the year before the 'DOTCOM' crisis), 1990 (the year before the severe US drought), or 1985.  It seems that with the current situation of rising interest rates, high inflation, or falling corporate earnings, it would  be hard to expect more positive scenarios. It seems that customers this year, faced with rising borrowing costs or rising product prices, may not seem as willing to spend as much as they did in times of prosperity. Therefore, we might see little change in the index or even declines.  Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.    
    Bank of England Faces Rate Decision: Uncertainty Surrounds Magnitude of Hike

    After This Holiday Rally, You Better Know When To Walk Away

    Chris Vermeulen Chris Vermeulen 23.11.2022 16:46
    This week's investor insight will make you think twice about the current stock and bond rally as we head into the end of the year. We get a lot of questions about if the stock market has bottomed or if it is headed lower and how they can take advantage of the next Major market move. Over the next 6 to 12 months, I expect the market to have violent price swings that will either make or break your financial future. So let me show a handful of charts and show what I expect to unfold. Let's dive in. We're told that "quitters never win." But is it always wise to stick with something when it no longer serves us — or worse, continues to harm us? Many years ago, when Texas hold'em poker was big and online gambling was allowed in Canada, I used to run a poker league and build custom poker tables for people across the United States and Canada. I love poker, and I still play it to this very day, but the game does require skill, a proper mindset, and self-discipline. Without all three of these things, poker is pure gambling. It's the same when it comes to active trading or investing if you lack the skills, mindset, and self-discipline. Retired professional poker player Annie Duke, who is also a best-selling author, and decision strategist who advises seed-stage Startups, says that learning when to quit is a critical skill, especially for investors. Annie states, "Quitting is a good thing when applied at the right time." If you've been following me for any time, then you know I follow a detailed trading strategy with position and risk management rules. As a result, you won't find me taking random trades or trading based on emotions. Instead, you'll find me patiently waiting on the sidelines for a high-probability trade signal to reinvest my capital. I trade differently. I don't diversify. I don't buy-and-hope, and I don't have any positions at certain times. What I do is reinvest in assets that are rising in value. And when a particular asset stops moving higher, I give up on the position and exit it immediately. Because I use technical analysis to follow price action, we can quickly and easily determine if an asset is rising or falling. Therefore, I can step aside and let the asset fall and look for a new opportunity that is rising, or hold the falling position and ride it lower for who knows how long… Unfortunately, most traders and investors do not understand how to read the markets, or they don't have control of their money. They are at the mercy of what the market does or the skills of whoever controls their capital. Let me share some of my market insight and help guide you On October 21st, I stated that retirement accounts should bottom and rally into the end of the year. Bonds were hitting 11-year lows. In short, anyone holding 20+ year treasury bonds had just lost more than ten years of investment growth wiped out.  Bonds, the highly touted safe, low-risk asset, fell over 47% from the 2020 high. It caused similar losses to the average investor portfolio comparable to the 2008 financial crisis. It was the worst selloff ever for treasury bonds that I can see on my charting platform. The real kicker is that the selloff in both stocks and bonds could have been avoided with just a little education and management. Subscribers and I happened to ride the COVID bond rally higher by 19%, exited the position, and moved to cash the day bond prices topped. It was partly luck to exit at the peak, but we would have exited the following trading session if we didn’t lock in profits because we managed our positions and risk. As the price reversed direction, we jumped shipped to one of my favorite positions, which almost no one thinks about or uses – CASH. 2022 has been a painful year for investors, and people are telling me they are scared to look at their investment statements. It now looks like bonds and stocks have started a seasonal rally that could help lift your portfolio as we head into the end of the year, but once it ends, look out! Bonds and Stock Seasonality Price Movement Daily Chart of 60/40 Portfolio You should have seen your account rally 6% or more since Oct 21st, and I think it will continue higher once the market digests the recent move up. While this may excite you, be aware that after this rally, we could see another 20-47% decline in stocks and bonds in 2023. This year-end bounce is nothing more than an opportunity to get out of the antiquated Buy-and-Hope strategy that does not work during a volatile and weakening economic environment. The next few charts, which are big heavyweight stocks that drive the market higher and pull it lower, should help you see what I see.  AAPL Weekly Chart and Potential Breakdown Apple is a heavyweight stock. When it moves, it moves the stock market. Currently, AAPL shares are in what I call a STAGE 3 Distribution phase, and if support is broken, then look out below! TSLA Weekly Chart and Potential Breakdown Tesla shares are another heavyweight, and its weekly chart paints a bleak future for holders. META (Facebook) Weekly Chart Breakdown Leads The Way Down Facebook, or what is now called META, is a heavyweight stock that has already broken down from its STAGE 3 Distribution phase. As you can see, when these mega stocks break down and unwind, individual investors who have their money managed by so-called professionals who don’t know how to manage risk suffer the most. The drop in META shares has held the tech, social, and even the S&P 500, and Nasdaq from rallying freely to the upside in the past month. When/if AAPL, TSLA, and other heavyweights break down, expect panic on Wall Street. My general rule of thumb is if someone tells you to diversify into a bunch of different assets, stocks, commodities, bonds, crypto, etc… then they don’t know what they are doing. They are a buy-and-hold believer and willing to let their own money or that of their clients experience the severe price swings the market dishes out. – Billionaire investor warren Buffet says, “Diversification makes very little sense for those who know what they are doing.” – Multimillionaire investor Jim Rogers said, “Diversification is something that stockbrokers came up with to protect themselves, so they wouldn’t get sued for making bad investment choices for clients, and that you can go broke diversifying.” The Four Stages Of Asset Prices If you think the 2022 pullback has been distressing, you better buckle up because the bear market has not even technically started yet, from my standard. Instead, in early 2023 we should enter a STAGE 4 Decline. This is when people's financial future and retirement lifestyles are created or broken, depending on how it's managed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the market will fall in 2023. I’m letting you know it's very possible, and you best have a plan in place. On the other hand, if the markets have some miraculous recovery and start a new bull market, well, you better have a plan for that also. Either way, you need a plan, and if you are a technical trader who follows price and manages positions, it doesn't matter what the market does; we are set either way. S&P 500 Bear Market Expectations 2023 The S&P 500 chart shows the extreme low that we could possibly reach if the economy and stock market fully unwind. Bonds would sell off as well until the Fed decides to step in and starts lowering the rates to try and save investors, but there will be a delay, and bonds will likely fall sharply before we see that take effect. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:In short, without going off too much on a rant, you can read the three lies we are told by financial professionals that really IRK me. Because of these lies, individual investors must work harder, work longer and experience painful financial outcomes. What you may not know is that what you went through in 2008, the 2020 crash, and this year's correction could have been completely avoided. If you followed a NO BS investing method that tracks price using technical analysis, is simple to follow, and is uber-conservative, then your account would be sitting at a new all-time high watermark as of this week. The financial industry tells us to do all the wrong things, and almost everyone falls for the BS; it's so frustrating to watch! LIE #1: Diversify, Diversify, Diversify LIE #2: Bonds Are A Safe Investment And Should Represent A Large Portion Of An Investors Portfolio LIE #3: Speak With An investment Broker Or Advisor Before Placing Any Trade To Be Sure It Is Suitable For Your Personal Circumstances.  It's total baloney because almost everyone gets the same generic advice, buy-and-hold stocks and bonds, don't give up on it, ride out the rollercoaster, and you will be fine, trust me… Who came up with that strategy? Sure, my 10-year-old son could buy some stocks and bonds once, let it ride for 20-30 years, and be ok. He has time and not that much money, but the big question is at what age does the stock and bond, buy-and-hope strategy become a harmful and risky investment strategy? 50-ish years of age is my thinking. Knowing bear markets can take 3-12 years to recover from, someone who is 50+, planning to retire soon, or is already retired, doesn't have 10+ years to keep working and saving to avoid withdrawing funds from their retirement account. Also, the fact that they have the most wealth ever in their lifetime, they should be concerned about holding through future bear markets.  Don't be fooled. Just because everyone else has been brainwashed to buy-and-hold, aka buy-and-hope, and suffers stock market selloffs does not mean you should…  It's like the average investor has Stockholm syndrome. They have all been beaten up by the markets over and over again. They think that's how it should be. And in some cases are paying someone to take their money, plop it into the market, and do nothing with it for 10 - 40 years. They pay a % of their life savings each year to someone who has no risk and does not need to do too much of anything, while the investor suffers massive multi-year drawdowns, experiences high levels of stress, and sometimes big losses. The typical investing experience most people endure is NOT how it should be. There is a better way, and I can show you. My passion is trading and investing, having been at it for over 25 years. My goal is to help as many investors as possible to preserve their capital during difficult times and also be able to grow their wealth by trading only the most liquid ETFs. My investing strategy signals allow individuals to only hold assets that are rising in value.
    US CPI Surprises on the Upside, but Fed Expectations Unchanged Amid Rising Recession Risks

    HP Expects To Reduce Staff In Coming Years | Xiaomi Reported Revenue In The Q3

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.11.2022 09:00
    Summary:  U.S. equities and bonds rallied on the November FOMC minutes which has a dovish cast stating “a substantial majority of participants judged that a slowing in the pace of increase would soon be appropriate”. The 10-year treasury yield fell to 3.69%. Oil prices slid sharply on Wednesday with WTI futures dipping to sub-$77 lows as the EU proposed a higher-than-expected price cap on Russian crude - between $65-70/barrel. EURUSD rallied above 1.04 and USDJPY fell below 140 amid broad-based dollar weakness. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished higher on dovish signals from the Nov FOMC minutes U.S. equities found support and bounced after the release of the Nov 1-2 FOMC minutes in an otherwise thin trading session ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. As bond yields fell, Nasdaq 100 rallied 1%, and the S&P 500 gained 0.6%. All sectors in the S&P 500 advanced except energy, which was dragged by a 4.3% decline in the price of the WTI crude. Consumer discretionary was the top gaining sector, led by Tesla (TSLA:xnas) that surged 7.8% after a leading US investment bank called the shares of Tesla “a bargain”. Deere (DE:xnys), the largest supplier of farm tractors and crop harvesters in the world, gained 5.1% after reporting an earnings beat and upbeat guidance citing strong demand. Manchester United (MANU:xnys) surged 26.1% after the club’s owner announced that they were exploring a sale. Coupa Software (COUP:xnas) jumped nearly 29% on a report that Vista Equity Partners is exploring an acquisition. Nordstrom (JWN:xnys) dropped by 4.2% after reporting a decline in sales and excessive inventory. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell after the Fed minutes The minutes for the Nov 1-2 FOMC meeting have a dovish cast, saying “a substantial majority of participants judged that a slowing in the pace of increase would soon be appropriate” and some FOMC members had a concern about rate hikes might ultimately “exceed what was required to bring inflation back”. Yields declined across the curve with buying particularly strong on the long end. The 2-year yield dropped by 4bps to 4.48% and the 10-year yield finished the session 6bps richer at 3.69%. The 2-10-year part of the curve became yet more inverted at minus 79. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China internet stocks gained, led by Kuaishou Technology (01024:xhkg) up 5.7%, Baidu (09888:xhkg) up 3.4%, JD.COM (09618:xhkg) up 3.3%, and Alibaba (09988:xhkg). Kuaishou and Baidu reported better-than-expected Q3 results. Alibaba shares were boosted by the prospect of coming out of the 2-year-long regulatory overhaul with a fine of over USD 1 billion. Meituan (03690:xhgx) underperformed with a loss of 1.1% following a statement from Prosus, shareholder of Tencent, saying that the Company was planning to unload the Meituan’s shares it received from Tencent. China Aluminum (02068:xhkg) continued its advance, rising 25.3% on Wednesday. Hang Seng Index gained 0.6% and CSI 300 climbed 0.1%. In mainland A shares, infrastructure names surged while pharmaceutical and biotech stocks retreated. Overall market sentiment remains cautious as the number of new cases reached 28,883 on Tuesday, just a touch below the April high of 29,317 cases. Large cities, including Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, as well as Shanghai have further tightened pandemic control measures. FX: EURUSD above 1.04 and USDJPY falls below 140 amid broad-based dollar weakness The dovish read of the FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting is hardly a surprise, given the key message has been around a downshift in the pace of rate hikes as expected. But together with weaker than expected flash PMIs for November (read below) suggesting demand slowdown concerns are starting to pick up pace, and a higher-than-expected jobless claims prints sending some early warning signals on the labor market, the focus has completely shifted away from inflation concerns. Market pricing of the Fed December meeting tilted further towards 50bps, and that resulted in a broad-based dollar sell-off. EURUSD surged above 1.04 while USDJPY slid below 139.50. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Oil prices slid sharply on Wednesday with WTI futures dipping to sub-$77 lows and Brent futures touching $84/barrel as the EU proposed a higher-than-expected price cap on Russian crude - between $65-70/barrel after a $60 level was touted yesterday. This higher price cap means that Russian oil can continue to flow into the international markets as it is above Russia’s production costs. Meanwhile, EIA data showed US crude inventories fell a more-than-expected 3.69 million barrels last week, but US gasoline stockpiles rose by 3 million barrels, the largest buildup since July, suggesting a weaker demand heading into Thanksgiving.   What to consider FOMC Minutes signal a smaller pace of rate hikes The FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting were released on Wednesday, and the general tone of the members confirmed that the committee was leaning towards moving away from jumbo (75bps) rate hikes to a smaller pace. At the same time, "various" officials noted that the peak rate will be "somewhat higher" than previously expected. The minutes saw participants agree there were very few signs of inflation pressures abating (minutes were pre-October CPI) and they generally noted inflation outlook risks remain tilted to the upside. There were also some concerns about the strength of the labour market, where a few participants said ongoing tightness in the labour market could lead to an emergence of a wage-price spiral, even though one had not yet developed. The message remained less hawkish than what the Fed potentially needs to deliver at this point given the considerable easing in financial conditions. US PMIs disappointed, jobless claims rose US S&P flash PMIs for November disappointed, as manufacturing printed 47.6 (exp. 50.0, prev. 50.4) and services fell to 46.1 (exp. 47.9, exp. 47.8), while the composite dropped to 46.3 (prev. 48.2). New orders fell to 46.4, the lowest since May 2020, while employment saw a slight uptick to 50.8 from 50.4. The only good news is that both input and output prices dipped further, offering further positive signals on inflation. The PMIs indicated how concerns are shifting from the supply side to the demand side, with better news on supply chains but demand concerns from weakening new orders. Initial Jobless claims rose more than expected to 240k from 223k and above expectations of 225k, the highest print since August, suggesting that we continue to watch for further signals on whether the tight labor market may be starting to weaken. Better eurozone flash Composite PMI for November This was unexpected. The consensus forecasted that the EZ flash Composite PMI would fall to 47.0 in November from 47.3 in October. It actually improved a bit at 47.8. The increase mostly results from a better-than-expected Manufacturing PMI (out at 47.3 versus prior 46.4 and forecast at 46.0) while the services sector remains stable. There is another positive news. Price pressures are easing quite fast. The PMI price gauge fell to its lowest levels in two years due to a collapse in input prices. On a flip note, the flash Composite PMI Output Index for the United Kingdom (UK) ticked up to 48.3 in November. Surprisingly, the UK seems to hold up better than the eurozone and especially Germany. The jump in the PMI is still consistent with a recession in the eurozone and in the UK but it may be shallow and its steepness will mostly depend from country to country on the impact of the energy shock and fiscal measures taken to mitigate it. China’s State Council is calling on the PBOC to cut the RRR After a meeting on Wednesday, China’s State Council issued a memo calling on the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to use monetary tools including a cut in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) at an appropriate time to support the real economy. According to historical observations, the PBOC will do what the State Council says and cut the RRR in the coming days or weeks. Violent protests at Foxconn’s iPhone factory in Zhengzhou Video clips showed violent protests broke out at Foxconn’s iPhone production plant in Zhengzhou. What exactly caused the protests were unclear but speculation was about retention allowance to workers who are willing to stay at the factory until February 15, 2023, and work conditions. New Zealand’s RBNZ hikes 75 basis points to 4.25% The market was divided on whether the bank would go with the larger rate hike after a string of 50 basis points moves prior to the meeting overnight. NZ two-year yields jumped back toward the cycle highs overnight as the market participants raised the anticipated peak in the policy rate by mid-year next year to almost 5.50%, up about 30 basis points after the decision. Xiaomi reported inline revenue and better-than-feared adjusted net profit Xiaomi reported Q3 revenue of RMB70.47 billion, shrinking 10% Y/Y and flat Q/Q. Adjusted net profit came in at RMB2.1 billion, 6% above the Bloomberg consensus, and -59% Y/Y and +1% Q/Q. Excluding new initiative investment, core net profit increased 9% Q/Q to RMB2.9 billion. Blended ASP declined 4% Y/Y.  Gross margin was 16.6% in Q3, falling from 16.8% in Q2 and 18.3% a year ago. Q3 non-IFRS operating margin was 3.0%, down from Q2’s 3.1% and Q3 last year’s 6.7%. Credit Suisse warns of big loss in Q4 The Swiss bank is stating in a press release this morning that it could lose $1.6bn in Q4 driven by losses in its investment banks. In addition, the bank says that it has seen net outflows of 6% relative to AUM in Q3. To improve profitability the bank is one-third of all investment banking employees in its Chinese subsidiary following a recent staff expansion in the country. HP cuts 6,000 employees as PC demand weakens The technology company reported Q4 results yesterday in line with estimates but its FY2023 (ending 31 October 2023) outlook was below estimates with adj. EPS guidance of $3.20-3.60 vs est. $3.61. Over the next two years the company expects to reduce staff level by 6,000 to improve profitability. The Glazer family is exploring the sale of Manchester United The owner of Manchester United said that they are exploring the sale of the English Premier League football club and will consider “all strategic alternatives”. In May this year, Chelsea, another English Premier League club, was sold for around USD5.3 billion. Deere sees strong demand for farm, forestry, and construction machinery Deere said they are expecting high demand for equipment from farmers on elevated prices for agricultural commodities. In addition, the company expects increases in demand for its construction machinery from the oil and gas industry and construction equipment rental businesses. Strong progress in precision agriculture adoption is expected to help boost margins and aftermarket technology product sales. For our look ahead at markets this week - Read our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-24-nov-2022-24112022
    Britain's Rishi Sunak And EU's Ursula Von Der Leyen Will Meet Today To Finalize The Northern Ireland Drama

    The Jump In The PMI Is Still Consistent With A Recession In The Eurozone And In The UK

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.11.2022 09:05
    Summary:  US stocks and bonds ended higher on Wednesday while the dollar closed at it weakest level since August after the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes showed most officials backing slowing the pace of interest-rate hike soon, a prospect that was given some support following the release of weaker than expected economic data. Crude oil lost ground on growth concerns while the weaker dollar supported a rebound in gold, silver and copper. Today the US markets are closed for Thanksgiving holiday.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Bad news is good news in the US with lower than estimated PMI figures for November suggesting the US economy continues to slow down bolstering bets that US interest rates have peaked, and the Fed pivot is alive. The FOMC Minutes also suggested that the pace of interest rate hikes will be lowered going forward.  P 500 futures rallied 0.5% to close at 4,030 getting closer to the falling 200-day moving average at 4,058. In addition to yesterday’s US news, China’s State Council (see below) issued a memo advising the PBOC to use monetary instruments to safeguard and kickstart the Chinese economy. In a time with falling economic growth in the US and Europe, an accelerating Chinese economy would balance the global economy and soften the recessionary dynamics. It is Thanksgiving in the US today so cash equity markets will close at 1300 ET today. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After a meeting on Wednesday, China’s State Council issued a memo calling on the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to use monetary tools including a cut in the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) at an appropriate time to support the real economy. According to historical observations, the PBOC will do what the State Council says and cut the RRR in the coming days or weeks. The news helped lift market sentiment which was however tempered by the rise of daily Covid cases to an all-time high of 31,444 in mainland China. Hang Seng Index edged up 0.3% while CSI 300 declined 0.5%. Shares of leading Chinese developers surged by 5% to 12% after several large Chinese banks agreed to provide more than RMB 200bn in total in credit facilities to a number of private enterprise developers. EURUSD above 1.04 and USDJPY falls below 140 amid broad-based dollar weakness The dovish read of the FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting is hardly a surprise, given the key message has been around a downshift in the pace of rate hikes as expected. But together with weaker than expected flash PMIs for November (read below) suggesting demand slowdown concerns are starting to pick up pace, and a higher-than-expected jobless claims print sending some early warning signals on the labor market, the focus has somewhat shifted away from inflation concerns which remain persistent. Market pricing of the Fed December meeting tilted further towards 50bps, and that resulted in a broad-based dollar sell-off which extended in the Asian session. EURUSD is now attempting a break above 1.0450 while USDJPY slid below 139.00. Japan’s Tokyo CPI for October is due tomorrow and may inch higher again, further fuelling pressure for BOJ to tweak its zero-rate policy and supporting a recovery in the yen even as global yields start to get capped. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) Crude oil fell again on Wednesday thereby extending what has already been a very volatile week. The FOMC minutes driving a weaker dollar did not add much support with the market instead focusing on a challenged demand outlook in China as Covid cases continue to spread, and a 50% risk of a recession in the US next year. In addition, a price cap on Russian oil in the $65-$70 area currently being discussed by EU officials is far higher than expected and would probably not have a major impact on supply given that Russia is already selling its Urals crude at a 25-dollar discount to Brent. The negative sentiment was also reflected by the markets negative response to an otherwise price-supportive EIA stock report. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) Gold and silver both rose in response to weaker US economic data (see below) and after the FOMC minutes talked about moderating the pace of interest rate hike soon. The Bloomberg dollar index dropped to the lowest level since August while US government bonds rallied to send yields lower. Gold was already encouraged by the speed with which it recovered after briefly breaking below support in the $1735 area reached $1756 overnight with silver trading at $21.60 after showing some renewed relative strength against gold this week. With no signs yet of a pick up in demand for ETFs from longer-term focused investors, a further extension will likely require further declines in yields and the US dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. Resistance at $1757 and $1765. EU gas (TTFMZ2) EU gas jumped 8.3% on Wednesday to close near a one-month high at €130 with weather forecasts pointing to a cold beginning to December and Gazprom threatening to reduced supplies through Ukraine, one of just two remaining pipelines in operation. The Sudzha line is currently sending 42 million cubic meters per day to Europe and while the dispute only relates to part of the 5 mcm/day that goes to Moldova, the market clearly worry that this could lead to a complete closure of the line. However, with Russia’s pipeline flow to Europe already down 79% YoY, the ability to shock the system has been much reduced, hence the limited reaction in the peak winter contract of February which only trades €7/MWh above December US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell after the Fed minutes The minutes for the Nov 1-2 FOMC meeting have a dovish cast, saying “a substantial majority of participants judged that a slowing in the pace of increase would soon be appropriate” and some FOMC members had a concern about rate hikes might ultimately “exceed what was required to bring inflation back”. Yields declined across the curve with buying particularly strong on the long end. The 2-year yield dropped by 4bps to 4.48% and the 10-year yield finished the session 6bps richer at 3.69%. The 2-10-year part of the curve became yet more inverted at minus 79, thereby strengthening the prospects for a recession sometime next year. What is going on? FOMC Minutes signal a smaller pace of rate hikes The FOMC minutes from the November 2 meeting were released on Wednesday, and the general tone of the members confirmed that the committee was leaning towards moving away from jumbo (75bps) rate hikes to a smaller pace. At the same time, "various" officials noted that the peak rate will be "somewhat higher" than previously expected. The minutes saw participants agree there were very few signs of inflation pressures abating (minutes were pre-October CPI) and they generally noted inflation outlook risks remain tilted to the upside. There were also some concerns about the strength of the labour market, where a few participants said ongoing tightness in the labour market could lead to an emergence of a wage-price spiral, even though one had not yet developed. The message remained less hawkish than what the Fed potentially needs to deliver at this point given the considerable easing in financial conditions. US PMIs disappointed, jobless claims rose US S&P flash PMIs for November disappointed, as manufacturing printed 47.6 (exp. 50.0, prev. 50.4) and services fell to 46.1 (exp. 47.9, exp. 47.8), while the composite dropped to 46.3 (prev. 48.2). New orders fell to 46.4, the lowest since May 2020, while employment saw a slight uptick to 50.8 from 50.4. The only good news is that both input and output prices dipped further, offering further positive signals on inflation. The PMIs indicated how concerns are shifting from the supply side to the demand side, with better news on supply chains but demand concerns from weakening new orders. Initial Jobless claims rose more than expected to 240k from 223k and above expectations of 225k, the highest print since August, suggesting that we continue to watch for further signals on whether the tight labor market may be starting to weaken. Deere shares up 5% on strong results The US agricultural equipment maker delivered better than expected revenue and net income in its Q4 fiscal quarter (ending 31 October) and issued a FY23 net income guidance of $8-8.5bn vs est. $7.8bn. Order books are full into fiscal Q3 next year (ending 31 July) and the company sees an extended replacement cycle indicating that the best years are still ahead of the company. Better eurozone flash Composite PMI for November This was unexpected. The consensus forecasted that the EZ flash Composite PMI would fall to 47.0 in November from 47.3 in October, it actually improved a bit to 47.8. The increase mostly results from a better-than-expected Manufacturing PMI (out at 47.3 versus prior 46.4 and forecast at 46.0) while the services sector remains stable. There is another positive news. Price pressures are easing quite fast. The PMI price gauge fell to its lowest levels in two years due to a collapse in input prices. On a flip note, the flash Composite PMI Output Index for the United Kingdom (UK) ticked up to 48.3 in November. Surprisingly, the UK seems to hold up better than the eurozone and especially Germany. The jump in the PMI is still consistent with a recession in the eurozone and in the UK but it may be shallow, and its steepness will mostly depend from country to country on the impact of the energy shock and fiscal measures taken to mitigate it. What are we watching next? Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Meituan and Pinduoduo. Chinese earnings in Q3 have been mixed and the technology sector continues to experience headwinds from both the economy and regulation. Analysts expect Pinduoduo, which has so far navigated the environment flawlessly, to deliver revenue growth of 44% y/y and EPS of CNY 4.75 up 288% y/y. Friday: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) US cash markets closed for Thanksgiving. Early closes in some futures markets. 0900 – German IFO for November Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-24-2022-24112022
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    American Stocks Rallied, USD Drop | Tesla Rallies On Citi

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 24.11.2022 09:40
    US stocks spent most of yesterday’s session hesitating between slight gains and slight losses, then the release of the latest Federal Reserve (Fed) minutes helped the bulls take the upper hand, as the minutes confirmed that a ‘substantial majority’ of Fed members thought it was a good idea to slow down the pace of the rate hikes. Stocks The S&P500 gained around 0.60% while Nasdaq jumped around 1%. The US 10-year yield eased, as the US dollar sold off quite aggressively across the board. Economy We saw a decent price action yesterday was oil, and that was well before the Fed minutes. The barrel of American crude dropped up to 5% yesterday on news that the Europeans would set the price cap for Russian oil to around $65 to $70 per barrel, levels at which Russian oil is already exchanged. Tesla and Morgan Stanley On individual stocks, Tesla was one of the biggest gainers of yesterday’s session as Citi and Morgan Stanley revised their views higher, but that rally was maybe… exaggerated. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:21 Fed minutes send stocks higher, USD lower 4:11 Crude oil tanks on EU’s new Russian oil price cap 5:55 Foxconn living a nightmare in China, but Apple holds on 6:32 Tesla rallies on Citi, Morgan Stanley upgrades Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #minutes #USD #crudeoil #EU #Russia #price #cap #EUR #GBP #ECB #minutes #Thanksgiving #holiday #Tesla #rally #Apple #Foxconn #China #Covid #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Saxo Bank Podcast: Riksbank's Expected 75 Basis Point Hike Today

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Riksbank's Expected 75 Basis Point Hike Today

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.11.2022 10:18
    Summary:  Today we look at the market continuing to rally despite US Services PMI figures for November missed estimates suggesting the US economy continues to slow down. This means that equities right now interpret bad news as good news because it will force the Fed to pivot on the policy rate which will be net positive for equities. We also discuss expected PBOC easing, Riksbank's expected 75 basis point hike today, and the weakening USD helping financial conditions to ease globally. In commodities, our focus today is the energy market with Europe's gas market holding up well despite low volumes coming from Russia. Finally, we talk Deere earnings as the US agricultural equipment maker is delivering strong results as pricing power remain high on the back of high commodity prices on agricultural products. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-24-2022-24112022
    Behind Closed Doors: The Multibillion-Dollar Deals Shaping Global Markets

    Equity Markets Still Need To Price In A Recession Risk

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.11.2022 10:24
    Summary:  The ‘recession’ chatter is buzzing high these days, and a host of indicators have started to point towards an economic slowdown. Global credit impulse, US leading economic indicator, slowing new orders are some of the warning signs, but consumer and corporate balance sheets are still strong. While it remains hard to define a recession, there are some reasons to believe that economic slowdown will take the limelight away from ‘inflation’ next year. Equity markets, however, do not price in this demand slowdown risk yet, and investors are rather chasing the income opportunities offered by bonds. It was exactly one year back when the Fed accepted that inflation is more than ‘transitory’. And we have seen the effects of that shift reverberate through the markets all this year. However, even with indicators pointing towards some signs of cooling in price pressures, it will be premature to take comfort. The Fed especially understands that, having learnt from the 1970s experience when inflation came roaring back as monetary policy was eased prematurely. The focus, however, is now shifting towards recession concerns with several indicators pointing to weakening in demand conditions going into 2023. Let’s take stock: Global credit impulse, which represents the flow of new credit issued from the private sector as a percentage of GDP, is usually a good leading indicator for S&P earnings growth and has started to show a decline. See page 30 of our Macro Strategist Chris Dembik’s Macro Chartmania. The Conference Board leading indicator has dipped to -2.7, down 0.8% m/m as noted by our Equity Strategist Peter Garnry here. New orders are dropping, whether you look at Empire State manufacturing survey, or Philly Fed survey, or yesterday’s flash S&P manufacturing PMIs for the US. US banks are tightening lending conditions on loans for medium and large businesses and for commercial real estate. Lending standards for credit cards and other consumer loans also became more restrictive. Housing market has been flashing a warning sign for some time, and risk of job losses remains high. Given that this will be a high % of GDP and employment, it could be well reflected in headline figures unlike the tech sector layoffs which are a small % of total US employment. However, there are also reasons to believe that any recession, if one was to happen, will be in nominal and not in real terms. Real growth will remain supported by falling inflation levels. The other key counter-argument usually is that US households and corporations still look fairly flush with cash following the pandemic-era savings and stimulus. Whether we enter an official recession as defined by NBER remains tough to argue, but indicators suggest we have a case of demand slowdown building up. Two key things are important to monitor: The pace of slowdown in earnings growth The pace of deterioration in the US jobs market This suggests calling an end to the bear markets may still be premature, as equity markets still need to price in a recession risk. The S&P500 is still trading at a P/E of 18.2x, higher than the average of 17.4x since 2000. It is probably best to play defensive and get exposure to value still rather than growth sectors which can have a lot more downside still. Meanwhile, investors have started to chase the high yields and income opportunity offered by fixed income after a massive jump in interest rates seen this year. Shorter dated and higher quality investment grade fixed income offers attractive income and capital gain opportunities.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/macro-insights-weighing-the-odds-of-a-recession-24112022
    Tokyo Raises Concerns Over Yen's Depreciation, Considers Intervention

    The US Dollar Seems To Have Lost To All Major World Currencies

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 24.11.2022 10:28
    Americans celebrate Thanksgiving today, which may translate into less activity for investors overseas. However, before that happens, the market seems to be still alive with yesterday's "minutes" from the latest FOMC meeting. The minutes are a record of events and statements at the meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, which makes decisions on interest rates in the United States. They show that the vast majority of Fed officials felt that a slowdown in the rate of increase in the federal funds rate would probably be appropriate soon, as this would allow the Committee to better assess progress toward achieving its goals of maximum employment and price stability. Policymakers also noted that with inflation showing no signs of abating and the economy's supply-demand imbalance persisting, the ultimate level of the federal funds rate that would be needed to achieve the Committee's goals is somewhat higher than they had previously expected. The Federal Reserve raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 3.75%-4% at its November 2022 meeting, marking the sixth consecutive rate hike and the fourth consecutive 75bp increase. As a result, the cost of dollar funding has risen to its highest level since 2008, Tradingecnomics calculated. Slower hikes - how are the dollar exchange rate and indexes reacting? The dollar index fell below 106 points on Thursday morning, slipping for the third day in a row toward the lowest levels since mid-August. For the week as a whole, the dollar seems to have lost to all major world currencies. Meanwhile, the British pound was able to record the biggest strengthening, gaining more than 1.7 percent, followed by the New Zealand dollar, which saw a historic interest rate hike yesterday. In third place on a weekly basis is the Swiss franc, with a strengthening of about 1.5 percent. Thus, it seems that the dollar's rally after the US interest rate hike may have slowed or come to an end, and now the market could at least move to a larger correction in price and time after the USD's one-year appreciation. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDIndex, Daily The chances of a slower pace of interest rate hikes may have appealed to investors on Wall Street, where the green has taken hold. Particular attention may be paid to the Dow Jones index, which is now just a few percent short of reaching new highs. Yesterday, the Dow closed more than 100 points higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose 0.6% and 1%, respectively. For the month as a whole, Caterpillar posted the biggest gains in the 30-company index, rising more than 23 percent, while the shares of aircraft manufacturer Boeing achieved a similar result. Meanwhile, only three companies in the entire index recorded a decline. They were UnitedHealth Group, The Walt Disney Co and Salesforce.com Inc. In their case, the declines were in the range of -2.2 to -5.2%, according to data from the BBN service. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Caterpillar, Weekly Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.    
    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    The Pressure On Bank Of Japan To Tighten Policy | China’s Zero Covid Still In Focus

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 25.11.2022 08:49
    Summary:  A quiet overnight session with the Thanksgiving holiday, and most assets remained in consolidation after the FOMC minutes-driven move the day before. China’s zero Covid still in focus as reports suggest that Beijing may go in a lockdown. The US dollar held on to its recent losses, and bets for the December Fed rate hike in favour of a 50bps move. Sweden’s Riksbank hiked 75bps and the pressure on Bank of Japan to tighten policy also remains with Tokyo CPI touching a new 40-year high. Crude oil still below key levels, while Gold and Silver are testing key resistances. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index gained 0.8% on Thursday following China’s State Council’s call on the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR). In addition, leading Chinese banks offered more than RMB 270 billion in credit facilities to support private enterprise developers. Chinese developers were top performers in the benchmark index, with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) jumping 20%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) up 12%, and Country Garden Services (06098) up 11%. Hang Seng TECH Index climbed 0.8%. Xiaomi was the laggard among tech peers, falling 3.6% after reporting Q3 results. Market sentiment was tempered by the rise of daily Covid cases to an all-time high of 31,444 in mainland China. CSI 300 edged down by 0.4%, driven by large state-owned enterprise names that consolidated recent strong gains. FX: Dollar held on to its losses in a thin trading day The dollar index traded steady below 106 on Thursday amid thin trading markets with US closed for Thanksgiving. The reaction to a dovish read of the FOMC minutes has been a significant slide in USD, which along with higher equities and lower bond yields, suggest financial conditions continue to ease since that softer CPI release. This is sending warning signals on inflation and Fed members may need to be more hawkish to prevent that. Lower US yields, and still-steady expectations of a BOJ pivot, have meant a stronger Japanese yen, with USDJPY now below 139. GBPUSD touched 1.2150, the highest levels since early August. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3)   Demand concerns, especially from China’s zero covid, continued to underpin the oil markets. A record high in the number of cases and reports that Beijing may go back in a lockdown show the difficulty of opening up the economy. US gasoline demand is also weakening as the travel season ends, and there are signals of overall demand weakness globally after massive tightening this year. This saw oil prices remain below key levels, with WTI still around $78/barrel and Brent around $85. Meanwhile, the proposed price caps on Russian oil continues to cause concern. EU diplomats are locked in negotiations over how strict the mechanism should be. Poland rejected USD65/bbl, while shipping giant Greece said it doesn’t want it below USD70/bbl. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) testing key resistances A dovish FOMC read, along with softer US economic data from the flash PMIs, have returned the focus again on precious metals. Gold tested $1735 support again this week but is now back at over $1750-levels and testing the resistance at $1757. Break above will bring $1765 in focus, but lack of ETF buying still makes it hard to confirm the reversal of the short-term downtrend. Silver is also at key resistance level of $21.50.   What to consider? Sweden’s Riksbank hiked 75bps, more in the pipeline The Riksbank’s 75bps rate hike was larger than the 50bps signalled at the September meeting, and brings its policy rate to 2.5%, the highest since the GFC. Worsening inflation outlook, with October’s inflation at 9.3% and suggesting wage pressures as well, more rate hikes potentially remain in the pipeline. Peak rate is closer to 3% for now, but the bank showed an alternate scenario where persistent inflation above 3.5% could prompt the peak rate move higher from 2.84% to 4.65%. Japan’s Tokyo CPI above expectations again, more pressures to come Japan’s Tokyo inflation for November rose to its highest level in 40 years, suggesting that price pressures have not peaked yet. Tokyo CPI came in at 3.8% YoY from 3.5% previously, while the ex-food was at 3.6% YoY (prev 3.4%) and ex-food and energy was at 2.5% YoY (prev 2.2%). Meanwhile, Asia LNG prices are rising again, as colder temperatures in Europe heat up the competition to secure LNG cargoes again. This suggests price pressures will likely continue, and Bank of Japan could still likely consider tweaking its yield curve control policy. Anwar Ibrahim sworn in as Malaysia’s PM, political chaos to stay Malaysia’s new PM Anwar Ibrahim plans to test lawmakers' support for his leadership with a confidence vote on Dec 19, as he seeks to prove he commands a majority. His party, Pakatan Harapan, got the most but only 82 seats in the 220-seat parliament and lacks a majority. The political divide in the country is getting worse, suggesting policy paralysis that can likely drive foreign investors away. Local governments across China resorted to lockdowns as Covid cases surged to record highs As new Covid cases hit new highs day after day, local governments are torn between the urge to avoid full lockdowns and the instruction to adhere to the zero-Covid policy. Over 40 cities across China, including Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Beijing have to resort to some sort of movement restrictions or lockdown.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Read our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-market-insights-25-nov-2022-25112022
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    In Zhengzhou Manufacturing Plant Could Cut Production Of iPhones | The Bloomberg Commodity Index Is Showing A Small Gain

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 25.11.2022 09:05
    Summary:  Yesterday was rather quiet as the US was out for the Thanksgiving holiday, with only a half-session of thin trading on tap for today. Overnight, Asian sentiment was somewhat downbeat as Covid concerns continue to weigh in China. In Japan, Tokyo November inflation was reported at new multi-decade highs. In FX, the US dollar is eyeing the key 200-day moving average for the first time since slicing above that indicator all the way back in June of 2021.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US 10-year yield has opened today’s trading session at a new low for the month trading around the 3.65% level. This is naturally adding tailwind for US equities with S&P 500 futures likely attempting today to break above the 200-day moving average around the 4,058 level. The index futures flirted with the moving average back in August when equities rallied on Fed pivot talk and easing inflation. There are no major earnings or macro releases scheduled for today so we expect a quiet session going into the weekend. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Daily new Covid cases surged to yet another record high at 32,695, including 1,444 cases in Beijing. Beijing imposed district-level lockdowns and suspended food delivery. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), and Meituan (03690:xhkg) lost 2% - 3%. China developers, Chinese banks, Chinese telco giants, and China Aluminum (02068:xhkg) gained. Hang Seng Index declined by 0.8% while CSI 300 climbed 0.5%. USD hits new lows even with US markets closed for holiday yesterday The US dollar’s losses extended on Thursday after the FOMC minutes reported late Wednesday encouraged the view that the Fed is on course to decelerate its tightening regime starting with the December meeting (and further forward, the late 2024 and beyond projections of Fed policy suggest the market believes a recession will trigger a sharp Fed easing of policy beyond the end of next year. The US dollar index is flirting with the 200-day moving average for the first time since crossing above the indicator since June of 2021, while EURUSD has made a feint at the cycle highs above 1.0450, easing back a bit overnight. Hotter than expected November Tokyo CPI data reported overnight (more below) saw USDJPY heavy overnight, trading near 138.00 before bouncing slightly. Next week looks important for incoming US data, with the October PCE inflation data up on Thursday and the November jobs report next Friday. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) Crude oil trades lower for a third consecutive week as demand fears, especially from an increasingly locked down China, weigh on sentiment. A G7-sponsored price-cap plan on Russian oil looks dead in the water with EU countries struggling to agree on a level, the result being either no cap or a level so high that it will not have any meaningful impact on supply. The 12-month futures spread in WTI and Brent have both weakened to the lowest backwardation since last December, reflecting a market concerned about recession and a seasonal slowdown in demand hurting the front month contracts. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades small up on the week in response to weaker US economic data and after the FOMC minutes talked about moderating the pace of interest rate hike soon. Having found support in the $1735 area a further extension will likely require further declines in the yields and the dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. A break above $1765 may signal a return to key resistance at $1788, but lack of ETF buying still makes it hard to confirm a major change in direction. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell after the Fed minutes The FOMC minutes late Wednesday confirmed the deceleration in the Fed’s tightening path and the market has become increasingly confident that, while the Fed may hold rates quite high next year, the path of easing policy will eventually prove quite steep, presumably on the combination of lower inflation and a recession. US 10-year yields eased to new lows below the recent low of 3.67% overnight ahead of an important period of incoming data before the December 14 FOMC meeting, with 3.50% the next technical level of note (psychological as well as a major pivot high from June). What is going on? Not many insights in the ECB minutes Yesterday, the minutes of the ECB’s October meeting were released. On the key point of the monetary policy pivot, there was nothing new. According to the minutes, there had been no discussion on a potential slowdown in the pace of rate hike. This is certainly a bit too early. But many participants pointed out risks related to the recession, especially in the housing market and in the labour market. On fiscal policy, the ECB has basically reiterated its long-term view: there is a « risk that fiscal compensation packages would turn out to be bigger than warranted ». Finally, a large majority of participants considered that the best option, in the short-term, is to implement a new 75 basis point interest rate increase at the next meeting scheduled for 15 December. Only a majority expressed a different position (in favor of a 50-basis point hike). This was not a market mover, obviously. Apple’s iPhone output at jeopardy in China The worker unrest at Foxconn’s (Apple’s manufacturing supplier in China) Zhengzhou manufacturing plant could cut production of iPhones of up to 30% according to Reuters. This is a growing risk for Apple’s stock price as the company is moving into its best-selling month during the year. Sweden’s Riksbank hiked 75bps, more in the pipeline The Riksbank’s 75-bp rate hike took the policy rate to 2.50% and was larger than the 50-bp signalled at the September meeting, although markets were priced for a move of at least that magnitude. EURSEK fell after a kneejerk rally and trades this morning in the middle of the range since September. The worsening inflation outlook in Sweden, with October’s inflation at 9.3% amidst signs of wage pressures as well, suggests more rate hikes potentially remain in the pipeline. The anticipated peak rate is closer to 3% now, but the bank showed an alternate scenario where persistent inflation above 3.5% could prompt the peak rate move higher from 2.84% to 4.65%. Japan’s Tokyo CPI above expectations again, more pressures to come Japan’s Tokyo inflation for November rose to its highest level in 40 years, suggesting that price pressures have not peaked yet. Tokyo CPI came in at 3.8% YoY from 3.5% previously, while the ex-food was at 3.6% YoY (prev 3.4%) and ex-food and energy was at 2.5% YoY (prev 2.2%). Meanwhile, Asia LNG prices are rising again, as colder temperatures in Europe heat up the competition to secure LNG cargoes again. This suggests price pressures will likely continue, and Bank of Japan could still likely consider tweaking its yield curve control policy. Mixed week for commodities The Bloomberg Commodity Index is showing a small gain of 1.3% with overall support being provided by the softer dollar and lower bond yields. This despite a darkening, but temporary, Covid cloud hanging over the Chinese economy and the bond market increasingly pricing in the risk of a recession hitting some of the major economies next year. Gas prices in Europe and the US leading the gains on cold weather demand followed by coffee on short covering and silver supported by a bouncing gold price. At the bottom we find wheat, US diesel, sugar and crude oil. What are we watching next? An important week ahead for incoming US data Markets have generally celebrated the downward shift in Fed tightening expectations and hopes for an eventual opening up of China’s economy, notwithstanding the ramping of the case count there. Next week will offer an interesting test for markets, including the US dollar, which trades at pivotal levels, as we have a look at the next important data macro data points out of the US, especially the Friday November jobs report. As well, we’ll have a look at the ISM Manufacturing survey for the month on Thursday. The question for the run-up into the December 14 FOMC meeting and in the month or so beyond is how long the market can continue to celebrate the Fed easing off the accelerator, when the reason it is doing so is that economic slowing and an eventual recession threaten. Normally, a recession is associated with poor market performance as profits fall and credit risks mount. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Meituan and Pinduoduo. Chinese earnings in Q3 have been mixed and the technology sector continues to experience headwinds from both the economy and regulation. Analysts expect Pinduoduo, which has so far navigated the environment flawlessly, to deliver revenue growth of 44% y/y and EPS of CNY 4.75 up 288% y/y. Today: Meituan, Pinduoduo Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) US equity markets close three hours early at 1300 local time in NY.  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-25-2022-25112022
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The US Equity Market Is Working Into A Critical Resistance Zone

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 25.11.2022 10:56
    Summary:  Today we look at the market still in complacent mode as it continues to celebrate easing US yields and the FOMC minutes Wednesday confirming the view that the Fed is set to slow its pace of tightening. We note that the US equity market is working into a critical resistance zone, just as the US dollar eyes important support, with the overriding question of when the market will begin to fret the impact of an oncoming recession rather than maintaining the one-dimensional focus on yields. Thoughts on Apple, commodity performance, platinum vs palladium, Natgas in Europe and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-25-2022-25112022
    USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

    Earnings Expectations From US Technology Companies: Salesforce FY23 Q3 Revenue Growth To Decline

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 25.11.2022 11:02
    Summary:  In today's equity update we sum up the Q3 earnings season which has now ended in the US and Europe. Earnings and margin compression have been the worst in Europe and China, while US companies have seen less pressure but still lower earnings q/q in Q3 and the weakest earnings season in two years. We expect the margin pressure to continue causing headwinds for earnings growth next year. We also go through the key earnings releases next week with the most important companies reporting being Pinduoduo, Salesforce, and Snowflake. Was Q3 margin pressure the canary in the coal mine? With 97% of the companies in S&P 500 having reported the Q3 earnings season is definitively over and we can now begin to make firm conclusions about what is going on with earnings. S&P 500 earnings were down 2.5% q/q making Q3 the worst earnings season since the market bounced back from the abyss during the early days of the pandemic. European and Chinese earnings have been even worse declining around 9% q/q driven by more intense margin pressures than observed in the US. On revenue European companies did the best with revenue up 6.7% q/q compared to only 3.9%b q/q for S&P 500. The average q/q revenue growth rate the past two years is 5.3% in Europe and 3.5% in the US. Part of the difference can be explained by the stronger USD. As we have writing many times this month, the key dynamic for equities next year is the evolution of operating margin and if they go down to average levels in the past then headwinds will be too much for companies and lower earnings next year will likely follow. Salesforce and Snowflake is seeing growth cooling down Next week’s earnings releases are highlighted below. Pinduoduo on Monday is the key earnings focus in China with analysts expecting Q3 revenue growth of 44% y/y and the EBITDA margin staying at healthy levels around 21.2%. The main menu next week is on Wednesday with earnings from US technology companies Salesforce and Snowflake. Analysts expect Salesforce FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to decline to 14% y/y down from 27% y/y a year ago and analysts expect Snowflake to report FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth of 61% y/y down from 110% y/y a year ago. Expectations for both companies highlight the slowdown in technology enterprise spending that we have seen from other technology companies including Intel, HP etc. Monday: Pinduoduo, Capitaland, H World Group Tuesday: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/earnings-watch-q3-earnings-season-is-coming-to-an-end-25112022
    Reducing Animal Meat Production As Part Of Climate Policy

    USA: Lower income doesn't necessarily mean that eating at McDonald's would become less popular

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 25.11.2022 16:05
    Looking at the company's recent Q3 results and its share valuation, it's hard not to get the impression that investors could choose it as a cure for worsening times. At a time when the main S&P 500 index (US500) has fallen by more than 16% since its January highs, the fast food giant's valuation has risen by 5%. We decided to see if the average American would switch to a BigMac in times of crisis? The company's financial position Overall year-to-date revenues, despite experiencing a 5% year-on-year decline in Q3, are up 9% year-on-year. According to CEO Chris Kempczinski: "As the macroeconomic landscape continues to evolve and uncertainties persist, we are operating from a position of competitive strength. I also want to thank our franchisees, who have done a tremendous job navigating this environment, while providing great value to our customers."  Source: Conotoxia MT5, McDonalds, Weekly Revenue volumes may have been positively impacted by price increases across the sector. The company seems to have done quite well in passing on costs to customers, as we saw in, for example, the price of a cheeseburger in California, which increased by 50%, from US$0.99 to US$1.48. This was the first price increase for this sandwich in 14 years.  Earnings per share fell by 6.29% year-on-year, which the company explained by rising costs in the Eurozone caused mainly by energy prices. However, we learned from the report that: "comparable sales in the US increased by more than 6% during Q3, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth in the segment". Currently, the company's price-to-earnings P/E ratio is 34, which may indicate signs of overvaluation. However, if analysts' expectations for future earnings are taken into account, the P/E ratio is 26.2, and this could give potential for further share price increases. The company has also announced another dividend increase. Will Americans eat at McDonald's in times of crisis? According to an analysis by NUMBEO, a company that measures the cost of living in various places around the world, the price of lunch in low-cost restaurants fluctuates between US$10-30 (average US$16). The same spread for an average McMeal set at McDonald's, depending on the state, ranges from US$7 to US$12 (average US$8.5), indicating a meal at the popular fast food outlet is twice as cheap. The question may immediately arise, will Americans decide to cook at home? However, this seems unlikely due to the fact that, according to Statista, as many as 82% of the country's citizens live in cities, where eating out is much more popular. In addition, preparing a meal at home does not seem to be cheap enough to compete with eating at fast food outlets. Therefore, we could surmise that even if the income of the average American worsens, it would be difficult to give up eating out cheaply. Alternatively, the portions ordered may be smaller and thus cheaper, but this could be to everyone's advantage. After all, according to the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 41.9% of adults nationally (USA) are struggling with obesity. Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    The Japanese Yen Retreats as USD/JPY Gains Momentum

    Zoom Video EPS beat market expectations. Next week's Eurozone CPI and the US GDP releases are going to attract investors' attention

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 25.11.2022 16:16
    Sunday marked the start of the World Cup in Qatar. It seems that it could not have taken place without controversy over the preparations for the event. After yesterday's Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, today we may see increased shopping traffic in celebration of Black Friday. A weakening dollar and falling bond yields may have driven the broad market this week.  Macroeconomic data On Wednesday, we learnt about the PMI reading on managerial sentiment in German industry. The reading of 46.7 points surpassed the expected 45 points and came as a positive surprise over the previous reading of 45.1 points. We could also see values for the same indicator from the UK, with a reading of 46.2 points (45.7 had been expected), against the previous reading of 46.2. From this we could see a warming of the market climate, which appears to have caused a 1% rise on the main German DAX index (DE40) since the start of the week.  Source: Conotoxia MT5, DE40, Weekly On the same day, we learned about the number of building permits issued in the United States. Here, the data turned out to be more modest than expected, amounting to 1.512 million (1.526 million was expected). There was also news from the US economy on crude oil inventories, which fell by 3.69 million barrels (a drop of 1 million barrels was expected).  On Thursday, Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. In Europe, on the other hand, data from the Ifo index measuring expectations for the next six months among German entrepreneurs may have come as a positive surprise. The index came in at 86.3 points, while 85 points were expected, which, like the PMI index, may have comforted markets in their expectations for the future. The stock market Analysts may have been positively surprised by Q3 earnings this week. Among others, we saw better-than-expected earnings per share from technology, software and laboratory equipment maker Agilent Technologies (Agilient), whose EPS came in at 1.53 (expected 1.38). Zoom Video (Zoom), a popular company during the pandemic, also surprised positively, with EPS of 1.07 (expected 0.83).  On Tuesday, US semiconductor company Analog Devices (AnalogDev) showed EPS of 2.73 (2.58 expected), and the maker of software for industries including architecture, engineering and construction showed earnings per share in line with EPS guidance of 1.7.  Of the 11 sectors of the US economy, consumer goods sales grew strongest. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) index has gained more than 3% since the start of the week, which may have been influenced by Friday's Black Friday. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XLP, Weekly Currency and cryptocurrency market For another week in a row, we could see a weakening of the US dollar. The valuation of the EUR/USD pair has risen by 0.7% since the beginning of the week and currently stands at 1.04. The weakening of this largest reserve currency was also evident on the GBP/USD pair, which rose by 2% to around 1.21. The other currencies do not seem to show increased volatility. Source: Conotoxia MT5, EURUSD, Weekly There could still be a gloomy mood in the cryptocurrency market. Not even the reports that the largest exchange Binance has set up and contributed USD 1 billion to a fund to support crypto projects are helping. The price of bitcoin is hovering around US$16500 and ethereum around US$1190. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Daily What could we expect next week? Next week's key macroeconomic data will start with Tuesday's German CPI inflation reading. On the same day, we will learn the previously discussed Chinese manufacturing PMI. On Wednesday, the Eurozone CPI inflation readings appear to be particularly important. On this day, we will also learn the quarterly change in GDP for the United States. On Thursday, we will learn the PMI values for Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. At the end of the week, we will find out the unemployment rate in the USA. Tuesday will see Q3 financial results from business software developer Intuit (Intuit). Wednesday will bring a report from cloud software company Salesforce (Salesforce). We will end the week with a report from semiconductor company Marvell (MarvelTech). Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    BOC Rate Hike Odds Rise to 28.8% as Canada's Economy Shows Resilience

    Employees Of Amazon Are Planning Protests On Friday

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.11.2022 08:00
    There are no statistical releases scheduled for Friday. In this case, the session will be shortened and will end at 21:00 GMT+2. In this regard, trading activity is likely to be lower than usual on the holiday-thinned market. On Thursday, the exchanges did not work because of the public holiday, Thanksgiving Day. Meanwhile, a number of important indicators will be published in the near future, including revised data on US GDP for the third quarter as well as data on the labor market for November. In addition, the country begins the season of active shopping before the holidays. Dow Jones Industrial Average by 18:02 GMT+2 increased by 0.4% and reached 34,333.97 points. Among the components of the index, the top gainers were Home Depot Inc, up 1.8%, UnitedHealth Group up 1.4% and 3M Co. - by 1.2%. The value of the Standard & Poor's 500 by this time increased by 0.06% - up to 4029.69 points. At the same time, the Nasdaq Composite index fell by 0.39% since the market opened and amounted to 11,241.63 points. Stock quotes for retailers Walmart Inc. and Target Corp. decrease respectively by 0.2% and 0.8% at the beginning of trading. Amazon.com Inc. price fell 1.1% on reports that employees at the online retailer's warehouses around the world, including the US, Germany and France, are planning protests on Friday demanding higher wages. Shares of Ford Motor dropped 0.3% on news that the company is recalling more than 634,000 SUVs worldwide due to malfunctions. Tesla's value is 1.2% down. The company announced that it is recalling about 80,000 electric vehicles in China due to problems with software and seat belts. In addition, Apple Inc. papers are trading lower, having decreased - by 1.6%, Nike Inc. - by 0.6%, Intel Corp. - by 0.5%. At the same time, the share price of Chevron Corp. has grown by 0.3%. According to media reports, the United States is preparing to grant this company a license to produce oil in Venezuela. Chevron will regain partial control of oil production in Venezuelan fields, in which the company has retained stakes through joint ventures with state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA.     search   g_translate     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-29 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/302664
    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    The Weighted Average Of RRR Across All Banks In China Falls

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 08:52
    Summary:  The risk-off mood at the onset of the new week is mostly driven by protests in China over the zero covid policy. This comes after China’s announcement to cut the reserve requirement ratio by 25bps on Friday, which is unlikely to be enough to offset demand weakness. US equity futures gapped lower, and the US dollar got a safe-haven bid as well. Commodity markets are likely vulnerable to this risk aversion and dollar gains, with crude oil prices testing lows as Russian oil price cap discussions resume today. The key week ahead for US data and Fed as Powell takes the stage on Wednesday, but the focus today will be on China and a likely hawkish tilt in the comments from Fed’s Bullard. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished the holiday-shortened week with modest weekly gains In a shortened session with thin trading, the S&P 500 Index finished flat and the Nasdaq 100 Index slid by 0.7%. Over the week, S&P 500 gained 1.6% and Nasdaq 100 was up 0.7%. Among the S&P 500 sectors, real estate, utilities, and healthcare gained while communication services, and information technology were the laggards. Activision Blizzard (ATVI:xnas) dropped 4.1% on reports that the U.S. antitrust regulator might file a lawsuit to bar Microsoft (MSFT: xnas) from acquiring the video games developer. Manchester United (MANU:xnys) surged for the third day in a row, up 13% on Friday or 65% for the week, as the controlling shareholder is exploring a sale. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) advanced with yields falling during the week on the dovish-leaning FOMC minutes U.S. treasuries gained in price and lower in yields last week. The 10-year yield dropped 15bps to 3.68%. The market is increasingly pricing in a recession as the 3-month treasury bills vs 10-year treasury notes spread went to minus-64bps, a level usually seen within 12 months preceding the onset of a recession. For a detailed discussion of our take on the outlook of bonds, please refer to this note we published last Friday. We are having a busy and important calendar this coming week with several potentially market-moving data and events. The JOLT report on Wednesday and the jobs report on Friday will tell us about the state of the U.S. job market. The PCE scheduled to release on Thursday is the Fed’s key inflation gauge. Fed Chair Powell will speak at the Brookings Institute about the economic outlook and the labor market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Investors were weighing new government measures to support the property sector against the alarmingly explosive uptrend in daily new Covid cases and the reports that megacities returning to the practice of movement restrictions and lockdowns. On Friday, Hang Seng Index declined 0.5% while CSI 300 climbed 0.5%. Over the week, Hang Sang Index fell 2.3% and CSI 300 edged down 0.7%. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group (01929:xhkg), tumbling 15.5%, was the biggest loser in the Hang Seng Index on Friday. The jeweller lowered mainland China same-store-sales growth (SSSG) to a high-single-digit year-over-year decline over the half-year from Oct 2022 to Mar 2023. The Australian share market is just 5% off its all-time high; but seems vulnerable The Aussie share market has gained 12% from its October low, after rising 1.5% last week; with Virgin Money up the most, about 23%, on upgrading its outlook, while gold company Ramelius Resources rose 15% on maintaining its production outlook. This week stocks exposed to China are vulnerable of a pullback given forward earnings are likely to be downgraded following further China lockdowns and protests. It also means commodities, oil – iron ore, copper, lithium may see demand slow down and their prices fall – that’s important as its underpin some of our largest’ s companies profits. Fresh data on Friday showed the major iron ore companies, BHP, Rio, Fortescue, will be shipping almost 6% less than last year in the final quarter of this year. So the risk is the situation in China worsens, and iron ore shipments could continue to fall and hurt Fortescue, BHP and Rio. Early Monday AM, iron ore trades 0.6% lower. Be mindful investors could be looking to take profits or write options for downside protection in case markets fall on China concerns. Inversely; stocks not exposed to China could likely continue to rally given its first Christmas with no global lockdowns (excluding China). Consider looking at retailers doing well following Black Friday sales and ahead of the likely Santa rally; Shares in JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman, Premier Investments (owner of Jay Jays and Peter Alexander) are all trading up 20% from June. FX: Dollar getting a safe-haven bid In the previous weeks, we have often argued that the USD is turning more risk-sensitive rather than being yield-sensitive with most of the interest rate story being priced in by the markets now. A confirmation of that trend was seen this morning when US 10-year yields stayed below 3.7% at the Asia open, while the USD rose higher amid a safe haven bid due to the protests in China. Biggest losers on the G10 board were the AUD and NZD, both down 0.5% with the risk-off move. The Japanese yen was more stable, depicting a risk-sensitivity as well, and USDJPY stayed range-bound around 139.30. EURUSD Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3)to be weighed by China turmoil and high Russia cap As hopes of a China reopening retreated last week with a fresh surge in cases, crude oil prices fell sharply with WTI down ~5%. Meanwhile, EU talks on a cap on Russian oil have hinted at a higher price of $65-70/barrel, which suggests Russia’s supply to international markets could continue. Talks are likely to continue this week, and the protests in China mean more short-term headwinds to oil demand outlook are on the horizon. China’s central bank announced a cut in RRR, but that is unlikely to fully offset the demand weakness concerns. WTI future traded around $76/barrel in the Asian morning while Brent was below $84, and focus is likely to shift to the OPEC meeting on December 4 after we get past the cap negotiations. There were also reports that Iraq could increase oil export capacity, to add 1mn to 1.5mn barrels/day by 2025   What to consider Protests against Covid lockdowns sprang up in several Chinese cities as local governments tightened restrictions Anger over suspected delays to rescue from a deadly fire burst into anti-lockdown protests in Xinjiang. After a fire at a locked-down apartment killed 10 people, hundreds of angry residents in Urumqi, Xinjiang took to the street to protest against the Covid lockdown imposed more than three months ago. Meanwhile, daily new cases shot up to a record high of 39,506, with Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Shanghai significantly tightening movement restrictions. Video footage and photos on social media showed that protests against Covid restrictions sprang up in several other cities over the weekend, including Wuhan, Nanjing, Beijing and Shanghai. China’s PBOC cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25bps The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced a reduction of 25bps for all banks except for some small which had already had their RRR cut to 5% earlier. The weighted average of RRR across all banks falls to 7.8% from 8.1% after the latest move. The PBOC projects that the reduction in RRR will make available to banks an additional RMB400 billion. The 25bps cut this time, the same as the cut in April this year, was small by historical standards when 50bp or 100bp cuts seemed to be the norm. It helps improve banks’ funding costs but it may do little to boost the economy as the demand for loans is subdued. RBA’s Lowe still sees a strong demand; but retail sales turned negative The Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Lowe appeared before the Australian parliament's Senate Economics Legislation Committee and said that demand is still too strong relative to supply. He said he is unsure about labor market, and wage growth is consistent with inflation returning to target. He was worried about housing supply and expects to see rental pressure over the next year. Australia’s October retail sales, however, dipped into negative territory for the first time this year, coming in at -0.2% MoM vs. expectations of +0.5%.  The U.S. bans telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei, ZTE and more The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday that the U.S. had decided to ban the import and sale of telecommunication equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera Communications, and surveillance equipment makers Dahua Technology and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology. The U.S. regulator said these Chinese telecommunication equipment makers pose “an unacceptable risk” to U.S. communication networks and national security. Chevron gets US license to pump in Venezuela Chevron had been banned from pumping due to US sanctions against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But WSJ reported that on Saturday, the US said it will allow Chevron to resume pumping oil from its Venezuelan oil fields. The shift may open the door to other oil companies that had operated previously in Venezuela, despite the near-term headwinds and the massive investments that may be needed.  Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas) is scheduled to report Q3 results on Monday After a strong beat for Q2, analysts are expecting Pinduoduo’s Q3 results to remain solid with Q3 revenue growth to come at 44% y/y and the EBITDA margin to stay at healthy levels around 21.2%. Was Q3 margin pressure the canary in the coal mine? According to the analysis done by Peter Garnry, with 97% of the companies having reported, S&P 500 earnings were down 2.5% q/q making Q3 the worst earnings season since the market bounced back from the abyss during the early days of the pandemic. European and Chinese earnings have been even worse declining around 9% q/q driven by more intense margin pressures than observed in the US. On revenue European companies did the best with revenue up 6.7% q/q compared to only 3.9%b q/q for S&P 500. The average q/q revenue growth rate in the past two years was 5.3% in Europe and 3.5% in the US. Part of the difference can be explained by the stronger USD. The key dynamic for equities next year is the evolution of operating margins and if they go down to average levels in the past then headwinds will be too much for companies, and lower earnings next year will likely follow.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-market-insights-28-nov-2022-28112022
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    Elon Musk Introduces Verified Accounts On Twitter

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 08:57
    Summary:  A pivotal post-holiday week ahead kicked off with risk-off due to protests in China over the Zero covid policy, and China PMIs due this week could potentially signal demand weakness as well. The week is also key for US data and Fed as financial conditions are the easiest since May and more pushback may be on the cards with the most hawkish members of the Fed board, Powell and Bullard, on the wires this week before the FOMC quiet period kicks in. We also get ISM manufacturing, PCE inflation and jobs data that will be key for the dollar. Eurozone inflation may soften, but that won’t be enough for the ECB to take the foot off the pedal, while Australian CPI will pressure the RBA to continue with its steady rate hikes. An important week ahead for incoming US data: ISM manufacturing, PCE inflation and jobs data to be key for the dollar This week will offer an interesting test for markets, including the US dollar, which trades at pivotal levels, as we have a look at the next important data macro data points out of the US, especially the PCE inflation data and the Friday November jobs report. Core PCE is forecast to rise 0.3% MoM in October from 0.5% previously. In addition, we’ll have a look at the ISM manufacturing survey for the month on Thursday, which is also expected to slip into contraction after the decline in S&P flash PMIs last week resulted in further easing of Fed tightening expectations. The question for the run-up into the December 14 FOMC meeting and in the month or so beyond is how long the market can continue to celebrate the Fed easing off the accelerator, when the reason it is doing so is that economic slowing and an eventual recession threaten. Normally, a recession is associated with poor market performance as profits fall and credit risks mount. Bullard and Powell speak – pushback against easing financial conditions? While the economic data continues to slow, and markets continue to cheer on that, it will key for Fed members to bring the focus back to easing of financial conditions and consider what that means for inflation. Chicago Fed national financial conditions index eased further in the week of November 18, bringing financial conditions to their easiest levels since May. Most of the Fed members that have spoken since that soft CPI release for October have pushed back against pivot expectations, but it hasn’t been enough. Further pushback is still needed if the Fed is serious about bringing inflation under control, and only the most hawkish members of the committee Bullard and Powell may be able to deliver that. Both will be on the wires this week. Bullard speaks on Monday while Powell discusses the economic outlook and labor market on Wednesday. Other Fed members like Williams, Bowman, Cook, Logan and Evans will also be on the wires. China PMIs likely to show demand weakness, Asia PMIs also due China’s NBS manufacturing PMI is expected to decline to 49.0 in November, further into the contractionary territory, from 49.2 October, according to the survey of economists conducted by Bloomberg. The imposition of movement restrictions in many large cities has incurred disruption to economic activities. High-frequency data such as steel rebar output, cement plants’ capacity utilization rates, and container throughputs have weakened in November versus October. Likewise, the Caixin manufacturing PMI is expected to drop to 49.0 (Bloomberg survey) in November from 49.2 in October. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the NBS Non-manufacturing to slow to 48.0. in November from 48.7 in October, on the enlargement of pandemic containment measures. PMIs for other Asian countries are also due to be reported this week, and the divergence between the tech-dependent North Asian countries like Taiwan and South Korea vs. more domestic-oriented South Asian countries like India and Indonesia will likely continue, with the latter outperforming. EUR may be watching the flash Eurozone CPI release Eurozone inflation touched double digits for October, and the flash release for November is due this week. The headline rate of the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) is expected to ease slightly to 10.4% YoY from 10.7% YoY last month. The core rate that excludes food and energy prices is forecast to however remain unchanged at 5% YoY. This print will be key for markets as the magnitude of the ECB’s next rate hike at the December meeting is still uncertain, and about 60bps is priced in for now. But even with a slight cooling in inflation, which will most likely be driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Australia’s economy continues to weaken. Retail slides. CPI data is the next catalyst Australia has continued to receive mostly weaker than expected economic data, that support the RBA’s dovish tone. Today Australian retail trade data unexpected fell, showing sales dropped 0.2% from the prior month. This reflects that consumers are feeling the strain of inflation and rising interest rates. As a house, Saxo thinks further weakness in spending is likely ahead in 4Q and into 2023, with the full impact of rate hikes passing through households, and increasing amount of Australian in financial duress. This view is somewhat supported by the RBA’s thinking. The data the RBA will be watching next is ; Australian inflation data for October, released Wednesday 30 November. Inflation is likely to have fallen over the month, however consensus expects inflation to have increase year on year, up 7.6% year on year. If the market thinking comes to fruition, this would show Australian inflation rose from the prior reading (whereby CPI rose 7.3% yoy). Regardless, if inflation does rise, we think the RBA will likely save face, and keep hiking rates by 0.25%, with its next hike due December 6. Twitter to launch its ‘Verified’ service After Musk acquired Twitter last month for $44 billion, he plans to "tentatively" roll out its verified service on December 2, with multiple colours for different types of users. Blue checks will be allotted to people, while verified company accounts will get gold checks and grey marks will be given to governments. Musk said all verified accounts will be manually authenticated, before the check activates, which will be cumbersome. Twitter recently halted the launch of its $8 verified service, as it failed to cease impersonation issues the company has been having. Key earnings to watch this week Peter Garnry highlights earnings results to watch in his note. Pinduoduo on Monday is the key earnings focus in China with analysts expecting Q3 revenue growth of 44% y/y and the EBITDA margin staying at healthy levels around 21.2%. The main menu next week is on Wednesday with earnings from US technology companies Salesforce and Snowflake. Analysts expect Salesforce FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to decline to 14% y/y down from 27% y/y a year ago and analysts expect Snowflake to report FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth of 61% y/y down from 110% y/y a year ago. Expectations for both companies highlight the slowdown in technology enterprise spending that we have seen from other technology companies including Intel, HP etc. Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday, Nov 28 Eurozone M3 (Oct)UK CBI Retail Sales (Nov)U.S. Fed Bullard at MarketWatch Live Event Tuesday, Nov 29 U.S.  Conference Board Consumer Confidence (Nov)U.S. St. Louis Fed President Bullard speechJapan Unemployment Rate (Oct)Japan Retail Sales (Oct) Wednesday, Nov 30 U.S. ADP Private Employment (Nov)U.S. JOLTS Job Openings (Oct)U.S.  Fed Chair Powell speechEurozone HICP (Nov, flash)Germany Unemployment Rate (Nov)Japan Industrial Production (Oct)Japan Housing Starts (Oct)China NBS Manufacturing PMI (Nov)China NBS Non-manufacturing PMI (Nov)India Real GDP (Q3)Thailand Bank of Thailand policy meeting Thursday, Dec 1 U.S. PCE (Oct)U.S. ISM Manufacturing (Nov)U.S. Initial Jobless Claims (weekly)Eurozone Unemployment Rate (Oct)Japan Capital Spending (Q3)Japan Consumer Confidence (Nov)China Caixin China PMI Manufacturing (Nov) Friday, Dec 2 U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls (Nov)U.S. Unemployment Rate (Nov)Eurozone PPI (Oct)   Key earnings releases this week Monday: Pinduoduo, Capitaland, H World Group Tuesday: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/saxo-spotlight-28-nov-2022-28112022
    Commodities Outlook 2023: Stainless Steel Is Still Key For Nickel Semand

    Iron Ore Shipments Could Continue To Fall And Hurt Earnings And Shares

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 09:06
    Summary:  Dramatic scenes of widespread protests in China against Covid policies there have pulled sentiment lower, with US yields dipping to new local lows and crude oil prices pushing on cycle lows even after Friday’s drop. The USD has firmed against most currencies, but the Japanese yen is stronger still as the fall in yields and energy prices support the currency. This is a sudden powerful new distraction for markets when this week was supposed to be about incoming US data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures failed to touch the 200-day moving average in Friday’s trading retreating slightly into the weekend. This morning the index futures are continuing lower bouncing around just above the 4,000 level. The US 10-year yield declining to 3.65% with the 3.5% level being the likely downside level the market is eyeing is naturally offering some tailwind for equities in the short-term. However, the key dynamic to get right now in the medium term is the potential earnings recession caused by margin compression as the economy slows down and wage pressures remain high. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Mainland China and Hong Kong stock markets retreated as investors were wary about the surge in daily new Covid cases across China and the outburst of anti-strict-control protests in several mega cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The cut in reserve requirement ratio by the central bank on Friday evening did not give the market much of a boost. Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 plunged more than 2% each. The China internet space fell 2%-5%. Macao casino stocks bucked the trend and rallied following the Macao SAR Government’s announcement to renew casino licenses with all incumbent operators. Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) jumped nearly 16%. The three leading Chinese catering chains listed in Hong Kong gained 4% to 6%. USD and JPY firm overnight as Chinese Covid protests drag on risk sentiment The US dollar was higher overnight against most currencies even as US treasury yields hit new cycle lows as widespread protests in China against the Covid policies there are weighing heavily on risk sentiment. Hardest hit among G10 currencies has been the Aussie, with AUDUSD trading back below 0.6700 after pulling above 0.6780 at one point on Friday. USDCNH jumped above the important 7.200 level. The hit to yields and perhaps lower crude oil prices are driving a strong revival in the Japanese yen, which traded higher even against the US dollar overnight, taking USDJPY back toward the recent lows overnight. This is a sudden new distraction for FX traders, when this week was supposed to be all about the incoming US economic data, including the October PCE inflation data up on Thursday and the November jobs data on Friday. Crude oil plunges as China unrest rattles markets A weak sentiment spread across commodities as markets opened in Asia with crude oil, copper and iron ore all trading sharply lower following a weekend that saw waves of unrest in China, the world's biggest consumer of raw materials. Protest and boiled up frustration against President Xi’s increasingly unpopular anti-virus curbs erupted over the weekend, raising the threat of a government crackdown. While the short-term demand outlook may take a hit and add further downside pressure to prices, the eventual reopening is likely to be supported by massive amounts of stimulus. The market is also watching ongoing EU price cap discussions, next week’s OPEC+ meeting and rollout of an embargo on seaborne Russian crude and Chevron receiving a license to resume oil production in Venezuela. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades unchanged with safe haven bids in bonds and the dollar offsetting each other, while silver (XAGUSD), due to its industrial metal link, trades down more than 2% following a weekend of covid restriction protests across China. After finding support in the $1735 area last week, a break above $1765 may signal a return to key resistance at $1788, but lack of ETF buying still makes it hard to confirm a major change in direction. Aside from China, the market will be watching incoming US data for any signs of a slowdown in the pace of future rate hikes (see below) US treasuries find safe haven appeal, driving new local lows in yields. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The risk-off mood overnight is driving strong safe haven flows into US treasuries, as the 10-year benchmark traded to new local lows below 3.65%, with little room left to the pivotal 3.50% level. The 2-10 yield slope hit a new cycle extreme of –80 basis points overnight, a deepening indication of an oncoming recession. The 3-month treasury bills vs 10-year treasury notes spread went to minus-64bps, a level usually seen within 12 months preceding the onset of a recession. For a detailed discussion of our take on the outlook of bonds, please refer to this note we published last Friday. This week, interesting to see how the market balances the implications of what is unfolding in China versus incoming data in the US, especially the November jobs report on Friday. What is going on? Protests against Covid lockdowns in several Chinese cities Anger over suspected delays to rescue from a deadly fire burst into anti-lockdown protests in Xinjiang. After a fire at a locked-down apartment killed 10 people, hundreds of angry residents in Urumqi, Xinjiang took to the street to protest against the Covid lockdown imposed more than three months ago. Meanwhile, daily new cases shot up to a record high of 40,052, with Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Shanghai significantly tightening movement restrictions. Video footage and photos on social media showed that protests against Covid restrictions sprang up in several other cities over the weekend, including Wuhan, Nanjing, Beijing, and Shanghai. China’s PBOC cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25bps The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced a reduction of 25bps for all banks except for some small which had already had their RRR cut to 5% earlier. The weighted average of RRR across all banks falls to 7.8% from 8.1% after the latest move. The PBOC projects that the reduction in RRR will make available to banks an additional RMB400 billion. The 25bps cut this time, the same as the cut in April this year, was small by historical standards when 50bp or 100bp cuts seemed to be the norm. It helps improve banks’ funding costs, but it may do little to boost the economy as the demand for loans is subdued. The U.S. bans telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei, ZTE and more The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday that the U.S. had decided to ban the import and sale of telecommunication equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera Communications, and surveillance equipment makers Dahua Technology and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology. The U.S. regulator said these Chinese telecommunication equipment makers pose “an unacceptable risk” to U.S. communication networks and national security. RBA’s Lowe still sees a strong demand; but retail sales turned negative The Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Lowe appeared before the Australian parliament's Senate Economics Legislation Committee and said that demand is still too strong relative to supply. He said he is unsure about labor market, and wage growth is consistent with inflation returning to target. He was worried about housing supply and expects to see rental pressure over the next year. Australia’s October retail sales, however, dipped into negative territory for the first time this year, coming in at -0.2% MoM vs. expectations of +0.5%. Chevron gets US license to pump in Venezuela Chevron had been banned from pumping due to US sanctions against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But WSJ reported that on Saturday, the US said it will allow Chevron to resume pumping oil from its Venezuelan oil fields. The shift may open the door to other oil companies that had operated previously in Venezuela, despite the near-term headwinds and the massive investments that may be needed. Bullard and Powell speak – pushback against easing financial conditions? While the economic data continues to slow, and markets continue to cheer on that, it will key for Fed members to bring the focus back to easing of financial conditions and consider what that means for inflation. Chicago Fed national financial conditions index eased further in the week of November 18, bringing financial conditions to their easiest levels since May. Most of the Fed members that have spoken since that soft CPI release for October have pushed back against pivot expectations, but it hasn’t been enough. Further pushback is still needed if the Fed is serious about bringing inflation under control, and only the most hawkish members of the committee Bullard and Powell may be able to deliver that. Both will be on the wires this week. Bullard speaks on Monday while Powell discusses the economic outlook and labor market on Wednesday. Other Fed members like Williams, Bowman, Cook, Logan and Evans will also be on the wires. Commodity companies exposed to China are vulnerable for further pull backs This week focus is on companies exposed to China, given forward earnings are likely to be downgraded following further China lockdowns and protests. Be cautious that investors could be looking to take profits or write options for downside protection in commodity exposed equites. Also note, on Friday fresh data showed that the major iron ore companies, BHP, Rio, Fortescue, are likely to be shipping almost 6% less than last year, in the final quarter of this year, and if lockdowns worsen, iron ore shipments could continue to fall and hurt iron ore majors' forward earnings and shares. On Monday in Asia, the iron ore (SCOA) fell 1.6% dragging down shares of ASX listed BHP, and Rio Tinto, who both lost about 1%+. What are we watching next? Weighing the sudden new intrusion of the Chinese protests story versus incoming US data The recent narrative has been that markets have room to celebrate the downward shift in Fed tightening expectations and hopes that an eventual opening up of China’s economy will help boost global growth. The widespread protests at the weekend have changed the plot, driving new uncertainty on how things will develop and possibly outweighing a considerable portion of the implications of the next important data macro data points out of the US, especially the Friday November jobs report. As well, we’ll have a look at the ISM Manufacturing survey for the month on Thursday. The situation in China aside (which it won’t be), the question for the run-up into the December 14 FOMC meeting and in the month or so beyond is how long the market can continue to celebrate the Fed easing off the accelerator, when the reason it is doing so is that economic slowing and an eventual recession threaten. Normally, a recession is associated with poor market performance as profits fall and credit risks mount. Apple production risk is on the rise. The protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro which was a Morgan Stanley estimate and was published before the intensified issues at the Apple manufacturing site. Earnings to watch 98% of the S&P 500 companies have reported Q3 earnings reducing the earnings release impact from US equities. But European and Chinese companies are still reporting although the volume of earnings releases is also getting lower. Key earnings release to watch today is Pinduoduo which is expected to grow revenue by 44% y/y with EBITDA margin expanding to 21.2% as their online marketing revenue and uptake remain strong despite the slowing Chinese economy. Monday: Pinduoduo, Capitaland, H World Group Tuesday: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1400 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1530 – US Nov. Dallas Fed Manufacturing 1700 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1700 – Us Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. Jobless Rate/Retail Sales Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-28-2022-28112022
    Steady BoE Rate Expectations Amid Empty Event Calendar in the UK

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Protests In China, Lower Yields, Lower Crude Oil, Apple Risks A Further Haircut On The Risk And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 12:24
    Summary:  Today we look at how the market is absorbing the news of widespread protests in China against Covid policies there, from lower yields to lower crude oil prices. That combination offers strong support for the Japanese yen, while Apple risks a further haircut on the risk of widening production disruptions. It is worth noting that corn prices in China are diverging from prices elsewhere, also on Covid policy disruptions. Elsewhere, we consider the status of "de-globalization" (or is it re-globalization?), and look at incoming earnings and macro calendar events for the week ahead. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-28-2022-28112022
    The China’s Covid Containment Continued To Negatively Impact The Output At The End Of 2022

    China Is Finding It Increasingly More Difficult To Leave Its Strict Covid Zero Policies

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 13:40
    Summary:  Our Chinese equity baskets were down around 5% last week as China is finding it increasingly more difficult to leave its strict Covid zero policies behind as case figures are surging again and protests are erupting across several locations in the country including the main manufacturing hub for Apple and its iPhone. At the other end of the spectrum the defence basket is continuing its momentum up 3.8% last week. The performance means that the defence basket could get closer to end the year as the best performing theme basket this year. The biggest gainers in the defence basket last week were Rolls-Royce and Leonardo. China continues to be out of sync with the world The biggest outliers last week among our equity theme baskets were our two Chinese equity baskets declining 4.5% and 5% respectively as rising Covid case figures dented the narrative that China can smoothly reopen their economy. Already last week there were increasing protests at different locations in China including Apple’s biggest factory that produces its key product the iPhone. This has led sell-side firms to cut their forecast for iPhone production and investors are increasingly worried Apple’s supply chain risks. The protests against China’s Covid zero policies have not eased over the weekend so this theme will continue to impact markets this week. If we zoom out and take a longer look at Chinese equities it has been miserable period since early 2010 with Chinese equities underperforming MSCI World in total return USD terms by 7.9% annualized. But especially the period since mid-2021 has been brutal with the Chinese economy undergoing severe calibrations amid a troubling real estate sector and now the disruptions from the strict Covid zero policies. We remain underweight Chinese equities long-term as the common prosperity policies will continue cause headwinds for Chinese corporate sector profitability which has been very weak since the pandemic started. MSCI China vs MSCI World (total return USD terms) | Source: Bloomberg Could defence stocks end the year on a high? The defence basket was the best performing basket last week gaining 3.8% as the ongoing geopolitical landscape in Europe around the war in Ukraine will continue to drive military spending higher. With just one month to go and the Chinese reopening narrative shattered to pieces over the past week commodities could be under pressure, so if defence stocks can muster more momentum they might even end the year as the best performing theme basket. The two best performing stocks in the defence basket last week were Rolls-Royce and Leonardo up 7.5% and 6% respectively. Roll-Royce seems to have turned a corner and 10 days ago the company’s credit was lifted to positive outlook by S&P from stable suggesting the underlying cash flow generation is improving. Leonardo is still enjoying the tailwind from its good Q3 results and the Q4 performance will likely be driven by another good quarter in its defence and helicopter segments despite looming inflationary pressures on its input costs.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/weekly-update-saxo-thematic-investing-performance-28112022
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    US-Listed Chinese Stocks Have Already Fallen Sharply

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.11.2022 14:14
    On Monday, US stock indices fell amid growing unrest in China caused by restrictions had a negative impact on global markets. The US dollar depreciated after stabilizing during the Asian session on risk aversion. US Treasury bonds rose. Futures on the S&P 500 index lost more than 0.9%, while the NASDAQ index was down more than 1.2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined by 0.6%. European stock market indices fell, and the reason for it are oil companies, which lost the most because of the sharp decline in oil prices. The brewing turmoil in China is affecting expectations about the country's continued path to unlock the economy from restrictions. This diminishes the prospect of more moderate interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, which have allowed investors to turn their attention back to riskier assets. Traders who used to bet that China might abandon its Covid Zero policy sooner than expected are now beginning to change their minds. Meanwhile, China's economy is unlikely to re-open soon. It may ill put it at greater risk than previously expected. Endless and pointless lockdowns may lead to a serious health care crisis and slower GDP growth this year. US-listed Chinese stocks have already fallen sharply during the premarket trading, with Internet companies being hit the most. Apple Inc. have fallen because of information that a disturbance at its key manufacturing center in China has begun, which could lead to disruptions in production of nearly 6 million iPhone Pro devices. Oil has fallen sharply and is trading at its lowest level since December, as a wave of unrest in China is also affecting demand, overshadowing demand for risky assets as well. Gold recovered from the previous decline that occurred amid the US dollar strengthening. After the Fed meeting, investors digested a lot of economic data, which eased fears about inflation. Thus, a smaller rate hike is expected but so far it is not giving much support to the stock indices. All eyes will be on the US jobs report this week, as well as Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and New York Fed President John Williams' speeches. As for the S&P 500 index, the pressure on the trading instrument has returned. Bulls now need to protect the support level of $4,000. As long as the index is trading above this level, the demand for risky assets may persist. This is likely to strengthen the trading instrument and return the level of $4,038 under control. If the price pierces $4,064, it may start a further upward correction with the target at resistance of $4,091. The next target is located in the area of $4,116. If the S&P 500 index declines, bulls should defend the psychologically important level of $4,000. If this level is broken through, the trading instrument may be pushed down to $3,968, opening the way to a new support of $3,942. Relevance up to 11:00 2022-11-29 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/328314
    Behind Closed Doors: The Multibillion-Dollar Deals Shaping Global Markets

    Stock Markets Opened The Week Lower | Apple Seeing Losses

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.11.2022 08:08
    Stock markets opened the week lower as investors worry that China may have to further tighten its Covid restrictions. That could undermine global economic growth prospects, and has led to protest across key cities. Data indicates that the S&P 500 cut its monthly rally, with Apple seeing losses after Bloomberg News reported that unrest at its key manufacturing center in Zhengzhou is likely to lead to a production shortfall of nearly 6 million iPhone Pro units this year. Meanwhile, Amazon made gains in retail sales, and analysts say the Cyber Monday results will paint a fuller picture of demand this holiday season. European stock indices also fell, following the US. The unrest in China is complicating the country's path to economic opening. This, along with the potential moderate rate hikes by the Fed in upcoming sessions, has spurred interest towards riskier assets. Analysts at Goldman Sachs have warned that the chances of a disorderly exit from Beijing's Covid Zero policy are also rising. Just as the S&P 500 was trying to break above its mid-November highs, sentiment turned negative, threatening the recent market momentum. The timing is most inconvenient here as the index is approaching an important technical zone in the form of both the 2022 downtrend and the 200-day moving average. If the bullish mood ends, short-term trades could trigger profit-taking. In Europe, ECB President Christine Lagarde said that she would be surprised if inflation in the region peaked. This would mean that interest rate hikes are not over. On the other hand, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is expected to reinforce expectations that the central bank will slow the pace of rate hikes next month. However, the fight against inflation will last until 2023. Key news for this week: * US consumer confidence, Tuesday * EIA crude oil report, Wednesday * China PMI, Wednesday * Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's speech, Wednesday * Fed Beige Book, Wednesday * US GDP, Wednesday * US PMI, Thursday * US construction spending, consumer income, initial jobless claims, ISM Manufacturing, Thursday * Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's speech, Thursday * US unemployment and nonfarm payrolls report, Friday *ECB chief Christine Lagarde's speech, Friday     search   g_translate     Relevance up to 19:00 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/328363
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index Came In Less Bad Than Expected

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.11.2022 09:06
    Summary:  A slew of Fed speakers remained hawkish on Monday, with Bullard saying that markets were under-pricing the risk of a more aggressive Fed This added to the risk-off tone from the protests in China ahead of the focus turning to an array of key US data due in the week. The US Dollar found a fresh bid into the US close, while the yen is being supported by safe haven demand and shifting tone from BOJ officials. Sharp swings in oil prices as well amid demand weakness concerns being reversed by hopes of an OPEC+ production cut, as the cartel meets over the coming weekend. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated on China Covid protests and hawkish Fedspeak U.S. equities slid on the outbreak of protests against Covid lockdowns across large cities in China and hawkish comments from Fed officials. Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.4% and the S&P500 lost 1.5%. The selloff was board-based as all 11 sectors of the S&P500 declined on Monday. Energy and materials stocks took a hit as oil and other commodity prices retreated. Apple (AAPL:xnas) fell 2.6% as the iPhone maker could fact a production shortfall of as many as 6 million handsets as a result of the labour unrest in the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pared early gains and finished Monday little changed U.S. treasuries caught a risk-off bid in Asian hours as the Covid protests in China triggered buying in safe-haven assets. The gains were pared when New York came with the St. Louis Fed President Bullard saying that the Fed is “is going to need to keep restrictive policy…to continue through -- as least through – next year.” The 10-year finished unchanged at 3.68%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Mainland China and Hong Kong stock markets retreated as investors were wary about the surge in daily new Covid cases across China and the outburst of anti-strict-control protests in several mega cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The cut in reserve requirement ratio by the central bank on Friday evening did not give the market much of a boost. Hang Seng Index declined 1.6% and CSI 300 lost 1.1%. The China internet space fell 2%-4% except for Meituan (03690:xhkg) which gained 2% on strong Q3 results reported last Friday. Macao casino stocks bucked the trend and rallied following the Macao SAR Government’s announcement to renew casino licenses with all incumbent operators. Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) jumped nearly 15%. Stocks of the Chinese catering chains listed in Hong Kong gained some market speculation of earlier exit from the dynamic zero-Covid policy due to the now hard-to-contained outbreaks of inflection across the country. Haidilao (06862:xhkg) surged 6.8%. Buying on Hang Seng Index futures emerged in overnight trading in New Your hours and saw the futures contract jump 1.2% and the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rise 2.8%. FX: USDJPY getting a safe haven bid, but there’s more! Choppy moves in the US dollar on Monday amid risk off and volatility in the US yields. But hawkish Fed speak, with Williams and Bullard both hinting at higher rates than the September dot plot, supported a final leg higher in the USD in the late US session. EURUSD touched highs of 1.0500 but reversed all of the day’s gains later with focus on inflation numbers due tomorrow. USDJPY also touched lows of 137.50 before reversing but a clear shift in tone in BOJ officials is being seen in the last few weeks keeping the BOJ pivot narrative alive into early 2023 before Kuroda or just after Kuroda retires. Kuroda referred to wage gains as being supportive of more stable levels of inflation which gave the yen a boost on Monday. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) reversed losses on OPEC cut hopes Crude oil prices made a sharp u-turn on Monday after dipping lower earlier in the session on concerns from protests in China which delayed the hopes of a reopening further and a hawkish commentary from Fed speakers (read below). WTI futures fell to lows of $74/barrel while Brent was down to $81. However, losses were reversed later as OPEC+ delegates said deeper production cuts could be an option when they meet this weekend. OPEC+ is scheduled to meet this Sunday to review its current production plan. At the last meeting it cut output quotas by 2mb/d. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that OPEC+ was ready to intervene with further supply reductions if it was required to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, European talks on a price cap have stalled.   What to consider? Fed speakers press for higher rates James Bullard (2022 voter) said markets are underestimating the chances that the FOMC will need to be more aggressive next year, adding tightening may go into 2024. He also said that rates will need to be kept at a sufficiently high level all through 2023 and into 2024 even if the Fed reaches restrictive territory by Q1 2023. John Williams (voter) said "there's still more work to do" to get inflation down. He also hinted at “modestly higher” path of interest rates than what he voted for in September, sending another signal that December’s dot plot could see an upward revision, while also hinting at rate cuts in 2024. He provided some clear forecasts: unemployment rate rising from 3.7% to 4.5%-5.0% by late 2023; inflation declining to 5.0-5.5% by the end of 2022 and 3.0-3.5% by late 2023; modest economic growth this year and in 2023. The central bank isn't near a pause, Loretta Mester (2022 voter) told the FT. Richmond Fed President Barkin also spoke about higher-for-longer rates, despite moving slower BlockFi – another casualty in the FTX saga BlockFi Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest crypto-industry operator to seek court protection in the wake of FTX’s collapse. It sold $239 million of crypto ahead of its filing. ECB’s Lagarde maintains tightening stance ECB President Lagarde repeated her previous comments that the ECB will raise rates further but nothing on how much further, and on how fast they need to go. She said the bank will be data-dependent, adding the ECB may need to move into restrictive territory. She also said that she will be surprised if inflation in the Eurozone (due to be reported on Wednesday 30/11) peaked last month. Even if the November print cools slightly, most likely driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Dallas Fed manufacturing signals job stress is building Dallas Fed manufacturing index came in less bad than expected at -14.4 for November, but the underlying metrics indicated a softening in labor markets. 16% of the factories surveyed indicated net layoffs in November, up from 9% previously, and comments suggested more layoffs may be coming as the backlog and holiday season get over. While it may still be early to see any significant signs of softening in Friday’s jobs report, the jobs data remains key to monitor to see if consumers may be vulnerable to a faster-than-expected pullback in spending. Apple production risk is on the rise Reports suggested that the protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro units this year, roughly about 7% of all iPhones scheduled to be delivered this quarter. Apple shares fell 2.6% on Monday on these reports. Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas) beat expectations, Bilibili up next Pinduoduo, after a strong beat in the prior quarter, surpassed again analyst estimates and delivered a strong Q3 beat. The Chinese eCommerce platform’s revenues grew 65% Y/Y, outperforming its peers, for example, Alibaba”s 3% and JD.COM’s 11% revenue growth in Q3. Adjusted operating margin came in at 34.6% vs 33.5% in Q2. 2022 , and 15.2% in Q3 last year. Adjust EPS of RMB 7.33 was much higher than the RMB4.75 consensus. Bilibili ((09626:xhkg) is scheduled to report today.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Hawkish Fedspeak; OPEC+ to consider production cut – 29 November 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Russia Look Set To Double Its Exports For The First Half Of 2023

    Russian Wheat Continues To Be Offered At About The Cheapest Prices | The ECB Will Be Data-Dependent

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.11.2022 09:13
    Summary:  Markets have been on edge as we await further signs of the official stance in China on Covid restrictions after civil unrest on the issue at the weekend, with signs this morning from Chinese officialdom that a cautious easing will remain underway. This has inspired a comeback in some commodities and the Chinese renminbi after sharp weakening moves yesterday, but there is no profound sense of relief across markets as we also await incoming US data ahead of the December 14 FOMC meeting.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are stuck in a tight range between 3,926 on the downside and 4,054 on the upside as the market is struggling to find a clear signal and direction. The noise is filled by the back-and-forth news stream out of China related to it Covid policies and backstop plans for its struggling real estate sector. Meanwhile, the US 10-year yield is also stabilising and earnings releases are minimal except for tomorrow with reports expected from Salesforce and Snowflake. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equity markets rallied strongly with Hang Seng Index and the CSI300 Index each rising more than 3%. The market sentiment was buoyed by new measures from the Chinese securities regulator to relax its restriction on property developers from equity financing. Leading Chinese developers listed in Hong Kong jumped by 5%-12%. In the mainland’s A-share markets, real estate names led the charge higher. Tourism stocks rose on speculation that pandemic control restrictions might be relaxed further. China’s pandemic control regulators are holding a press conference later today. USD firms, but then retreats overnight on hopes China’s reopening prospects Concerns surrounding China’s reopening status after civil unrest at the weekend sparked considerable volatility across FX yesterday, with a US dollar rally yesterday eventually emerging as the dominant development after choppy action. The USD was a bit weaker again overnight, particularly against the USDCNH, which dropped back below the important 7.20 area ahead of a press briefing in China thought to make clear the official central government position on Covid policies. Expect the most volatility in commodity currencies and the Japanese yen depending on how clearly China either a) signals that the path is open to easing restrictions on an accelerated time frame or b) that restrictions will remain in place and could even tighten if virus numbers don’t fall. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) made a sharp U-turn on Monday ...as one survey after another pointed to an elevated risk that OPEC+, partly depending on the price when they meet next week, will opt to agree on another production cut in order to stem the recent price drop. Having fallen by more than 15 dollars during the past two weeks, a downturn in Chinese demand has been more than priced in, with technical selling and momentum having taken over. Overnight Brent briefly traded $86 after Chinese health authorities announced they would hold a press conference at 7am GMT. At their last meeting OPEC+ cut output quotas by 2mb/d with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman saying the group was ready to intervene with further supply reductions if it was required to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, European talks on a price cap have stalled. Wheat (ZWH3) in Chicago dropped to a three-month low …on Monday on a combination of ample and cheap supply from Black Sea suppliers increasing competing with US origin wheat, and on concerns about the impact of protests in China on growth and demand. Following a bumper crop this summer, Russian wheat continues to be offered at about the cheapest prices in world export markets which is negative for the export prospects of U.S. wheat. In the week to November 22 speculators increased bearish bets on CBOT wheat to the highest since May 2019. Gold (XAUUSD) has recovered from another stronger dollar driven attempt to challenge support ...in the $1735 area after Fed speakers said more rate hikes are coming. pressed for higher rates. Investors will watch this week’s economic data, including ISM on Thursday and Friday’s nonfarm payrolls and US jobs report, for signs the US central bank may soon ease its monetary-tightening trajectory. Total holdings in bullion-backed gold ETFs rose 6 tons last week, the biggest weekly increase since April. During this time investors sold a total of 397 tons, still less than the 400+ tons bought by central banks during the third quarter. After finding support in the $1735 area last week, a break above $1765 may signal a return to key resistance at $1788. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Weak risk sentiment after the weekend news of civil unrest in China due to restrictive Covid policies there saw a dip in the 10-year yield benchmark yesterday to new local lows below 3.65%. But there was little energy in the move as the market awaits important incoming US data starting with today’s November Consumer Confidence survey, but more importantly this Friday’s November jobs numbers on Friday. What is going on? The wave of takeover bids continues at the Paris Stock Market This is mostly happening in Euronext Growth – the market segment for small and medium-caps. Yesterday, Abeille Insurance (member of Aema Group, the fifth largest insurance player in France) acquired the small bank Union Financière de France (a bank mostly specialized in wealth management advisory). Abeille Assurance bought the company at a price per action of 21 euros. This represents a premium of 51 %. With the sharp drop in values that has happened since January, we have seen a wave of takeover bids at the Paris Stock Market. This will likely continue in the short-term, especially in the segment of wealth management advisory where there is an ongoing process of consolidation happening. Fed speakers press for higher rates James Bullard (2022 voter) said markets are underestimating the chances that the FOMC will need to be more aggressive next year, adding tightening may go into 2024. He also said that rates will need to be kept at a sufficiently high level all through 2023 and into 2024 even if the Fed reaches restrictive territory by Q1 2023. John Williams (voter) said "there's still more work to do" to get inflation down. He also hinted at “modestly higher” path of interest rates than what he voted for in September, sending another signal that December’s dot plot could see an upward revision, while also hinting at rate cuts in 2024. He provided some clear forecasts: unemployment rate rising from 3.7% to 4.5%-5.0% by late 2023; inflation declining to 5.0-5.5% by the end of 2022 and 3.0-3.5% by late 2023; modest economic growth this year and in 2023. The central bank isn't near a pause, Loretta Mester (2022 voter) told the FT. Richmond Fed President Barkin also spoke about higher-for-longer rates, despite moving slower China relaxes its restrictions on developers from attaining equity financing The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) fired the so-called “third arrow” to ease some of the restrictions previously imposed on property developers from attaining equity financing. While property developers are still barred from doing IPO in the domestic equity market, they are now domestically listed A-share developers and some Hong Kong-listed H-share developers to issue new shares to raise capital as long as the proceeds are used for restricting, M&A activities, refinancing, buying existing property projects, repaying debts, and project construction. However, proceeds are not allowed to be used in land acquisition. Pinduoduo shares rally 12% Strong Q3 results pushed the shares of the Chinese e-commerce platform to the highest level since November 2021. Q3 revenue was CNY 35.5bn vs est. CNY 30.9bn and adj. EPS at 8.62 vs est. 4.75 driven by tailwinds from the strict Covid policies in China. BlockFi – another casualty in the FTX saga The crypto lender BlockFi Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest crypto-industry operator to seek court protection in the wake of FTX’s collapse. It sold $239 million of crypto ahead of its filing. ECB’s Lagarde maintains tightening stance ECB President Lagarde repeated her previous comments that the ECB will raise rates further but nothing on how much further, and on how fast they need to go. She said the bank will be data-dependent, adding the ECB may need to move into restrictive territory. She also said that she will be surprised if inflation in the Eurozone (due to be reported on Wednesday 30/11) peaked last month. Even if the November print cools slightly, most likely driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Dallas Fed manufacturing signals job stress is building Dallas Fed manufacturing index came in less bad than expected at -14.4 for November, but the underlying metrics indicated a softening in labor markets. 16% of the factories surveyed indicated net layoffs in November, up from 9% previously, and comments suggested more layoffs may be coming as the backlog and holiday season get over. While it may still be early to see any significant signs of softening in Friday’s jobs report, the jobs data remains key to monitor to see if consumers may be vulnerable to a faster-than-expected pullback in spending. What are we watching next? US November Consumer Confidence, September home prices up today The Conference Board’s monthly Consumer Confidence survey has historically correlated most closely with the strength of the US labour market, although after a strong recover from the pandemic lows by mid-2021, confidence fall sharply, hitting a 95.3 local low in July of this year, likely due to steeply rising inflationary pressures (the other major US confidence survey, the University of Michigan sentiment survey, hit the lowest level in its 44-year history in July, likely as the survey contains questions more closely linked to inflation). Confidence then bounced strongly from that July local low, hitting 107.80 in September before dropping sharply to 102.50 last month. The November reading is expected at 100.00. With inflationary pressures easing relative to their peak, a weaker than expected confidence reading today could suggest rising insecurity in the labour market. The September S&P CoreLogic Home Price data is expected to show an ongoing drop in US home prices of some –1.2% MoM after 30-year mortgage rates rose 400 basis points this year to 20-year highs. Apple production risk is on the rise The protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro which was a Morgan Stanley estimate and was published before the intensified issues at the Apple manufacturing site. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Crowdstrike with analysts expected FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth expected at 51% y/y with operating margin expected to demand as pricing power and demand remain robust in the cyber security industry. Today: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Spain Nov. CPI 0930 – UK Oct. Mortgage Approvals/Consumer Credit 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Confidence Surveys 1300 – Germany Nov. Flash CPI 1330 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1330 – Canada Sep. GDP 1400 – US Sep. S&P CoreLogic Home Prices 1500 – UK Bank of England Governor Bailey to testify 1500 – US Nov. Consumer Confidence 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 0030 – Australia Oct. CPI 0130 – China Nov. Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – November 29, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    China Protests Hit Apple | BlockFi Files For Bankruptcy

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 29.11.2022 10:34
    The week started with a selloff across global equities. Unrest in China due to protests against the Covid zero policy combined with the Federal Reserve (Fed) members’ hawkish comments led to an early week selloff in both Asian, European and US equities. Crypto Market In cryptocurrencies, it was another day of bankruptcy news. This time, the crypto lender BlockFi, which had strong ties with FTX announced to file for bankruptcy. Bitcoin eased but didn’t damage important support on the news, while Coinbase dived another 4%. Stocks Market Elsewhere, the S&P500 lost 1.54% on Monday, as Nasdaq slid 1.43%. The US dollar traded up and down as US crude fell to $73pb then rebounded to flirt with the $80pb this morning, despite the Chinese slowdown worries. Expectation that OPEC would use the Chinese unrest as excuse to restrict outlook boosted bulls’ appetite. Fed There is still hope that Fed President Jerome Powell talks about slower rate hikes at his speech this week, but again, his words shouldn’t be heard halfway through. The Fed is willing to slow the pace of rate hikes to avoid going too far. But if they slow down, it’s also because they want to go higher than 5%. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:24 China unrest, hawkish Fed comments hit sentiment 1:00 Fed remains haw-kish! 3:34 What does China developments mean for markets? 4:29 Why did crude oil rebound? 6:34 Ghana wants to buy oil with gold 7:00 China protests hit Apple, VW, but Chinese ADRs rebound 8:20 BlockFi files for bankruptcy Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #China #Covid #protests #Apple #Foxconn #VW #Fed #expectations #USD #XAU #crudeoil #Chevron #Venezuela #Bitcoin #BlockFi #FTX #bankruptcy #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    In Shanghai The Local Stock Index Rose More Than 2%

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 29.11.2022 10:39
    This morning, the US dollar seems to be losing ground again in anticipation of upcoming macroeconomic data later in the week. We are specifically talking about data from the US labor market and the popular NFP. Improvement in the markets. Is the dollar losing again? This morning, the US dollar seems to be losing ground again in anticipation of upcoming macroeconomic data later in the week. We are specifically talking about data from the US labor market and the popular NFP. The U.S. Dollar Index on Tuesday seems to have fallen below 106.5 points, despite earlier statements by U.S. Federal Reserve officials. James Bullard of the St. Louis Fed said the central bank still has "a lot of work to do to become restrictive," reiterating that "the interest rate needs to rise to at least 5% to bring inflation down." New York Fed President John Williams also said that "rates must continue to rise and remain high until next year, while being open to a rate cut in 2024." However, the Fed is widely expected to slow the pace of tightening to 50 basis points in December after four 75 basis point hikes in a row. Meanwhile, Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard warned that lower supply elasticity due to the effects of Covid-19 and the war could lead to a period of higher volatility in inflation data. This phenomenon could be the largest in several decades. Brainard added that "the experience with the pandemic and the war highlights the challenges for monetary policy in responding to a prolonged series of adverse supply shocks," BBN reported. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDIndex, H1 China's infections decline One short-term factor that appears probably to influence the behavior of financial markets is the situation in China. After a record number of infections, investors' eyes may be on both the protests and the scale of the outbreak. According to the latest information, the number of newly registered cases fell for the first time in more than a week, the Health Commission (NHC) reported. The figure was said to have dropped from more than 40,000 infections to 38645 newly registered infections. The fewer infections there are, the fewer restrictions may not be enforced, as there would be no need for them, which could help both Chinese citizens and the economy. Additionally, Chinese authorities have announced a press conference on the Zero-Covid policy, which may already have markets hoping for a loosening of restrictions. Stock market, commodities and cryptocurrencies rebound U.S. index futures seem to be pointing to the possibility of a positive opening to the session on Wall Street. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up more than 0.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 is up 0.6% this morning. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the local stock index rose more than 2% to 3144 points. On the commodities market, we could see oil prices rise by more than 1.6% to $78 per barrel. Gold, on the other hand, rose 0.7% to $1,753, and silver rose 1.45% to $21.20 per ounce. The cryptocurrency market is also trying to bounce back. The price of bitcoin has risen to $16456, and Ether is back above $1200.   Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Japanese yen loses as jobless rate go up. Australian dollar down, Dow Jones 30 decreases amid China-COVID realties

    Japanese yen loses as jobless rate go up. Australian dollar down, Dow Jones 30 decreases amid China-COVID realties

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 29.11.2022 08:20
    USDJPY remains under pressure The Japanese yen fell after an uptick in October’s jobless rate. The rebound has met stiff selling pressure in the former demand zone around 142.40. A break below the recent low of 138.00 suggests that the path of least resistance remains down. As more buyers switch sides, increased volatility may drive the pair even lower. 135.90 is the next level to see if buyers would make their way back. Otherwise, the greenback could drift towards 132.00. The psychological level of 140.00 is the first hurdle in case of a bounce. Read next: Meta fined by Irish regulators amidst privacy concerns| FXMAG.COM AUDUSD seeks support The Australian dollar retreats after a lacklustre retail sales reading in October. The pair is looking to hold onto its gains above 0.6700 following a rally earlier this month. A bounce off 0.6580 next to the 20-day moving average indicates interest in safeguarding the aussie’s recovery. 0.6720 is a fresh resistance and a close above 0.6800 would open the door for an extension to September’s peak of 0.6910. On the downside, a dip below said support would put the bulls on the defensive with 0.6400 as a second line of defence. US 30 shows overextension The Dow Jones 30 slips as protests in China against Covid curbs raise concerns about growth. While a rally above August’s high of 34200 is an encouraging sign, the bulls would need to secure their foothold before pushing towards 34700. A bearish RSI divergence indicates a deceleration in the upward momentum and the index could use some breathing room. A slide below 34000 has led some buyers to take profit and 33650 is the next level to gauge their interest. Only a bounce above 34300 would resume the uptrend.
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    The Main Indices Fell At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 30.11.2022 08:17
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.01%, the S&P 500 fell 0.16%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.59%. Dow Jones Dow Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 1.15 points or 2.32% to close at 50.65. Quotes of American Express Company rose by 3.55 points (2.35%), closing the session at 154.42. Boeing Co rose 3.49 points or 2.03% to close at 175.32. Shares of Apple Inc became the losers, the price of which fell by 3.05 points (2.11%), ending the session at 141.17. Salesforce Inc was up 1.31% or 2.01 points to close at 151.68, while Visa Inc Class A was down 1.04% or 2.20 points to close at 209. .06. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Under Armor Inc A, which rose 4.79% to hit 9.84, Celanese Corporation, which gained 4.75% to close at 105.56, and also shares of Ralph Lauren Corp Class A, which rose 4.36% to close the session at 112.66. The biggest losers were Illumina Inc, which shed 3.84% to close at 208.57. Shares of PayPal Holdings Inc lost 2.87% to end the session at 77.64. Enphase Energy Inc lost 2.83% to 303.39. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Otonomy Inc, which rose 113.82% to hit 0.23, Apollo Endosurgery Inc, which gained 67.83% to close at 10.07, and shares of OncoSec Medical Inc, which rose 50.98% to end the session at 3.85. The biggest losers were Digital Brands Group Inc, which shed 34.17% to close at 4.74. Shares of Eqonex Ltd lost 33.88% and ended the session at 0.09. Quotes of Secoo Holding Ltd decreased in price by 32.49% to 1.60. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1866) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1241), while quotes of 108 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,888 stocks fell, 1,862 rose, and 205 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.44% to 21.89. Gold Gold futures for December delivery added 0.47%, or 8.15, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for January delivery rose 1.90%, or 1.47, to $78.71 a barrel. Brent crude futures for February delivery rose 0.95%, or 0.80, to $84.69 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.07% to 1.03, while USD/JPY fell 0.18% to hit 138.70. Futures on the USD index rose 0.11% to 106.75.     Relevance up to 03:00 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/303091
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    The Chinese Authorities To Prepare For Further Easing In Its Covid Policy

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 09:31
    Summary:  A dash of optimism on Tuesday with Chinese officials continuing their commitment to ease the Zero Covid policies, but US economic data continued to disappoint and focus remains on how hawkish Fed Chair Powell can get today. Along with that, a slew of pivotal US data in the week ahead kept the US dollar range-bound. Crude oil market however continued to see volatility despite easing China demand concerns, as OPEC+ production cut hopes were shattered with the weekend meeting moving online. Eurozone CPI on watch today while the softer Australia CPI for October paves the way for RBA to maintain its slower rate hike path next week. What’s happening in markets? The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continue to retreat The major US indices ended weaker, with NASDAQ100 sliding 0.7% and the S&P500 edging down 0.2% as investors are awaiting Fed Chair Powell’s speech later Wednesday. Powell will likely underscore the Fed’s desire to keep interest rates at elevated levels until inflation eases. The latest US consumer confidence reading (released Tuesday) for November showed US consumer confidence fell to a four-month low. The biggest drag on US markets on Tuesday, were information technology, utilities, and consumer discretionary. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1% after the company said that it would deliver 6 million fewer iPhone Pro units in Q4 due to production disruption in Zhengzhou, China. The real estate, energy, financials, industrials sectors outperformed. United Parcel Services (UPS:xnys) gained 2.8% after the Biden Administration called on Congress to prevent a U.S. rail strike. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1%, continuing their three-day pull back, which totals almost 5% ..on the back of the covid lockdown fallout in China. Apple relies heavily on the key manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou, which is now in lockdown. And as a result Apple’s production shortfall could be close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year (this is according to people who know about Apple’s assembly operations). These reports are swirling at a time when Apple previously dropped its overall production target to about 87 million units (down from the prior 90 million estimate) on the back of demand slowing. However, Apple and the Foxconn facility are allegedly planning to make up the shortfall in lost output in 2023. But, looking at Apple shares from a technical perspective, its trading 8% lower than its 200 day moving average and the indicators suggest Apple shares could see further downward pressure - as suggested by the weekly and monthly charts. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rose in yields ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech Yields edged up across the yield curve with those in the long-end rising the most. The 2-year yield rose 4bps to 4.47% while the 10-year was 6bps cheaper at 3.74%. Large supply from corporate issuance put some upward pressure on yields. There were about 11 deals with a total amount of about USD18 billion, including USD8.25 billion from Amazon, on Tuesday. Fed Chair Powell is scheduled to speak on the economy and labor market at a Brookings Institution event today on Wednesday at 1:30 U.S. eastern time (2:30am SG/HK). Investors are concerned if Powell would give hints of a terminal Fed Fund rate higher than the 5% being priced in by the market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) surged on renewed optimism about reopening and additional support to the property sector Hang Seng Index surged 5.2% and Hang Seng TECH Index jumped 7.7%. All sectors gained, with information technology, consumer discretionary, and properties leading the charge higher. The CSI 300 gained 3.1%. The market sentiment was first buoyed by new measures from the Chinese securities regulator to relax its restriction on property developers from equity financing. Then the renewed optimism about China reopening from stringent pandemic control added to the market rally. Leading Chinese developers listed in Hong Kong jumped by 3-14%. In the mainland’s A-share markets, real estate, financials, and food and beverage led the charge higher. The strong revenue and margin beat of Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas) aided the surge of Alibaba (09988:xhkg) by 9.1% and JD.COM (09618:xhkg) by 10.9%. The ADR of Bilibili (BILI:xnas) jumped 22% overnight after reporting results beating market expectations. FX: Dollar range-bound ahead of Powell’s speech While the commodity currencies gained on Tuesday after a relief that China officials maintained their commitment to ease the Zero covid policies despite the protests and a recent rise in cases, cyclical currencies like CAD weakened as crude oil futures traded lower. Overall the dollar was range-bound with expectations around a hawkish Powell today picking up given the substantial easing in financial conditions. EURUSD remained stuck below 1.0400 while USDJPY has gains above 139 getting limited. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3)volatile with large inventory drawdown ahead of OPEC The relief from continued commitment of China officials to ease zero covid restrictions helped crude oil prices gather some momentum early on Tuesday, but the cheer was short-lived as other concerns still clouded the outlook. US economic data showed economic momentum is weakening, while Fed Chair Powell’s speech today will be key for the dollar and the markets. On the supply side, API survey reported a larger than expected crude draw, with inventories down 7.80mm b/d (exp -2.49mm b/d) but production cut expectations from OPEC (read below) this weekend eased as the meeting moved online. WTI futures traded around $79/barrel, while Brent traded lower after touching $86/barrel earlier. Technical update on Brent crude oil from Kim Cramer, our Technical Analyst. The update also takes a closer look at WTI crude oil, Dutch TTF gas and Henry Hub natural gas.   What to consider? US data disappoints, all eyes on Powell Consumer confidence pared back in November to 100.2 from 102.5 (exp. 100.00); the Present Situation Index decreased to 137.4 from 138.7 last month, while the Expectations Index declined to 75.4 from 77.9. Meanwhile, home prices in 20 large cities slipped 1.2% in September, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller gauge. More critical data from ISM to PCE to NFP is lined up for the second half of the week, but before we get there, Fed Chair Powell’s speech will be the one to watch. Easing financial conditions raise concerns about inflation shooting back higher, but pushback from Fed officials so far hasn’t been enough for the markets yet. It remains to be seen what more Fed Chair Powell can deliver today. Reopening optimism returned in China While the daily new cases continued to surge and anti-restriction protests sprang up across major cities, investors took comfort from the light-touch reactions from the Chinese authorities and hints of preparing to ease the pandemic control measures further. A Party-controlled newspaper in Beijing published a long article reporting the stories of people having recovered from Covid, which seemingly aimed at easing people’s worries about the disease. The National Health Commission issued a memo pledging to increase the vaccination rate of the country’s senior population. In a press conference later in the afternoon, health officers again emphasized increasing the senior population’s vaccination rate as a priority and highlighted the Omicron variants as being less severe than the original virus. Officials and the state-controlled media have taken a light-touch approach to the recent protests and have not put any political stigma on the incidents. Putting these together, investors are taking the development as hints of the Chinese authorities to prepare for further easing in its Covid policy. China relaxes its restrictions on developers from attaining equity financing The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) fired the so-called “third arrow” to ease some of the restrictions previously imposed on property developers from attaining equity financing. While property developers are still barred from doing IPO in the domestic equity market, they are now domestically listed A-share developers and some Hong Kong-listed H-share developers to issue new shares to raise capital as long as the proceeds are used for restricting, M&A activities, refinancing, buying existing property projects, repaying debts, and project construction. However, proceeds are not allowed to be used in land acquisition. Softer Australia CPI paves the way for a dovish RBA next week Australian inflation data for October showed inflation is continuing to fall, and far more than expected which supports the RBA’s dovish tone and only hiking rates by 0.25% next week (December 6). Trimmed mean CPI which excludes volatile items, rose 5.3% year-on-year in October, which marks a fall in price rises, compared to the prior read, 5.4% YoY. This also shows prices for consumer goods and services in Australia are falling less than the market expects as Trimmed CPI was expected to rise 5.7%. Meanwhile, headline inflation also rose less than expected, showing consumer prices rose 6.9% YoY, which was cooler than prior 7.3% read, and less than the 7.6% expected. This follows a suite of Australian economic data that supports the RBA remaining more conservative with rate hikes. Earlier in the week, Australian retail trade data unexpectedly fell, showing consumers are feeling the strain of inflation and rising interest rates. As a house, we think spending will likely continue to slow into 2023, with the full impact of rate hikes passing through households under financial duress giving deb to income ratios are some of the highest in the world. China PMIs likely to show demand weakness China’s NBS manufacturing PMI is expected to decline to 49.0 in November, further into the contractionary territory, from 49.2 October, according to the survey of economists conducted by Bloomberg. The imposition of movement restrictions in many large cities has incurred disruption to economic activities. High-frequency data such as steel rebar output, cement plants’ capacity utilization rates, and container throughputs have weakened in November versus October. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the NBS Non-manufacturing to slow to 48.0. in November from 48.7 in October, on the enlargement of pandemic containment measures. OPEC+ weekend meeting goes virtual Instead of meeting in Vienna as planned earlier, OPEC+ has now moved its December 4 meeting online which is downplaying expectations of any significant policy change after production cut expectations gathered hopes this week with crude oil prices falling to test key support levels. Some delegates also suggested that the cartel is leaning towards approving the same production levels agreed in October, when a 2mb/d cut in output was announced. Bilibili (BILI:xnas/09626:xhkg) Q3 beat expectations Bilibili reported 11% Y/Y revenue growth in Q3 and net loss came in at a smaller amount of RMB1.7 billion. User growth was solid, with average daily active users growing 25% Y/Y to 90.3 million, average monthly active users growing 25% to 332.6 million, and average monthly paying users increasing 19% to 28.5 million. Operating margin improved to -31.9% in Q3 from -44.63 in Q2 and -51.1% in Q3 last year. The company guides for a 4-7% Y/Y increase in Q4 revenue, below the consensus estimate of 8% Y/Y. EUR may be watching the flash Eurozone CPI release Eurozone inflation touched double digits for October, and the flash release for November is due this week. The headline rate of the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) is expected to ease slightly to 10.4% YoY from 10.7% YoY last month. The core rate that excludes food and energy prices is forecast to however remain unchanged at 5% YoY. This print will be key for markets as the magnitude of the ECB’s next rate hike at the December meeting is still uncertain, and about 60bps is priced in for now. But even with a slight cooling in inflation, which will most likely be driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Crowdstrike (CRWD:xnas) tumbled on guidance miss The shares of Crowdstrike plunged 18.7% in the extended-hour trading after the cybersecurity provider issued Q4 revenue guidance below market expectations. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-market-insights-30-nov-2022-30112022
    Supply Trends Resurface: Analyzing the Impact on Market Dynamics

    Austrailan CPI Report Gives The RBA Room To Remain Dovish

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 09:39
    Summary:  Daily Dose of financial insights for investors and traders; Apple skids 5% in three days what could be next. Australian inflation slows more than expected, what this mean for interest rates and the Aussie dollar. Coal stocks surge to record highs. The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continue to retreat   The major US indices closed on the back foot again as investors continue to weigh the deteriorating Covid developments and increased restrictions in China, while also awaiting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech later Wednesday. Powell’s will likely underscore the Fed’s desire to keep interest rates at elevated levels until inflation eases. And it’s fair to say that this double blow, of persistent inflation and rising interest rates is denting sentiment. The latest US consumer confidence reading (released Tuesday) for November showed US consumer confidence fell to a four-month low. The biggest drag on US markets on Tuesday, were technology companies with Apple shares continuing to slide. While some travel companies shares saw some stellar gains, with Carnival Cruise (CCL) shares rose almost 5% after announcing Cyber Monday bookings volumes were 50% higher than Cyber Monday 2019. And Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) shares followed higher on the sentiment boost. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1%, continuing their three day pull back, which totals almost 5% ...on the back of the covid lockdown fallout in China. Apple relies heavily on the key manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou, which is now in lockdown. And as a result Apple’s production shortfall could be close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year (this is according to people who know about Apple’s assembly operations). These reports are swirling at a time when Apple previously dropped its overall production target to about 87 million units (down from the prior 90 million estimate) on the back of demand slowing. However, Apple and the Foxconn facility are allegedly planning to make up the shortfall in lost output in 2023. However, looking at Apple shares from a technical perspective, its trading 8% lower than its 200 day moving average and the indicators suggest Apple shares could see further downward pressure - as suggested by the weekly and monthly charts. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises 0.3% mid-session, which brings the market closer to its record high, that it's just 4.5% away from  What is supporting the Aussie market rally on Wednesday, is firstly - weaker than expected inflation data was released, which gives the RBA room to remain dovish and only rise rates by 0.25% next week. Secondly, ahead of the northern hemisphere winter, coal shares are trading considerably higher, trading at new record highs, with Whitehaven Coal (WHC) up 7.3% to $9.34 and New Hope Coal (NHC) up almost 6% to $5.88. Trimmed mean CPI (which excludes volatile items), showed consumer prices rose 5.3% year-on-year in October, which means that prices of goods and services in Australia are falling, compared to the prior read (5.4% YoY). This also shows price rises are not as bad as feared (Trimmed CPI was expected to rise 5.7%). Meanwhile, headline inflation also rose less than expected, up 6.9% YoY, which was cooler than prior read (7.3%), and less than the 7.6% expected. Remember, this follows a suite of Australian economic data that supports the RBA remaining more conservative with rate hikes ahead. Earlier in the week, Australian retail trade data unexpectedly fell, showing consumers are feeling the strain of inflation and rising interest rates. So where to from here? We think spending will likely continue to slow into 2023, as the full impact of rate hikes passes through households, with some under financial duress, given debt to income ratios are some of the highest in the world. This means, the RBA could not only potentially stop rising rates sooner than expected, but now the market is thinking the RBA will begin to cut rates in December next year. Australian dollar holds onto monthly gain Despite the weaker than expected Australian inflation data, that would traditionally cause the Australian dollar (AUDUSD) to fall, today the Aussie is steady at 0.669. However, the AUD is up 5.3% this month. I suspect the reason for this is because it's ahead of LNG and coal shipments likely rising, to cater to the northern hemisphere winter. For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: Daily Dose of financial insights for investors and traders; Apple skids 5% in three days, Australian inflation slows more than expected | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Financial World in a Turbulent Dance: Lego, Gold, and Market Mysteries

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Warned Against Apple’s Monopoly Powers

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 09:46
    Summary:  Markets are in defensive mode ahead of a speech from Fed Chair Powell later today on fears of hawkish pushback against the recent easing of financial conditions and after having priced in significant rate cuts beyond the end of 2023. Economic data releases continue to roll in, with the Eurozone flash November CPI data up this morning after slightly softer inflation releases around Europe this week and US November ADP private payrolls data up today ahead of Friday’s US jobs report.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are still boxed into a tighter and tighter range between the 100-day moving average at 3,927 and the 200-day moving average at 4,051. The key event today is of course the FOMC rate decision and more importantly the subsequent press conference where all eyes are on Fed Chair Jerome Powell following the latest rally due to the recently lower US inflation print. Financial conditions have eased considerably, and Powell will likely not get away with talking about terminal rates if he wants to tighten conditions again in line with their strategy of easing inflationary pressures. After the US market call, there are key earnings from Salesforce and Snowflake which could impact sentiment in Nasdaq 100 futures. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed 0.8% and The CSI 300 gained 0.2% as optimism returned about an exit from the stringent dynamic zero-Covid policy, if not in name, at least gradually in practice in mainland China. Investors looked beyond the disappointing Manufacturing PMI data, which came at 48, weaker than expectations and further into the contractionary territory. The focus of the investors, however, was on the recent supportive measures to the real estate sector and signs of sticking to or even preparing for more relaxation of China’s stringent pandemic control restrictions even as Covid cases are on the rise. Teleco names outperformed, with China Unicom (00762:xhkg) and China Telecom (00728:xhkg) rising 6-7%. USD edging higher ahead of anticipated hawkishness from Fed Chair Powell Concerns are mounting that Fed Chair Powell is set to administer a hawkish broadside to US markets after a powerful easing of financial conditions in recent weeks and the pricing in of a significant Fed policy easing starting in late 2023 (see more below). But USD bulls have their work cut out for them if they expect to reverse the recent USD sell-off, even if we have seen a solid reversal in places. The key zone for EURUSD stretches from the 1.0223 pivot low and down to perhaps 1.0100, while the similar zone for USDJPY stretches from the 142.25 pivot high all the way to 145.00. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) volatile with large inventory drawdown ahead of OPEC The relief from continued commitment of China officials to ease zero covid restrictions helped crude oil prices gather some momentum early on Tuesday, but the cheer was short-lived as production cut expectations from OPEC+ this Sunday eased as the meeting moved online and economic data from the US and China showed weakening momentum. Focus on speech from Fed Chair Powell given its potential impact on the dollar, and EIA’s weekly report after the API reported a larger than expected crude draw, with inventories down 7.80mm b/d (exp -2.49mm b/d). WTI futures traded around $79/barrel, while Brent trades back below $84 after touching $86/barrel on Tuesday. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Yields edged up across the yield curve with those in the long end rising the most. The 2-year yield rose 4bps to 4.47% while the 10-year rose 6 bps to 3.74%. Large supply from corporate issuance put some upward pressure on yields. There were about 11 deals with a total amount of about USD18 billion, including USD8.25 billion from Amazon, on Tuesday. Fed Chair Powell to speak later today. (more below) What is going on? Reopening optimism returned in China While the daily new cases continued to surge and anti-restriction protests sprang up across major cities, investors took comfort from the light-touch reactions from the Chinese authorities and hints of preparing to ease the pandemic control measures further. A Party-controlled newspaper in Beijing published a long article reporting the stories of people having recovered from Covid, which seemingly aimed at easing people’s worries about the disease. The National Health Commission issued a memo pledging to increase the vaccination rate of the country’s senior population. In a press conference later in the afternoon, health officers again emphasized increasing the senior population’s vaccination rate as a priority and highlighted the Omicron variants as being less severe than the original virus. Officials and the state-controlled media have taken a light-touch approach to the recent protests and have largely refrained from putting any political stigma on the incidents. Putting these together, investors are taking the development as hints of the Chinese authorities to prepare for further easing in its Covid policy. Apple criticized by possible 2024 presidential hopeful DeSantis, also in the anti-trust spotlight Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival of Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, inveighed against Apple for providing “aid and comfort to the CCP” by turning off access in China to the AirDrop app that could be used to organize protests. As well, he warned against Apple’s monopoly powers after Twitter CEO Elon Musk complained that Apple had pulled virtually all advertising from the platform and threatened to remove it from their app store. “Don’t be a vassal of the [Chinese Communist Party] on one hand and then use your corporate power in the United States on the other to suffocate Americans and try to suppress their right to express themselves” DeSantis said. US Senators also weighed in against the company on the issue as anti-trust efforts are afoot in Congress. Crowdstrike beats estimates The US cyber security company reported Q3 revenue of $581mn vs est. $574mn and adj. EPS of $0.40 vs est. $0.31 as the underlying structural growth is still strong in the industry. The Q4 outlook on earnings was much better than expected but the Q4 revenue outlook at $620-628mn vs est. $635mn spooked investors, sending shares down 19%. Management said that the lower guidance was due to increased macroeconomic headwinds. Commodities see November gains on China optimism and Fed Pivot The Bloomberg Commodity Index trades up 2% on the month with strong gains among industrial and precious metals offsetting minor declines in energy and grains. The sector has been supported by a 4% drop in the dollar and sharply lower US bond yields on speculation the FOMC will soon slow its pace of rate hikes. The industrial metal sector trades up 12% on optimism that China may shift away from Covid Zero policies and provide additional stimulus to boost demand in the top metal-consuming economy. Copper, up 8%, is heading for its best month since April 2021 while gold and silver has been supported by the change in direction for the dollar and yields.  Wheat prices in Chicago and Paris scrap the bottom with ample supply, especially from the Black Sea region adding downward pressure. What are we watching next? OPEC+ weekend meeting goes virtual Instead of meeting in Vienna as planned earlier, OPEC+ has now moved its December 4 meeting online which is downplaying expectations of any significant policy change after production cut expectations gathered hopes this week with crude oil prices falling to test key support levels. Some delegates also suggested that the cartel is leaning towards approving the same production levels agreed in October, when a 2mb/d cut in output was announced. Fed Chair Powell to speak today – will he lean hawkish? Fed Chair Powell is scheduled to speak on the economy and labor market at a Brookings Institution event today at 13:30 U.S. eastern time. Market participants are expecting hawkish comments from Powell about higher terminal rates for 2023.  Given the huge shift in market pricing of the Fed policy rate in 2024 (cuts of over 150 basis points from the 2023 rate peak are currently priced by end 2024) the more interesting angle on Powell’s comments are whether he pushes back against the recent strong easing of financial conditions and this anticipation that the Fed will be in full retreat in 2024. The September FOMC “dot plot” projections show a wide dispersion of forecasts, but the median projection is that the policy rate will drop about 100 basis points by end 2024 from end 2023. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is US technology sector earnings from Salesforce and Snowflake. Analysts expect Salesforce FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to slow down to 14% y/y down from 27% y/y a year ago supporting the growth slowdown in the technology sector. To avoid the negative impact from the earnings release Salesforce must deliver meaningful improvement in profitability or face downward pressure on its share price. Snowflake is expected to see FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to slow down to 61% y/y down from 110% y/y a year ago. As with Salesforce, Snowflake must deliver significant improvements in profitability to avoid a negative impact from falling revenue growth which current trajectory is worse than estimated just one year a ago. Today:  Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0745 – France Nov. Flash CPI 0830 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 0855 – Germany Nov. Unemployment Rate / Change 0900 – Poland Nov. Flash CPI 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Flash CPI 1315 – US Nov. ADP Employment Change 1330 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak 1445 – US Nov. Chicago PMI 1500 – US Oct. JOLTS Job Openings 1530 – US Weekly DoE Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1735 – US Fed’s Cook (Voter) to speak 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell to discuss Economic and Policy Outlook 1900 – US Fed’s Beige Book 0145 – China Nov. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – November 30, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Hawkish Fed Minutes Spark US Market Decline to One-Month Lows on August 17, 2023

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Zoom In Fed Chair Powel's Speech And Apple, Crowdstrike And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 12:09
    Summary:  Today we note that Fed Chair Powell is set to speak later today and will likely try to push back against the recent strong easing of financial conditions and pricing of hefty Fed rate cuts that the market has priced to start as early as late 2023. If Powell can't impress the market, the incoming US data might have to do so, with the November ADP private payrolls up today and the PCE inflation data tomorrow. Elsewhere, we zoom in on the latest on crude oil and commodity performance this month, talk Apple, Crowdstrike and incoming earnings and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Can a hawkish Powell pour cold water on this market? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    AMZN: Market Nears The End Of The Primary Wave Ⓐ

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 30.11.2022 13:05
    The internal structure of AMZN hints at the development of a corrective trend. It is assumed that a zigzag is formed, which consists of sub-waves a-b-c of the cycle degree. Perhaps at the end of last year, the market completed the formation of the first major wave a, it is a bullish 5-wave impulse. After the end of the impulse growth, the price began to decline, which may indicate the beginning of the construction of a bearish correction b. It may take the form of a zigzag â’¶-â’·-â’¸ of the primary degree. Most likely, in the near future we will see a continuation of the depreciation of stocks in the final intermediate wave (5) of the leading diagonal â’¶ to 77.07. At that level, wave (5) will be at 100% of previous impulse (3). After the end of the wave â’¶, we expect the growth of stocks in the primary correction â’·. Let's consider the second option, when the market has completed the formation of the primary wave â’¶, where, as in the first option, it has the form of a leading diagonal (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5). In this case, in the last section of the chart, we see a price increase within the sideways correction â’·. It is assumed that the correction wave â’· will take the form of an intermediate double three (W)-(X)-(Y), where the actionary wave (W) is also a double zigzag W-X-Y of a lesser degree. Perhaps the second intervening wave (X) has also come to an end, so an upward movement in the final wave (Y) to a maximum of 146.85 is expected in the near future.
    WTI Oil Shows Signs of Short-Term Uptrend Amid Medium-Term Uptrend Phase

    Euro feels a bit better after the release of European inflation data

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 30.11.2022 18:12
    Equity markets are off to a positive start on Wednesday as we await a slew of big economic releases and a speech from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. It’s already been a very headline-driven week, particularly where oil is concerned, while Covid restrictions and protests in China have very much set the tone in Asia, and to a lesser extent elsewhere. The headwinds facing China are intensifying and the protests of recent days could make it even more challenging to navigate. That said, what we’ve heard so far has been promising and potentially indicative of a plan that was already in the works. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves. In the event that China commits 100% to its vaccine drive, especially among the elderly and vulnerable, the move away from zero Covid will take time as the virus spreads rapidly throughout the country necessitating swift action to control the spread. Even the best-case scenario is one of significant turbulence for the world’s second-largest economy next year. Chinese PMIs highlight the challenges ahead The PMIs highlight just how difficult the situation is in China, with the zero-Covid stance combined with the property market crackdown severely impacting domestic sentiment, while a slowing global economy weighs on external demand. With both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs falling deeper into contraction territory than anticipated, the country really has a mountain to climb in order to achieve decent, consistent growth once more. Some rare good news on inflation The euro is a little higher on the day against the dollar after CPI data for the currency bloc slowed to 10%, far below market expectations of around 10.4%. While still extraordinarily high, it does offer hope that inflation may have peaked and the deceleration could be faster than anticipated, in much the same way it was on the way up. The single currency was choppy in the aftermath of the release, while markets now view the possibility of a 50 or 75 basis points hike in December as a coin flip after previously heavily favouring the latter. That could be a positive for the euro if it means less of an economic slump, with the bloc already likely heading for recession. Rising for now Bitcoin is making steady gains in the session, up more than 2% and eyeing a second positive session. It did run into resistance around $1,700 again, the upper end of its range over the last couple of weeks. While we could see a bigger correction to the upside, especially if we’re treated to some dovish commentary from Powell, I’m not convinced it would be anything more than that. The industry has been shaken by the FTX collapse and as a result, bitcoin could remain vulnerable to further plunges in the price. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Cautiously optimistic - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    The S&P 500 Is Still On Track For A Monthly Gain

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 01.12.2022 08:00
    Stock markets saw another downturn as traders considered latest economic data and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's speech for clues as to whether the central bank will ease the pace of rate hikes to prevent a hard landing. On the bright side, the S&P 500 is still on track for a monthly gain despite recent losses. This is the longest streak since August 2021. Bond yields have also risen. As for European stock indices, they are more confident, thanks to falling inflation in the eurozone. Powell's speech is expected to stress that the fight against inflation will last until 2023. It may not be an overly hawkish tone, but it will be hawkish nonetheless. But this does not mean that stock markets will collapse because given the real Fed targets right now, a strong year-end rally is less likely than many think. A slew of economic data was also released, with key US activity indicators painting a mixed picture in the third quarter. Jobless claims falling in October is an encouraging sign for the Fed as it seeks to curb demand. Key events this week: - S&P Global PMI, Thursday - US construction spending, consumer income, initial jobless claims, ISM Manufacturing, Thursday - BOJ's Haruhiko Kuroda speech, Thursday - US unemployment, nonfarm payrolls, Friday - ECB's Christine Lagarde speech, Friday     Relevance up to 17:00 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/328634
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    There Was Good Close On The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 01.12.2022 08:11
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 2.18% to a 6-month high, the S&P 500 rose 3.09% and the NASDAQ Composite index rose 4.41%. Dow Jones The leading gainers among the components of the Dow Jones index today were shares of Microsoft Corporation, which gained 14.81 points (6.16%) to close at 255.14. Salesforce Inc rose 8.57 points or 5.65% to close at 160.25. Apple Inc rose 4.86% or 6.86 points to close at 148.03. The least gainers were Walmart Inc, which shed 0.55 points or 0.36% to end the session at 152.42. 3M Company rose 0.13% or 0.16 points to close at 125.97, while Caterpillar Inc rose 0.55% or 1.29 points to close at 236.41. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL), which rose 9.70% to 235.79, Netflix Inc, which gained 8.75% to close at 305.53, as well as shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co, which rose 8.57% to close the session at 16.79. The least gainers were NetApp Inc, which shed 5.82% to close at 67.61. Shares of Charles River Laboratories shed 4.56% to end the session at 228.57. Hormel Foods Corporation fell 2.47% to 47.00. NASDAQ The top performers on the NASDAQ Composite Index today were Biophytis, which rose 92.03% to hit 0.67, Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holding, which gained 60.08% to close at 0.19, and Biodesix Inc, which rose 47.06% to end the session at 2.00. The least gainers were Aeglea Bio Therapeutics Inc, which shed 65.98% to close at 0.41. Shares of CN Energy Group Inc lost 44.93% and ended the session at 0.82. Pacifico Acquisition Corp lost 42.81% to 5.41. Number On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2686) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (442), while quotes of 105 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,913 companies rose in price, 872 fell, and 199 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 5.98% to 20.58. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.99% or 34.75 to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for January delivery rose 2.86%, or 2.24, to $80.44 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery rose 2.93%, or 2.47, to $86.72 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.76% to hit 1.04, while USD/JPY fell 0.44% to hit 138.07. Futures on the USD index fell 0.75% to 105.96.     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-02 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/303272
    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Had Its Best Month | EU Inflation Slowed

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.12.2022 09:08
    Summary:  Fed Chair Powell signaled the moderation of the tightening pace could start as soon as December and the terminal Fed Fund rate would be “somewhat higher” than the FOMC’s September projections. His tone was overall less hawkish than feared. S&P 500 rose to its two-month high and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng had its best month since 1998. Bond prices surged with the 10-year treasury yield falling to 3.61%. Crude oil and commodity currencies gained. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged on Powell’s speech and signs of China relaxing Covid-19 restrictions Fed Chair Powell signaled that the Fed would start to moderate the pace of rate hikes as soon as December and the terminal rate might just be “somewhat higher” than the September FOMC’s projections. The less-than-feared comments stirred up another round of risk-on buying in equities. The sentiment was also bolstered by more signs coming out of China on the country’s course to ease Covid restrictions gradually despite the recent outbreaks. The S&P 500 rose by 3.1% to a two-month high. All sectors within the S&P 500, led by information technology and communication services, each rising by around 5%. Nasdaq 100 surged 4.6% to 12,030. The Dow Jones Index rose 2.2% and was said to have technically entered a bull market, after rising more than 20% from is September closing low. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied on the lack of new hawkishness in Powell’s speech Yields edged up a few basis points after a mixed bag of data in the morning until Fed Chair Powell’s speech hit the wire in the New York afternoon, seeing yields reversing and yields of the 2-year up to the 5-year tumbling by more than 15bps almost immediately from the intra-day highs. The 5-year performed the best and finished the day 19bps richer at 3.74%. The 2-year yield dropped 16bps to 4.31% and the 10-year yield was 14bps lower to settle at 3.61%.  Powell reiterated his well-telegraphed higher-for-longer message but did not add additional hawkish pushback as some feared. He said that it makes sense to moderate the pace of rate increases as the Fed “approach[es] the level of restraint that will be sufficient to bring inflation down. The time for moderating the pace of rate increases may come as soon as the December meeting”. Further, his remark of terminal rate being “somewhat higher” than the Fed’s September projection was less hawkish than feared. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) about 3% away from its record high The Aussie market is up 12% from its October low, with commodities back in focus and rallying after the Fed signals a possibly smaller pace of rate hikes ahead. That has pressured the US dollar, with the US dollar index now down 5.4% from its peak, and that’s supported commodity prices higher, plus, as above, there is forward looking optimism on China. Locally, equites also appear supported in Australia as monthly inflation data came out weaker than expected yesterday, which supports the RBA remaining dovish and likely only hiking by 25bps (0.25%) next week. However, the important inflation read (quarterly CPI) is due early next year, which will be a more accurate reflection of price rises, and will likely show inflation in Australia is more sticky than monthly inflation read alluded to. Also consider if the best performers of late (who are all commodity companies) can continue to build momentum if stimulus continues in China’s property sector. In November, copper-gold company Sandfire (SFR) rose 45%, energy business Origin Energy gained 41% while Australia’s fourth biggest iron ore company, Champion Iron (CIA) rose 35%, with Nickel company Nickel Industries (NIC) following up 33%. So, it’s clear to say we are watching commodity companies closely as we believe the world will still struggle with the lack of tangible supply. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) gained on the removal of lockdown in four Guangzhou districts Hong Kong stocks surged on Wednesday afternoon after Guangzhou lifted the lockdown in four districts even when the number of new cases was still rising in the city. Hang Seng Index climbed 2.2% with consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and industrials rising the most. In the consumer space, food and beverage names surged, with Haidilao (06862:xhkg) up 15.5% and Xiabuxiabu Catering (00520:xhkg) up 10.9%. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) jumped nearly 17% on the earnings beat. The three Chinese airlines listed in Hong Kong gained around 5% each on reopening optimism. The share prices of automakers jumped 4% to 11% on speculation for an extension of purchase tax credits for petrol vehicles. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) surged 16% ahead of earnings. Another EV maker, Li Auto (02015) surged 8.9%. Hang Seng finished November up more than 26%.  It was the best monthly performance since October 1998 at the end of the Asian financial crisis. After Hong Kong market closed, XPeng reported Q3 results, missing analyst estimates but the share price of its ADRs jumped 46%. In A shares, CSI 300 was flat with auto names outperforming. FX: NZDUSD broke above 0.63, USDJPY below 137.50 Lower yields drove the US dollar lower after Powell’s speech lacked any hints of keeping the door open for 75bps in December or laying out a path for rate hikes through the course of 2023. The Euro was supported by Powell's dovish speech taking EUR/USD back above 1.04, but lacked conviction as hawkish ECB bets also retreated after a softer Eurozone CPI for November. The biggest gainers were NOK and NZD, and NZDUSD broke above the pivotal 0.63 which is the 200dma. USDJPY heading lower for a test of 137 with 200dma next in sight at 134.50. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) higher on weaker USD and lower US inventories Crude oil markets extended recent gains amid signs of strong demand. US crude oil inventories fell by 12.6mbbl last week, the biggest decline since June 2019, according to EIA data. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities announced relaxation of Zero Covid policies in Guangzhou despite worsening Covid outbreak, signalling a better demand outlook as well. The lack of escalation in Powell’s speech also turned the dollar lower. WTI futures rose to $81/barrel while Brent futures rose above $85. The focus is now shifting to the weekend OPEC meeting, with some expecting a cut while others suggest a rollover of the current deal is more likely. Breakout in Silver (XAGUSD), Gold (XAUUSD) up as well Silver broke above the key 22 level to its highest levels since May this year as Powell signalled that the pace of interest rate hikes will slow in December. Gold edged higher as well and finished the month up over 8%, the biggest gains since July 2020. Next key levels to watch in Gold will be the 200dma and key level at 1808 while Silver may likely be heading to the 0.618 retracement at 23.35.   What to consider? Jerome Powell sticks to the script Fed Chair Powell repeated his comments from the November FOMC and what we have heard more generally from the Fed speakers over the course of the month. He said it makes sense to moderate the pace of interest rate hikes and the time to moderate the pace of hikes may come as soon as December, while he added it seems likely that rates must ultimately go somewhat higher than what was thought in the September SEPs. Powell also said they have made substantial progress towards sufficiently restrictive policy but have more ground to cover and they will likely need to hold policy at a restrictive level for some time. While his comments still tilted towards the hawkish side but there was no escalation that the markets had hoped for. His comment that he does not want to over-tighten but cutting rates is not something to do soon was a slight contrast to his earlier acceptance that risk of tightening less is greater that the risk over-tightening. Fed's Cook (voter) also said it is prudent for the Fed to hike in smaller steps as it moves forward and how far the Fed goes with hikes depends on how the economy responds, overall sticking to the consensus. US economic data broadly weaker, focus now on PCE prices and ISM manufacturing The private ADP jobs report showed US payrolls rose 127,000 this month, the slowest pace in nearly two years, as wage gains moderated. Job openings also fell in October to 10.334mln from September's 10.687mln, reversing a surprise jump in the prior month but still remaining elevated, according to the JOLTS report. The biggest downside surprise came in Chicago PMI for November which came in at 37.2 against an expected 47.0, falling from a prior 45.2. While monthly surveys can be noisy, but this one is now flirting with pandemic lows and puts the focus on ISM manufacturing due today. The only ray of positive news came from the Q3 GDP release which was upwardly revised by to 2.9% from 2.6% previously. Softer EU CPI weakens hawkish ECB bets Euro inflation slowed for the first time in 1.5 years to 10% in November from 10.6% YoY in October. ECB officials have highlighted the data will be key for their next rate decision, suggesting lower chance of another 75bps rate hike at the December 15 meeting. Still, it remains hard to say that inflation in the Eurozone has peaked. ECB members also remain broadly hawkish and suggest that the commitment to bring inflation back to target will stay. Guangzhou lifted the lockdown of several districts as a sign of easing restrictions even as new cases at elevated levels Guangzhou, the third largest city in China and the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, removed the “temporary control areas” restrictions of several districts even though the city’s daily new cases of Covid-19 stayed at nearly 7,000. It was an encouraging sign pointing to China’s willingness to continue the fine-tuning measures that it had recently started despite the surge in new cases across the country. Speaking at a pandemic control policy workshop, Vice Premier Sun Chunlian emphasized the importance of gradually fine-tuning the pandemic control measures in response to the lower fatality of the Omicron, higher vaccination rate, and the accumulation of experience in containing the spread of the virus. Equities in focus that could benefit from rate hikes not being as aggressive, and from the festive season spending It’s the world’s first festive season not in lockdown (excluding China), so we are watching retailer shares given they will likely benefit from retail shopping rising. It’s worth watching travel and tourism companies with the market forward looking and seeing that travel-services revenue could likely continue to gain momentum. Carnival shares are up 44% from October with the company seeing some of its strongest sales since pre-covid, Royal Caribbean shares are up 83% from July. We are also watching other travel affiliated companies do well, like Boeing, which is up 48% from September, as well as airlines, such as Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand. However, we think although the travel and tourism sector, especially airlines, will likely see a pick-up in sales amid the seasonality, we wonder if airlines will be able to extend their share price rally into 2023 as fuel costs are not expected offer respite into 2023. This means, those larger companies or those with a wide moat, might be more in focus, as they will be more likely able to sustain the costs pressures.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: Powell’s lack of new hawkishness; Guangzhou restrictions eased – 1 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The ECB Has Made It Clear That Rates Will Remain High Until There Is Evidence That Inflation Is Falling Toward The Target

    The ECB Members Also Remain Broadly Hawkish | US Payrolls Rose This Month

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.12.2022 09:46
    Summary:  The US equity market exploded higher yesterday in the wake of a Fed Chair Powell speech that outlined the Fed’s view on inflationary risks and the preferred course of monetary policy. Powell confirmed the market view that the Fed willl downshift to a smaller 50-bp hike at the December FOMC meeting. Weak US data added to the sense that an economic slowdown is underway, taking long US treasury yields to new local lows.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities exploded higher yesterday after Fed Chair Powell’s speech failed to push back against easing financial conditions and as US yields dropped further. This gives the impression that further soft data from the US (see preview below) that takes yields lower still will see an extension of this market squeeze higher, despite the implications from softer data that a recession draws nearer. The Nasdaq 100 index closed clear of the important 12,000 level for the first time since September yesterday and may extend its rally to the 200-day moving average, currently near 12,550 for the cash index. The S&P 500 spiked to new highs since September as well and cleared its 200-day moving average at 4,050, closing at 4,080 on the day. This is the first time that moving average has fallen since the March-April time frame. THe next major resistance there is the pivot high near 4,325 from August. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed 1.7% and CSI300 Index gained 1.5% following the less-hawkish-than-feared speech from the U.S. Fed Chair Powell overnight and China’s Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees containing the spread of Covid-19, acknowledged in a pandemic control export workshop that the Omicron variant is less deadly. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged 4-5%. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) jumped 13% after reporting Q3 earnings. Caixin China PMI Manufacturing came in at 49.4 in November, above the consensus estimate of 48.9 and October’s 49.2. USD blasted after Fed Chair Powell’s speech craters US treasury yields, sparks risk-on rally Fed Chair Powell failed to make any notable pushback against easing financial conditions in his speech yesterday (more below), and US Treasury yields downshifted sharply all along the curve after he confirmed the likely downshift to a 50-basis point hike at the December FOMC meeting, with weak US data also pushing US yields lower. The US dollar was lower across the board: EURUSD rushed back higher, and trades this morning not far below the pivotal 1.0500 area, which could open up for 1.0600+, while the action in US yields was a particular tailwind for USDJPY bears, as that pair fell to new local lows well south of the former 137.50 low water mark, hitting 136.21 overnight and possibly on its way for a test of the 200-day moving average near 134.50. Gold trades higher supported by a breakout in silver Silver’s impressive 16% rally last month extended overnight following Powell’s speech in which he signaled a slowdown in the pace of future rate hikes. It trades around $22.25, the 50% retracement of the March to September selloff, and a close above could see it challenge $23.35 next. In addition, the recent dollar and yield slump, the metal has also been supported by improved supply and demand fundamentals.  Gold has built on last month's impressive 8% gain and has now returned to challenging a key area of resistance between $1788 and $1808. Focus on the dollar and incoming US data starting with today’s ISM and Friday’s job report. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) supported by weaker USD and lower US inventories Crude oil’s three-day recovery has been supported by a weaker dollar and traders assessing signals that China may soften its Covid Zero policy after China’s Vice Premier in charge of fighting Covid acknowledged the Omicron variant is less deadly. Developments that have forced a reduction in recently established short positions ahead of Sunday’s OPEC+ meeting. A meeting that is likely to be strong on words but low on actions, not least considering the unclear impact of an EU embargo on Russian oil starting next week. In addition, US crude stocks fell by 12.6mbbl last week, the biggest decline since June 2019, while the net crude and product export hit a record, highlighting continued strong demand amid Russian sanctions. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) With Fed Chair Powell confirming a likely downshift to a smaller hike in December and not pushing back against easing financial conditions, the entire US Treasury yield curve fell sharply yesterday, with treasury buying also encouraged by weak US data, including a terrible Chicago PMI and weak ADP private payrolls growth number. The 10-year treasury yield benchmark hit a new local low near 3.60% and is now only 10 basis points above the pivotal 3.50% area, which was the major pivot high from June. What is going on? Jerome Powell sticks to the script Fed Chair Powell repeated his comments from the November FOMC and what we have heard more generally from the Fed speakers over the course of the month. He said it makes sense to moderate the pace of interest rate hikes and the time to moderate the pace of hikes may come as soon as December, while he added it seems likely that rates must ultimately go somewhat higher than what was thought in the September FOMC projections. Powell also said they have made substantial progress towards sufficiently restrictive policy but have more ground to cover and they will likely need to hold policy at a restrictive level for some time. While his comments still tilted towards the hawkish side, there was no specific hawkish pushback against the markets pricing of significant rate cuts in 2024 that the markets feared. His comment that he does not want to over-tighten but cutting rates is not something to do soon was a slight contrast to his earlier acceptance that risk of tightening insufficiently is greater than the risk over-tightening. The Fed's Cook (voter) also said it is prudent for the Fed to hike in smaller steps as it moves forward and how far the Fed goes with hikes depends on how the economy responds, overall sticking to the consensus. US economic data broadly weaker, focus now on PCE prices and ISM manufacturing The private ADP jobs report showed US payrolls rose 127,000 this month, the slowest pace in nearly two years, as wage gains moderated. Job openings also fell in October to 10.334mln from September's 10.687mln, reversing a surprise jump in the prior month but remaining elevated, according to the JOLTS report. The biggest downside surprise came in Chicago PMI for November which came in at 37.2 against an expected 47.0, falling from a prior 45.2. While monthly surveys can be noisy, but this one is now flirting with pandemic lows and puts the focus on ISM manufacturing due today. The only ray of positive news came from the Q3 GDP release which was upwardly revised by to 2.9% from 2.6% previously. Softer EU CPI weakens hawkish ECB bets Euro inflation slowed for the first time in 1.5 years to 10% in November from 10.6% YoY in October. ECB officials have highlighted the data will be key for their next rate decision, suggesting lower chance of another 75bps rate hike at the December 15 meeting. Still, it remains hard to say that inflation in the Eurozone has peaked. ECB members also remain broadly hawkish and suggest that the commitment to bring inflation back to target will stay Guangzhou lifted the lockdown of several districts as a sign of easing restrictions even as new cases at elevated levels  Guangzhou, the third largest city in China and the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, removed the “temporary control areas” restrictions of several districts even though the city’s daily new cases of Covid-19 stayed at nearly 7,000. It was an encouraging sign pointing to China’s willingness to continue the fine-tuning measures that it had recently started despite the surge in new cases across the country.   China’s Vice Premier in charge of fighting Covid acknowledged the Omicron variant is less deadly Speaking at a pandemic control policy workshop, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan emphasized the optimization measures of the pandemic control were supported by a lower fatality rate caused by the Omicron variant, an increasing vaccination rate, and the accumulation of experience in containing the spread of the virus. She called for the acceleration of vaccination and preparation of therapeutic drugs and the news report did not quote her mentioning the dynamic zero-Covid policy What are we watching next? Melt-up in risk if US data remains tepid or worse? The reaction to Fed Chair Powell’s speech yesterday and soft US data comes ahead of a string of US data through tomorrow’s November US jobs report. If the data is in-line or especially if it is a bit softer than expected, the market may continue to celebrate the implications of a lower peak for the Fed policy rate, as well as for the impact on valuations if longer US treasury yields also continue falling. Despite Chair Powell specifically indicating that peak Fed rates next year are likely set to rise above the Fed’s own forecasts from the September FOMC meeting, the market dropped its forecast for peak rates yesterday by several basis points in the wake of his speech. Eventually, market may begin to fret the impact of an incoming recession on asset valuations, but for now, the one-dimensional focus on the monetary policy outlook and rates persists. For the risk-on to continue, we would likely need to see a benign PCE Core inflation data point today, in-line or below expectations of +0.3% MoM and +5.0% YoY (vs. +5.1% in September and Feb. peak of 5.4%). The ISM Manufacturing survey today (expected: 49.7, which would be first sub-50 reading since 2020) is less important than Monday’s ISM Services, but the jobs report tomorrow is important, as a slackening US jobs market will be a key ingredient to confirm a slowdown (and the weekly jobless claims usually give off a warning for many weeks before the evidence shows up in the monthly report – the latest weekly number is up today and it will take some time for this indicator to point to weakness in the US jobs market. The market will be in for significant churn if we get a hotter core inflation reading and a strong jobs report. Earnings to watch A heavy focus on Canadian banks today, as three are reporting, including the largest of them all, Toronto-Dominion. Marvell Technology is a significant semiconductor company with 5G solutions and has been on the comeback trail, up some 30% from its lows ahead of today’s report after the market close, as will Veeva Systems. Today: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final November Manufacturing PMI 0930 – UK Final November Manufacturing PMI 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Unemployment Rate 1230 – US Nov. Challenger Job Cuts 1330 – US Oct. PCE Inflation 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1420 – US Fed’s Logan (Voter 2023) to speak 1500 – US Nov. ISM Manufacturing 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1645 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 1, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Tech stocks: Mullen loses almost 5%, Tesla gains over 7%. Nasdaq soars on the back of Powell's rhetoric

    Tech stocks: Mullen loses almost 5%, Tesla gains over 7%. Nasdaq soars on the back of Powell's rhetoric

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 01.12.2022 16:11
    Mullen stock lost 4.6% on Wednesday. TSLA shares gained 7.7% at the same time. The NASDAQ also rallied 4.4% on the strength of Powell's Fed pivot. MULN stock has 43% short interest at the moment. Mullen Automotive (MULN) stock finds itself falling behind once again. On Wednesday, electric vehicle leader Tesla (TSLA) exploded 7.7% on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's announcement that the central bank would be looking at smaller interest rate hikes going forward. This appeared to be the "pivot" the entire market had been waiting for, and stocks shot up relentlessly. The NASDAQ, on which MULN stock trades, closed up 4.4% on the session. MULN stock was dead in the water however. Shares of the upstart EV maker contrasted with Wednesday's market sharply, closing down 4.6% at $0.1921. Mullen Automotive stock news: Short volume growing heavy for MULN Mullen Automotive stock received little interest from traders on Wednesday as the rest of the market stole all the focus. Taking a look at the S&P 500 heat map below makes it clear that even some of the biggest names in the market took flight. Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) both closed more than 6% ahead, and Nvidia (NVDA) even advanced 8.2%. With that much bullish volatility, there was no need to pay attention to a long-term penny stock play like Mullen. Only a few oil & gas companies closed lower on the day. S&P 500 Heat Map for Nov. 30, 2022 A big reason that MULN stock continued to descend was that shares recently dropped below the $0.21 support level that held up back during its recent swing low on October 18 and 19. This time Mullen Automotive stock has ignored the support level and continued moving lower one penny at a time. Of course, it must worry existing shareholders that short interest reached 43% on Wednesday. That is nearly twice as bad as other EV startups. Hyzon Motors (HYZN) and Arcimoto (FUV), for instance, have short interest of 22% and 27%. Another drag on the MULN share price is that Tesla keeps making all the headlines. Tesla's Texas Gigafactory has been producing 1,000 Model Ys per week since June, but unsubstantiated rumors are leaking that the EV leader will ramp up to 5,000 per week by 2023. Insiders have told the blogs that management is aiming for 75,000 Model Ys to be produced at the Texas plant in the first quarter of 2023. This means 25,000 a month and nearly 5,000 per week. Additionally, Tesla will deliver its first Tesla Semi, a fully battery electric semi tractor trailer, to Pepsi (PEP) at a Thursday event at its Nevada factory. The Tesla Semi is expected to greatly expand Tesla's profits in the coming years and is said to have a range between 300 and 500 miles. Also Tesla says it uses less than 2kWh to travel one mile, a rather efficient figure. This contrasts sharply with Mullen, who does not plan to deliver its Mullen Five crossover vehicle until the second quarter of 2024. With the recent addition of assets from Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS), Mullen is a long way away from completely retooling its new Indiana plant to prepare for production. Mullen finally closed its $105 million deal to buy the bankrupt ELMS assets on Thursday. The Indiana plant will be used to produce both the Mullen FIVE model and the Bollinger B1 and B2 models. “I have been working on this plan for many years, putting in place the strategic and critical enablers to be a dominant competitor in the EV market,” Mullen CEO David Michery said. “Successfully completing this asset acquisition moves Mullen into an all-new position with IP, plants and product platforms that no other competitor can offer to both retail and commercial customers. We have everything we need to launch the Mullen and Bollinger EVs product lineup.” Mullen Automotive stock forecast As previously stated, MULN stock crashed through the $0.21 support level on November 23 and has not looked back. It would seem that this is now the target for bulls. A move above would signal that a rally is likely starting up. Above that pivot sits nearby points of resistance at $0.2244 from the 9-day moving average and at $0.27 from the 21-day moving average. There is no historical support for MULN stock at the moment, which will be the main worry for bulls. It would be best to wait for a daily close above $0.21 before getting back in. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator is also slotted in a bearish pattern. MULN 1-day stock chart
    The US Dollar Weakens as Chinese and Japanese Intervention Threats Rise, While US CPI and UK Jobs Data Await: A Preview

    Ed Moya talks US data, Forex, cryptocurrency and more - December 1st

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 01.12.2022 23:53
    US stocks were unable to hold onto earlier gains as Wall Street digested a swathe of economic data that showed inflation is easing and the labor market is cooling. ​ It’s been a nice rally but no one wants to be aggressively bullish heading into the NFP report. Yesterday’s Fed Chair Powell speech was good news for risky assets as he focused on inflation coming down and that the economy is doing well. ​ The risks of overtightening have many expecting the Fed to end its tightening cycle early next year and that will continue if the labor market softens quickly. ​ Earlier, investors were looking for any signs to buy stocks after reports that China was getting ready to release new Covid guidelines. China is far from willing to completely relax its guidelines, but these next steps could help end protests. ​ ​ ​ ​ US data The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge grew 5% from a year ago, confirming the recent trend of falling pricing data points. ​ The closely watched ISM report fell into contraction territory, reaching the lowest levels since the pandemic recovery began. The ISM’s prices paid also dropped to the lowest levels since May 2020. ​ October personal income and spending data were rather strong but no one expects that to continue going forward. ​ The initial jobless claims headline reading showed the labor market is still strong. ​ First-time claims fell by 16,000 to 225,000, which was lower than expected and well below the highs seen in the summer. ​ Continuing claims was interesting as it jumped to 1.61 million, which is getting closer to the pre-pandemic average of 1.7 million. ​ The trends are clear for inflation, but the big question mark is if the labor market is going to have a broader slowdown. ​ Tomorrow’s NFP report will be important as it could move forward bets that inflation will continue to decline. ​ FX The BOJ’s Tamura made quite a first impression to fx traders. ​ Tamura helped send the yen lower after he noted, “It would be appropriate to conduct a review at the right time, including the monetary policy framework and inflation target.” ​ Currency traders are used to Japan always having ultra-loose policy but that seems like it will have to change in the new year. ​ Cryptos Cryptos are struggling today as the earlier rally faded ahead of NFPs and as concerns brew that Tether loans could be the next big risk for the cryptoverse. ​ Stablecoins are an important part of the crypto world and if one of the major ones break, that will send bitcoin and ethereum to new lows. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Stocks volatile ahead of NFP, US Data, BOJ Tamura’s first impression, Tether loan concerns - MarketPulseMarketPulse
    The Price Of USD/JPY Pair Has To Fight With The Resistance Level

    The Japanese Yen (JPY) Gained Versus The US Dollar (USD)

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.12.2022 08:40
    Summary:  The U.S. Core PCE came in slightly softer than expected. November U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index dropped by 1.2 percentage points to 49.0, entering the contractionary territory. Treasury yields fell across the curve, with the 10-year yield falling to 3.50%. Yen gained 2% on lower U.S. yields and a BOJ board member called for a review of Japan’s monetary policy. Mores encouraging signs coming out of China pointing to the prospect of further easing of Covid restrictions. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished Thursday flat after softer economic data U.S. stocks fluctuated between modest gains and losses and finished the session nearly flat. Investors were weighing the decline in bond yields resulting from the softer Core PCE prints and the ISM Manufacturing Index entering into the contractionary territory and the concerns about a contraction in manufacturing activities. Eight of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 were lower with the exception of communication services, healthcare, and information technology which registered modest gains. Salesforce (CRM: xnys) dropped 8% after the enterprise software maker reported an earnings miss, a weak outlook, and CEO resigning. Dollar General (DG:xnys) shed 7.5% on disappointing results and an outlook cut. Snowflake (SNOW:xnys) gained 7.8% on an earnings beat. Netflix (NFLX:xnas) gained 3.7% on news that the company is expanding a program to seek comments from preview audiences. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) fell on softer PCE and ISM Manufacturing A softer core PCE at 0.219% M/M (vs consensus 0.3%; Sept: 0.463% and 4.984% Y/Y in October (vs consensus 5.0%; Sep 5.182%), together with the slide of the ISM Manufacturing Index to 49.0 triggered buying in treasuries. The 2-year yield dropped 8bps to 4.23% and the 10-year yield was 10bps richer, closing at 3.50%.  The long-end outperformed as the 30-year yield fell 14bps to 3.60%. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman echoed Powell’s “somewhat higher” rhetoric as she said that “expectation would be that we ould have a slightly higher rate than I had anticipated in September”. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) gained on a less hawkish Powell and more signs of China preparing to ease Covid restrictions further Hang Seng Index climbed 0.8% and CSI300 Index gained 1.1% following the less-hawkish-than-feared speech from the U.S. Fed Chair Powell overnight and China’s Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who is in charge of containing the spread of Covid-19, acknowledged in a pandemic control export workshop that the Omicron variant is less deadly. China is reportedly instructing local authorities to get 90% of the population over 80 years old vaccinated in two months. Caixin China PMI Manufacturing came in at 49.4 in November, above the consensus estimate of 48.9 and October’s 49.2. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) jumped 12.8%. See our update here on a brighter outlook for A shares in 2023, supported by the trend of credit impulse. FX: Yen gained nearly 2% to 135.40 vs the dollar on lower US bond yields and a BOJ board member calling for a review of Japan’s monetary policy The Japanese Yen gained almost 2% to 135.30 versus the dollar as U.S. bond yields fell on a less hawkish Powell and Naoki Tamura, a Bank of Japan board member said that “it would be appropriate to conduct a review at the right time, including the momentary policy framework and inflation target”. What to consider? October U.S. Core PCE softer than expectations The U.S. Core PCE decelerated more than expected to 0.219% M/M (vs consensus 0.3%; Sept: 0.463% revised), and 4.984% Y/Y in October (vs consensus 5.0%; Sep 5.182%). The Core Services Prices excluding Housing Services sub-index, which Fed Chair Powell highlighted as the “most important category for understanding the future evolution of core inflation” in his speech at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday, moderated to 0.33% M/M in October, down from 0.48% M/M in Sep. Headline PCE came in at 0.3% M/M (consensus: 0.4%; Sep 0.3%) and 6.0% Y/Y (consensus 6.0%; Sep: 6.3% revised).  Dropping to 49.0, the U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index entered the contractionary territory  The November ISM Manufacturing Index dropped by 1.2 percentage points to 49.0 (vs consensus 49.7; Oct 50.2) and entered the contractionary territory. It was the lowest since May 2020. The weakness was broad-based with new orders falling to 47.2, order backlogs dropping to 40.0, employment down to 48.4, and prices paid sliding to 43.0. U.S. job data is the key thing to watch today The U.S. Labor Bureau of Statistics is scheduled to release the November job data on Friday. According to the Bloomberg survey of economists, the median forecasts are looking for a 200,000 increase in non-farm payrolls, down from 262,000 in October, and an unchanged unemployment rate at 3.7%. Average hourly earnings are excepted to come in at 0.3% M/M (vs Oct 0.4%) or 4.6% Y/Y (vs Oct: 4.7%) For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Softer US Core PCE, ISM Manufacturing Index entering the contractionary territory – 2 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    Weak US Data Took US Yields Lower All Along The Curve

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.12.2022 08:52
    Summary:  Risk sentiment fizzled after the strong from the prior day on Fed Chair Powell’s less hawkish than feared speech. That was despite softer than expected October PCE inflation data that helped US treasury yields trade to new local lows all along the curve. Today’s US November jobs report will carry a bit more weight for the treasury market, where yields have helped drag the US dollar to new lows.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) U.S. stocks fluctuated between modest gains and losses and finished the session nearly flat. Investors weighed the decline in bond yields from softer US data (see below). Eight of the eleven sectors within the S&P 500 were lower except for communication services, healthcare, and information technology which registered modest gains. Salesforce (CRM: xnys) dropped 8% after the enterprise software maker reported earnings miss, a weak outlook, and CEO resigning. Dollar General (DG:xnys) shed 7.5% on disappointing results and an outlook cut. Snowflake (SNOW:xnys) gained 7.8% on an earnings beat. Netflix (NFLX:xnas) gained 3.7% on news that the company is expanding a program to seek comments from preview audiences. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index consolidated and were modestly lower on Friday after the recent rally on signs of further easing of Covid restrictions in mainland China. Profit-taking selling weighed on Chinese property developers, with leading names dropping 4-5%. Online health platform stocks surged. Alibaba Health (00241:xhkg), JD Health (06618:xhkg), and Ping An Healthcare and Technology (01833:xhkg) gained 9-13%. USD lower still on falling treasury yields, fresh incoming data Weak US data, including a slightly softer than expected core PCE inflation reading and ISM Manufacturing survey, took US yields lower all along the curve and took the US dollar lower as well, with EURUSD trading above the psychologically key 1.0500 area this morning. The next important resistance there is perhaps the pandemic-outbreak low around 1.0636 or the 38.2% retracement of the entire sell-off from the 1.2350 top at 1.0611. The yield-sensitive USDJPY continued lower as well, nearly hitting the 135.00 level overnight after a chunky further drop yesterday and not far from its 200-day moving average at just above 134.50. An important test for US yields and the US dollar today with the November jobs data releases. Strong week for precious metals on Fed pivot speculation Gold rose above $1800 on Thursday supported by softer US data sending the dollar and yields lower, thereby underpinning speculation about a slower pace of future rate hikes. US 10-year real yields have fallen to a two-month low at 1.14% after hitting 1.82% in October while the Bloomberg Dollar Index has lost close to 8% during the past month alone. A break above resistance at $1808 may add further fuel to an ongoing sentiment change towards the metal but with ETF investors not yet engaging the importance of the dollar and yield developments remain key. Silver, supported by a firmer industrial metal sector, trades above $22.25 with the next level of interest being $23.36. Focus today on the US job report given its potential impact on the dollar and yields. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) trades up on the week Crude oil is heading for its best week in two months following another roller coaster week that saw Brent test support at $80 before finding resistance at $90. From an early lockdown scare in China on Monday, the sentiment improved ahead of Sunday’s OPEC+ meeting and the beginning of an EU embargo on Russian seaborne oil from Monday. Additional support was provided by a weaker dollar, China softened its virus approach and Washington calling for halt to further sales from its Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Ahead of the OPEC+ meeting a Bloomberg survey found that OPEC, led by the four major Gulf producers cut production by 1 million barrels a day last month. We expect the online meeting is likely to be strong on words but low on actions. Focus on today’s US job report given its potential impact on the dollar. US treasury yields edge lower still on weak US data. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The weak US data (see below) took US treasury yields lower all along the curve, with the 10-year benchmark within a basis point of the important 3.50% area yesterday. That level was a major pivot high posted around the time frame of the June FOMC meeting. But the weak data has not seen much steepening in the US yield curve, even if 2-year yields dropped to new lows cine early October yesterday near 4.25% as the market prices in a slightly lower Fed cycle peak next year (currently 4.87% peak priced) and steeper pace of cuts by late 2023 and especially into 2024. The US November jobs report later today offers an important test for the treasury market as the 10-year has hit this pivotal level. What is going on? Weaker US data continues to take the air out of US yields The October PCE inflation data came in softer than expected for the core month-on-month reading at +0.2% vs. +0.3% expected, while the year-on-year level of 5.0% was expected. Another soft data point was the November ISM Manufacturing survey which came in at 49.0 vs. 49.7 expected and suggesting modest contraction in US manufacturing activity for the first time since the pandemic outbreak months. The New Orders component of that survey dropped to 47.2, Prices Paid plunged further to 43.0 and Employment nudged lower to 48.4. Sterling boost yesterday on hopes for Northern Ireland deal EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said that Britain and the EU said that the latest talks with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were “encouraging” and that she is “very confident” a solution is possible if the UK government is on board, with Sunak seen as motivated to iron out a deal with a more pragmatic approach to the issue than former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. EURGBP briefly touched a multi-month low yesterday below 0.8560 and traded within 10 pips of the the 200-day moving average before rebounding overnight. Blackstone limits withdrawals from large property fund The company said it would limit how much the wealthy individual investors in its $69 billion real estate fund can withdraw funds to 2% of the net asset value of the fund monthly and 5% quarterly. Real estate is a notoriously illiquid asset. What are we watching next? US November Jobs report on tap The November jobs data is up today, theoretically expected to show payrolls growth of +200k, but with the market perhaps leaning a bit lower after the softest ADP private payrolls growth number in more than 20 months. The Unemployment Rate is seen steady at 3.7%, and Average Hourly Earnings are anticipated to rise +0.3% month-on-month and +4.6% year-on-year after the October data point at 4.7% YoY was the lowest year-on-year reading in just over a year. The Atlanta Fed’s median wage tracker, meanwhile, has shown entirely different levels of earnings growth, with +6.4% in October and 6.7% in both of the prior two months. Earnings to watch Earnings next week are a mish-mash of companies, and include high-end homebuilder Toll Brothers on Tuesday, as it will be interesting to hear their outlook on the new home market after the enormous surge in US mortgage rates and collapse in home sales activity. Broadcom (AVGO: xnas) is the market cap giant of the week to report, with the CEO of the company having said that the semiconductor market will not be affected by the US’ new export restrictions on technology to China. Tuesday:  MongoDB, AutoZone, Toll Brothers, Ferguson Wednesday: Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – Canada Nov. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate 1330 – US Nov. Change in Nonfarm Payrolls 1330 – US Nov. Unemployment Rate 1330 – US Nov. Average Hourly Earnings 1415 – US Fed’s Barkin (non-voter) to speak 1900 – Us Fed’s Evans (voter 2023) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-dec-2-202-02122022
    Jason Sen talks Emini S&P, Emini Dow Jones and Nasdaq - December 2nd

    Jason Sen talks Emini S&P, Emini Dow Jones and Nasdaq - December 2nd

    Jason Sen Jason Sen 02.12.2022 10:34
    Emini S&P December futures hit the 8 month trend line at 4090/95, the downward sloping 11 month trend line & upward sloping 2 month trend line at 4105/10. A high for the day here although not much of a sell off yet despite overbought conditions. It is make or break day for stock markets with the release of the US non farm payroll number. Nasdaq December consolidates after Wednesday's strong gains but unable to make a break above the November high. Emini Dow Jones futures turns lower but no important sell signal yet despite severely overbought conditions. Remember when support is broken it usually acts as resistance & vice-versa. Update daily by 06:00 GMT. Today's Analysis. Emini S&P December has rejected strong resistance at 4090/95 to 4105/10. Only a weekly close above here will convince me to turn bullish. We then target 4170/90. Shorts at 4090/4110 can target 4060/50, perhaps as far as first support at 4020/10. A break below 4000 can target 3970/50, perhaps as far as strong support at 3930/10. Nasdaq December bulls really need a clean break above the November high at 12118 for a buy signal targeting 12250 & 12400. If we turn lower on the US non farm payroll number look for 12000/11900 then 11750/700. Further losses can target 11550/500. Emini Dow Jones should meet support at 33900/800. A break below 33600 signals further losses towards support at 33300/200. Above 34700 can target 35000/35100.
    The Collapse Of The Silicon Valley Bank Weakened The Dollar And USD/JPY But Supported EUR/USD, AUD/USD, And GBP/USD

    USA: Jobs market data play in favour of Fed hawkish script. Non-farm payrolls add 263K

    ING Economics ING Economics 02.12.2022 15:10
    Strong job creation and a big increase in wages underscore the Federal Reserve's argument that a lot more work needs to be done to get inflation under control. It has certainly jolted the market. But with recessionary fears lingering, market participants will remain sceptical over how long the strong performance can last US job growth was strong and wages rose in November 263,000 Number of US jobs added in November   Surging employment and wages show the economy remains strong The US economy added 263,000 jobs in November, well ahead of the 200,000 consensus estimate, even when accounting for a 23,000 downward revision to the past couple of months of data. Private payrolls rose 221,000, led by 88,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality and 82,000 in education and health. Construction was up 20,000 and manufacturing gained 14,000. However, there was weakness in trade & transport (-49,000) and retail trade (-30,000). There was more positive news for workers in the form of big wage gains of 0.6% month-on-month, double what was expected, which leaves the annual rate of wage growth at 5.1%. The unemployment rate remained at 3.7% despite the household survey showing an apparent drop of 138,000 people saying they were in work – the second consecutive decline. The unemployment rate held steady because the participation rate fell yet again as workers remain reluctant to return to the workforce. Read next: FX: Today’s US Payrolls With A Strong Bearish Rhetoric On The USD| FXMAG.COM Given the Fed’s repeated warnings that rates are likely to stay higher for longer to ensure inflation is defeated, officials will be hoping that today’s numbers will be the jolt needed to get market participants to finally believe the Fed’s intent. Payrolls growth is slowing, but not fast enough for the Fed (Jobs added per month '000s) Source: Macrobond, ING Jobs market remains far too hot for the Fed In his speech earlier this week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell discussed the prospect of declines in inflation relating to core goods and housing. His focus though was on another area, core services other than housing, where the situation is more troubling. This grouping accounts for more than half of the core PCE index, the Fed’s favoured measure of inflation. The tightness of the jobs market and the implication for wage pressures, which make up the largest cost in delivering these services, is therefore key to the outlook for interest rates. In the speech, he argued that “job growth remains far in excess of the pace needed to accommodate population growth over time—about 100,000 per month by many estimates.” Consequently, wage growth “shows only tentative signs of returning to balance”. Today’s 263,000 jobs number confirms we remain a long way off from demand balancing with supply, which would ease those labour market related inflation pressures. Adding to the Fed’s problems, monetary conditions have loosened in recent weeks as the dollar and longer-dated Treasury yields have fallen and credit spreads have narrowed. This is undoing the tightening effects of the Fed’s recent rate rises. Furthermore, the latest consumer spending numbers together with the anecdotal evidence of the Black Friday weekend sales show that the economy has not yet met the Fed’s requirements of slowing to a rate “well below its longer-run trend”. As such, the Fed has more work to do and we look for further 50bp rate hikes in December and in February, with the potential for tightening needing to go on for longer. Read this article on THINK TagsWages US Payrolls Jobs Federal Reserve Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    AMC stock price soared 13% yesterday. What can we expect from the price line?

    AMC stock price soared 13% yesterday. What can we expect from the price line?

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 02.12.2022 15:31
    AMC Entertainment stock closed up 13% on Thursday. AMC stock trading was halted on Thursday due to unusual volatility. 46 million AMC shares had traded by shortly after noon. AMC stock is again advancing in Friday's premarket. AMC Entertainment (AMC) stock is up 3.4% in Friday's premarket just a day after authorities halted trading due to unusual volatility. Thursday saw options volume three times higher than the 20-day average, and AMC stock leapt as much as 27% before trading was halted shortly before 12:30pm. Trading then recommenced with AMC's share price closing up 13% at $8.17, its highest closing price since September 21. AMC Entertainment stock news: Call options bring all the boys to the yard AMC Entertainment stock got going early on Thursday and reached as high as a 27% gain before being halted. Authorities said about 46 million shares changed hands by that time compared to an average of 25 million. The AMC price action was led by option market activity. Retail traders and especially the much-maligned AMC Apes were furious with the trading halt. Read next: Porsche NFT Collection Will Hit The Market In January 2023 | FXMAG.COM Bloomberg reported that by 3pm, 550,000 call contracts representing 55 million shares had traded, while the 20-day average was 163,000. Activity was especially noted in the $8, $8.50 and $9 strike prices that are expiring this Friday. On Thursday these strikes saw more than 80,000, 63,000 and 71,000 call contracts trade by the close. The $10 strike also saw nearly 36,000 contracts trade as well. The $8 strike closed the session at $0.36 a share, and the $8.50 closed at $0.17 a share. BNK Invest noted heightened activity last Tuesday as well, writing, "Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. (Symbol: AMC), where a total volume of 136,950 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 13.7 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 51.6% of AMC's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 26.5 million shares." AMC Apes on Twitter have been badgering CEO Adam Aron about the APE equity unit price as it recently fell below $1. It closed Thursday up 1.1% at $0.9822, and is now trading up to $1.02 in Friday's premarket. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dominated the US box office once again last weekend, but observers believe its numbers are falling too rapidly. Still the superhero film has grossed about $683 million worldwide and is already the seventh highest grossing movie of the year with more room to run. AMC stock forecast The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator in regard to AMC stock's daily chart shows a moderate bullish pattern. Thursday's burst blew well above the November 14 and 15 pinnacle, and a cursory look at this chart makes one think there is more energy left for upside. Of course, traders will be closing out their call options in the afternoon, but other might be already buying up those for next week. $10.39 looms large for bulls since this is where they got stopped out in mid-September. Before AMC can reach that point, however, the R1 pivot sits at $8.70 and the R2 is at $10.18. The 21-day moving average at $6.87 is the current pivot, and $5.17 is the long-term support level from November 7 and 9. AMC 1-day chart
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange Gained More Securities Than Lost

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 05.12.2022 08:07
    At the time of closing on the New York Stock Exchange, Dow Jones rose 0.10%, the S&P 500 index fell by 0.12%, the NASDAQ Composite index fell by 0.18%. Dow Jones The growth leaders among the components of the Dow Jones index were Boeing Co shares, which went up by 7.09 p. (4.03%), closing at the mark of 182.87. Nike Inc quotes increased by 1.43 p. (1.29%), completing tenders at 112.20. Dow Inc papers increased in price by 0.48 p. (0.94%), closing at 51.55. Salesforce Inc shares were the leaders of the fall, the price of which fell by 2.44 p. (1.66%), completing the session at the mark of 144.56. Intel Corporation shares rose 0.42 p. (1.41%), closing at 29.41, and Goldman Sachs Group Inc decreased in price by 3.23 p. (0.84%) and completed bidding at 380 , 58.  S&P 500  The leaders among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were shares of Enphase Energy Inc, which gained 7.01% to 336.00, SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which gained 4.40% to close at 308.77, and shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc, which gained 4.24% to close the session at 240.68. The least gainers were the PayPal Holdings Inc shares, which decreased in price by 4.93%, closing at 74.66. Valero Energy Corporation shares lost 3.76% and completed the session at 127.07. Arista Networks quotes decreased by 3.39% to 135.04. Nasdaq  Growth leaders among the components of the Nasdaq Composite index were Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Inc, which went up by 65.07% to 2.41, Yunhong CTI LTD, which gained 46.69%, closed at 0.56, as well as Anavex Life Sciences shares Corp, which increased by 35.85%, completing the session at a mark of 12.05. The leaders of the fall were shares of Theratechnologies Inc, which declined 36.02% to close at 1.35. Shares of Biovie Inc lost 31.80% and ended the session at 5.49. Redhill Biopharma Ltd. fell 27.21% to 0.27. Numbers On the NYSE, 1,672 gained more securities (1,409) than lost (1,409), while 119 stocks were essentially flat. On NASDAQ, 2,141 stocks gained, 1,547 declined, and 268 remained flat. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 3.93% on June 19, hitting a new 6-month low. Gold Futures for gold futures with delivery in February lost 0.19%, or 3.45, reaching $ 1.00 per troy ounce. As for other goods, the prices for WTI oil with supply in January decreased by 1.31%, or 1.06, to $ 80.16 per barrel. Futures for Brent oil futures with delivery in February fell 1.23%, or 1.07, to $ 85.81 per barrel. Forex Meanwhile, on the Forex market EUR/USD did not change significantly 0.17% to 1.05, while USD/JPY fell 0.74% to 134.27. The USD index futures were down 0.22% to 104.46 Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-06 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/303619
    The China’s Covid Containment Continued To Negatively Impact The Output At The End Of 2022

    Cities In China Announced To Ease Pandemic Control Restrictions | OPEC Is Keeping The Current Production Levels Unchangeded

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.12.2022 08:56
    Summary:  A hot US jobs report on Friday brought about a reversal in Fed rate path expectations, but a big part of the move was later reversed. Fed goes into a quiet period, but China reopening optimism is set to gather further momentum this week with easing measures being implemented in Shanghai. This would mean a further bump to metals and energy prices, especially with OPEC+ staying away from a production cut over the weekend and the next meeting only scheduled for February. Key levels on test this week with 3.50% in US 10-year Treasury yields, and USDJPY heading below the 200-day moving average at 134.50. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished the week higher despite a surge in wage inflation In spite of a strong non-farm payroll print and a surge in average hourly earnings on Friday which might cause some Fed officials to be wary about the unabated upward wage pressure when they meet on Dec 13 and 14, the major U.S. equity benchmark indices were largely flat and managed to retain the 1-2% gains following Fed Chair Powell’s dovish-leaning remarks on Wednesday. S&P500 and Nasdaq sold off more than 1% at the open but staged an impressive clawback of nearly all the losses when the closing bell rang on Friday. Materials and industrials were the top-performing sectors with the S&P 500 while energy stocks, followed by the information technology space were laggards. PayPal (PYPL:xnas) dropped 4.9%. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) clawed back all early losses and more with the 10-year yield down 2bps to 3.49% When the stronger-than-expected 263,000 growth in nonfarm payrolls and white-hot 5.1% Y/Y increase in November average hourly earnings (October revised up to 4.9% Y/Y from 4.7%) hit the wires, yields surged across the curve with the 2-year yield jumping 18bps to 4.41% and the 10-year yield rose 13bps to 3.63% in a matter of minutes. Bids emerged and yields spent the rest of the session grinding lower. By the time of market close, except for the 2-year yield which was 4bps cheaper at 4.27%, treasury yields were 1bp to 5bps richer, with the 30-year being the best performer. The 10-year yield slid 2bps to 3.49% and the 30-year yield dropped 5bps to 3.55%, hitting the lowest yield levels in nearly 3 months. The strong job and wage data made a further drift down to a 25bp hike in February 2023 less likely (only about 20% probability as money market rates suggest) and kept the 2-year yield from falling. The 2-10-year curve inversion widened 6bps to -78bps. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index consolidated and were modestly lower on Friday after the recent strong rally on signs of further easing of Covid restrictions in mainland China. Online health platform stocks surged. Alibaba Health (00241:xhkg) and JD Health (06618:xhkg) gained more than 9%, and Ping An Healthcare and Technology (01833:xhkg) jumped 15.4%. Profit-taking selling weighed on Chinese property developers, with leading names, such as Longfor (00960:xhkg) and Country Garden (02007:xhkg) dropping around 4%. More cities rolled out support policies to the property sector. In addition, after the market close, China reportedly told the country’s top state-owned banks to provide offshore financing to help property developers in repaying offshore debts. Overnight in New York hours, the Nasdaq Golden dragon China Index caught a bid, surging 5.4%, and Hang Seng Index Futures gained more than 2%. FX: Dollar continues its downtrend despite a strong jobs report The USD index got a bump higher after the stronger-than-expected jobs report on Friday which suggested that it might not be easy for the Fed to pause or pivot, but gains were reversed later and the index closed back at 104.50. NZDUSD was however a notch weaker this morning staying below 0.64 with AUDNZD testing 1.06 support ahead of RBA meeting tomorrow. USDJPY is testing a critical support level of 134.30 with lower US yields and some BOJ officials hinting at a policy review soon (read below). EURUSD looking stretched above 1.05. USDCNH fell below the 7 handle As cities in China relaxing Covid restrictions across the country and the spread between US treasury and Chinese government bond yields narrowing, the USDCNH dropped below 7.0, the first time since September, to 6.9852. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) lower on unchanged OPEC+ output After strong gains in crude oil last week, some softness was seen at the end of the week after speculation of no production cut from OPEC mounted. WTI traded back to $80/barrel from $83 levels mid-week on China’s reopening optimism, while Brent retreated from $90 levels to sub-86. The Sunday OPEC meeting did come out with an unchanged output decision, as expected, while the EU’s price cap on Russian oil was also fixed at $60. This week will be key to watch further China reopening and any signs of a retaliation from Russia on the price cap. European gas prices also continue to pick up as falling weather boosts heating demand, and expectations are for a colder-than-expected winter. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) poised for further upside The supportive factors for precious metals continue to line up – China’s reopening, lower US yields and a weaker dollar. This helped gold run higher to test a break above the key $1800 level for the first time since August. Meanwhile, Silver’s impressive November rally has extended into December with the price breaking above $22.25 – a 50% retracement of the March to September selloff – and on route to the next level of resistance at $23.35. Other metals such as Copper and Iron Ore also charged with China now reopening Shanghai, while the risk of a policy error by the Fed continues to run high. In Australia, home of some of the world’s biggest commodity commodities, BHP and Rio; it could be a positive week The benchmark index, the ASX200  is already trading at a seven-month high and could get a fresh kick this week as the iron ore (SCOA) price is back above $100 for the first time since August on optimism China could increase demand. The iron ore price has moved up 38% from its October low, so if we continue to see easing of restrictions in China, you might except this rally to continue and benefit forward earnings of BHP, Rio, Fortescue and Champion iron. What to consider? Hot US jobs report gives markets a re-think on Fed’s rate path The nonfarm payroll (NFP) data came out stronger-than-expected on Friday, with US employers added 263,000 jobs in November, less than October's upwardly revised 284,000 but well short of the turning point Fed officials seek in their battle against inflation. The unemployment rate was maintained at 3.7% while the wages were very hot: M/M rose 0.6% (exp. 0.3%) and Y/Y rose 5.1% (exp. 4.6%). After a few weeks where markets have been taking the slowdown in the pace of rate hikes by the Fed positively, this report was a reminder that rate hikes will still continue well into 2023. WSJ's Fed Whisperer Timiraos said the report keeps the Fed on track to raise interest rates by 50bps at its meeting in two weeks and underscores the risk that officials will raise rates above 5% in the first half of next year. November Caixin China PMI Services is expected be remain in the contractionary territory Caixin China PMI Services is scheduled to release on Monday. The consensus estimate from the Bloomberg survey is 48.0 for November, shrinking deeper into the contractionary territory from 48.4 in October. The lockdown and pandemic control restrictions during the best part of November when the survey took place weighed on economic activities, especially services. Investors will tend to look beyond this number and focus on the scope and pace of the easing of the pandemic restriction undergoing in China. Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Guangzhou and other large cities eased Covid policies Cities in China, one after one, announced to ease pandemic control restrictions including removing the requirement to show negative PCR test results when taking public transportation. Shanghai and Hangzhou joined the others on Sunday and announced that the cities no longer require negative PCR test results to enter public venues or taking public transportation. Economic reopening plays and commodities will be in focus this week with China easing some COVID restrictions On Monday, Shanghai and Hangzhou scrapped PCR testing to enter public venues including on public transport and to enter parks. Shanghai and Hangzhou joined other top-tier cities, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in relaxing curbs after mass protests took place against China’s stringent policies last week. In equites, focus will be on markets being forwarding looking and hoping of a potential turnaround in consumption, especially cities with easing restrictions.   Another BOJ official fuels policy review speculation New BOJ board member Naoki Tamura urged a policy review, in his conversation with Bloomberg, saying that it would be appropriate for the central bank to conduct a review at the right time – soon or a little later depending on what happens to prices. The yen rose on speculation an assessment flagging policy change may come before Haruhiko Kuroda steps down in the spring. OPEC+ held production unchanged The OPEC+ group decided to keep the current production levels unchanged, as the crude oil prices started to show some tentative signs of a recovery after China’s continued commitment to ease its Zero covid policies. Still, a 2mb/d cut was announced in October, and the full effect of that is yet to be seen. Furthermore, there is volatility expected due to the EU sanctions and a G7 price cap on Russian crude which will go into effect this week, and further changes in China’s zero covid policy are also set to continue. The group’s next meeting is not scheduled until February. EU sets in a price cap for Russian oil, to kick in from today The EU nations have agreed to cap the price of Russian seaborne oil at $60/barrel, with a motive to diminish Russia’s revenues, paving the way for a wider deal with the G7 countries. This price cap is to go in effect on December 5, and represents a discount of ~$27 to the current price for Brent crude, but Urals has been trading at a discount of about $23 in recent days. However the risk of setting a price cap too low is that Russia could slash its output, which would roil markets. It will be important to watch for Russia’s reaction this week, after Putin has repeatedly said that they will not supply oil to countries that implement the price cap.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Hot US jobs report; No production cut from OPEC – 5 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Oil Could Be Ready To Pop, The Bank Of England Market Pricing Is More Mixed

    The EU Nations Have Agreed To Cap The Price Of Russian Seaborne Oil

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.12.2022 09:15
    Summary:  Strong US November payrolls and especially strong earnings growth data failed to engineer a recovery in US treasury yields or the US dollar, taking both to new cycle lows, which kept global risk sentiment on an even keel for now after the recent rally. Focus tonight swings to Australia’s Reserve Bank which has lagged its global peers in this policy tightening cycle and kept a lid on the Aussie in the crosses, even as hopes for China’s “opening up” have found further encouragement.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities continued in Friday’s session to fade the big rally back from Wednesday last week but did however recover from a big dip during the session with S&P 500 futures finishing above the 200-day moving average. This morning S&P 500 futures are trading lower with the 200-day moving average again being key to watch on the downside and then of course the big 4,000 level. There are no major earnings today and the VIX Index remains relatively calm sitting just above the 19 level. The US 10-year yield also remains in a downward trend adding little headwinds to US equities at this point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China equity markets surged on yet more signs of easing of Covid-related restriction measures in mainland China. Hang Seng Index soared 3.5% and CSI 300 gained 1.6%. Hang Seng TECH Index rallied 7.4%. Technology stocks, online healthcare platforms, EV makers, and consumer stocks led the charge higher. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) jumped 24% and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) surged 7%. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) soared more than 22%. Leading Chinese catering stocks gained over 10%. USD lower even as earnings data well above expectations The US November payrolls and earnings data (more below) was stronger than expected Friday, which briefly jolted US yields and the US dollar stronger, only to see both rolling back over ahead of the close on Friday and then the US dollar following through lower still to new cycle lows in many places in Asia overnight. USDCNH plunged through 7.00 and EURUSD set a new multi-month high above 1.0550, for example. US data this week is sparse after today’s November ISM Services (that survey’s relative strength compared to the S&P Global measure, which has suggested contraction in the US Services sector for the last five months) as we await next Tuesday’s November CPI data and the FOMC meeting the following day. Without a revival in US treasury yields, the US dollar’s only source of support might be a fresh weakening of risk sentiment. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) poised for further upside The supportive factors for precious metals continue to line up – China’s reopening, lower US yields and a weaker dollar. This helped gold run higher to test a break above the key $1800 level for the first time since August. Meanwhile, silver’s impressive November rally has extended into December with the price breaking above $22.25 – a 50% retracement of the March to September selloff – and on route to the next level of resistance at $23.35. Other metals such as copper and iron ore also charged with China now reopening Shanghai, while the risk of a policy error by the Fed continues to run high. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) lower on unchanged OPEC+ output After strong gains in crude oil last week, some softness was seen at the end of the week after speculation of no production cut from OPEC mounted. WTI traded back to $80/barrel from $83 levels mid-week on China’s reopening optimism, while Brent retreated from $90 levels to sub-86. The Sunday OPEC meeting did come out with an unchanged output decision, as expected, while the EU’s price cap on Russian oil was also fixed at $60. This week will be key to watch further China reopening and any signs of a retaliation from Russia on the price cap. European gas prices also continue to pick up as falling weather boosts heating demand, and expectations are for a colder-than-expected winter. US treasuries unmoved by strong US payrolls/earnings data (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The stronger than expected US payrolls and earnings data failed to inspire a sustained recovery in US yields on Friday, as the US 10-year yield continues to hover near the 3.50% level, having dipped slightly below at times. This was a major high in that important benchmark yield back in June. The strong data pushed the 2-10 yield spread inversion back toward the cycle low of –80 basis points. What is going on? Hot US jobs report takes Fed terminal rate back toward 5.0% The nonfarm payroll change (NFP) data came out stronger-than-expected on Friday, with US employers added 263,000 jobs in November, less than October's upwardly revised 284,000 but well short of the turning point Fed officials seek in their battle against inflation. The unemployment rate was maintained at 3.7% (but with a 0.2% drop in the participation rate, showing once again a discrepancy in the household survey vs. the establishment survey used for the nonfarm payrolls calculation) while the wages were very hot: M/M rose 0.6% (exp. 0.3%) and Y/Y rose 5.1% (exp. 4.6%). After a few weeks where markets have been taking the slowdown in the pace of rate hikes by the Fed positively, this report was a reminder that rate hikes will continue well into 2023. WSJ's Fed Whisperer Timiraos said the report keeps the Fed on track to raise interest rates by 50bps at its meeting in two weeks and underscores the risk that officials will raise rates above 5% in the first half of next year. Another BOJ official fuels policy review speculation New BOJ board member Naoki Tamura urged a policy review, in his conversation with Bloomberg, saying that it would be appropriate for the central bank to conduct a review at the right time – soon or a little later depending on what happens to prices. USDJPY was quiet overnight after the exchange rate touched the 200-day moving average on Friday and near where it trades this morning in early European hours at 134.60. OPEC+ held production unchanged The OPEC+ group decided to keep the current production levels unchanged, as the crude oil prices started to show some tentative signs of a recovery after China’s continued commitment to ease its Zero covid policies. Still, a 2mb/d cut was announced in October, and the full effect of that is yet to be seen. Furthermore, there is volatility expected due to the EU sanctions and a G7 price cap on Russian crude which will go into effect this week, and further changes in China’s zero covid policy are also set to continue. The group’s next meeting is in February. Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities in China eased Covid policies Cities in China, one after one, announced to ease pandemic control restrictions including removing the requirement to show negative PCR test results when taking public transportation. Shanghai and Hangzhou joined the others on Sunday and announced that the cities no longer require negative PCR test results to enter public venues or take public transportation. EU sets in a price cap for Russian oil, to kick in from today The EU nations have agreed to cap the price of Russian seaborne oil at $60/barrel, with a motive to diminish Russia’s revenues, paving the way for a wider deal with the G7 countries. This price cap is to go in effect on December 5 and represents a discount of ~$27 to the current price for Brent crude, but Urals has been trading at a discount of about $23 in recent days. However, the risk of setting a price cap too low is that Russia could slash its output, which would roil markets. It will be important to watch for Russia’s reaction this week, after Putin has repeatedly said that they will not supply oil to countries that implement the price cap. Commodities pegged to China jolt higher Australia’s commodity heavy benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) hit a new seven month high on Monday as China further eased restrictions in two major provinces. The iron ore (SCOA, SCOF3) price rose 2.2% in APAC trade, taking the steel ingredients’ price over $100 for the first time since August (to $108.30) on hopes China could increase demand. The iron ore price is up 38% from its October low. This is benefiting benefit forward earnings of BHP, Rio, Fortescue and Champion Iron with their shares trading higher today in Australia. Fortescue shares rose 7% taking the iron ore major’s shares to record highs. For inspiration on other commodity stocks exposed to China refer to Saxo’s Australian Resources basket. What are we watching next? Australia RBA’s Cash Target announcement tonight after hot November inflation data The Australia Melbourne Institute Inflation reading for November came out at +1.0% MoM and +5.9% YoY, both new highs for the cycle (the official inflation for October was out last week and was considerably softer than expected) ahead of tonight’s RBA meeting. The RBA has hiked rates at a more cautious pace than many of its peers and consensus is only slightly more than 50/50 that the central bank will hike another 25 basis points at its monthly meeting tonight, which would take the rate to 3.10%. The RBA has maintained a cautious stance on further policy tightening, quite concerned about the impact on households as rises in the adjustable mortgage rates impact disposable income. China’s Politburo meeting is a key event to watch Before the Central Economic Work Conference convenes in mid/late December, the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo will meet in early December to discuss economic policies and establish the direction and policy framework for the work conference. Investors will pay close attention to the readout from the Politburo meeting for hints about the macroeconomic policy priorities and how they are balanced with the pandemic control strategy. Earnings to watch Earnings this week are a mish-mash of companies, and include high-end homebuilder Toll Brothers on Tuesday, as it will be interesting to hear their outlook on the new home market after the enormous surge in US mortgage rates and collapse in home sales activity. Broadcom (AVGO:xnas) is the market cap giant of the week to report, with the CEO of the company having said that the semiconductor market will not be affected by the US’ new export restrictions on technology to China. Tuesday:  MongoDB, AutoZone, Toll Brothers, Ferguson Wednesday: Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Nov. Final Services PMI 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Meeting Minutes 0930 – UK Nov. Final Services PMI 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Oct. Building Permits 1445 – US S&P Global Nov. Final Services PMI 1500 – US Oct. Factory Orders 1500 – US Nov. ISM Services 1600 – ECB's Wunsch to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. Labor Cash Earnings 0330 – Australia RBA Cash Target Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 5, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Gold's Hedge Appeal Shines Amid Economic Uncertainty and Fed's Soft-Landing Challenge

    The Events In China May Help Financial Markets And The Global Economy

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 05.12.2022 09:29
    The beginning of the week seems to have started with a continuation of the rally in risky assets, which is beginning to resemble the proverbial Santa Claus Rally. The U.S. dollar cheapened at a rate not seen in 12 years, stock market indexes and precious metals climbed. One of the reasons for the improvement in market sentiment is cited as the loosening of Covid-related restrictions by Chinese authorities. Protests on the streets and weaker data from the local economy may have pressed policymakers so hard that they decided to make partial concessions. According to tradingeconomics, the Caixin China General Services PMI fell to 46.7 points in November 2022 from 48.4 in October, indicating the 3rd consecutive month of decline. It was also the steepest decline in the services sector since May, due to Covid's restrictive measures, which could affect demand and service activity. New orders fell the most in six months, with employment contracting at the fastest pace since the survey began in November 2005. Meanwhile, export orders began to rise again as overseas demand picked up after regulations on international travel were eased. In addition, business sentiment fell to levels seen eight months ago due to concerns about how long it will take to contain the virus and the impact of restrictions on business, according to the published data. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDIndex, Weekly China eases restrictions. Risky assets may gain China's National Health Commission reported Monday that it has identified 30014 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, with the country seeing a drop in infections in recent days after a record high when more than 40,000 cases were seen in a single day, BBN reported. What's more, local Chinese authorities have agreed to relax some measures related to Covid-19. In Beijing and Shenzhen, a negative test will no longer be required to enter some public places, such as public transportation and supermarkets. This course of events in China may help financial markets and the global economy, as China may now be the "green island" from the standpoint of GDP growth momentum. Source: Conotoxia MT5, VIX, Weekly Fear in the financial markets, as measured by the VIX index (expected monthly volatility on the S&P500 index) fell last week to its lowest level since August. If the decline were to continue, the VIX could reach its lowest level since January 2022. What are the markets waiting for? This week may be quieter due to the fact that the Fed's interest rate decision will be published as early as December 14. It is the expectation of smaller interest rate hikes in the US that could be the second factor helping the markets climb higher today. Nevertheless, the market is also assuming that in 2023. Fed will cut rates. Information on this subject could be crucial next week. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.      
    Euro-dollar Support Tested Amidst Rate Concerns and Labor Strikes

    Chinese Stocks Rallied On Easing Covid Measures | US Dollar (USD) Gained

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 05.12.2022 10:15
    US stocks fell on Friday, after the latest data showed that Americans got more jobs in November, and more importantly they got a better pay. More, and better paid jobs fueled US inflation expectations, boosted the Fed hawks, and brought forward the idea that the Fed could be attracted by another, a fifth 75bp hike in the December meeting. US US equities fell and the dollar gained, but the post-NFP pricing fully disappeared. The US dollar kicked off the week on a weak footage – a pricing that raises a flashy red flag. Energy market In energy, the weekend was rather eventless, as OPEC decided to maintain its daily output restriction unchanged at 2mio barrels per day at Sunday’s meeting, which could be seen as a negative development for the bulls. But there are two price-supportive developments that could limit losses and support gains. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:34 What happened to post-NFP pricing?! 4:16 USD will likely soften, but it won’t be a one-way trade… 6:39 OPEC's output cut unchanged, EU sets price cap on Russian oil 7:39 Chinese stocks rallied on easing Covid measures. Time to jump in? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #USD #NFP #jobs #unemployment #data #Fed #expectations #EUR #GBP #crudeoil #EU #Russia #oil #cap #OPEC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Rates Reversal: US Long Yields on the Rise as Curve Dis-Inverts

    Texas Instruments Boasts A Steadily Increasing Net Profit Margin

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 05.12.2022 13:04
    Over the past 12 months, individuals directly associated with US semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments (TexasInst) sold shares worth a total of more than US$6.9 million. The biggest contributor was CEO Richard Templeton, who disposed of shares worth US$5.9 million. What could this mean for the value of this company's shares? Situation of the semiconductor industry Since we learned of Warren Buffett's biggest purchase in Q3 of this year, which was the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor (TaiwanSemic), interest in the sector may have increased significantly. Since then, shares in the Taiwan-based company have risen by more than 30 per cent. Source: Conotoxia MT5, TaiwanSemic, Daily Data from the MacroMicro portal shows that the volume of new electronic equipment orders in the United States increased by 6 per cent year-on-year in October, and semiconductor demand appears to be largely dependent on these orders. Semiconductor billing volumes increased by 11.55 per cent y/y in the US, while global demand fell by 3 per cent y/y. The US is the world's largest single customer for these products, with a market share of as much as 22 per cent. However, 62 per cent of global demand is provided by the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan). Here, we could see a decline in purchase volumes of 11.51 per cent year-on-year. Which may confirm the slowdown announced by many analysts for this sector, and especially for China, which seems to have been struggling with pandemic problems in recent months, compounded by the zero-Covid policy.  Financial situation of Texas Instruments The financial figures of the semiconductor manufacturer in question may suggest success. Revenues have been on a continuous upward trajectory over the past nine quarters, currently up by 12.88 per cent year-on-year. Over the same period, operating profit has increased by 16.18 per cent year-on-year. The company also boasts a steadily increasing net profit margin, which currently stands at 44 per cent, against a sector average of 35.9 per cent, which may confirm the company's competitive advantage. According to an analysis by Heavy Moat Investments comparing Texas Instruments to the largest US semiconductor manufacturer Intel (Intel): "Texas Instruments has a much more asset-light business model. The significant difference between the two companies is that TI manufactures Analog Chips while Intel manufactures Digital Chips. We can see that Intel requires a much higher CapEx than TI, even though TI has also ramped up CapEx. TI also produced much higher and rising margins, while Intel has seen margins plummet in recent years due to a switch in business models." The stock market saying seems to be: "there are many reasons to sell a stock, but only one to buy it". In this case it may well apply. What does Wall Street think of Texas Instruments' share price? According to the Market Screener website, the company has 32 recommendations, and the majority of them read: "Hold". The average target price is set at $172.39, which is around the last closing price. The highest target price is at USD 230 and the lowest is USD 140. Source: Conotoxia MT5, TexasInst. Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Market Focus: US Rate Hikes, Eurozone Inflation, and UK Monetary Policy Uncertainty

    The latest dollar selloff is a hint that the US dollar has certainly peaked this year, and next year will be, (...) , a year of softening for the greenback

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 05.12.2022 13:36
    US stocks fell on Friday, after the latest data showed that Americans got more jobs in November, and more importantly they got a better pay. Wages grew by 0.6% over the month, which was the biggest monthly gain, and the double of what was penciled on by analysts.   Of course, the news was great for the American workers, but much less so for the Federal Reserve (Fed), who is dreaming of a softer US labour market, and weak wages so that people could just STOP spending in hope that inflation would fall.   Read next: If ECB policymakers should make a decision between fighting inflation and avoiding recession, they will likely choose fighting inflation says Ipek Ozkardeskaya| FXMAG.COM But nope, it's just another month of strong US jobs data which certainly got Mr Powell to scratch his head.  Investors just... don't want to price Fed rate at 5%!  More, and better paid jobs fueled US inflation expectations, boosted the Fed hawks, and brought forward the idea that the Fed could be attracted by another, a fifth 75bp hike in the December meeting,   US equities fell and the dollar gained.  But then, the S&P500, which gapped lower at the open closed the session almost flat, and the US dollar index gave back all post-jobs gains to close the week where it was before data, and even came lower in Asia this morning.   Why?   Probably because investors priced in the fact that the Fed won't increase its rates by 75bp this month. It will probably increase them by more in the first half of next year. But that information doesn't go through for some reason, and the pricing for the Fed's terminal rate is still below 5%.   So be careful, even though the rally in equities looks like it could continue, and the weakness in the US dollar is what could mark the last weeks of a chaotic trading year, we will certainly see these forces reverse in the first weeks of January, if not before.  S&P500 at crossroads  The S&P500 closed what was normally supposed to be a week of losses with gains. The index added more than 1% last week, and closed the week right at the top of the year-to-date descending channel, and above its 200-DMA.   The RSI index doesn't point at overbought conditions, the MACD index is slightly positive, and the volatility index slipped below 19, low volatility being a sign of improving risk appetite, and potentially sustainable gains.   Is there a possibility for this rally to extend despite all the red flags? Yes! There is, though, with the risk of Jerome Powell sounding like at the Jackson Hole speech back in summer – which had destroyed the market mood in a couple of minutes.   The next big data is due next week, on Tuesday, a day before the FOMC decision. Until then, investors could give themselves the luxury to dream about a dovish future.   The freefalling dollar  Until then, we could see the US dollar lose more field against most majors, if we are lucky enough. The EURUSD for example gained more than 10% since the end of September, as Cable gained nearly 20% since the Liz Truss dip.   As such, the US dollar rebound seems a bit aggressive, especially knowing that the market has been refusing to price in a terminal rate for the Fed above 5%.  So, there is a risk that we don't see a one-sided dollar selloff when the Fed remains sufficiently hawkish – and when the market pricing will have to match the Fed talk at some point.   But the latest dollar selloff is a hint that the US dollar has certainly peaked this year, and next year will be, despite some Fed hawkishness, and some rebounds, a year of softening for the greenback and recovery for other currencies.   OPEC doesn't cut output  The weekend was rather eventless, as OPEC decided to maintain its daily output restriction unchanged at 2mio barrels per day at Sunday's meeting, which could be seen as a negative development for the bulls.   But there are two price-supportive developments that could limit losses below the $80pb.   First, Europeans finally agreed on the Russian oil price cap at $60pb, that Russia refused – hinting that the Russians could reduce their oil output in the coming months, which would than reduce the global supply and push prices higher.   Second, China is easing Covid measures. The Chinese reopening could counter the global recession odds and support oil prices.  In US crude, strong resistance is seen at $85pb, 50-DMA. 
    Apple's overal sales decreased for the second quarter in a row, but iPhone sales turned out to be better than expected

    Vodafone Shares Fell By 45%, Apple May Be Moving Production Outside Of China

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 05.12.2022 14:57
    As we all saw in 2022, supply chain issues and soaring inflation hurt many businesses. Many large retailers have reported weaker profits due to the current macroeconomic challenges. This makes it even harder to figure out how to invest your money. The problems listed above are mostly indirect problems for companies such as Vodafone and Apple. After 4 years, Vodafone changes its CEO. Nick Read will hold the role until the end of the year. The situation with Apple in China and what this means for Apple’s stock. Vodafone - The company has already started looking for a new president Vodafone Group plc is a British multinational telecommunications company. The situation of Vodafone (VOD.PL) is not too good. After Read took the position, the company's shares fell almost 50% (45% to be exact). Stocks are at their lowest in two decades, according to data. The company has already started looking for a new president, as the current one will remain in this position only until the end of the year. Vodafone is also considering a merge with Hutchinson Three. Read next: Gas: Volatility still remains high and colder weather over January and February could see the natural gas bulls come back into town says Luke Suddards| FXMAG.COM   Foxconn, the Chinese iPhone supplier, is having production issues Apple makes most of its devices in China. Recently, however, production is affected by many factors. Foxconn, the Chinese iPhone supplier, is having production issues. COVID-19 lockdowns in the area and employee-management dispute are major sources of problems. Analysts predict these production issues could lead to a 5% to 10% drop in production. Apple's situation is unique as the company relies on partner Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese group that manages the facility to ensure that production runs as intended. If violent protests and lockdowns continue, production could be held back even more than expected. According to analysts and people in the Apple supply chain, after a year of events that have weakened China's status as a stable manufacturing hub, the shock means that Apple is no longer comfortable. Read next: The latest dollar selloff is a hint that the US dollar has certainly peaked this year, and next year will be, (...) , a year of softening for the greenback| FXMAG.COM The solution may be to move production to India. Analysts reported that by the end of 2022, Apple will transfer about 5% of the world's production of iPhone 14s there. Apple and China have spent decades bonding in a relationship that has so far been mostly mutually beneficial. Change won't come overnight. However, the transformation is already underway. In recent weeks, Apple Inc. accelerated plans to move some of its production outside of China, and to reduce reliance on Taiwanese assemblers led by Foxconn. With a market capitalization of $2.33 trillion, Apple is still the world's largest publicly traded company. They also have $169 billion of liquidity on their balance sheet, but all of these production issues are causing investors concern. Analysts noted how much Apple relied on iPhone sales, which accounted for 52% of revenue. Experts also point out that if Apple continues to rely heavily on suppliers in China, it could become vulnerable. As it became clear that manufacturing problems in China could pose a serious threat to supply, Apple shares began to fall. On December 2, Apple shares were down 18.79% year-to-date. Source: reuters.com, forbes.com, wsj.com
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Shanghai: Production of Tesla cut, because of reduced demand

    FXStreet News FXStreet News 05.12.2022 16:29
    Tesla is cutting production by 20% at its Shanghai factory. The move will mostly involve Model Y production. The production cut is due to a demand shortfall. TSLA stock drops 4.7% on Shanghai news.   Tesla (TSLA) stock gave up 4.7% in Monday's premarket after Bloomberg reported that its Shanghai factory would trim record production by 20% due to sluggish Chinese demand. Shares of the leading electric vehicle maker dropped to $185.75 on the news. At the same time most of the US futures market is down in the premarket. Futures for all three major indices, the Dow, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, are off close to 0.5%. Tesla stock news: Model Y production clipped The news out of Shanghai caught investors off guard, because until now Tesla had been undergoing a global ramp up in production. These included plants in Berlin and Austin, Texas as well. The Shanghai production cut is said to be caused by a reduction in that market's demand. Due to frequent covid-related shutdowns across China this year, the economy there appears to have pulled back quite a bit. Demand has shrunk even while Tesla has been ramping up production there to an all-time high. In November Tesla reported deliveries just under 100,300 vehicles. Cutting back to 80,000 units a month is still quite a substantial figure, and Bloomberg sources said it would be easy to ramp back up once demand returns. Reports say the cut will primarily focus on Model Ys. Earlier news accounts said that Tesla had finally exceeded Chinese demand in November for both Model Ys and Model 3s. Waiting times between customer order and final delivery for both models are said to be way down compared with earlier in the year. Source: CnEVPost Tesla can of course export vehicles produced at the Shanghai plant, and it does do this. In fact, that is normally the course of action. Tesla Shanghai spends the start of each quarter producing vehicles for export and then spend the latter half producing for the domestic market. In October, for instance, 54,504 vehicles were exported, and just 17,200 vehicles were delivered there in China. Tesla should produce more than 1 million vehicles at the Shanghai factory in 2023. In other news the European Union's Trade & Technology Council has vocally implied that it may challenge parts of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at the World Trade Organization. Members of the EU regard certain features of the IRA as protectionist since only US-based companies can receive the many tax breaks for going green that the legislation allows. A primary target of EU member countries are the EV tax credits. In order for a consumer to be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit on a new EV, the vehicle must be assembled in North America. "There is a risk that the Inflation Reduction Act could lead to unfair competition, could close markets and fragment critical supply chains," said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. "We must take action to rebalance the playing field... to improve our state aid frameworks. In other words: We need to do our homework in Europe and at the same time work with the US to mitigate competitive disadvantages." Tesla stock forecast With the latest setback, TSLA stock is once again experiencing resistance at the $200 level. Last Thursday Tesla stock nearly cleared $199 before selling off and closing lower. In order to make a run at late October and early November's swing high at $234, bulls first need to reconquer the $200 level, which is suddenly seeming to be a difficult task. Nearby support at $180 and $167.50 should both offer some confidence in the mean time. The 9-day moving average also found a base of support recently at the $180 level before moving higher. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) still shows that a rally is on, so it is quite possible that an unknown catalyst (Tesla Semi?) arrives in the headlines later this week and works to rally the troops for another try at $200. TSLA 1-day stock chart
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    Jason Sen talks Emini S&P, Nasdaq and Emini Dow Jones - 05/12/22

    Jason Sen Jason Sen 05.12.2022 11:39
    Emini S&P December futures hit the 8 month trend line at 4090/95, the downward sloping 11 month trend line & upward sloping 2 month trend line at 4105/10, with a high for the day week here. Nasdaq December lower on the US non farm payroll number to my target of 11750/700 with a low for the day exactly here. Read next: Vodafone Shares Fell By 45%, Apple May Be Moving Production Outside Of China | FXMAG.COM Emini Dow Jones futures turns lower but no important sell signal yet despite severely overbought conditions. **Friday's dragonfly doji in all 3 markets warns of a potential price decline. A move lower on Monday's candle provides confirmation.** Today's Analysis. Emini S&P December has rejected strong resistance at 4090/95 to 4105/10 with a weekly close below here. Obviously a break above this week will convince me to turn bullish. We then target 4170/90. Shorts at 4090/4110 can retarget 4060/50 & first support at 4020/10. A low for the day exactly here on Friday with longs offered up to 65 points profit. A break below 4000 however is a sell signal targeting 3970/50 & strong support at 3930/10. Read next: The reduction of fears related to a possible frosty winter may support the euro exchange rate | FXMAG.COM Nasdaq December holding below 12000 re-targets 11750/700. Further losses can target 11550/500 & even 11250. Bulls really need a clean break above the November high at 12118 for a buy signal targeting 12250 & 12400. Emini Dow Jones should meet support at 33900/800 & in fact we had a low for the day just 35 ticks above here on Friday. A break below 33600 today signals further losses towards support at 33300/200. Above 34700 can target 35000/35100.
    Stronger-than-expected ISM could have affected stocks. Aussie gained from the RBA decision

    Presumably, stronger-than-expected ISM affected stocks. Aussie gained from the RBA decision

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 06.12.2022 08:09
    Stocks fell and the US dollar strengthened on Monday.   One of the reasons that could have triggered the move was a stronger-than-expected ISM services read in the US, which came in above expectations, and hinted that the economic activity, at least in the US services sector continues growing, and growing un-ideally faster-than-expected despite the Federal Reserve's (Fed) efforts to cool it down.   So, the economic data may have fueled the Fed hawks yesterday, although I just want to note that another data, which is PMI services remained comfortably in the contraction zone at around 46.   In the short run, the S&P500 may have seen a top near 4100 But the fact that the S&P500 was flirting with critical yearly resistance may have played a bigger role in yesterday's selloff.   The S&P500 shortly traded above the year-to-date bearish channel top last week without a solid reason to do so. The pricing in the markets barely reflects the scenario that the US rates will go above the 5% mark. Therefore, a downside correction was necessary to reflect the reality of the Fed game. Read next: Vodafone Shares Fell By 45%, Apple May Be Moving Production Outside Of China | FXMAG.COM Some people say that it's because the market sees the Fed's bluff. But at the end of the day, if Fed's bluff of tighter policy doesn't do the job, then the Fed will have to do the job itself.   In the short run, the S&P500 may have seen a top near 4100 and could opt for a further downside correction, with the first bearish target set at 3956, the minor 23.6% Fibonacci retracement on the latest rally, then to around 3870, the major 38.2% retracement level and which should distinguish between a short-term bearish reversal, and the continuation of the latest bear market rally.   It is possible we will see the EURUSD recover to 1.10 and Cable to 1.30 within the next 3 to 6 months Looking at the FX, the Aussie was slightly better bid after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised its rates by another 25bp today, and took the rates to levels last seen a decade ago.   Elsewhere, the US dollar strengthened as a result of the hawkish Fed rectification. The dollar index first eased to a fresh low since June, then rebounded. It has way to recover above its 200-DMA, which hints that some majors, including EURUSD and Cable could return below their 200-DMA as well.   Yet, even if we see rebounds in the US dollar, the medium to long term direction of the dollar will likely be the south in the coming months.   Read next: The reduction of fears related to a possible frosty winter may support the euro exchange rate | FXMAG.COM The currency markets are not like the equity markets, or the cryptocurrency markets. The valuation of one currency cannot go to the moon, forever. Therefore, it is possible we will see the EURUSD recover to 1.10 and Cable to 1.30 within the next 3 to 6 months.   Even the Japanese yen, which has been the black sheep of the year, is expected to do much better in the coming months.   Analysts at Barclays and Nomura expect the yen to rally more than 7% next year - which is not a big deal if you think that the US dollar gained up to 30% against the yen since the beginning of this year.   Vontobel sees the yen's fair value below the 100 level against the US dollar, which, on the other hand, is a bit stretched as the dollar-yen hasn't seen that level since 2016, and it was a short visit. The last time the dollar-yen was really below 100 is before 2013.   What's more realistic is, we see the dollar-yen trend slowly lower. In the short-run, resistance at 140 should keep the pair within the bearish trend with the next downside target set at 130.
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    The Focus Will Be On The RBA Commentary | Crude Oil Pulled Back

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.12.2022 08:43
    Summary:  U.S. stocks and bonds sold off on Monday. On the back of the wage inflation in the job report released last Friday, the ISM Services Index and its employment and price-paid sub-indices on Monday increased the uncertainty of the Fed’s interest path in 2023 as officials would now need to think twice before slowing the pace of rate hikes. China and Hong Kong stocks surged on more signs of China loosening Covid restrictions. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) sold off on a solid ISM Services report After an unexpectedly strong ISM Services, U.S. equities sold off. S&P 500 dropped by 1.8% and Nasdaq 100 lost 1.7%. The selloff was broad-based as all 11 sectors within the S&P 500 pulled back, with consumer discretionary, energy, and financials being the top losers. Within the financial sector, regional banks were the worst performers. Telsa (TSLA:xnas) plunged 6.4% on reports that the EV maker plans to cut production in its Shanghai factory. VF Corp (VFC:xnys) dropped by 11.1% after the maker of the North Face and Vans brands, cut revenue and earnings outlooks and announced the retirement of its Chairman and CEO. United Airlines shares gained 2.6% after a leading U.S. investment bank upgraded the airliner on expecting 2023 travel to be a ’goldilocks’ year with earnings to pick up.  US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off with yields higher on a hot ISM Service Index U.S. treasuries sold off and yields surged after a strong ISM Service Index that came in with a rise in the headline to 56.5 and the employment sub-index back to expansion while price-paid moderating only slightly and remaining in strong expansion territory. Wall Street Journal’s Nick Timiraos, who is considered by market participants of the Fed’ media mouthpiece, said in his latest article that “ elevated wage pressures could lead [the Fed officials] to continue lifting [the Fed fund target] to higher levels than investors currently expect”. The 2-year yield surged 12bps to 4.39% and the 10-year yield climbed 9bps to 3.57%. The 2-10 year curve further inverted to minus 81bps. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied strongly on the loosening of Covid-restrictions Hong Kong and China equity markets surged on yet more signs of the easing of Covid-related restriction measures in mainland China. Hang Seng Index gained 4.5% and CSI 300 climbed 2%. Hang Seng TECH Index soared 9.3%. Technology names, online healthcare platforms, EV makers, and Chinese developers led the charge higher.  Bilibili (09626:xhkg) jumped nearly 29%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) surged 9.3% and Tencent (00700:xhkg) climbed 7.1%. Tech hardware names performed strongly, with Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) up 10.1% and Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) rising 13.6%. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) soared more than 26%, followed by Nio (09866:xhkg) up 14.9% and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) up 12.2%. Online healthcare platforms were among the top gainers, with Alibaba Health (00241:xhkg) surging nearly 20% and JD Health (06618:xhkg) advancing 15%. Shares of leading Chinese developers gained. Longfor (00960:xhkg) rose 17.1% and CIFI (00884:xhkg) jumped nearly 24%. Macau casino shares soared by 15%-20%. In A shares, infrastructures and financials were among the top performers. Australia’s share market rally halts, metal prices head lower, coal stocks surge. RBA decision ahead  The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) today is lower on Tuesday, following global markets; with selling in oil, gas, and gold stocks dragging down the market. As a result, the ASX200 stumbled from its seven-month high on expectations the Fed might keep rates higher for longer, which is also why interest rate sensitive stocks such as Block (SQ2) are in the loser board, down 5.3%, taking its year to date loss to 51%. While on the upside, coal stocks such as New Hope Corp (NHC) are up 2% with Whitehaven (WHC) up 1.2% supported higher by the coal Newcastle futures price heading back toward its record all-time high, on expectations coal demand will peak up.  FX and Commodities Oil pulled back 3.8% and gold plunged 1.6% as the US dollar rallied and bond yield rose. Iron ore (SCOA) fell 1.7% but held onto near its fresh highs of $106.50. USDJPY bounced 1.6% to 136.43. The Chinese renminbi strengthened versus the dollar to 6.9560 on more signs of China reopening from Covid restrictions.   What to consider? U.S. ISM Services Index unexpectedly rose by 2.1pp to 56.5 The U.S.’ November ISM Services Index came in at 56.5, which is 2.1 percentage points higher than October’s 54.4 and is way above the consensus estimate of 53.5. The business activity sub-index jumped 9pp to 64.7, the higher level since last December. The employment sub-index bounced to 51.5, back to the expansion territory, from 49.1 in October. The price paid sub-index remained at an elevated level of 70, down only modestly from 70.7 in October. China may roll out 10 additional measures to loosen Covid restrictions Reuters, citing “sources with knowledge of the matter”, reports that China “may announce 10 new COVID-19 easing measures as early as Wednesday” and downgrade the containment of COVID-19 to Category B management or even Category C, which are less stringent. Category A covers highly transmissible and deadly diseases such as bubonic plague and cholera. Category B includes SARS, anthrax, and AIDS while Category C has diseases such as influenza, leprosy, and mumps. The major focus in Australia is on the outcome of the RBA meeting today   At 2.30 pm Sydney time, Australia’s central bank is expected to hike rates by a quarter-point (0.25%) for the third straight month, which will take the cash rate from 2.85% to 3.1%. The focus will be on RBA commentary potentially ending its rate hike cycle, given that Australian households have the highest debt-to-income ratios in the world; with indebted households highly vulnerable to tightening, with loan arrears and insolvencies increasing. Look for color in the RBA statement that may allude to the RBA pausing rate hikes in early 2023. Lenders in Australia, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), ANZ (ANZ), Westpac (WBC), and National Australia Bank (NAB), as well as Suncorp (SUN) and Bank of Queensland (BOQ) will be on watch as they have been experiencing smaller profits as the property market is at breaking point with mortgage holders under stress. However, insurance companies are continuing to benefit from higher rates and are worth watching. Insurance company QBE Insurance (QBE) is trading up 9.2% this year and is a buy side analyst favorite. For more Australian buy-side analyst favouities, click here. If the RBA mentions a potential rate hike pause, you could expect banks to rally as well as REITs. For a list of Australian REITs, refer to Saxo’s Australian REIT stock basket. Caixin Services PMI slid further into contraction China’s services sector shrank deeper into contraction in November according to the Caixin Services PMI, which came in at 46.7 below both the consensus estimate (48.0) and the prior month (48.4). Covid containment measures weighed on business operations and consumer demand. China’s Xi is attending a China-Arab summit this week in Saudi Arabia China President Xi Jinping is expected to fly to Saudi Arabia on Dec 9 to attend a China-Arab summit. Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of crude oil to China. China has been pursuing a grand strategy to move westward to secure ties with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Market Insights Today: U.S. Stocks and bonds sold off on a solid ISM Services print – 6 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

    Tesla And Plans To Lower Production At Its Shanghai Factory

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.12.2022 08:49
    Summary:  Equities falter with Fed gaining power to keep hiking vs RBA nearing the end of its path, coal stock surge. Here is what you need to watch in markets in this six minute video         US equites fell on the back foot on Monday, falling for the third day The pull back in US stocks was largely fuelled by the US economy’s service gauge unexpectedly rising, fuelling speculations that the Fed can keep hiking interest rates and keep policy tight. As such, in a typical risk off fashion, the 10-year bond yield jumped almost 11 bps to 3.59%, which helped push up the US dollar up against board, with the yen sliding 1.8%. Money is essential being taken off the table ahead of Friday’s US producer prices report, which will be one of the final pieces of data  Fed officials see before their December 13 meeting. 95% of the S&P500 stocks closed underwater, with all major sectors all in the red. The S&P500 fell 1.8%, moving further away from its 200-day average; with the technical indicators flagging another potential pull back could occur.  While the tech heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 1.9%, almost wiping out last week’s rally as tech stocks are the most sensitive to rate hikes as they are deemed expensive, with a PE ratio of over 40 times earnings. As for big sock moves in the US; Tesla tumbled and airlines rallied Tesla shares fell 6.4% on reports its plans to lower production at its Shanghai factory, as China’s demand isn’t meeting expectations. Tesla shares are now down 53% from their high and what’s keeping their shares at this level is that the raw material costs are still high, for example the price of lithium is back at record highs, and the market consensus suggests earnings growth will remain at near the 20% mark. As always, there were pockets of green, United Airlines shares gained 2.6% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the airliner on expecting 2023 travel to be a ’goldilocks’ year with earnings to pick up. In commodities moves Oil pulled back 3.8% as the US dollar rallied, gold plunged 1.6% as the USD and bond yield rose, and iron ore (SCOA) fell 1.7% but held onto its fresh highs of $106.50. Australia’s share market rally halts, metal prices head lower, coal stocks surge RBA decision ahead The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) today is lower on Tuesday, following global markets; with selling in oil, gas, and gold stocks dragging down the market. As a result the ASX200 stumbled from its seven month high on expectations the Fed might keep rates higher for longer, which is also why interest rate sensitive stocks such as Block (SQ2) are in the loser board, down 5.3%, taking its year to date loss to 51%. While on the upside, coal stocks such as New Hope Corp (NHC) are up 2% with Whitehaven (WHC) up 1.2% supported higher by the coal Newcastle futures price head back toward its record all time high, on expectations coal demand will pick up. The major focus in Australia is on the outcome of the RBA meeting today At 2.30pm Sydney time, Australia’s central bank is expected to hike rates by 0.25% for the third straight month, which will take the cash rate from 2.85% to 3.1%. Focus will be on RBA commentary potentially ending its rate hike cycle, given Australian households have the highest debt to income ratios in the world; with indebted households highly vulnerable of tightening, with loan arrears and insolvencies increasing. Look for colour in the RBA statement that may allude to the RBA pausing rate hikes in early 2023. Lenders in Australia, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), ANZ (ANZ), Westpac (WBC) and National Australia Bank (NAB), as well as Suncorp (SUN) and Bank of Queensland (BOQ) will be on watch as they have been experiencing smaller profits as the property market is at breaking point with mortgage holders under stress. However, note,  insurance companies are continuing to benefit from higher rates. Insurance company QBE Insurance (QBE) is trading up 9.2% this year and is a buy side analyst favorite. For more Australian buy side analyst favouities, click here. If the RBA mentions a potential rate hike pause, you could expect banks to rally as well as REITs. For a list of Australian REITs, refer to Saxo’s Australian REIT stock basket.   For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Video: Equities falter with Fed gaining power to keep hiking vs RBA nearing the end of its path, coal stock surge | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The RBA Raised The Rates By 25bp As Expected

    The RBA Warned It Sees Inflation Increasing Over The Months | Tesla Shares Are Now Down

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.12.2022 09:45
    Summary:  Markets were surprised yesterday by the strength of the November US ISM Services survey, which suggests a fresh increase in services activity from the October level as opposed to the deceleration expected. In response, US yields rebounded all along the curve, the US dollar rose sharply, and risk sentiment rolled over again, suddenly threatening key areas in the main US index that were taken out on the way up recently.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures gave up most of their gains from Wednesday last week closing just above the 4,000 key level. The rejection of the move above the 200-day moving average suggests to us that the conviction is low at this stage of the rally and if we see a breakdown below the 4,000 level then the 100-day moving average down at the 3,936 level is the next pivot point to watch. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks pulled back following overnight weakness in the U.S. market and the uncertainty in the Fed’s ability to slow down in its pace of hiking interest rates after recent data indicating strength in wage inflation and business activities in the U.S. services sector. Hang Seng Index lost 1.3% while the CSI 300 was 0.3% higher. The rapid surge in the Hong Kong dollar money market interest rates recently also weighed on Hong Kong stocks. USD rebounds on hot ISM Services report, wilting risk sentiment The US November ISM Services survey cam in far stronger than expected, inspiring a fresh surge in US treasury yields, if a relatively modest one, and a significant rebound in the US dollar as risk appetite rolled over. The USD reversal is particularly interesting from a technical perspective as it came after support had broken in a few important USD pairs. EURUSD, for example, has been pushed back below 1.0500 this morning after an attempt on 1.0600 yesterday and after clearing the prior cycle high. USDJPY has surged above 137.00 after touching below 134.00. A more comprehensive reversal of the recent USD sell-off, however, would require EURUSD back below 1.0400 and USDJPY back above perhaps 139.00, with the key oncoming event risk next Tuesday’s November US CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Gold (XAUUSD) took a tumble on Monday ...and following the failure to break above $1808, the August high, it reverted lower to a challenge recently established lows in the $1765 area. The turnaround was triggered by unexpectedly strong US services data adding renewed pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer. Total holdings in bullion backed ETF’s suffered a large 13.7 tons reduction on Monday, and it highlights golds continued dependence on the dollar and yields to provide support, and once they fail to do so, selling emerges. Focus on Friday’s PPI report and liquidity which is likely to start drying up, thereby raising the risk of volatile price action ahead of year-end. Silver meanwhile tumbled 5.6% on Monday and has now returned to challenge support at $22.25 Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) traded sharply lower on Monday ...after supportive micro developments such as restrictions on Russian sale of oil and China easing Covid restrictions were offset by a broad shift lower in risk sentiment after stronger than expected US data lifted the dollar and bond yields while sending stocks lower. For now, the price action remains stuck in a ten-dollar range with no clear short-term direction emerging. The market is undoubtedly going through a soft patch regarding demand with Saudi Arabia lowering its official January selling prices to Asia while time spreads continues to soften as the spot price falls faster than prices further out the curve. US treasuries rebound on strong US services survey (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The stronger than expected US November ISM Services survey saw a rebound in US treasury yields all along the curve as the market priced the Fed to edge its policy rate a bit higher next year (peak yield seen hitting 5.00% again) as the 2-year Treasury yield surged over 10 basis points higher and the US 10-year benchmark pulled away from the important 3.50% level, although to suggest a reversal of the recent downtrend in yields, the benchmark yield would need to recover above 3.70-75%. What is going on? US November ISM Services surprises on the upside with 56.7 reading This is an important data point as the services sector dominates US economic activity. The market was looking for another deceleration of activity in November (consensus expectations for a 53.5 reading) after 54.4 in October. Among the sub-indices, the Prices Paid index was sticky at the high level of 70.0 vs. 70.7 in October, New Orders were 56.0 vs. 56.5 in October and Employment was 51.5 after 49.1 in October. Australia’s RBA hikes 25 basis points as most anticipated The hike took the cash rate from 2.85% to 3.1%. The AUD was mixed, rebounding sharply from session lows against NZD but that only came after a further slide late yesterday. The RBA maintained cautious guidance, saying the full effects of rates hikes since May have not been felt yet by the economy, while also declaring employment growth had slowed. As such the RBA said its path to achieving a soft landing is narrow, meaning it might be hard to avoid a recession. This also follows news out of Australia today that its current account fell into a deficit for the first time since 2019. The RBA warned it sees inflation increasing over the months ahead, particularly in wages. It conceded inflation is damaging the economy and is making life more difficult for people. The market only anticipates another 50 basis points of tightening in the coming 12 months from the RBA, as it’s rate peak lags the US Fed’s by nearly 150 basis points. Tesla shares fell 6.4% on reports its plans to lower production at its Shanghai factory ...as China’s demand isn’t meeting expectations. Tesla shares are now down 53% from their high and what’s keeping their shares at this level is that the raw material costs are still high, for example the price of lithium is back at record highs, and the market consensus suggests earnings growth will remain at near the 20% mark. US and Europe considering new tariffs on metal imports from China ...arguing that global overcapacity and carbon-intensive production in China could see the duties assessed on imports of key metals. The story is from Bloomberg, which cited “people familiar” with the situation. What are we watching next? China’s Politburo meeting is a key event to watch Before the Central Economic Work Conference convenes in mid/late December, the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo will meet in early December to discuss economic policies and establish the direction and policy framework for the work conference. Investors will pay close attention to the readout from the Politburo meeting for hints about the macroeconomic policy priorities and how they are balanced with the pandemic control strategy. Expect a modest Q4 contraction for the eurozone Yesterday’s final PMI indicators for November point to a very mild GDP contraction in Q4 in the eurozone (minus 0.1 % or minus 0.2 % in our view). The manufacturing PMI surged marginally to 47.1 from 46.4 in October. The report was rather mixed. The softening of inflationary pressures continues but additional orders are falling once again due to lower client demand at the global level. This was expected. The services PMI was also out in contractionary territory at 48.5 against prior 48.6 in October. This is the exact same number as the flash estimate. This is the lowest level since early 2021. Overall, the services and the manufacturing sectors are more resilient than most expected a few months ago when fears of the energy crisis started to cause panic. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is the homebuilder Toll Brothers which is expected to see revenue growth slow down to 6% y/y in the quarter that in October as the US housing market is drastically slowing down from the interest rate shock in mortgages. While growth is slowing down for Toll Brothers investors will be looking for evidence that margins might even begin expanding as building materials are coming down in price. Today:  MongoDB, AutoZone, Toll Brothers, Ferguson Wednesday: Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Norway Nov. Region Survey 1330 – US Oct. Trade Balance 1330 – Canada Oct. International Merchandise Trade 1500 – Canada Nov. Ivey PMI 1700 – EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook 2130 – API's Weekly Report on US Oil and Fuel Inventories 0030 – Australia Q3 GDP Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-dec-6-2022-06122022
    Industrial Metals Outlook: Assessing the Impact of China's Stimulus Measures

    Should The EU Borrow Money From The US? A Significant Role Of Gig Workers In The Future Of Shopping

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 06.12.2022 12:04
    The end of this year is extremely intriguing. It shows how economies cope with rising inflation and what lies ahead. Despite the difficulties, there is still development in many areas of our lives. In this article: Prospects of Norwegian companies EU and borrowing money from the US Gig Workers US economy Norwegian companies can Reuters company, in its tweet, writes about the deteriorating prospects of Norwegian companies. Norway companies see weaker outlook, central bank survey shows https://t.co/Hs0kOmgOee pic.twitter.com/KlWSqICCBq — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) December 6, 2022 The Norwegian market is also deteriorating. Inflation significantly reduces activity. Data on the condition of firms provide key information for the future policy of the central bank. Norges Bank raised interest rates, which are currently at 2.5% and it looks like they will continue to rise. Further actions may worsen the situation of companies that are already struggling with difficulties. EU and borrowing money from the US CNBC tweets about Germany's stance on borrowing money from the US. Germany says borrowing more money to compete with the U.S. would be a 'threat' to Europe https://t.co/4R6jZqWVRT — CNBC (@CNBC) December 6, 2022 Germans believe that borrowing can threaten competitiveness  The EU is vocal about its concerns about the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that threatens European businesses. Of course, there are advantages to borrowing money, but the greater the dependence can have a negative effect. For this reason, there may be skeptical attitudes as to further sources of financing. The rise of digitization J.P. Morgan tweets about gig workers Through the rise of digitization, gig workers are enhancing many shopping experiences. Learn how payments can help to attract and retain these workers. — J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) December 5, 2022 The future of shopping will require different types of employees to provide a topnotch customer experience. For many businesses, gig workers will serve a significant role in the future of shopping experience. These workers are becoming more and more common for two reasons. First, they redefine many roles and responsibilities in companies' business models (discussed below). Second, they provide structure to an otherwise disorganized labor pool; these workers now have a platform and business model to perform ad hoc tasks. In short, the development of employees means better quality of work and thus the development of the company. US economy may soft landing in 2023 Morgan Stanley tweets about US economy. While 2022 saw the fastest pace of policy tightening on record, has the Fed’s hiking cycle properly set the U.S. economy up for a soft landing in 2023?Read more about this episode: https://t.co/RSjBBIX7xm pic.twitter.com/7Qa248UKIW — Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) December 5, 2022 This year has undoubtedly been full of events. From the continuation of the fight against the effects of the pandemic, through the war in Ukraine to the fight against inflation. Central banks around the world are trying to fight inflation so as not to worsen the state of their governments and lead to a recession. While many economies believe they are already entering a recession cycle, it is believed that the US economy may land softly in this situation. Increases in interest rates in the fight against inflation cause difficulties for companies, as well as for households. Many experts believe that the Fed has prepared its economy for all eventualities. The coming months will be crucial to confirm this. Share price performance in metals and trading UBS tweets about its report results. Can measures to hold down cost of equity help drive share price performance in metals and trading? Find out how in our #UBSResearch report. #shareUBS — UBS (@UBS) December 6, 2022 UBS conducts numerous studies that are important to many markets as well as their sectors. UBS believe efforts to control COE are now likely to become a more important factor in maintaining and expanding multiples against this backdrop. Its analysis indicates several cases wherein CoE has functioned as a key share price driver.
    To Simplify The Organization, Pepsico Will Lay Off Thousands Of Workers At The Headquarters In The USA

    To Simplify The Organization, Pepsico Will Lay Off Thousands Of Workers At The Headquarters In The USA

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 06.12.2022 15:24
    The economic situation has also affected food companies. These types of companies are also planning layoffs. Laying off workers at the headquarters of North American In recent months, companies in the tech and media sectors have been laying off workers to cut costs as economic uncertainty puts pressure on their businesses. Several companies in the food industry have also made redundancies. The overall US labor market remains historically tight, with employers competing for limited labor pools and pushing up wages despite an uncertain economic outlook. PepsiCo, which makes the namesake Pepsi soda and products such as Gatorade, Lays chips and Quaker Oats, is reportedly cutting jobs. Food and beverages sold in grocery stores are in high demand despite rising prices affecting many households. PepsiCo and other food companies are raising prices to compensate for higher ingredient, shipping and labor costs. PepsiCo employed approximately 309,000 people worldwide, including approximately 129,000 in the US, as reported on December 25 last year. The layoffs will affect workers at her food and beverage businesses in Chicago; Plano, Texas and Purchase, New York. The company's beverage division is expected to be hit harder by the cuts, as the snacks division has already reduced staff through a voluntary retirement program, according to The Wall Street Journal. PepsiCo explained that the layoffs aimed to “simplify the organization” to ensure further operational efficiency. Wall Street is cautiously optimistic about PepsiCo stock. Currently, PEP is trading at the highest prices of the year. PepsiCo Inc. Chart Meta and cross check Unfair deference to VIP users of  Facebook and Instagram services under a program called “cross check”. Meta asked the board of directors to review the cross-checking process last October and has committed to responding to the group's questions. The Board noted that during the review period, Meta committed to carrying out annual cross-check reviews. The report provides the most detailed review to date of cross-checking, which Meta described as a quality control attempt to prevent moderation errors on content of increased public interest. The board report does not question the value of the secondary review system for moderating posts from high-profile or sensitive accounts. Moreover, the board's opinion blamed the company for its continued understaffing, opacity, and unfairness of the program. Meta claims that the board's content decisions are binding, but is under no obligation to follow its recommendations more generally. The supervisory board called on Meta to make 32 changes to the program. Examples of suggested improvements include separating the process of granting protections for public interest from the process of granting protections to Meta advertisers, or isolating the program from the influence of Meta's public policy team and other managers. Mr Rusbridger said he did not expect Meta to accept all of the board's recommendations. Currently, there is a correlation in the Meta stock price, the question is whether it will continue. Source: wsj.com
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    It Was A Negative Close In The New York Stock Exchange For 2185 Securities

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.12.2022 08:00
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.03%, the S&P 500 fell 1.44%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 2.00%.  Dow Jones  UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was the top performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading, up 4.28 points or 0.80% to close at 539.32. The Travelers Companies Inc rose 0.69% or 1.29 points to close at 188.50. Procter & Gamble Company rose 0.19 points or 0.13% to close at 149.28. The least gainers were Walt Disney Company shares, which lost 3.64 points or 3.79% to end the session at 92.29. Boeing Co was up 3.60% or 6.67 points to close at 178.43, while Chevron Corp was down 2.58% or 4.55 points to close at 172.01.  S&P 500  Among the S&P 500 index components gainers today were Textron Inc, which rose 5.25% to 73.57, Lumen Technologies Inc, which gained 3.85% to close at 5.40, and shares of Exelon Corporation, which rose 2.68% to end the session at 42.87. The least gainers were NRG Energy Inc, which shed 15.08% to close at 34.68. Shares of Enphase Energy Inc shed 7.77% to end the session at 309.73. Paramount Global Class B was down 6.97% to 18.15. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Summit Therapeutics PLC, which rose 194.27% to hit 2.31, Pacifico Acquisition Corp, which gained 59.01% to close at 8.03, and also shares of Eterna Therapeutics Inc, which rose 43.87% to end the session at 4.46. The least gainers were Gossamer Bio Inc, which shed 74.60% to close at 2.36. Shares of INVO Bioscience Inc lost 35.62% to end the session at 0.47. Quotes of MEI Pharma Inc decreased in price by 33.52% to 0.26. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2185) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (891), while quotes of 121 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,618 companies fell in price, 1,099 rose, and 217 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 6.84% to 22.17. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.15%, or 2.65, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI January futures fell 3.46%, or 2.66, to $74.27 a barrel. Brent oil futures for February delivery fell 3.86%, or 3.19, to $79.49 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.24% to 1.05, while USD/JPY was up 0.22% to hit 137.04. Futures on the USD index rose 0.28% to 105.53   Relevance up to 02:00 2022-12-08 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/303957
    The Bank Of Canada Paused Rates Hiking, The ADP Employment Report Had A 242K Increase In Jobs

    Bank Of Canada: Market Pricing Points Towards A Smaller 25bps Rate Hike

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.12.2022 08:51
    Summary:  Heightened fear about a higher-for-longer Fed tightening cycle, recession warnings from top U.S. bankers, and crude oil falling into new lows weighed on U.S. equities and saw bond yields lower. The momentum of China reopening trade seems to have somewhat exhausted despite more signs of easing Covid restrictions coming out from China. What’s happening in markets? S&P 500 (US500.I) pared all its gains since Powell’s Brookings Institution speech   Declining for the fourth day in a row, the S&P500 pared all its gains since Fed Chair Powell delivered a dovish-leaning speech at the Brookings Institution at the end of November. The solid average hourly earnings and the ISM Services Index data released since Powell’s speech have heightened once again concerns about more rate hikes to come. Two consecutive days of sharp falls in the crude oil price to USD74 weighed on energy stocks. Warnings about weakness in the U.S. economy from CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase added fuel to the recession fear. S&P 500 dropped 1.4% and Nasdaq 100 tumbled 2% on Tuesday. All sectors except utilities within the S&P 500 declined, with energy, communication services, and information technology the biggest losers. Meta (META:xnas) tumbled 6.8& after reports saying the EU is targeting the company’s advertising business model. Apple (APPL:xnas) declined 2.5% as the company said it is scaling back its self-driving EV plans. NRG Energy (NRG:xnys) plunged 15.1% after the power plant operator announced to acquire  Vivint Smart Home. Textron (TXT:xnys) gained 5.3% on winning a helicopter contract from the U.S. Army. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) lower as equities retreated As equities declined on the prospects of a higher-for-longer Fed tightening cycle after the recent strong U.S. data, treasuries were well bid with yields falling 2bps to 4bps across the yield curve on Tuesday. The buying came in particularly strongly on the 10-year and 30-year segments. Large curve flatter trades, mainly selling the 5-year versus buying the 10-year took place in the futures pit. The 2-year yield fell 2bps to 4.37% while the 10-year was 4bps richer at 3.53%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) pulled back on overseas market weakness; China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks pulled back following overnight weakness in the U.S. market and renewed concerns about the Fed’s ability to downshift its pace of hiking interest rates after recent data indicating strength in wage inflation and business activities in the U.S. services sector. The China reopening trade has shown signs of exhaustion as market reactions to the announcement from Beijing to ease PCR test requirements were muted. Hang Seng Index edged down 0.4%. Tech stocks retreated. Hang Seng TECH Index lost 1.8%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) dropped by 3% and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) plunged by 7%. Ping An Health and Technology pulled back after two days of strong advance, falling 8.9%. Leading EV names dropped by around 2%-6% as profit-taking emerged after recent rallies. Chinese property developers and Macao casino operators were among the top gainers. Logan (03380) soared 32%. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.5%, with the consumer staple, technology, and consumer discretionary sectors outperforming. FX: EURUSD back below 1.05; USDJPY at 137 The US dollar maintained a slight bid tone on Tuesday even as a tech rout spread through equities and recession concerns were highlighted by several bank chiefs. There was little data of note, only October US trade seeing a wider deficit but still better-than-expected. EURUSD fell to sub-1.05 levels as ECB’s Lane said that the bulk of work has been done by the ECB and inflation peak may be near. President Lagarde speaks on Thursday, after which focus turns to the December meeting. Meanwhile USDJPY hovered around 137 with BoJ Governor Kuroda remaining dovish as he said that monetary easing will continue even if wages rise 3%. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) plummets to its lowest levels in 2022 Oil prices dipped to their lowest levels since the start of the year as concerns of weaker economic growth offset ongoing supply side issues. Equity markets are now starting to price in recession concerns, as seen from a negative reaction to last week’s ISM manufacturing. Yesterday, a number of bank chiefs hinted at recession possibilities, and there were also reports of further job cuts from the likes of Morgan Stanley and even consumer brands like PepsiCo. However, China reopening continues to gather pace but it will continue to be a slow exit from Zero Covid. The Energy Information Administration released its latest market outlook, with a contraction in US economic activity in Q2 2022 and Q1 2023 weighing on demand. It also raised its forecast for US supply to 12.34mb/d in 2023. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also lowered oil prices for its crude into Asia and Europe, suggesting demand weakness concerns. Australia’s iron ore kings roar back to six-month highs; Australian economic growth data ahead The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) opened 0.7% lower following Wall Street. However, as the iron ore price advanced, iron ore players are testing six-month highs; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP, and RIO shares are all higher, testing new six-month highs. Metal companies such as BlueScope Steel and Sims are also higher. In terms of economic news out today, Australian economic growth is due to be released; expected to show an improvement in the gross domestic product (GPD) in the third quarter of 2022. GPD is expected to show growth rose from 3.6% YoY, to 6.3% YoY. We will be watching the Aussie dollar and how it reacts, which a knee-jerk rally up likely if growth is hotter than expected. Also, remember services are the biggest drivers of GPD in Australia; so watch travel stocks, such as Flight Centre, Corporate Travel Management, Webjet, Auckland International Airport, and Qantas. Also keep an eye on stocks affiliated with dining out such as Endeavour Group, Treasury Wine, and Metcash which owns Celebrations, IGA Liquor, and Bottle-O.   What to consider? Saxo’s Outrageous Predictions 2023 are now out! Saxo's ten Outrageous Predictions for 2023 are now out. The theme revolves around a War Economy, not just in military terms, but in economic, political, and social terms as well. Gone are the days when low interest rates could foster dreams of a harmonious world built on renewable energy, equality, and independent central banks. In 2023, world economies will shift into war economy mode, where sovereign economic gains and self-reliance trump globalisation. Some of the calls include Gold rocketing to $3000, the UK holding an UnBrexit referendum, or even a new reserve currency to replace the dollar. Remember, it’s not about being right. The predictions focus on a series of unlikely but underappreciated events which, if they were to occur, could send shockwaves across financial markets. The APAC strats team, together with our CIO Steen Jakobsen, will be hosting a webinar on December 14 to discuss these predictions. The signup link can be found here. Real wages shrank 2.6% Y/Y in Japan In October, the real cash earnings of Japanese workers declined 2.6% Y/Y (consensus -2.2%; Sep: -1.2% revised), the biggest fall in seven years. Nominal wages slowed to a growth of 1.8% Y/Y (consensus: 2.0%, Sep: 2.1%). Household spending growth slowed to 1.2% Y/Y in October from 2.3% in September. Beijing relaxed PCR test requirements Beijing, joining other cities, announced to lift the requirement for negative PCR test results when entering public venues or taking public transport. Australia’s central bank, the RBA says inflation will continue to cause more pain, validating its hiking path Australia’s central bank, the RBA increased the cash rate by 25bps in the eighth consecutive rate hike, taking the cash rate from 2.85% to 3.1% as expected. However, the RBA toed the line staying on a dovish path, saying the full effects of rates hikes since May have not been felt yet by the economy, while also declaring employment growth had slowed. As such the RBA said its path to achieving a soft landing is narrow, meaning it might be hard to avoid a recession. This also follows news out of Australia today that its current account fell into a deficit for the first time since 2019. The RBA warned it sees inflation increasing over the months ahead, particularly in wages. It conceded inflation is damaging the economy and making life more difficult for people, which traders took as an indication the bank won't pause rate hikes any time soon. China’s Xi is visiting Saudi Arabia from Dec 7 to 9 China President Xi Jinping is expected to fly to Saudi Arabia on Dec 7 to attend a China-Arab summit on Friday. Bank of Canada rate decision due today The Bank of Canada statement is due today and consensus expects another 50bps rate hike taking the overnight rate to 4.25%. However, market pricing points towards a smaller 25bps rate hike. The path of interest rates from here is also very cloudy, with a pause likely coming in early 2023. Therefore, any guidance on rate path will be key to watch for CAD which is lately getting hurt due to the lower oil prices. U.S. leading bank CEOs warned about the possibility of a U.S. recession Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, said in a CNBC interview that he saw the possibility of a “mild to hard recession” in the U.S. next year. Likewise, David Solomon, Chairman/CEO of Goldman Sachs, said there is a “very reasonable possibility” that the U.S. enters a recession in 2023. Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan said consumer spending is slowing and the bank is slowing its hiring. EU is targeting Meta’s advertising business model EU privacy regulators are reportedly ruling that Meta, the owner of Facebook should not require Facebook users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity. The move restraints Facebook’s ability to present targeted ads to users. Apple is postponing its self-driving EV launch to 2026 Apple is said to scale back its self-driving EV plans and is postponing the target launch date to 2026 due to technological hurdles in a self-driving EV without a steering wheel or pedals. Geely is taking its ride-hailing firm to do an IPO in Hong Kong Chinese auto maker Geely is said to be talking to investment banks for a Hong Kong IPO of its Cao Cao Mobility ride-hailing arm. The US and EU are weighing new tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, the U.S. and European Union are considering new tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum products to reduce global overcapacity and  carbon emissions.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Recession concerns hitting markets, WTI at year-lows – 7 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Crude Oil Upward Trend Remains Limited

    Recessionary Fears And A Higher US Dollar Are Causing Selling In Oil

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.12.2022 08:57
    Summary:  There is a lot to be said about stepping back and reflecting on what’s driving markets. The most selling over the last few sessions has been stocks and sectors that will likely come under pressure from rates staying higher for longer, combined with a slowdown in US GPD. As such a Tech names like Atlassian, to EV makers including Lucid are down 10% this week. While the most upside in stocks and sectors are in those that will likely benefit from increased consumption in China and increased commodity demand with the nation continuing to map out further easing of restrictions. Here is what you need to watch in markets, in this seven minute video           Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) head lower ahead of Fed decision next week The S&P500 continued to fall below its 200-day average, slipping 1.4% on Tuesday, taking the four-day loss to 3.4%, with the next level of support at perhaps 3900. The Nasdaq 100 fell 2%, taking its three-day fall to 4%. The most selling over the last few sessions has been stocks that will likely come under pressure from rates staying higher for longer, combined with a slowdown in consumption. Luxury EV maker- Lucid Group, team software company-Atlassian, and online dating company Match, have fallen over 10% this week. While stocks exposed to China, such as Baidu and JD.com have rallied over 3%. For more inspiration of other stocks doing well this month, likely to benefit from China easing restrictions; see Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket. What’s driving markets and shareholder returns right now? Fed hiking Vs China easing covid restrictions Firstly – what's pressuring stocks is the hotter than expected US service sector, showing the US economy is strong enough for the Fed to keep hiking interest rates to slow inflation. While major investment banks are saying 2023 will be a downbeat year. Goldman’s David Solomon says a US recession is possible, with smaller bonuses and job cuts expected. Morgan Stanley says it will reduce its global workforce by about 2,000, (2% of the total), while BofA’s chief Brian Moynihan says his bank slowed hiring and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon warned of a "mild to hard recession" in 2023, saying the economic clouds "could be a hurricane." So damp sentiment is causing bond yields to move higher again, the US 10-year yield hit 3.53%, while the US dollar is rising again - on track to make its biggest weekly gain in almost 12 weeks. Secondly, what’s driving upside in markets is the easing of restrictions in China, with the country preparing to ease further. This is benefiting forward looking Chinese consumption and commodities, as there is expectations demand will pick up. Refer to Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket and Saxo’s Australian Resource basket for stock inspiration. In commodities, iron ore heads back to its highest level since August as China prepares to ease Oil pulled fell 3.5% to $74.25 with hedge funds continuing to sell oil amid nervousness about the Fed’s interest rate decision next week, and its path ahead. Recessionary fears and a higher US dollar are also causing selling in oil. The next level of support is perhaps around $71.74. There is talk in Europe the market has shifted toward supply not being as tight. Engie said Europe may pull through this winter and next as it replaces dwindling Russian natural gas flows, with European refiners making more gasoline than the continent needs. Read our head of commodity strategy’s latest update. The precious metal, gold, rose 0.3% to $1769. While the big news of the day, is that Iron Ore (SCOA) price advanced as China is preparing to ease restrictions further, moving iron ore’s price up 0.7% to $108.95 (its highest level since August). Australia’s iron ore kings roar back to six-month highs; Australia’s economy grows, but less than expected The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) lost 0.6% on Wednesday, taking its week to date loss to 1%. However, after the iron ore price advanced, iron ore players tested six-month highs; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and RIO shares are all higher. In other parts of the market, insurance companies continued to shine, as they traditionally do when interest rates are rising. QBE and IAG rose almost 2% today taking their YTD gains to over 14% each. In terms of economic news out today; Australian economic growth showed an improvement in in the third quarter of 2022, but the growth was weaker than expected. GDP grew from 3.6% YoY in the 2nd quarter to 5.9% YoY. But more growth was expected (6.3% YoY). The Aussie dollar rose slightly, gaining 0.2% to 67.02 US cents. Also remember services are the biggest drivers of GDP in Australia; and as GDP is expected to slowly grind higher over current quarter, watch travel stocks, such a Flight Centre, Corporate Travel Management, Webjet, Auckland International Airport and Qantas. Also keep an eye on stocks affiliated with dining out such as Endeavour Group, Treasury Wine, and Metcash which owns Celebrations, IGA Liquor and Bottle-O.       For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.
    Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

    Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.12.2022 09:50
    Summary:  The US equity market rolled over further, with the S&P 500 index crossing back below the pivotal 4,000 level, completing the rejection of last week’s rally attempt. In Asia overnight, further signs that China will continue to lift Covid restrictions failed to buoy sentiment further, with weak November export data spooking sentiment at the margin. In commodities, the major crude oil grades dropped to new lows for the cycle on demand concerns.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures declined another 1.5% yesterday pushing briefly below the 100-day moving average before bouncing back above that average. In today’s session the 100-day moving average which sits around the 3,937 level is the important level to watch on the downside and if it breaks then the 3,900 is the next major area of gravitation. The US 10-year yield remains close to 3.5% adding no further pressure from the cost of capital side and in general the equity market is slowly transitioning into hibernation. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After a lackluster morning session, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks rallied in the afternoon after investors took note of the no mention of dynamic zero-Covid and a more balanced tone towards economic growth in the readout of the politburo meeting. However, stocks pared their gains and more, with the Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index reversing and losing 1% and 0.4% respectively as of writing. The Chinese health authorities announced 10 additional measures to further fine-tune its pandemic control strategy ... and are holding a press conference later in the afternoon. Separately, China’s exports in November declined 8.7% (in USD terms) in November from a year ago, weaker than expectations. Geely (00175:xhkg) rose more than 2% as the Chinese automaker is reportedly talking to investment banks for a Hong Kong IPO of its Cao Cao Mobility ride-hailing arm. USD stays bid on weak risk sentiment, BoJ comments overnight A weak session for risk sentiment yesterday helped support the greenback, with treasury yields trading sideways and therefore marginalized as a factor. One of the bigger movers overnight was USDJPY, which is challenging above the important 137.50 area (prior range low) this morning after BoJ board member Toyoaki Nakamura supported the BoJ’s current easy policy, noting that the elevated inflation in Japan in the recent cycle is not wage-driven. Nakamura expressed concern that policy tightening might prompt the return of deflation. Elsewhere, USDCAD is making a bid at establishing a new up-trend, AUDUSD has posted a bearish reversal, and EURUSD & GBPUSD still need more downside to suggest a similar reversal, while all USD traders are holding their collective breath for next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Gold (XAUUSD) holds above support at $1765 despite dollar strength and weak risk sentiment Stronger than expected US services data on Monday has renewed pressure on the Fed ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting, and with ETF investors still side-lined, gold remains very dependent on movements in the dollar and yields, both of which have been providing some headwind this week. While lower energy prices may ease inflationary concerns, Friday’s US producer price report may provide the next round of price volatility. Key resistance at $1808 with support below $1765 at $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) suffering a three-day decline of close to 9% Brent closed below $80 on Tuesday for the first time since early January with WTI trading near $74on fading risk appetite as the attention turns to 2023 and increased worries about an economic slowdown hurting demand. The slump comes against a backdrop of low liquidity with Brent open interest falling to a seven-year low, thereby stoking volatility. After five months of cuts the EIA upgraded its 2023 production saying it could average a record 12.34m barrels per day. The API reported another big draw in crude oil stocks while China imported 11.42 million barrels per day last month, up 12% from October and highest since January. Overall, however, the market is undoubtedly going through a soft patch with time spreads softening as the spot price falls faster than prices further out the curve. US treasuries drop again, as safe-haven appeal comes and goes. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yields at the long end of the curve erased much of the previous day’s rise as risk sentiment was broadly weak yesterday, suggesting a safe-haven appeal. The 3.50% area remains the pivotal one for the 10-year benchmark yield. The 2-year US treasury yield was sideways, meaning that the 2-10 yield curve hit new cycle lows around –84 basis points. What is going on? EU to move forward with cases against China on trade policy at the WTO The first case is related to China restricting Lithuanian exports, a move that came after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open what is arguably an embassy in the country. The other case revolves around Chinese treatment of patent holders. Apple set to postpone the roll-out of its first EV The company will postpone the launch of its first EV to 2026 (thought to be about a year later than originally intended), according to “people familiar” with the situation cited by Bloomberg. The original intention was for the EV to be fully autonomous, but the realization that this is an insurmountable engineering challenge for now has resulted in the redesign, which is now set to include human controls. TSMC plans to more than triple its investment to $40 billion in building plants in Arizona In an equipment installation ceremony at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) first microchip production plant in the US, which President Biden attended, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu announced that the Taiwan chip foundry is building a second production plant that will make 3-nanometer chips in Arizona. The additional plant will bring TSMC’s previously announced investment of USD12 billion to USD40 billion. TSMC expects the second facility will begin operation by 2026. Also attending the ceremony were CEOs from Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Applied Materials, and Lam Research. The additional investment is a boost to President Biden’s plan to bring the semiconductor supply chain, in particular the capability to fabricate high-end chips, back to the U.S. CBOT Wheat (ZWH3) trades near a 14-month low Despite floods Australia is expected to produce a bumper year of crops including record wheat production in the current financial year, the government said on Tuesday, despite the impact of widespread flooding in the country's eastern region. An announcement that will pose even tougher conditions for US exporters already dealing with reduced competitiveness from the strong dollar and robust supplies from the Black Sea region. On Tuesday, the CBOT bellwether wheat contract dropped as low at $7.23 to the lowest level since October 2021. Focus on Friday’s WASDE report which will publish the US governments latest projections for production and stocks. Sugar prices likely to remain supported as India sees output drop 7% India, the world’s biggest producer and second largest exporter has said its output is likely to fall 7% this year as erratic weather conditions have cut cane fields. A reduction may, despite global economic growth concerns, lift prices and allow rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments. Sugar (SBH3) traded in New York recently surged higher by 17% before spending the past couple of weeks pairing back some of those strong gains. The biggest short-term risk remains the potential for speculators reducing exposure ahead of yearend. This following a three-week buying spree to November 22 during which time the net long increased four-fold to 202k lots, the strongest three-week period of buying in more than four years. Toll Brothers beat on margin and home sales The high-end US homebuilder delivered strong earnings yesterday with revenue at $3.7bn vs est. $3.2bn and EPS of $5.63 vs est. $3.96. The gross margin outlook for the current quarter came out at 27% vs 27% expected as pressures in building materials are easing. One negative trend for the homebuilder was the backlog which shrunk to 8,098 vs est. 8,814. Australia: Q3 GDP softer than expected, mining majors rally, then retreat Australian economic improved in the third quarter of 2022, but was weaker than expected at +0.6% QoQ and 5.9% YoY (vs. +0.7%/6.3% expected). The Australian market fell on the day, with mining companies Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and RIO testing six-month highs before selling off later in the session. In other parts of the market, insurance companies continued to shine, as they traditionally do when interest rates are rising. QBE and IAG rose almost 2% today taking their YTD gains to over 14% each. China’s exports shrank 8.7% Y/Y in November In USD terms, China’s exports declined 8.7% Y/Y in November, much weaker than the -3.9% consensus estimate and -0.3% in October. The fall in exports was broad-based across destinations, U.S.  down 3.8% Y/Y, European Union down 9.3% Y/Y, and Japan down 4.6%. Exports to ASEAN slowed to a 7.7% growth in November from 19.7% in October. Imports, falling by 10.6% Y/Y, also below expectations. What are we watching next? Bank of Canada meeting today – market divided on anticipated hike size The Bank of Canada has shown considerable flexibility in its tightening path, having hiked 100 basis points in one go back in July, followed by a 75-basis point hike in September and 50-basis points hike in October. With that pattern in mind, the market is divided on whether the BoC will hike 50- or 25 basis points today, with market-pricing leaning for the smaller hike, while the majority of surveyed analysts are looking for another 50 basis points, which would take the policy rate to 4.25%. Regardless, the market is pricing that the Bank of Canada is nearing the end of its hiking cycle, projecting a peak rate next year of sub-4.50%. China opening up trade – has it run out of steam? The latest news in China of a further easing of curbs on activity relative to Covid saw equities in Hong Kong and mainland China posting marginal new highs before rolling over badly and then closing near the lows of the session, suggesting that after a torrid 35% rally off the lows, in the case of the Hang Seng Index, the further potential for this story to continue to support a positive outlook may have run out of steam. The highs overnight in the Hang Seng were within a few points of the 200-day moving average. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Campbell Soup which is an US processed food manufacturer of meals and snacks. The company is expected to deliver 9.5% revenue growth for the quarter that ended in October suggesting substitution effects as middle income families are shifting into lower priced options. Today:  Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1500 – Canada Bank of Canada meeting 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude oil and Fuel Stock Report 2000 – US Oct. Consumer Credit 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate Announcement 0001 – UK Nov. RICS House Price Balance 0030 – Australia Oct. Trade Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 7, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    USA: Final Q3 GDP amounts to 3.2%. Subtle Micron earnings

    Turbulent times on crude oil market. Nasdaq shrank by 2%, Apple and Amazon lost more

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 07.12.2022 10:24
    Equities extend the downside recovery, following the failure to clear an important year-to-date resistance last week, which was the S&P500's year-to-date descending channel top at around the 4080 level. The index cleared the first bearish target, at 3956 level, the minor 23.6% retracement on the latest rebound and tested its 100-DMA to the downside, but managed to close above that level. Nasdaq slumped 2%, with Apple retreating more than 2.50% while Amazon lost 3% as investors dumped technology stocks faster than the others.   And even oil giants joined the selloff this week. Exxon lost more than 2.50% both on Monday and on Tuesday, as the latest drop in oil prices didn't help improve the mood.   The American crude lost more than 7% since the weekly open. If Monday's fall was mostly driven by a global market selloff, yesterday's selloff was definitely due to the EIA revising its oil production forecast higher for next year, after having cut this prediction for the past five months.   Read next: Presumably, stronger-than-expected ISM affected stocks. Aussie gained from the RBA decision | FXMAG.COM So, now, the EIA expects the US to pump around 12.34 mio barrels per day in 2023, approaching the historical high production of 2019.   Yesterday's selloff sent the barrel of Brent crude below the $80 mark for the first time since the very beginning of this year, and pulled the barrel of American crude a couple of cents below the late November dip, at around $73.40. And even the API data – which showed a 6.4-mio-barrel drop in US oil inventories couldn't bring the oil bulls in. The more official EIA data is due today. Trend and momentum indicators hint that the recession fears could well push the barrel of oil toward the $70pb despite falling oil reserves in the US.     Russian oil price cap is a warning for OPEC  What's good about the falling oil prices is that the Russian oil cap becomes somehow meaningless as prices fall, though the Europeans said to revise the cap every two months. For now, there is not much to worry apart from a couple of vessels carrying Russian oil that are stuck near Turkey as Turks ask insurance apparently to let them sail away.   But here is the thing. The fact that the G7, the EU and Australia agreed to cap the price of Russian oil gave a strong message to the rest of the oil producers: they could do the same with OPEC.  So far, US President Joe Biden reassured OPEC that this is not a 'buyers' league' and that the decisions apply only to Russia. But we can't stop thinking that if OPEC goes severely against the US' will to stop messing around with oil prices, there is no reason we won't see a buyers' league emerge from the darkness.
    OPEC+ Meeting: Saudi Arabia Implements Deeper Voluntary Cuts to Boost Oil Prices

    The Russian Oil Cap Becomes Somehow Meaningless Due To The Falling Oil Prices

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 07.12.2022 11:16
    Equities extend the downside recovery, following the failure to clear an important year-to-date resistance last week, which was the S&P500’s year-to-date descending channel top at around the 4080 level. technology stocks were sold faster than the others, but energy stocks suffered on falling oil prices. Oil The barrel of Brent crude trades below the $80 mark for the first time since the very beginning of this year, and the barrel of American crude came a couple of cents below the late November dip. Even the API data – which showed a 6.4-mio-barrel drop in US oil inventories couldn’t bring the oil bulls in. What’s good about the falling oil prices is that the Russian oil cap becomes somehow meaningless at $60pb. But the fact that the G7, the EU and Australia agreed to cap the price of Russian oil gave a strong message to the rest of the oil producers: they could do the same with OPEC and that would be a big blow for oil prices in the long run.Elsewhere, TSM will invest $40bn in two Arizona plants, and Europeans are frustrated to see the US chipmakers get so much help that they are preparing to do the same! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:34 Equities extend downside correction 1:30 Oil slumps on higher EIA forecast for US oil production 3:52 A ‘buyers’ league’ would be a disaster for OPEC 5:35 US banks’ CEOs see gloom in 2023 6:52 Governments back chip investments 9:10 Hawkish BoC hike may not boost Loonie Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Crude #oil #cap #OPEC #energy #crisis #recession #fear #market #selloff #USD #EUR #Bitcoin #TSM #chipmakers #chip #stocks #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr  _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    S&P 500 ended the session 1.4% higher. This evening Japan's inflation goes public

    Jason Sen talks trading Emini S&P, Nasdaq and Emini Dow Jones - 07/12/2022

    Jason Sen Jason Sen 07.12.2022 09:46
    I told you where the high for the recovery would be!! - get ready for the crash!! Emini S&P December futures shorts at strong resistance at 4090/4110 are working exactly as predicted. AT LAST!!! Nasdaq December shorts are working with the break below 11750/700 yesterday as predicted. Emini Dow Jones futures break support at 33850/800 for a sell signal. Today's Analysis. Read next: Nigeria Bans Cash Withdrawal Higher Than 225$ To Encourage CBDC Use | FXMAG.COM Emini S&P December collapsed from strong resistance at 4090/4110 hitting my target of 3970/50 & strong support at 3930/10. Guess where the low of the day was!? That is the exact high & low for the move so far as predicted days before it happened! The bounce from 3930/10 meets strong resistance at 3960/70. A high for the day is likely. Shorts need stops above 3690. Support at 3930/10 is not expected to hold for ever. A break lower on a second or third test is obviously a sell signal targeting 380/70 then 3820/10. Nasdaq December breaks 11750/700 as predicted to hit my next target of 11550/500, with a low for the day exactly here. However further losses are expected to 11250. Below 11200 look for 11000/10950. Outlook remains negative of course so gains are likely to be limited with first resistance at 11630/690. Shorts need stops above 11770. Emini Dow Jones breaks support at 33850/800 for a sell signal targeting 33600 & support at 33300/200. A low for the day is possible but longs are more risky in the bear trend. A break below 33000 is a sell signal targeting 32750/700. Gains are likely to be limited with resistance at 33800/900. Shorts need stops above 34000.
    Twitter And Elon Musk Faced A Growing List Of Claims

    Unconventional Measures Taken By Musk In Managing Twitter

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 07.12.2022 14:58
    Elon Musk surprises once again with his actions against Twitter management. Investors are looking a little more positively at Europe, spurring a revival in the region's downward equities. Read next: The Australian Dollar Failed To Hold Its Gains, The Pound Strengthened Against The US Dollar| FXMAG.COM Sharing internal messages Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion more than six weeks ago. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about his actions towards this social networking site. Employees faced weeks of unrest, including the firing of half of Twitter's staff and sudden decisions on product plans. Musk said he thinks of Twitter as a digital urban market. Since taking over the platform, he has pulled a few levers to ensure that the Twitter conversation is also about Twitter. One of Twitter Inc.'s top lawyers "was exited," part of the fallout from the billionaire's unusual efforts to release internal communications to criticize prior practices. On Tuesday, Musk's tweets linked the departure to a project he dubbed "Twitter Files" - a disclosure of internal communications he characterized as showing partisan decisions by the previous leadership to the benefit of Democrats, for example. The documents are being published as evidence of claims that major social media platforms are biased against the political right. Twitter's own researchers said in a report last year that the platform's algorithms boosted the voices of the political right in several countries, including the US. Musk said he gave journalists Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss access to company documents in order to rebuild public trust in Twitter. Sharing internal messages with outside control is another example of unconventional measures taken by Musk in managing Twitter. Prior to Elon Musk's share of Twitter, the stock fell, but has been on the rise since then. Currently, the TWTR share price is 53.35. Positive sentiment The benchmark Euro Stoxx 50 index gained nearly 19% this quarter, putting it on track to achieve its best quarterly results. Sentiment has improved after a period of extreme pessimism towards Europe sparked by the invasion of Ukraine, the subsequent spike in energy prices and the highest inflation in decades. Investors and analysts say market sentiment is improving thanks to early signs of easing inflation in the eurozone and hopes that the fight for alternatives for Russian natural gas reduced the risk of an energy crisis this winter. Russia was the European Union's largest energy supplier, exposing the region to the upheavals caused by Western sanctions. Some of Europe's best-performing companies this quarter are in the industrials sector. These companies were among the hardest hit by gas supply disruptions and energy price spikes, with many companies temporarily closing factories or reducing production. France's Alstom SA shares rose 43% this quarter, while Siemens Energy AG shares in Germany rose 42%. Chart: Alstom SA Chart: Siemens Energy AG Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    US Corn and Soybean Crop Conditions Decline, Wheat Harvest Progresses, and Weaker Grain Exports

    Apple (AAPL) dropped 2.54% after Bloomberg reported that the tech giant plans to delay the launch of its electric vehicle to 2026 - Intertrader

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 07.12.2022 15:20
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 7, 2022                 Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views           EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)                 Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.                     Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,353.00 -124.00 (-0.86%) Read the analysis 14,270.00 14,478.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,536.00 7,591.00     S&P 500 (CME) 3,943.25 -60.00 (-1.50%) Read the analysis 3,922.00 3,960.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 11,561.25 -244.50 (-2.07%) Read the analysis 11,480.00 11,670.00     Dow Jones (CME) 33,624.00 -362.00 (-1.07%) Read the analysis 33,470.00 33,730.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 74.27 -2.66 (-3.46%) Read the analysis 73.40 75.20     Gold 1,771.23 +2.55 (+0.14%) Read the analysis 1,765.00 1,776.00                     MARKET WRAP           Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Tuesday, U.S. stocks remained under pressure. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 350 points (-1.03%) to 33,596, the S&P 500 fell 57 points (-1.44%) to 3,941, and the Nasdaq 100 was down 237 points (-2.01%) to 11,549.Media (-3.11%), energy (-2.65%), and semiconductors (-2.58%) sectors lost the most.Apple (AAPL) dropped 2.54% after Bloomberg reported that the tech giant plans to delay the launch of its electric vehicle to 2026.Meta Platforms (META) slid 6.79% on reports that European Union regulators do not allow the company to place personalized ads.NRG Energy (NRG) plunged 15.08% after the company agreed to buy Vivint Smart Home (VVNT) for 2.8 billion dollars.Goldman Sachs (GS) declined 2.32%. Reuters reported that the bank is considering buying crypto-currency companies.The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield retreated 4 basis points to 3.533%.European stocks also closed lower. The DAX 40 fell 0.72%, the CAC 40 dipped 0.14%, and the FTSE 100 was down 0.61%.U.S. WTI crude futures fell $2.70 (-3.51%) to $74.27 a barrel.Gold price added $2 to $1,771 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar regained further strength against other major currencies. The dollar index climbed to 105.58.EUR/USD fell 25 pips to 1.0466. Data showed that Germany’s factory orders grew 0.8% on month in October (vs +0.6% expected). November S&P Global construction purchasing managers index was posted at 43.6 for the Eurozone (vs 46.0 expected), at 41.5 for Germany (vs 45.1 expected), and at 40.7 for France (vs 49.9 expected).GBP/USD slid 61 pips to 1.2129.USD/JPY rose 31 pips to 137.06.AUD/USD declined 13 pips to 0.6685.USD/CHF dipped 5 pips to 0.9421, and USD/CAD increased 65 pips to 1.3653.Bitcoin kept struggling around the $17,000 level.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, Australia's data showed that third-quarter gross domestic product grew 0.6% on quarter (vs +0.8% expected) and 5.9% on year (vs +6.4% expected). China’s data showed that trade surplus declined to $69.84 billion (vs $81.00 billion expected) in November with exports slumping 8.7% on year (vs -3.5% expected).AUD/USD was stable at 0.6689, while USD/JPY traded higher at 137.20.EUR/USD dipped to 1.0461, and GBP/USD was flat at 1.2130.Gold price was little changed at $1,771 an ounce.Bitcoin managed to take back the level of $17,000.Expected Today  The U.K. Halifax house price index is expected to decline 0.1% on month but rise 7.1% on year in November.Germany’s industrial production is expected to decline 0.8% on month in October.Canada's central bank is expected to hike its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.00%.The U.S. Energy Department is expected to report a reduction of 3.88 million barrels in crude-oil stockpiles.           UK MARKET NEWS           Mitchells & Butlers Plc, a pub-&-restaurant operator, posted full-year results: "Total sales across the period were 2,208 million pounds reflecting a 1.3% decline on FY 2019, driven mainly by temporary covid-related sales reductions and closures in the first part of the year plus site disposals since FY 2019. Despite this, adjusted operating profit of 240 million pounds reflects a strong return to profitability. (...) On a statutory basis, profit before tax for the year was 8 million pounds (FY 2021 loss 42 million pounds)."Insurance, basic resources and utilities shares gained most in London on Monday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, Aviva (+0.18% to 444.2p), Barclays (+1.59% to 158.76p) crossed above their 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   02:00 Halifax House Price Index MoM (Nov) -0.1% MEDIUM     02:00 Halifax House Price Index YoY (Nov) 7.1% MEDIUM     08:30 Nonfarm Productivity QoQ Final (Q3) 0.3% MEDIUM     08:30 Unit Labour Costs QoQ Final (Q3) 3.5% MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Gasoline Stocks Change (Dec/02) 2.707M MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change (Dec/02) -3.305M MEDIUM                                     NEWS SENTIMENT           Standard Chartered PLC STAN : LSE 591.80 GBp -4.15% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade                 Deutsche Bank AG DBK : XETRA 10.072 EUR -0.49% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade                 Siemens AG SIE : XETRA 133.76 EUR +1.94% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade                 Glencore PLC GLEN : LSE 556.10 GBp -1.31% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade         TECHNICAL VIEWS           EUR/USD Intraday: under pressure.   Pivot: 1.0485   Our preference: Short positions below 1.0485 with targets at 1.0445 & 1.0425 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 1.0485 look for further upside with 1.0515 & 1.0530 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is mixed to bearish.     Trade               Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: consolidation.   Pivot: 3971.00   Our preference: Short positions below 3971.00 with targets at 3921.00 & 3900.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 3971.00 look for further upside with 3984.00 & 3998.00 as targets.   Comment: As long as 3971.00 is resistance, look for choppy price action with a bearish bias.     Trade               Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: under pressure.   Pivot: 80.70   Our preference: Short positions below 80.70 with targets at 78.70 & 77.50 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 80.70 look for further upside with 82.40 & 83.65 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is bearish and calls for further downside.     Trade  
    ECB's Hawkish Hike: Boosting EUR/USD and Shaping Global Monetary Policy

    On The New York Stock Exchange, The Dow Jones Did Not Rise In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 08.12.2022 08:00
    At the close of the day on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones did not rise in price, the S&P 500 index fell 0.19%, the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.51%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was 3M Company, which gained 1.77 points (1.42%) to close at 126.35. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.16 points or 1.06% to close at 110.09. Amgen Inc rose 0.87% or 2.47 points to close at 285.76. The biggest losers were Salesforce Inc, which shed 2.79 points or 2.09% to end the session at 130.48. Apple Inc. shares rose 1.97 points (1.38%) to close at 140.94, while Boeing Co was down 1.93 points (1.08%) to close at 176.50.  S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were State Street Corp, which rose 8.19% to hit 80.45, Campbell Soup Company, which gained 6.02% to close at 56.18, and also shares of Bank of New York Mellon, which rose 4.13% to close the session at 44.61. The biggest losers were M&T Bank Corp, which shed 7.72% to close at 147.97. Shares of Brown Forman lost 7.30% to end the session at 68.27. Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE) dropped 6.32% to 90.79. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Prometheus Biosciences Inc, which rose 165.67% to hit 95.80, Transcode Therapeutics Inc, which gained 133.44% to close at 0.98, and also shares of Vor Biopharma Inc, which rose 41.86% to end the session at 6.10. The biggest losers were Ensysce Biosciences Inc, which shed 53.36% to close at 1.04. Shares of Versus Systems Inc lost 46.98% and ended the session at 0.79. Bruush Oral Care Inc Unit fell 46.95% to 0.50. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1608) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1466), while quotes of 134 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,196 companies fell in price, 1,487 rose, and 198 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.30% to 22.68. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.91%, or 16.30, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI futures for January delivery fell 2.40%, or 1.78, to $72.47 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery fell 2.28%, or 1.81, to $77.54 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.38% to 1.05, while USD/JPY fell 0.38% to hit 136.52. Futures on the USD index fell 0.40% to 105.12.   Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-09 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/304121
    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang Downplayed Russia’s Invasion Into Ukraine

    Putin Has Now Warned That The Ukraine Conflict Could Go On For A Long Time

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.12.2022 09:17
    Summary:  U.S. bond yields plunged on a softer revision of the Unit Labor Cost, WSJ Nick Timiraos’ article on decelerating in housing cost inflation, and Putin’s nuclear threat. U.S. equities were modestly lower on their fifth day of decline. Profit-taking selling in Hong Kong and China stocks after the release of the Politburo meeting readout and 10 additional measures to ease pandemic control policy saw the Hang Seng Index down 3.2% What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) skid again. Campbell Soup boils up S&P 500 fell for the fifth session and briefly breached its 100-day moving average again before bouncing off the low to close slightly above it. S&P 500 was 0.2% lower and Nasdaq 100 was down 0.5% on Wednesday. Eight of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 declined, with healthcare, consumer staples, and real estate the only sectors advancing. Market sentiment was depressed by the recessionary signals sent out from the bond markets and Putin’s warning of the rising threat of nuclear war. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) dropped 3.2% on reports of cutting prices in China and the U.S. markets. Campbell Soup (CPB:xnys) surged 6% after reporting earnings beating analyst estimates due to strong gross margins. State Street (STT:xnys) jumped 8.2% after announcing a share buyback. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) fell on a softer unit labor cost print, Putin’s nuclear threat and WSJ Nick Timiraos article U.S. treasuries were well bid throughout the session, with yields falling by around 11bps across most parts of the curve. The 2-year was 11bps richer to settle at 4.26% and the 10-year yield fell 11bps to 3.42%. The Q3 unit labor cost was revised down to 2.4% from the previously reported 3.5%. The softer data provided somewhat of a relief to investors who had been concerned about wage inflation might slow the Fed from downshifting rate hikes in 2023. In addition, in his latest article, the Wall Street Journal’s Nick Timiraos, citing street economists, said the deceleration in rental increases in new apartment leases may mean “the end is in sight for one of the biggest sources of inflation” that Fed Chair Powell specifically pointed out as being important to watch in his recent Brookings Institution speech. Adding fuel to the rally in treasuries was the flight to safety bids following Putin’s threat of nuclear war. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) sold the new Covid-19 containment measures news Buy the rumor and sell the news in play yesterday in the Hong Kong and mainland China equity markets. After a lackluster morning session, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks rallied in the early afternoon after investors took note of the no mention of dynamic zero-Covid and a more balanced tone towards economic growth in the readout of the politburo meeting and the release by the Chinese health authorities of additional 10-measures to further fine-tune and ease China’s Covid-19 containment strategy. The markets nonetheless reversed soon afterward and tanked 3.2% as “sell the news” profit-taking came in. Southbound monies had a net outflow from Hong Kong back to the mainland of over HKD5 billion, of which HKD1.9 billion was selling the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong (02800:xhkg). Chinese developers were among the biggest losers following the second share placement in a month from Country Garden (02007:xhkg), with China Resources Land (01109:xhkg) down 5.3%, COLI (00688:xhkg) down 6.2%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) down 12.1%, and Country Garden down 15.5%. Selling was also aggressive in mega-tech names and saw Alibaba (09988:xhkg) down 5.3%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) down 3.7%, and Meituan (03690:xhkg) down 3.6%. The three leading Chinese airlines listed in Hong Kong, however, outperformed and gained by 2% to 6%. In economic data, China’s exports in November declined 8.7% (in USD terms) in November from a year ago, weaker than expectations. CSI 300 was down 0.3%. Australia’s share market holds six month highs, gold stocks charge, Australia's trade surplus beats expectations The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) opened 0.3% on Thursday, but holds six month high territory. As for the best performers in the ASX200, clean metal small cap miner Chalice (CHN) rose 12% after drilling confirmed it found new sulphide minerals in Western Australia. CHN would typically be classed as higher risk company as its doesn’t earn income, which is why its share are suffering while interest rates are rising. CHN shares are down 35% YTD. Gold stocks are looking interesting as recessionary calls get louder- gold generally outperforms in a recession. Evolution Mining (EVN) shares are up 5%, continuing to rally it in uptrend and have gained 61%, moving EVN shares up off their 5-year low. In the larger end of town, BHP shares broke higher but profit taking turned its break higher into loss. BHP shares are up 26% this year, with the major miner, along with RIO and Fortescue doing well of late after the iron ore (SCOA) price picked up 7% this month, with China easing restrictions. On the downside, engineering company Downer (DOW) plunged 31% to $3.31, which is its lowest level since April 2020 after Downer downgrading its outlook and flagging irregularities in utilities business. The AUDUSD slides on AU exports falling more in October, and imports sinking; supporting RBA remaining dovish On the economic news front, Australia’s trade surplus fell in October, but less than expected. This reflects that Australia is earning less income as demand for commodities has fallen from its peak, ahead peak energy season and China easing restrictions. The Australian surplus fell from $12.4 billion to $12.2 billion (when the market expected the surplus to fall to $12 billion flat). In October, exports surprisingly fell 1%, vs market expectations they'd rise 1%, while imports fell 1%. This supports the RBA keeping rates low, as such after the data was released, the AUDUSD immediately fell. FX: USD weakens on lower yields The US dollar weakness extended further on Wednesday as US 10-year yields plunged to fresh lows since mid-September breaking below the 3.50% support. There were some concerns on wage pressures as US Q3 Unit Labor Costs were revised lower to 2.4% (prev. 3.5%, exp. 3.1%), which pushed back on some of the wage-price spiral fears while still remaining elevated. GBPUSD pushed above 1.22 and EURGBP is testing the 0.86 handle. NZDUSD came back in sight of 0.64 even as AUDNZD recovered from 1.0532 lows printed after Australian Q3 GDP data came in beneath expectations. The Japanese yen gained on lower US yields, but gains were restrained by commentary from BoJ's Nakamura who reiterated Governor Kuroda, noting it is premature to tweak policy now as service prices remain low and he is not sure now is the right timing to conduct a review of the policy framework. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) prices pressured by demand concerns Oil posted its fourth straight day of losses, erasing all of the gains of this year. While demand concerns are rising with the aggressive global tightening seen this year, supply side has remained volatile. US crude inventories fell by a less-than-expected 5.19 million barrels last week, as exports didn't repeat their prior performance. Distillate stocks rose by more than 6 million barrels and gasoline supplies climbed by 5.3 million barrels amid weak demand. Still, the bigger factor is that the short-term technical traders appear to be in control of the oil market currently. WTI plunged to lows of $72/barrel while Brent went to sub-$78 levels. Gold (XAUUSD) higher on China’s central bank purchases Gold’s safe-haven appeal has come back in focus with China joining the long list of other countries who have been strong buyers of bullion. The PBoC added 32 tons to its holdings in November, the first increase in more than three years. This brings it total gold reserves to 1980 tons. This is also potentially a step towards our outrageous prediction on a new reserve asset, as speculations mount that China, Russia and several other countries could be looking to move away from USD reserves. Gold prices gained over 1%, and helped drag the rest of the sector higher as well. Industrial metals like Copper and Nickel also pushed higher due to the weaker US dollar.   What to consider? Putin’s nuclear threat sours risk sentiment Following drone attacks on three Russian air bases that Moscow blamed on Kyiv, Putin has now warned that the Ukraine conflict could go on for a long time and nuclear tensions have also risen because of it. He also did not clearly stay away from pledging that Russia will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, and rather said that Russia will defend itself and its allies “with all the means we have if necessary. The irresponsible talks on nuclear weapons is a sign that Putin is getting desperate with Ukraine gaining military grounds, and his actions will be key to watch. Risk sentiment likely to be on the back foot today, and food prices as well Uranium will be in focus. Japan Q3 GDP continues to show contraction The final print of Japan’s Q3 GDP was released this morning and it was slightly better than the flash estimate of -1.2%, but still showed a contraction of -0.8% annualized sa q/q. Stronger than expected growth in exports and a build of inventories led to the upward revision, private consumption was slower than previously expected at just 0.1% q/q. Lower oil prices and the return of inbound tourists may further aid the Japanese economy, but slowdown in global demand will continue to underpin a weakness in exports. Eurozone Q3 GDP grew more than initially forecasted The final estimate of the Eurozone Q3 GDP shows an increase to 0.3% versus prior 0.2%. Growth fixed capital formation was the biggest contributor to growth (0.8 percentage point) behind household spending (0.4 percentage point). The contribution from government expenditure was negligible on the period. This shows that households and companies are rather resilient despite the negative economic environment and inflation across the board. Based on the latest PMI for November (the last estimate was published on Monday), we expect a small GDP contraction in the eurozone in Q4. This would be marginal (probably minus 0.1%). Bank of Canada hiked 50bps and signalled the next move will be data dependent Bank of Canada hiked policy rate by 50bps to 4.25%, in line with market expectations but higher than the market pricing of 25bps. The central bank signalled the next move will be data dependent by saying that the “Governing Council will be considering whether the policy needs to rise further to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target.” Still, there was a slight hawkish tilt as the Bank said that the BoC will consider if future rate hikes are necessary to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target, which means there is potential for more rate hikes after a temporary pause. The Politburo says China will continue to “optimize” its pandemic control measures The Chinese Communist Party ended a politburo meeting that focused on economic policies for 2023 and anti-corruption works in the party on Tuesday. The readout of the meeting released on Wednesday makes no mention of the “dynamic zero-Covid” policy. Instead, it says that China will strive to better coordinate pandemic prevention and control with socioeconomic development and continue to optimize the country’s pandemic control measures. The readout does not reiterate the warning on the property sector and the rhetoric of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” but instead pledges to “be vigilant of large economic and financial risks and strive to prevent systemic risks.” Overall, the readout from the Politburo meeting seems to confirm the policy shift to gradually easing pandemic control measures and supporting the property to the extent of preventing it from causing systemic risks to the financial system and the economy. The readout emphasises stability by the utmost important priority for 2023 and the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party over economic policies as well as economic activities of the country. The readout also pledges to continue the anti-corruption campaign and enhance the governance of  the Chinese Communist Party. China issued 10 additional measures to ease Covid-19 containment practices China’s National Health Commission issued 10 additional measures to further fine-tune and relax the country’s pandemic prevention and control practices. The crux of these new measures are to further reduce the scope and length of lockdowns and quarantines and restrict the use of PCR tests. While these are important relaxation to the current practices, especially in reducing the unit of movement restriction to as narrow as floor or even apartment as opposing to the whole block or community and making quarantine-at-home the default option instead of centralised quarantine. Nonetheless, in comparison with the high expectations in recent days, these measures may be considered a bit underwhelming and do not provide a more definite roadmap of exiting the use of lockdown.  China’s exports shrank 8.7% Y/Y in November In USD terms, China’s exports declined 8.7% Y/Y in November, much weaker than the -3.9% consensus estimate and -0.3% in October. The fall in exports was broad-based across destinations, U.S.  down 3.8% Y/Y, European Union down 9.3% Y/Y, and Japan down 4.6%. Exports to ASEAN slowed to a 7.7% growth in November from 19.7% in October. Imports, falling by 10.6% Y/Y, also below expectations. Some outperforming stocks to watch Generally, there are always outperformers in markets, even when times are tough. A hot scoop for you is that that Campbell Soup shares popped 6% higher on Wednesday, gapping up to $56.18. Its shares are now 15% off their record high that it hit in 2016. That year, the Syrian war escalated, Trump was elected, and there was a string of terror attacks around the world. And amid war talks now escalating this year Campbell Soup shares entered an uptrend, gaining 45% from last November. If recessionary talks and Russia war concerns linger, you might expect this company to continue to benefit. It has free cash flow, and consistent rising profit growth. Another stock that did well overnight was General Mills, rising 2% to an all time high, $87.50 after the wheat price jumped 3% overnight on supply concerns returning. We mentioned General Mills as a company to watch in our Five Stocks to Watch video. Despite the wheat price falling 19% from September after supply returned to the market, General Mills has been able to grow its quarterly profit and free cash flows.      For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Putin’s nuclear warning; China reopening trade is fading – 8 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Gold Stocks Have Performed Very Well Under Pressure

    Gold Stocks Are Looking Interesting As Recessionary Calls Get Louder

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.12.2022 09:24
    Summary:  Risk picked up in markets with Putin warning the threat of nuclear war is rising, yet he stopped short of pledging not to use atomic weapons. Traders are also unnerved by growing recessionary fears; and next week’s US CPI read ahead of the Fed's interest rate hike. Campbell Soup boils up on stronger than expected earnings, gold and gold stocks bound higher as they typically do amid recessionary concerns. Gold stock Evolution Mining appears in an uptrend. Watch our six minute video.       What you need to know now about markets Risk picked up in markets with Putin warning the threat of nuclear war is rising, yet he stopped short of pledging not to use atomic weapons. Traders are also unnerved by growing recessionary fears; and next week’s US CPI read. Will it show CPI fell to 7.3% down from 7.7% YoY? And will the Fed hike by 0.5% on December 15 instead of 0.75%? Uncertainty pushed up bond yields, and pressured equities lower with the S&P500 falling for the fifth day. Oil fell for fourth day to $72,01 erasing all of 2022s gains. Focus is on uranium stocks and the URA ETF, as well as metals with iron ore, copper, and gold higher. Agriculture commodities and equities are back in the limelight, with Putin’s threats pushing wheat prices up 3.1%. The major indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) skid again. Campbell Soup boils up S&P500 fell for the fifth session falling below its 100 day moving average again, but managing to close above it as a sign that sell pressure could be easing, as markets await Friday’s producer inflation. Nevertheless, the S&P500 has now lost about 3.6% over five days of selling with the next level of support at perhaps around 3900 still insight. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.5% on Wednesday, taking its four-day lost to almost 4.6%. Outperforming stocks on watch - Campbell Soup and wheat giant General Mills Generally, there are always outperformers in markets, even when times are tough. A hot scoop for you is that that Campbell Soup shares popped 6% higher on Wednesday, gapping up to $56.18 after the company reported stronger quarterly earnings than expected. Its shares are now 15% off their record high that it hit in 2016. That year, the Syrian war escalated, Trump was elected, and there was a string of terror attacks around the world. And amid war talks now escalating this year Campbell Soup shares entered an uptrend, gaining 45% from last November. If recessionary talks and Russia war concerns linger, you might expect this company to continue to benefit. It has free cash flow, and consistent rising profit growth. Another stock that did well overnight was General Mills, rising 2% to an all-time high, $87.50 after the wheat price jumped 3% overnight on supply concerns returning. We mentioned General Mills as a company to watch in our Five Stocks to Watch video. Despite the wheat price falling 19% from September after supply returned to the market, General Mills has been able to grow its quarterly profit and free cash flows. Gold stocks charge, Australia’s share market holds six month highs   The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) opened 0.3% on Thursday, but holds six month high territory. As for the best performers in the ASX200, clean metal small cap miner Chalice (CHN) rose 12% after drilling confirmed it found new sulphide minerals in Western Australia. CHN would typically be classed as higher risk company as its doesn’t earn income, which is why its share are suffering while interest rates are rising. CHN shares are down 35% YTD. Gold stocks are looking interesting as recessionary calls get louder- gold generally outperforms in a recession. Evolution Mining (EVN) shares are up 5%, continuing to rally it in uptrend and have gained 61%, moving EVN shares up off their 5-year low. In the larger end of town, BHP shares broke higher but profit taking turned its break higher into loss. BHP shares are up 26% this year, with the major miner, along with RIO and Fortescue doing well of late after the iron ore (SCOA) price picked up 7% this month, with China easing restrictions. On the downside, engineering company Downer (DOW) plunged 31% to $3.31, which is its lowest level since April 2020 after Downer downgrading its outlook and flagging irregularities in utilities business. In FX, the AUDUSD slides on Australia exports falling in October, and imports sinking; supporting the RBA remaining dovish Australia’s trade surplus fell in October, but less than expected. This reflects that Australia is earning less income as demand for commodities has fallen from its peak, ahead peak energy season and China easing restrictions. The Australian surplus fell from $12.4 billion to $12.2 billion (when the market expected the surplus to fall to $12 billion flat). In October, exports surprisingly fell 1%, vs market expectations they'd rise 1%, while imports fell 1%. This supports the RBA keeping rates low, as such after the data was released, the AUDUSD immediately fell.   For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Video: Risk picks up, oil erases 2022 gains, Campbell Soup boils up, General Mills rises | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Another Margin Loan With Tesla Shares Is Considered, Gold Traded Higher, US Treasury Yields Dropped

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.12.2022 09:32
    Summary:  Risk sentiment steadied in the US yesterday as US treasury yields fell further, with the market seemingly increasingly convinced that inflation is set to roll over quickly next year, allowing the Fed to begin cutting rates in the second half of the year and beyond. The 10-year treasury yield fell below the important 3.50% level while gold rose. Sentiment in Europe is a bit more downbeat as frigid weather spikes energy prices.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures closed right on the 100-day moving average yesterday to the lowest close since 10 November washing away most of the gains delivered post the surprise inflation report back in November. The equity market is finding itself in limbo for the rest of the year with no clear narrative to build a direction on. Downside risks are related to the war in Ukraine and higher interest rates if the market begins to doubt itself on the Fed pivot. Upside risks are mostly related to momentum building in Chinese equities and the government seems to strengthen the policy trajectory of reopening society. The 3,900 level in S&P 500 futures is still the key level to watch on the downside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index rallied strongly, up 2.8% and recovering most of the loss from yesterday. The 10 additional fine-tuning measures to ease pandemic containment may be underwhelming relative to the high expectations. However, when reading together with the readout of the Politburo, an overall direction of a gradual and now seemingly determined loosening of restrictions seems to have taken hold. Omitting the language of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” and pledging to “be vigilant of large economic and financial risks and strive to prevent systemic risks” point to conditional support to the property sector when socioeconomic and financial stability are at stake. Technology names led the advance. Hang Seng TECH Index surged 5.6% with Bilibili being the top gainer within the index. Alibaba, Meituan, and Tencent climbed 5%-6%. Shares of China online healthcare platforms, China education services providers, China consumption, and Macao casino operators were other top performers. USD slightly lower again on steady risk sentiment and decline in treasury yields The USD softened yesterday as risk sentiment trade sideways and, more importantly, as US treasury yields fell all along the curve, taking the 10-year Treasury benchmark yield below the important 3.50% chart point. The USD will likely struggle unless the market begins to reprice its rising conviction that inflation will allow a significantly lower Fed Funds rate in 2024 and beyond and/or risk sentiment rolls over badly as the market prices an incoming recession and not a soft landing. The key event risks for the balance of this calendar year are next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Somewhat surprisingly, the new lows in US yields have yet to drive USDJPY to new lows: that pair recently traded below 134.00 but trades this morning well clear of 136.00. Gold (XAUUSD) bounces with focus on recession and PBoC buying Gold traded higher on Wednesday as the dollar weakened and US Treasury yields slumped (see below) and the yield curve inversion reached a new extreme on rising recession fears, and after China joined the lengthy list of other countries who have been strong buyers of bullion. The PBoC added 32 tons to its holdings in November, the first increase in more than three years. This brings its total gold reserves to 1980 tons. This is also potentially a step towards our outrageous prediction on a new reserve asset, as speculations mount that China, Russia and several other countries could be looking to move away from USD reserves. Friday’s US producer price report may provide the next round of price volatility. Key resistance at $1808 with support below $1765 and $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) pressured by demand concerns Oil posted its fourth straight day of losses on Wednesday, erasing all the gains of this year, before bouncing overnight as China edges toward reopening. While demand concerns are rising with the aggressive global tightening seen this year, the supply side has remained equally volatile. US crude inventories fell by a less-than-expected last week as exports slowed and production reached 12.2m b/d. In addition, distillate stocks rose by more than 6 million barrels as demand on a four-week rolling basis slumped to the lowest level since 2015. Short-term technical traders are in control as the overall level of participation continues to fall ahead of yearend. US 10-year treasury benchmark plunges through 3.50% (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yields dropped at the long end of the yield curve, with the 10-year benchmark dipping well below 3.50%, a key chart- and psychological point. The yield curve inverted to a new extreme for the cycle as the market is pricing that inflationary risks are easing and for the Fed to begin cutting interest rates by late next year. What is going on? New deep coal mine in UK the first to be approved in 30-years The new coking coal mine in Cumbria was approved by levelling-up secretary Michael Gove and will employ approximately 500 people and will cost £165 million to develop. Coking coal is used in steel-making, unlike thermal coal used for power stations. Musk may pledge more Tesla shares to avoid debt spiral Elon Musk and his advisors are considering another margin loan with Tesla shares as collateral to swap with more expensive debt carrying high interest rates ($3bn at 11.75% interest rate) issued during the Twitter takeover. These considerations underscore the increased risk in Elon Musk’s investments, including Tesla. EZ Q3 GDP grew more than initially forecasted The final estimate of the EZ Q3 GDP shows an increase to 0.3 % versus prior 0.2 %. Growth fixed capital formation was the biggest contributor to growth (0.8 percentage point) behind household spending (0.4 percentage point). The contribution from government expenditure was negligible during the period. This shows that households and companies are rather resilient despite the negative economic environment and inflation across the board. Based on the latest PMI for November (the last estimate was published on Monday), we expect a small GDP contraction in the eurozone in Q4. This would be marginal (probably minus 0.1 %). Putin’s nuclear threat sours risk sentiment Following drone attacks on three Russian air bases that Moscow blamed on Kyiv, Putin has now warned that the Ukraine conflict could go on for a long time and nuclear tensions have also risen because of it. He also did not clearly stay away from pledging that Russia will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, and rather said that Russia will defend itself and its allies “with all the means we have if necessary. The irresponsible talk on nuclear weapons is a sign that Putin is getting desperate with Ukraine gaining military grounds, and his actions will be key to watch. Risk sentiment likely to be on the back foot today, and food prices as well Uranium will be in focus. MondoDB shares rally 23% on earnings The database provider delivered Q3 earnings that surprised the market with revenue at $334mn vs est. $303mn and adjusted EPS of $0.23 vs est. $0.17, but more importantly MongoDB raised its fiscal guidance on revenue to $1.26bn vs est. $1.20bn. Japan Q3 GDP continues to show contraction The final print of Japan’s Q3 GDP was released this morning and it was slightly better than the flash estimate of -1.2%, but still showed a contraction of -0.8% annualized seasonally adjusted q/q. Stronger than expected growth in exports and a build of inventories led to the upward revision, private consumption was slower than previously expected at just 0.1% q/q. Lower oil prices and the return of inbound tourists may further aid the Japanese economy, but slowdown in global demand will continue to underpin a weakness in exports. Bank of Canada hiked 50bps and signaled the next move will be data dependent Bank of Canada hiked policy rate by 50bps to 4.25%, in line with market expectations but higher than the market pricing of 25bps. The central bank signaled the next move will be data dependent by saying that the “Governing Council will be considering whether the policy needs to rise further to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target.” Still, there was some “hawkish optionality” as the Bank said that the BoC will consider if future rate hikes are necessary to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target, which means there is potential for more rate hikes after a temporary pause. Canadian two-year rates were a basis point or two lower after considerable intraday volatility and near the lows for the cycle. US consumer food giants’ Campbell Soup and General Mills shares surge Campbell Soup shares popped 6% higher on Wednesday, gapping up to $56.18 after the company reported stronger quarterly earnings than expected. Its shares are now 15% off their record high that it hit in 2016. Campbell Soup shares are up 45% from last November. Another stock that did well overnight was General Mills, rising 2% to an all-time high of 87.50 after the wheat price jumped 3% on supply concerns returning. Despite the wheat price falling 19% from September, General Mills has been able to grow its quarterly profit and free cash flows. What are we watching next? What is the playbook for the pricing of the coming “landing”? There are several different paths from here, the one the market is least prepared for is one that shows resilient US economic growth and higher than expected inflation in coming months. But even if data does continue to prove the market’s strong conviction that inflation is headed lower and that growth will soften, will markets price some version of a soft landing or will fears of a “standard” recession cycle begin to weigh on risk sentiment as credit spreads widen and asset prices drop on fears of rising unemployment and falling profits? Until this week, financial conditions have been easing sharply and credit markets look complacent, so there is little fear priced in. After a wild year of volatility, large macro players may be unwilling to place large bets on the direction for markets until we have rolled into the New Year. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Broadcom, Costco, and Lululemon. With a market value of $200bn, Broadcom is the most important earnings release for market sentiment and analysts remain bullish with a revenue growth expected at 20% y/y for the quarter that ended in October. Today:  Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Hungary Nov. CPI 1200 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1200 – Mexico Nov. CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1430 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change Report 0130 – China Nov. PPI/CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 8, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    The Falling Yields Kept The US Dollar (USD) Under Pressure

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 08.12.2022 10:08
    Stocks fell for a fifth day, but the sovereign bonds gained, a hint that the market catalyzer shifted from the hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) pricing – where stocks and bonds fall at the same time, to recession fears, where stocks remain under pressure, while investors seek refuge in safer sovereign assets. Yields and USD The falling yields kept the US dollar under pressure below the critical 200-DMA, which stands at 105.75. American crude oil One big move of the day was oil. The barrel of American crude slipped below the $73 floor and fell to $71.70 on the back of rising recession fears. Oil And note that we have started seeing a structural change in the oil markets. Crude price curve was in backwardation up until a month ago. But over the past weeks we started seeing the front-end of the price curve falling and even going back to contango. I discuss in this episode what that means for oil prices. Gold Elsewhere, news that China increased its bullion reserves for the first time in three years have a boost to gold and silver. The mint ratio fell below 80, but gold could still be a better choice for those preparing their portfolios for recession. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:31 Markets price in recession 2:36 Oil slips below $72pb 3:57 Is contango coming & what does it mean? 6:25 Loonie to remain under the pressure of weaker oil 8:00 Gold or silver?! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Crude #oil #contango #backwardation #energy #crisis #recession #fear #market #selloff #USD #EUR #Gold #silver #mint #ratio #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Tesla (TSLA) slumped 8.88% after the electric-car maker offered a higher discount of $7,500 on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S

    Tesla (TSLA) fell 3.21%, TripAdvisor (TRIP) slid 6.41%, and Southwest Airlines (LUV) dropped 4.71%

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 08.12.2022 09:45
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 8, 2022             Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views       EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)             Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.             Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,235.00 -42.00 (-0.29%) Read the analysis 14,210.00 14,357.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,481.00 7,526.00     S&P 500 (CME) 3,928.75 -8.00 (-0.20%) Read the analysis 3,915.00 3,960.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 11,475.50 -34.00 (-0.30%) Read the analysis 11,430.00 11,600.00     Dow Jones (CME) 33,584.00 -41.00 (-0.12%) Read the analysis 33,470.00 33,760.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 72.75 +0.74 (+1.03%) Read the analysis 71.20 73.50     Gold 1,781.83 -4.442 (-0.25%) Read the analysis 1,790.00 1,776.00             MARKET WRAP       Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Wednesday, U.S. stocks still lacked upward momentum. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed flat at 33,597, the S&P 500 declined 7 points (-0.19%) to 3,933, and the Nasdaq 100 was down 52 points (-0.45%) to 11,497.Consumer durables & apparel (+0.86%), pharmaceuticals & biotechnology (+0.85%), and health-care equipment & services (+0.84%) sectors gained the most, while automobiles (-2.67%), consumer services (-1.32%), and technology hardware & equipment (-1.2%) sectors were under pressure.Carvana (CVNA) plunged 42.92% after Bloomberg reported that the used-car platform is consulting lawyers and investment banks about options for managing its debt.Tesla (TSLA) fell 3.21%, TripAdvisor (TRIP) slid 6.41%, and Southwest Airlines (LUV) dropped 4.71%.On the other hand, Campbell Soup (CPB) rose 6.02%, as the company posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, and raised its annual outlook.Regarding U.S. economic data, third-quarter unit labor costs rose 2.4% on quarter (vs +3.5% expected), and nonfarm productivity gained 0.8% on quarter (vs +0.3% expected).The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield retreated 11.3 basis points to 3.419%.European stocks closed lower. The DAX 40 fell 0.57%, the CAC 40 dropped 0.41%, and the FTSE 100 was down 0.43%.U.S. WTI crude futures declined $1.80 to $72.46. The U.S. Energy Department reported a reduction of 5.19 million barrels in crude-oil stockpiles (vs -3.88 million barrels expected).Gold price jumped $14 to $1,786 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar weakened against other major currencies. The dollar index fell to 105.15.USD/CAD was little changed at 1.3655. The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points (vs +25 basis points expected) to 4.25%, the highest level in almost 15 years. The central bank signaled that its tightening campaign was near an end.USD/JPY fell 45 pips to 136.55.EUR/USD rose 41 pips to 1.0508. Germany's data showed that industrial production edged down 0.1% on month in October (vs -0.8% expected).GBP/USD climbed 77 pips to 1.2210. In the U.K., the Halifax house price index dropped 2.3% on month in November (vs -0.1% expected).AUD/USD gained 36 pips to 0.6724. USD/CHF lost 11 pips to 0.9409.Bitcoin traded slightly lower to $16,800.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, USD/JPY advanced further to 136.85. Japan's data showed that third-quarter gross domestic product growth was confirmed at -0.8% annualized on quarter (vs -1.0% estimated).AUD/USD traded lower to 0.6715. Australia's data showed that trade surplus declined to 12.22 billion Australian dollars in October with exports falling 1.0% on month (vs +1.0% expected).EUR/USD was little changed at 1.0503, and GBP/USD retreated to 1.2188.Gold price dipped to $1,783 an ounce.Bitcoin held up well at $16,870.Expected TodayIn the U.S., the latest number of initial jobless claims is expected to rise to 240,000.       UK MARKET NEWS       UK: The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors house price balance fell to -25% in November (vs -10% expected).British American Tobacco, a cigarette maker, posted a trading update: "We are confident in delivering our 2022 guidance, demonstrating once again the strength and resilience of our business. (...) Our New Category business continues to drive strong volume, revenue and market share growth and has become a significant contributor to group performance. (...) We expect growing contribution across all New Categories, and all Regions in 2022. We are confident in delivering our targets of 5 billion pounds revenue, and profitability by 2025."DS Smith, a packaging services provider, reported interim results: "For the six month period, revenue grew to 4,299 million pounds, up 26% on a constant currency basis and 28% on a reported basis (...) Adjusted basic earnings grew by 49% on a constant currency basis to 20.9 pence per share, reflecting the growth in profitability. (...) we are announcing an interim dividend for this year of 6.0 pence per share, an increase of 25%."Technology, chemicals and financial services shares fell most in London on Tuesday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, Barclays (-0.83% to 157.44p) crossed under its 50-day moving average.From a technical point of view, BP (-2.24% to 464p) crossed under its 50-day moving average.       ECONOMIC CALENDAR       Time Event Forecast Importance   08:30 Initial Jobless Claims (Dec/03) 240k MEDIUM     08:30 Continuing Jobless Claims (Nov/26) 1.62M LOW     08:30 Jobless Claims 4-week Average (Dec/03) 231k LOW     10:30 EIA Natural Gas Stocks Change (Dec/02) -31Bcf LOW     11:30 8-Week Bill Auction   LOW     11:30 4-Week Bill Auction   LOW                     NEWS SENTIMENT       Standard Chartered PLC STAN : LSE 584.20 GBp -1.78% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade             Siemens AG SIE : XETRA 132.90 EUR -0.57% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade             Knorr-Bremse AG KBX : XETRA 52.24 EUR -5.26% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade             Glencore PLC GLEN : LSE 540.30 GBp -2.95% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade             Bayer AG BAYN : XETRA 52.80 EUR -4.05% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                 Trade     TECHNICAL VIEWS       EUR/USD Intraday: bullish bias above 1.0485.   Pivot: 1.0485   Our preference: Long positions above 1.0485 with targets at 1.0530 & 1.0550 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 1.0485 look for further downside with 1.0465 & 1.0440 as targets.   Comment: A support base at 1.0485 has formed and has allowed for a temporary stabilisation.     Trade           Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: key resistance at 3949.00.   Pivot: 3949.00   Our preference: Short positions below 3949.00 with targets at 3908.00 & 3896.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 3949.00 look for further upside with 3960.00 & 3969.00 as targets.   Comment: The RSI lacks downward momentum.     Trade           Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: key resistance at 78.80.   Pivot: 78.80   Our preference: Short positions below 78.80 with targets at 76.30 & 75.10 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 78.80 look for further upside with 80.30 & 81.30 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is bearish and calls for further downside.     Trade
    "Global Steel Output Rises as Chinese Production Surges, Copper Market Remains in Deficit

    The Value Of The Fear Index Could Increase With Sudden Movements

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 08.12.2022 13:10
    "The S&P 500 could break through the 3,600-point level in the near term as companies cut their earnings forecasts for 2023," - said David Kostin, chief equity strategist at Goldman Sachs. This would mean a decline in the main S&P 500 index of more than 8%. How could someone take advantage of the potential increase in volatility? Fear Index The instrument that assesses the volatility for the S&P 500 (US500) index over the next 30 days is the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX). Its value is determined by the pricing of options on this index. However, let us remind ourselves of the possible options. There are derivatives that give buyers the option to buy call (or in the case of put options, to sell) at a given price in the future of the underlying instrument. Importantly, call and put option quotes are priced independently. Because historically the index has reached its highest levels at times of major falls, it is commonly referred to as the fear index. Source: Conotoxia MT5, VIX, Weekly The fear index peaked during the 2008 real estate crisis. - around 60 points and during the 2020 pandemic crisis. - around 80 points. Currently, its value is around annual lows, at around 20 points.  Theoretically, the value of the fear index could increase with sudden movements (regardless of direction), and with slow changes the index could reach lower values. In line with this, the decline of the S&P 500 index by more than 17% since the beginning of the year has not triggered sizable increases in the fear index. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Weekly ETFs on the VIX index A long-term alternative to investing in the Fear index are ETFs that replicate its movements. It seems that special caution should be exercised in this type of investment due to their complex structure and built-in leverage. The first fund is the Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY), which gives exposure to the index with average leverage times 2. It consists of short-term contracts on the VIX index quotes. If we would like to trade in the opposite direction, ProShares offers the opportunity to invest in the Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (SVXY). It consists of the same contracts as its predecessor only with opposite positions. Source: Conotoxia, MT5, UVXY, Weekly What can we expect in the future on the VIX? Forecasting changes in the fear index could be difficult and fraught with risk. However, specific events trigger specific market reactions. These include, for example, the publication of surprising data to which investors seem to pay particular attention. At present, these may include: employment figures in the non-farm sector, the Fed's interest rate decision or inflation indicators. The advantage of the fear index, however, seems to be that if there is volatility following the publication of data, we may not have to worry about its impact on the broad market, as the value of the index depends on the expected rate of change.  Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange, 1727 Of Securities Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.12.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.55%, the S&P 500 rose 0.75%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 1.13%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Nike Inc, which gained 3.03 points (2.80%) to close at 111.36. Quotes of Cisco Systems Inc rose by 0.81 points (1.68%), closing the auction at 48.99. Boeing Co rose 2.58 points or 1.46% to close at 179.08. The least gainers were Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which shed 1.84 points (0.51%) to end the session at 358.08. American Express Company was up 0.65 points (0.42%) to close at 154.12, while 3M Company was down 0.35 points (0.28%) to close at 126. 00. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were SVB Financial Group, which rose 6.89% to 222.64, NVIDIA Corporation, which gained 6.51% to close at 171.69, and shares of Ceridian HCM Holding Inc, which rose 5.05% to end the session at 65.83. The least gainers were Lincoln National Corporation, which shed 10.86% to close at 31.45. Shares of Avery Dennison Corp shed 6.54% to end the session at 179.22. Quotes of Aptiv PLC decreased in price by 4.47% to 93.42. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Pharvaris BV, which rose 356.57% to hit 11.46, Rent the Runway Inc, which gained 74.26% to close at 2.37, and also shares of Qutoutiao Inc, which rose 59.66% to end the session at 0.83. Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc was the biggest loser, shedding 69.53% to close at 1.17. Relmada Therapeutics Inc lost 47.84% to end the session at 2.17. Design Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:DSGN) was down 33.33% at 8.46. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,727) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,352), while quotes of 123 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2154 companies rose in price, 1554 fell, and 218 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.72% to 22.29. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.18%, or 3.25, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI January futures fell 0.44%, or 0.32, to $71.69 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery fell 1.13%, or 0.87, to $76.30 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.50% to hit 1.06, while USD/JPY edged up 0.01% to hit 136.62. Futures on the USD index fell 0.28% to 104.76. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-10 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/304270
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    Asia Market: Chinese Stocks Were Broadly Unchanged

    ING Economics ING Economics 09.12.2022 08:44
    November CPI inflation report is due from China. Markets tempering earlier China re-opening optimism Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: It’s turning out to be a slightly more positive end to the week for US stocks, though nothing to get too excited about. The S&P500 rose 0.75% while the NASDAQ gained 1.13%, but there doesn’t appear to have been any strong catalyst for the moves, which can probably just be put down to re-positioning after several sessions of losses. Chinese stocks were broadly unchanged, as early optimism over the apparent re-opening moves has been tempered by rising Covid cases and scepticism about the ease with which this will be achieved. Equity futures are not indicating any strong conviction for the US open today, and it probably doesn’t help that Treasury yields have begun to head back higher again, as we indicated yesterday was probable as the falls until then looked overdone. 2Y US Treasury yields rose 5.2bp and the 10Y rose 6.5bp, but it still yields only 3.48%. With markets still not fully pricing in a 5.0% peak fed funds rate (4.94% for May 23 contract), there is probably a little further upside once this becomes more certain, for which we may need next week’s FOMC press conference for affirmation. The slight rise in bond yields hasn’t helped the USD much, and EURUSD is up to 1.0556, while the AUD has risen to 0.678, Cable is 1.2234, while the JPY isn’t much changed at 136.59. Asian FX hasn’t done a lot in the last 24 hours with the exception of the THB, which is up 0.76% to 34.833 following a solid rise in tourist arrivals. Other gains were modest (KRW 0.28%, VND 0.2%) and there were also some small losses, (TWD 0.13%, MYR 0.10%). There could be some catch-up with the G-10 today. G-7 Macro: A slight rise in the US weekly continuing jobless claims figures yesterday seems a questionable basis for running with the headline that the “US job market cools” though this is what a well-known financial broadsheet is doing today. The initial claims figures were little changed at 230,000 and bang in line with expectations. Continued claims rose 62,000 to 1,671,000. Today’s G-7 calendar is packed, with PPI inflation data (expected to fall from 8.0% to 7.2% for November), as well as the University of Michigan sentiment and inflation expectations figures, which have been “bigged-up” as potentially market moving, and who knows? If Treasury yields can rise or fall 10bp with seemingly no macro input, I suppose we shouldn’t rule out there being an improbable swing when there is one. China: Loan data could be released any day between today and 15 Dec. We expect more than a doubling of aggregate finance and new yuan loans in November compared to October. This will mainly come from around CNY1.2 trillion in loans to real estate developers near the end of November. There could be more financing from other channels for developers in December. CPI data today should continue to show mild inflation in November while PPI could show a slight yearly contraction from lower commodity prices in general, indicating weak economic activity in November. What to look out for: China inflation plus US producer prices and the Michigan sentiment report China CPI inflation (9 December) US PPI inflation (9 December) US University of Michigan sentiment (9 December) Read this article on THINK TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    The Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge For Australia Rose More Than Expected

    The Australian Benchmark Index Looks Like It Could Close Off The Week Lower

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.12.2022 08:59
    Summary:  U.S. equities rallied after declining for five consecutive days as investors took a pause in the growth-fear-triggered selling as treasury yields bounced. Hong Kong stocks surged by 3.4%, completely reversing their loss on Wednesday after profit-taking being out of the way and investors looking at the potential improvement to the economic outlook in China. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) snapped a 5-day losing streak An interesting recent development in the U.S equity markets was that investors worried about falls in long-term treasury yields and cheered rises of them as their focus shifted from long-term treasury yields’ negative impact on equity valuation to their signaling function of potentially a U.S. recession, especially when the yield curve going more inverted in the process. The bounce of the 10-year treasury yield by 7bps to 3.48% on Thursday was cited as positive for equities by some investors. Optimism about the outlook of an economic recovery in China also contributed to the improvement in sentiment. S&P 500 gained 0.8% and Nasdaq 100 advanced 1.1%. Nine of the 11 S&P500 sectors climbed, with information technology, consumer discretionary, and healthcare leading the gain, while communication services and energy lost by 0.5%. The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to block Microsoft’s (MSFT:xnas) acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI:xnas). Shares of Microsoft rose by 1.2% while Activision dropped by 1.5%. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bounced on a rise in continuous jobless claims and ahead of PPI and supply U.S. treasury yields took a little pause in their continuous falls. The 2-year yield rose 5bps to 4.31% and the 10-year yield was 7bps cheaper to 3.48%, after retesting the 3.5% level during the day. Initial jobless claims were in line with expectations but traders took note of the larger-than-expected increase in continuous jobless claims to 1,671K from the prior week’s 1,608K. Trading activities were muted ahead of the PPI on Friday and the CPI next week. The Treasury Department announced USD90 billion in the 3-year, 10-year, and 30-year auctions next week. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters that “whether or not we can avoid a recession, I believe the answer is yes.” Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) sold the new Covid-19 containment measures news Hang Seng Index rallied strongly, up 3.4% on Thursday and recovered all the loss from “buy the rumor, sell the news” profit-taking selling the day before. The 10 additional fine-tuning measures to ease pandemic containment may be underwhelming relative to the high expectations. However, when reading together with the readout of the Politburo, an overall direction of a gradual and now seemingly determined loosening of restrictions seems to have taken hold. Omitting the language of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” and pledging to “be vigilant of large economic and financial risks and strive to prevent systemic risks” point to conditional support to the property sector when socioeconomic and financial stability are at stake. After the profit-taking selling out of the way, technology stocks led the rally. Hang Seng TECH Index surged 6.6% with Bilibili (09626:xhkg), soaring 22%, being the top gainer within the index. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), and Tencent (00700:xhkg) advanced 5%-6%. Shares of Macao casino operators soared 12%-22%, following Macao said it will stop requiring negative PCR or RAT test result proof from Chinese visitors. Hong Kong shortened the home isolation period for people infected with Covid-10 to five days from seven days. A newspaper story suggests that the Hong Kong authorities are considering relaxing the outdoor mask rule. Cosmetic chain Sa Sa (00178:xhkg) jumped 19.7%. In A shares, trading was lackluster with CSI300 ending the session flat. Among industries, property, financials, telecom services, and healthcare outperformed. Australia’s share market rises for the first time in four days, with miners leading the charge The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) opened 0.7% higher on Friday but looks like it could close off the week lower, with the market now down 1.5%, which marks the first weekly drop in three weeks. The ASX200 holds six-month high territory largely buoyed by the mining sector being bought up (bid) on forward looking hopes that China will ramp up economic activity next year and keep accommodative monetary support in place, which will likely support infrastructure and property. As such, this has supported the key steel making ingredient, iron ore (SCOA) raise 3.6% this week and elevated Fortescue Metals (FMG) shares by 8% this week, with Champion Iron (CIA) up 7%, with Rio Tino (RIO) following. Fortescue Metals shares are on watch as they appear in overbought territory, but what support likely further upside is the iron ore price hit a fresh four-month high today, $109.60, which suggests if this uptrend in iron ore continue, Fortescue Metals earnings could pick up. And it could see subsequent share price upgrades from buy and sell side brokers.  FX: The U.S. dollar index weakened modestly by 0.3% to 104.77 The US dollar weakened modestly against all G10 currencies except for being unchanged versus the Yen. The Aussie dollar gained the most against the U.S. dollar and it rose by 0.7% to 0.6770. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) declined nearly 10% so far this week At USD72, WTI crude was down nearly 10% over the week on worries of a slowing U.S. economy and larger-than-expected buildup in U.S. fuel product inventories. The first five month of the WTI futures contracts are now in contango. What to consider? Look for more hints about U.S. inflation from the PPI and the University of Michigan Consumer Survey Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are expecting the headline PPI growth in the U.S. to slow to 7.2% Y/Y in November from 8.0% in October and PPI ex-Food and Energy to come at 5.9% Y/Y in November versus 6.7% in October as supply chains continue to improve. Investors will dig in the components of PPI to scrutinize the price changes in various services to gauge their impacts on the more important core personal expenditure price (core PCE). Investors will also look for hints about the trend of the U.S. inflation from the inflation expectation numbers in the University of Michigan Consumer Survey. China’s inflation is expected to have moderated in November The Bloomberg consensus is expecting China’s PPI to shrink further by -1.5% Y/Y in November (vs Oct: -1.3% Y/Y) and CPI to slow to +1.6% in November from +2.1% in October. Weak industrial demand in the midst of countrywide pandemic control-related restrictions during the month and weakness in energy prices would likely have contributed to the decline in the PPI. November CPI would have been dragged by base effects and weakness in food prices. China’s new aggregate financing and RMB loans are expected to have bounced in November Market economists, as surveyed by Bloomberg, are expecting China’s new aggregate financing to bounce to RMB 2,100 billion in November from RMB 907.9 billion in October and new RMB loans to rise to RMB 1,400 billion in November from RMB 615.2 billion as People’s Bank of China urged banks to extend credits to support private enterprises including property developers. Less bond issuance by local governments and corporate and weak loan demand however might have weighed on the pace of credit expansion in November.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: U.S. equities snapped a 5-day losing streak and bond yields bounced ahead of PPI; Hong Kong stocked rallied – 9 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Unlocking the Future: Key UK Wage Data and September BoE Rate Hike Prospects

    Buying In China Tech And In Airlines Shares Picked Up

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.12.2022 09:05
    Summary:  In today’s five minute video we bring you up to speed with what traders and investors in Australia at Saxo, have been doing this week. It reflects the two major drives of markets, higher for longer interest rates in US and a potential recession. On the other side, some clients are somewhat excited about China’s major cities easing restrictions, and dangling the carrot to ease further. We explore if upside is sustainable in metals, such as iron ore and why buying is picking up in the US dollar, with the USD index seeing its strongest gain in 12 weeks.   Investors and traders are bunkering into the theme of higher for longer interest rates in the US, and a potential recession This is the major theme that's driving markets and pushed global equities lowers this week. So we’ve been seeing profit taking, a little more selling and options put on tech companies, including Tesla, Google, and Apple  - more so than the last few weeks. And buying of the US dollar picked up again; with the DXY set for its biggest gain in 12 weeks, ahead of US CPI next week and the final Fed decision for 2022. There is pent up investor demand for investing in China’s reopening theme This is the second major driver of markets of late. It comes as five major cities have eased restrictions and dangled the carrot to ease further. As well as potentially scrapping mask wearing.  Commodities buying picked up on the platform at Saxo, given there are hopes for China to fast track economic growth next year. Buying in lithium stocks;  Pilbara Minerals, Allkem picked up  Buying in Fortescue Metals also picked up. This is because the commodity Fortescue makes 90% of its revenue from, iron ore (SCOA) the key steel making ingredient, rose 3.6% this week, taking its gain from the October low to 44%, with the price of the iron ore hitting $110.20, a new four month high. The price of iron ore has been rallying as China is easing restrictions and today the market heard whispers that Chinese property developers will get more support, which would support demand for iron ore rising. However it looks like buying volume in iron ore slowed for now. So perhaps until we see more concrete announcements or further easing of restrictions, iron ore and iron ore miners could maybe see a bit of profit or buying fade next week, especially as iron ore stocks were this weeks best performers. Once we get more hopes, the iron ore price might be supported higher along with upside in iron ore majors shares; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and Rio. Also, next week, iron ore majors may see share price upgrades from buy and sell side brokers. Buying in China Tech picked up;  given there are favourable interest rates in China, pent up demand, and restriction are easing. As such buying in Alibaba picked up.  In energy markets, buying in coal stocks picked up; with Whitehaven Coal buy orders rising.  And lastly, buying in airlines shares picked up as well. Especially in those air companies that travel in and out of Hong Kong, Such as Cathay Pacific. Qantas also saw increased buys.     For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Video: What traders and investors have been buying amid recession concerns versus China easing restrictions | Saxo Group (home.saxo)      
    Key Economic Events and Earnings Reports to Watch in US, Eurozone, and UK Next Week

    Credit Suisse Said That Cost Cuts Has Already Done

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.12.2022 11:37
    Summary:  Risk sentiment rebounded ever so cautiously as many traders are likely sitting on their hands in anticipation of next Tuesday’s US November CPI release and the FOMC meeting the following day, with many likely wanting to close their books on a very volatile year. Ahead of those event risks, US treasury yields and the US dollar are perched near cycle lows as the market anticipates that the Fed “terminal rate” will peak in the first half of next year.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 0.7% yesterday on strong economic data and more positive growth optimism tied to China’s reopening trajectory. The 4,000 level is the average level for the trading range since mid-November and thus the likely gravitational point in S&P 500 futures in the short-term. US 10-year yield remains below 3.5% and the VIX Index suggests hibernation is setting in the last couple of weeks of the year. Today’s potential market mover events for US equities are the PPI report for November and later consumer confidence survey from University of Michigan. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index rallied 2% on Friday on continued recovery optimism as the country reopening from Covid containment restrictions and more supportive government policies. Premier Li Keqiang said China will strive to achieve steady growth. Defaulted Chinese property developer Sunac said it had reached agreement with creditor to restrict USD9 billions of debts, including swapping $3-4bn of debts into ordinary shares or equity-linked instruments. Reportedly another defaulted mainland developer Evergrande is meeting offshore creditors later today to discuss restructuring proposals. The Chinese authorities are reportedly considering allowing REITs to invest in long-term rental and commercial real estates. Leading mainland Chinese property developers listed in Hong Kong surged 5% -12%. A day after shortening the home isolation period for people infected with Covid-10 to five days from seven days, a Hong Kong health official said the city is considering ending its vaccine pass scheme. Hong Kong local property developers gained 1%-5%. In A-shares, the CSI300 Index rallied 0.8% US 10-year treasury benchmark plunges through 3.50% (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas)  US treasury yields are quiet after the 10-year benchmark broke down through the pivotal 3.50% level this week, with the 2-year yield also trading at the lower end of the recent range as the market awaits the incoming Tuesday CPI next week and the refresh of the Fed’s staff economic projections and “dot plot” forecasts of the Fed Funds rate at the December FOMC meeting next Wednesday. Next Monday sees the auction of 3-year and 10-year treasuries, with a 30-year T-bond auction up on Tuesday. USD pushing on cycle lows in many pairs on risk sentiment rebound The most USD-negative mix of weak US treasury yields and strong risk sentiment kept the US dollar on the defensive yesterday, as EURUSD edged back toward the cycle highs, trading as high as 1.0586 overnight versus the recent high just below 1.0600. Elsewhere, AUDUSD rebounded back toward 0.6800, erasing much of its recent sell-off even if it is still choppy within the range. It is tough to see traders emboldened to take the USD to new lows and holding them without a look at the next key event risks, and really the final major event risks of the year for the US dollar: next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Industrial and precious metals showing continued strength so far this month Copper (HGH3) trades near the highest level since June while iron ore (SCOc1) traded in Singapore trades near a four-month high. Together with other industrial related metals they have received a boost from President Xi’s sudden Covid pivot towards loosening Covid-19 controls amid protests from increasingly frustrated citizens together with fresh measures to support the property sector. Precious metals led by silver, given its industrial metal link, trades up on the month supported by falling treasury yields and a weaker dollar amid worries about an incoming economic slowdown. Focus on US inflation data with PPI on tap today and CPI next week. Key resistance in gold at $1808 with support below $1765 and $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) remains stuck at the lowest level of the year. Crude oil is heading for a weekly loss with Brent crude trading below $77 and down more than 11% on the month after spending the week trading within a wide 13-dollar range. A weakening macroeconomic outlook which has seen the US yield curve inversion extend to levels signalling an incoming recession has overshadowed the EU embargo on Russian oil and the prospect of a pickup in demand in China as lockdowns continue to ease. A disruption on the Keystone pipeline temporarily roiled the markets on Thursday giving WTI a temporary boost which sellers took advantage of. Short-term technical traders looking to squeeze existing longs remain in control as the overall level of participation continues to fall ahead of yearend. What is going on? US FTC will sue to stop Microsoft’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard The FTC saying that the combination would give Microsoft too large a footprint in the gaming industry. The offer for Activision Blizzard shares was originally 95 dollars, but shares have dipped from hitting above 85 dollars on the announcement of the intended acquisition back in January to near 75 dollars yesterday after a volatile day. US Atlanta Median Wage Tracker rises to 8.1% YoY in November for Job Switchers This was a strong rebound from the 7.6% level posted in October and could suggest a reset in inflation potential going forward. The previous high for this metric in its 25-year history before the recent surge was in the late 1990’s, when it peaked near 6.5%. The overall median wage growth in November was steady at +6.4%. Credit Suisse raises $4.3bn in capital The Swiss based investment and wealth bank has raised $4.3bn in capital to execute its new strategy in which the company is scaling back in investment banking activities and geographies to improve profitability. The bank says that cost cuts already done represent 80% of target for 2023. China and Saudi Arabia upgrade relationships with top-level dialogue During President his visit to Saudi Arabia this week, China’s President Xi Jinping met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saul and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides agreed to upgrade the relationship of the two countries with heads of state meeting every two years and moving established joint committees for trade, tech, security and other areas from vice-premier to premier level. The two countries have signed more than 30 agreements and MOUs from petrochemical, hydrogen energy, information technology, and infrastructure projects to cultural exchanges, and are planning to sign another 20. China’s CPI softened to 1.6% Y/Y; PPI stayed at -1.3% Y/Y China’s CPI inflation decelerated to 1.6% Y/Y in November from 2.1% Y/Y in October, in line with expectations as food inflation slowed and consumer demand was weak during lockdown. In the PPI, price increases in the raw materials sector decelerated while the price declines in mining and processing sectors slowed in November. US earnings recap (Broadcom, Costco, and Lululemon) The US semiconductor company Broadcom delivered Q4 (ending in October) earnings and revenue in line with estimates and the Q1 revenue guidance was a bit above estimates. The company says that China has slowed down in terms of consumptions of products, but demand across the business excluding China remains strong. Broadcom shares rose 3% in extended trading. Costco Q1 revenue and earnings were in line with estimates and the US retailer said it is seeing modest improvement in inflation and a slowdown in big tick discretionary items. Costco is also seeing gains among higher income households. Costco shares were unchanged. Lululemon delivered revenue in line with estimates while adjusted earnings were a bit weaker than estimated and the Q4 revenue outlook was slightly below estimates. Lululemon shares declined 8% in extended trading. Soybeans supported by Chinese demand; Wheat pressured by record Russian crop Soybean futures in Chicago (ZSF3) gained more ground on Friday, trading close to their highest since mid-September, as strong demand led by top importer China underpinned the market. While soybeans were likely to post a weekly gain, wheat (ZWH3) was on track for a fifth consecutive weekly decline as export sales continued at a slow pace due to competition from a record Russian production and corn (ZCH3) was down for a second straight week with the fall being cushioned by the strength seen in soybeans. Overall the grain sector now awaits Friday’s monthly crop forecasts (WASDE) from the US Department of Agriculture. What are we watching next? US preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment survey is out later today Sentiment has rebounded from the lows, according to the survey, although sentiment is still very downbeat after hitting an all-time low of 50.2 in the more than 40-year history of the survey in July. The December reading is expected at 57.0 vs. 56.8. Another focus in the survey could be on longer-term inflation expectations, which have rebounded to 3.0% for the next 5-10 years, according to the survey, close to the high of the range. Earnings to watch . Today’s US earnings focus is Oracle which is expected to report earnings after the US market close with revenue up 16% y/y and EPS up 23% y/y. Today: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT)0930 – UK Bank of England to release inflation attitudes survey1330 – US Nov. PPI1500 – US preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment1700 – World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 9, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Challenge to the Dollar: De-dollarisation and Geopolitical Shifts

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Market's Conviction That The Fed Will Be Cutting Rates, Today's Important WASDE Report And Much More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.12.2022 11:46
    Summary:  Today, we look at recent commodity market performance, where hopes for a reopening of Chinese activity is weighed against concerns for the forward outlook elsewhere. We also highlight the market's conviction that the Fed will be cutting rates in the second half of next year and wonder how the market will treat a less accommodative dot plot from the Fed at next Wednesday's FOMC meeting. A look at recent earnings reports, soybeans ahead of today's important WASDE report and much more on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole S Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Next week’s likely FOMC dot plot is not what the market is pricing | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Apple Stock Price, Microsoft, Amazon And Tesla (TSLA) Added A Lot Since July! How Deep Could EUR/USD Drop?

    The FTC Is Trying To Block Microsoft's Merger With Activision

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 09.12.2022 12:42
    The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday sued to block Microsoft’s planned $69 billion takeover of video game company Activision Blizzard. Read next: UK Santander Bank Fined USD 132 Million, Idris Elba in Cyberpunk 2077:Phantom Liberty| FXMAG.COM The deal has come under pressure The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent the takeover of Activision Blizzard Inc by Microsoft Corp. filed a lawsuit. Law enforcement said the deal was illegal because it would give Microsoft the ability to control how consumers outside of users of their own Xbox consoles and subscription services access Activision games. The committee's vote was three to one to allow the lawsuit. The FTC said it filed the complaint as part of the administrative process, rather than taking the case to federal court. The FTC's decision to send the complaint to its in-house judge instead of seeking an urgent federal court order to stop the merger could drag the case out for months. The FTC's challenge may be a test of President Joe Biden's mandate to control big tech mergers. Microsoft's last major antitrust battle came more than two decades ago when a federal judge ordered it to break up after the company's anti-competitive actions related to its dominant Windows software. This judgment was overturned on appeal, although the court imposed other, less drastic penalties on the company. Progressive groups are putting pressure on the FTC to block the deal. Sony has been the most vocal critic of the planned deal with Activision, arguing that it could hurt competition if Microsoft restricts access to Activision's games, especially "Call of Duty". Microsoft CEO Brad Smith signaled in a Thursday statement that the company was likely to challenge the FTC's actions. Microsoft has repeatedly said it has no plans to deny Sony and others access to Activision games and that its deal with the company won't hurt competition. The company has publicly pledged to give Sony and Nintendo access to the new "Call of Duty" games on their current hardware. Microsoft said it still believes the deal, which it estimates at $68.7 billion when adjusted for Activision's net cash, will boost competition. Microsoft is committed to addressing competition issues and presented proposed concessions to the FTC earlier this week. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts, the combined company would control around 11% of the global digital game publishing business. Microsoft's deal with Activision, which would be its largest ever acquisition, is also being investigated by antitrust authorities in the UK and the European Union. Microsoft is one of the stocks the deal with Activision Blizzard is focused on. Microsoft’s shares closed up about 1%, while Activision’s shares were down by about 1.5%. The downtrend, like many other tech stocks, appeared on the MSFT chart. They reached the lowest level at the beginning of November, where they made up for losses in subsequent periods. At the beginning of December, they reached the highest level in the last quarter. MSFT is currently trading at 247.87. Microsoft shares chart The last quarter of this year does not look too good for Activision shares. Activision shares chart Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Assessing Energy Price Dynamics and Their Impact on Inflation in the Short and Medium Term

    Until FOMC meeting on December 14th, there could be no other catalyst for markets

    Alex Kuptsikevich Alex Kuptsikevich 09.12.2022 14:49
    US stock indices have rallied impressively in October and November, but the start of December is still heavy. And now is the right time to figure out whether the previous two months were a bear market rally or the beginning of a new bull market. Right now, there is no answer to that question. It may not be until after the Fed meeting on December 14, as the markets need a strong signal to move from the current point. The stock market has been moving up in the last two months, initially due to a correction after oversold conditions and then on speculation that the Fed will slow the pace of policy tightening. We consider a further retreat in commodity prices to be another supportive factor that eases consumer and company spending burden. Nevertheless, the two-month rally in S&P500 has stalled near the 200-day moving average. The close of October above this curve triggered a sell-off momentum from the first days of December. It would have looked like technical profit-taking if not for the disturbing analogies, as the market reversed from this line in April and August. Read next: UK Santander Bank Fined USD 132 Million, Idris Elba in Cyberpunk 2077:Phantom Liberty| FXMAG.COM Another worrying signal is the performance of the VIX. It has reversed upwards twice since the beginning of the year from the 20 levels, almost coincidentally with the reversal of the S&P 500. By early December, this story repeats as the VIX have reversed to growth after briefly dipping below 20. During the 2000-2003 bear market, to which we often compare the current situation, it was prudent to remain bearish while the index was steadily below its 200-day average and the VIX fear index bounced back from 20. These correlations could still work now, although they give a buy signal with an impressive delay. It is also important to note that after the volatility of 2008, the buy signal from the VIX came a year late after the market bottomed in March 2009. This is understandable, as the Fed’s QE supported the market and suffered another three years of sharp corrections. Our days, market participants may postpone the decision about the future market regime until the Fed's official comments and press conference next Wednesday. Further assurances from the world's biggest central bank that the decline in inflation is sustainable and a slower rate hike is to be expected further, despite indications that the economy and labour market are still better than market expectations, will be required for continued gains in equities. However, when the market is determined, we may see a strong trend in one direction within a few weeks, so remember the importance of the current momentum. Looking at the market levels, an S&P500 rally above 4050 would open the way to 4300 within 4-6 weeks and to 4600 by the middle of next year. If the bears prevail, the S&P500 could make a new local low around 3600 before the end of January, and it will start making regular lows in the first quarter of next year.
    August CPI Forecast: Modest Inflation Increase Expected Amidst Varied Price Trends

    Although one can find this week attractive, next one may be a real blockbuster featuring Fed, Oracle earnings

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 09.12.2022 23:07
    As we are already approaching the end of the year, we see the Central Banks' latest interest rate decisions for the year. The continuation of the interest rate hike cycle seems to have given cause for pessimism in the markets. The S&P 500 Index (US500) has fallen by 1.9% since the start of the week. However, we could still see optimism in the Chinese markets following reports of a reduction in the zero-Covid policy restrictions. Macroeconomic data On Monday, we learned the results of the US and UK service sector PMIs. The reading for the US was 56.5 points (53.3 expected) and for the UK 48.8 points (48.8 expected). We seem to be able to see a stagnation among business expectations, as the values do not seem to have changed over the last three months. On the same day, we learned of the Central Bank of Australia's decision to raise interest rates to 3.1% (previously 2.85%), which was in line with analysts' consensus. On Tuesday, we learned about GDP growth in Australia, which came in at 0.6% q/q (0.7% q/q was expected). We also learned about the decision of the Central Bank of India, which decided to raise the benchmark rate as expected to 6.25% (previously 5.9%). Particularly important for the energy and commodity markets on the day was the report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), which gave its forecasts for future energy prices. It predicts that the price of WTI crude oil (XTIUSD) could stabilize next year and be in the range of US$92.36/b. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XTIUSD, Daily On Wednesday, we learnt of the Central Bank of Canada's decision, which, like its aforementioned predecessors, raised interest rates to 4.25% (previously 3.75%). Japan's quarterly GDP reading appears to have shown signs of a slowdown for the cherry blossom country. Japan's GDP fell by 0.2% q/q. (a decline of 0.3% q/q was expected) against a previous increase of 1.1%. On the same day, we learnt the weekly reading of crude oil inventories, which fell for the 4th week in a row. The current decline was larger than analysts' expectations at 5.2 million barrels (a decline of 3.3 million barrels was expected). It appears that this may have supported the fall in the price of the commodity.  On Thursday, we learnt the number of new claims for unemployment benefits in the United States, which came in line with expectations at 230,000 (previously 226,000 claims). The stock market This week did not seem positive for the stock market. The main US S&P 500 index has fallen by 1.9% since the start of the week. The most declining company on the index was US electricity and natural gas generation and distribution company NRG Energy (NRGEnergy), whose share price fell by more than 20%. The FAANG technology companies performed particularly poorly this week. Google (Alphabet) shares fell by 7.2%, Apple (Apple) fell by 3.8% and Amazon's valuation fell by 5.3%. Large declines were seen in the energy sector. The value of the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) fell by more than 7%. This appears to be due, among other things, to declines in oil prices. Source: Conotoxia MT5, NRGEnergy, Daily On Tuesday, we learned the third quarter results of, among others, car and truck parts and accessories company AutoZone (AutoZone). Earnings per share EPS surprised analysts positively at 27.45 (25.26 was expected). On Wednesday, liquor producer Brown-Forman Corporation (BrownForman), which has a broad portfolio of brands including Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Canadian Mist and Finlandia, reported quarterly results. Its EPS was worse than expected at 0.47 (0.55 was expected). On Thursday, we learnt the results of the company that designs and manufactures integrated circuits and other electronic components, Broadcom (Broadcom), which reported EPS of 10.45 (10.28 was expected). On the same day, the results of shop chain Costco (Costco) came in below expectations, showing earnings per share of 3.07 (3.12 expected). Currency and cryptocurrency market The foreign exchange market saw the following rate changes over the past week. We could see the biggest increases in the EUR/JPY (up 1.4%) and USD/CAD (1.1%), while the other popular pairs saw little or no change. We seem to be able to deduce from this a weakening of the Japanese yen after the falling GDP data and a weakening of the Canadian dollar after the interest rate decision. The currency market seems to have been fairly stable this week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, EURJPY, Daily The cryptocurrency market seems to be able to feel the thaw. The price of bitcoin (BTCUSD) has risen by 1.4% since the beginning of the week, and the price of ethereum (ETHUSD) has risen by more than 2%. The most rising cryptocurrency was Axie Infinity (AXSUSD), which has risen by 17.2% since the beginning of the week. It seems that the saying "buy when the blood pours" is starting to find confirmation in this market. However, we would have to wait a little longer to be able to say that definitively. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Daily What can we expect next week? Next week's key macroeconomic data will start with Monday's UK quarterly GDP reading after the recent 0.2% quarter-on-quarter decline. On Tuesday, we will learn Germany's CPI inflation reading. Analysts are expecting no change. The previous reading was 10% y/y. On the same day, inflation in the United States (previously 7.7% y/y) will also be known. On Wednesday, the Fed's US interest rate decision seems particularly important, immediately followed by a conference call by chairman Jerome Powell. In addition, an inflation reading will be given on that day by the UK, for which analysts expect inflation to fall to 10.9% y/y. (previously 11.1% y/y). Wednesday seems particularly important for the currency market and borrowers. Interest rate decisions will be given by the central banks of Switzerland, the UK and the European Central Bank. The week will close with the Eurozone CPI inflation reading. In the stock market on Monday, we will learn the Q3 results of this year's company Oracle (Oracle), on which we wrote a commentary. On Wednesday, we will see the report of the company that builds and sells single-family homes and manages residential properties in the US Lennar (Lennar). On Thursday, we will see the results of the company selling software for artists and businesses Adobe (Adobe).   Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    On The New York Stock Exchange All Indices Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 12.12.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.90%, the S&P 500 was down 0.74% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 0.70%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Walt Disney Company, which gained 0.83 points (0.90%) to close at 93.38. Verizon Communications Inc rose 0.30 points or 0.81% to close at 37.40. Salesforce Inc rose 0.98 points or 0.75% to close at 131.11. The least gainers were Chevron Corp shares, which lost 5.54 points or 3.19% to end the session at 168.00. Amgen Inc was up 2.42% or 6.92 points to close at 278.65 while Walmart Inc was down 2.33% or 3.47 points to close at 145.31.  S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Paramount Global Class B, which rose 5.08% to hit 19.02, Tesla Inc, which gained 3.23% to close at 179.05, and also shares of Netflix Inc, which rose 3.14% to close the session at 320.01. The least gainers were were Schlumberger NV, which shed 5.91% to close at 46.97. Shares of Etsy Inc lost 5.74% to end the session at 126.78. Quotes of Halliburton Company decreased in price by 5.33% to 33.01. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc, which rose 117.57% to hit 0.54, ClearOne Inc, which gained 73.40% to close at 1.40, and also shares of China Jo-Jo Drugstores Inc, which rose 51.20% to end the session at 3.31. Shares of Grom Social Enterprises Inc were the biggest losers, losing 66.28% to close at 1.30. Shares of Autolus Therapeutics Ltd shed 38.13% to end the session at 1.85. Quotes Appreciate Holdings Inc fell in price by 33.43% to 2.73. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2143) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (958), while quotes of 98 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,359 companies fell in price, 1,374 rose, and 226 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.42% to 22.83. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.36%, or 6.50, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI January futures rose 0.10%, or 0.07, to $71.53 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery rose 0.72%, or 0.55, to $76.70 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.25% to 1.05, while USD/JPY was up 0.02% to hit 136.68. Futures on the USD index rose 0.17% to 104.93.     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-13 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/304437
    The Commodities: In The Near Term The Oil Market Remains Relatively Well Supplied

    The Price Of Russian Crude In Asia Appears To Be Holding Well Above The $60 Cap

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.12.2022 08:59
    Summary:  U.S. treasuries and stocks sold off after the hotter-than-expected PPI prints which suggest inflation not cooling enough and making the water murkier in the week of CPI and FOMC. The 10-year yield surged 10bps to 3.58%. Other key central bank meetings from the ECB to Bank of England also on watch this week. Hong Kong and Chinese stocks rallied on Friday on continuous optimism about reopening from Covid restrictions and supportive economic policy from the Chinese authorities. The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Economic Work Conference is expected to convene this week. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated on hot PPI data U.S. equities edged down after the producer price Index (PPI), headline as well as core, came in stronger-than-expected and stirred up concerns about risks of pushing the Fed back towards a more hawkish leaning. Nasdaq 100 declined by 0.6% and S&P500 fell by 0.7%. 10 of the 11 S&P sectors declined, with energy, healthcare, and materials dropping the most. Lululemon (LULU:xnas) plunged 12.9% after a gross margin miss, inventory build-up, and below-expectation full sales guidance. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) bounced 3.2%. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bounced on higher producer inflation prints U.S. treasuries sold off on the hotter-than-expected PPI headline as well as core prints. With heavy selling in the 10-year and 30-year segments, the yield curve became less inverted. Two-year yield rose 4bps to 4.34% and 10-year yield surged 10bps to 3.58%. The 2-year-10-year yield curve closed at 76bps on Friday, after hitting as low as 85bps during the week. The money market curve is predicting a 77% probability for a 50bp rate hike on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied on growth optimism Hang Seng Index rallied 2.3% on Friday on continuous optimism on the prospect of a recovery in the growth of the Chinese economy in 2023 as the country reopens from Covid containment restrictions and more supportive government policies. Premier Li Keqiang said China will strive to achieve steady growth. Defaulted Chinese property developer Sunac (01918:xhkg) said it is in discussion with creditors to restructure USD9 billion of debts, including swapping USD3-4 billion of debts into ordinary shares or equity-linked instruments.  Reportedly another defaulted mainland developer Evergrande is meeting offshore creditors to discuss restructuring proposals. The Chinese authorities are considering allowing REITs to invest in long-term rental and commercial real estates. Leading mainland Chinese property developers listed in Hong Kong surged 5% to 18% with Longfor (00960:xhkg) soaring the most. A day after shortening the home isolation period for people infected with Covid-10 to five days from seven days, a Hong Kong health official said the city is considering to end its vaccine pass scheme. Hong Kong local property developers gained 2%-5%. In A shares, the CSI300 Index rallied 1%. The Chinese Communist Party is expected to convene its annual Central Economic Work Conference this week to formulate the macroeconomic policy blueprint for 2023. In Australia; this week the focus will be consumer confidence, employment data and China reopening talk vs pre lunar new year production halt There are a couple of economic readouts that could move the market needle, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) this week. Weakening confidence is expected; starting with Consumer Confidence for December (released on Tuesday), followed by Business Confidence for November. Employment reports are due on Thursday for November, and likely to show employment fell; 17,000 jobs are expected to be added, down from the 32,200 that were added in October. So focus will be on the AUD and a potential pull back if the data is weaker than expected. On the equity side, with iron ore (SCOA) trades at four month highs $110.80 but is lower today. We mention on Friday the price of iron ore has been rallying as China on  easing restrictions and because of whispers that Chinese property developers will get more support, which would support demand for iron ore rising. However we mentioned why iron ore could pull back, as buying volume appears slowing. So be mindful of potential pull back in iron ore pricing and mining equities. Secondly, consider seasonable halt of Chinese steel plants ahead of the Lunar New year. Restocking typically occurs 5-8 weeks before the holiday, but plants could be closed earlier, due to poor profits and weak demand. So keep an eye on iron ore majors, Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and Rio as they could see profit taking as well after rallying ~25-55% from October.  FX: A weaker start for NZD in Asia, Japan’s November PPI above expectations The US dollar started the week on a firmer footing with a big week ahead as the US CPI and FOMC meeting is eyed. A reversal of the short-term downtrend would however require US 10-year yields to get closer to 4% again. NZDUSD has been a strong performer since the softer October US CPI print and maybe the one to watch if the Fed fails to surprise hawkish this week, given that the RBNZ remains committed to its fight against inflation. Pair dropped below 0.64 in early Asian trading hours this morning as New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) published slower GDP growth forecasts through 2025. A higher-than-expected Japan’s November PPI of 9.3% YoY/0.6% MoM, along with an upward revision to last month’s print, may create more talks of a possible policy review (read below) and USDJPY headed higher to 136.80. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) prices to watch Russia’s response to G7 price cap this week Crude oil prices saw a steadier start to the week after plunging sharply last week on demand concerns from a weakening macro backdrop as well as thin liquidity and control of short-term traders. The uncertainty surrounding European sanctions on Russian oil and the related price also kept volatility high, but was overshadowed by recession concerns. The impact of the potential pickup in demand from China as lockdowns continue to ease also started to fade. This week Russia will announce how it intends to counter the introduced price cap with the risk of a production cut potentially adding fresh support to the market ahead of what looks like a challenging 2023 where supply worries in our opinion will keep prices elevated, despite the risk of lower demand. WTI futures rose above $72 in the Asian morning, while Brent was seen above $77/barrel.   What to consider? Stronger-than-expected US PPI suggests inflation not cooling enough Headline PPI rose 7.4% in November Y/Y, above the expected 7.2% albeit down from the upwardly revised 8.1% for October. The core (ex-food and energy) Y/Y was also above expectations at 6.2% (exp. 5.9%), but cooler than the prior upwardly revised 6.8%. on a M/M basis, headline rose 0.3% while core was stronger at 0.4%, beating expectations. While the PPI data continued to show a peak in inflation in the Y/Y terms, but the downward surprise remains limited and may not be enough to support the Fed pivot expectations. Attention now turns to the US CPI data on Tuesday to see if a similar inflation story is seen for December ahead of the FOMC rate decision on Wednesday. Preliminary University of Michigan survey for December was also strong across the board, as the headline rose to 59.1 from 56.8, and above the expected 56.9. The headline was supported by current conditions and the forward-looking expectations both lifting to 60.2 (prev. 58.8, exp. 58.0) and 58.4 (prev. 55.6, exp. 56.0), respectively. Putin threatening to curb crude exports Vladimir Putin said Russia may lower crude output in response to the G-7 price-cap and added the country won't sell to price-cap participants. The price of Russian crude in Asia appears to be holding well above the $60 cap as it finds enough shipping and insurance capacity. While the crude oil prices last week have remained in the grip of technical traders and seen little impact from the price cap decision, there could be more volatility in store this week as Russia’s response is awaited which could range from production cuts to retaliatory measures. Bank of Japan board members continue to differ on timing for ending YCC All eyes are turning to who could be the possible replacement of Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda in April 2023. One of the contenders, Takehiko Nakao, said that subtle changes in policy framework should be considered as the leadership is changed next year. This comes after board member Naoki Tamura called for a policy review last week and hinted that it may come as early as next year (before Kuroda retires. However, another board member Toyoaki Nakamura said its too early to conduct a review now. Likewise, board member Hajime Takata also said it is too soon to start a policy review. While the timing may be uncertain, the open discussions about a possible BOJ policy review at some point is keeping expectations of an eventual BOJ pivot alive. China and Saudi Arabia upgrade relationships with top-level dialogue; Xi calls for using the renminbi to settle oil and gas trades During his visit to Saudi Arabia last week, China’s President Xi Jinping met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saul and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides agreed to upgrade the relationship between the two countries with heads of state meeting every two years and moving established joint committees for trade, tech, security, and other areas from vice-premier to premier level. The two countries have signed a large number of agreements and MOUs from petrochemical, hydrogen energy, information technology, and infrastructure projects to cultural exchanges. Xi reiterates his call for using the renminbi more often to settle trades in crude oil and natural gas but it is not clear how well his call has been received by Saudi Arabia and the other oil-exporting countries at the China-Arab summit last week. China’s CPI softened to 1.6% Y/Y; PPI stayed at -1.3% Y/Y China’s CPI inflation decelerated to 1.6% Y/Y in November from 2.1% Y/Y in October, in line with expectations as food inflation slowed and consumer demand was weak during the lockdown. In the PPI, price increases in the raw materials sector decelerated while the price declines the in mining and processing sectors slowed in November.     Sign up for our Outrageous Predictions 2023 webinar - APAC edition: Wed, 14 Dec, 11.30am SGT For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Hot US PPI brings focus to CPI/Fed meeting; HK/China stocks on watch – 12 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The China’s Covid Containment Continued To Negatively Impact The Output At The End Of 2022

    China’s New Aggregate Financing May Bounce | Monetary Policy Decisions Ahead

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.12.2022 09:07
        Softer US CPI to offer mixed signals and considerable volatility Last month’s softer US CPI report was a turning point in the markets and inflation expectations have turned markedly lower since then. Consensus is looking for another softer report in November, with headline rate expected at 7.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 7.7% YoY, 0.4% MoM) while the core is expected to be steadier at 6.1% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 6.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM). While the case for further disinflationary pressures can be built given lower energy prices, easing supply constraints and holiday discounts to clear excess inventory levels, but PPI report on Friday indicated that goods inflation could return in the months to come and wage inflation also continues to remain strong. Easing financial conditions and China’s reopening can be the other key factors to watch, which could potentially bring another leg higher in inflation especially if there is premature easing from the Fed. Shelter inflation will once again be key to watch, which means clear signs of inflation peaking out will continue to remain elusive. Why volatility in equites could pick up this week and what we learnt from prior inflationary out outs Will the inflation read show CPI fell to 7.3% in November as the market expects, down from 7.7% YoY? The risk is that inflation doesn’t fall as forecast, and that may likely push up bond yields and pressure equites lower. We saw this set up play out on Friday. November’s producer price index showed wholesale prices rose more than expected, which spooked markets that this week’s CPI could be bleak. As such bonds were sold off on Friday, pushing yields up; with the 10-year bond yield rising 10bps to 3.58%, while equities were pressure lower. Consider over the past six months, the S&P 500 has seen an average move of about 3% in either direction on the day US CPI has been released, according to Bloomberg. We haven’t seen these moves since 2009. Also consider, the S&P 500 has fallen on seven of the 11 CPI reporting days this year. December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, and are expected to show a higher terminal rate than the September projections (4.6%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. But that means little room for market surprise as the Fed funds futures are pricing in a terminal rate of 4.96% in May 2023. Easing financial conditions and expected China stimulus could mean Fed continues to chase the inflation train from the back into the next year as well, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing out the rate cuts of ~50bps that are priced in for next year, and emphasise that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. China is expected to convene the Central Economic Work Conference this week The Chinese Communist Party is expected to have its annual Central Economic Work Conference this week to formulate the macroeconomic policy framework for 2023. Investors are expecting supportive initiatives including measures to ease the stress in the ailing property sector. The conference will set out directions and blueprints but short of releasing key policy targets which will be for the National People’s Conference to be held next March. A weak set of Chinese activity data is expected Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are forecasting that China’s retail sales shrank sharply by 3.9% Y/Y in November. The potential weakness is likely attributed to poor performance of auto sales, dining-in activities, and sales during the “double-11” online shopping festival in the midst of Covid-19 lockdowns during the best part of November. November auto sales in China fell by 9.2 %Y/Y and by 10.5% M/M. Courier parcels processed on Nov 11 fell 20.7% Y/Y. The growth in industrial production is expected to fall to 3.7% Y/Y in November from 5% to 3.7%, following a weak November NBS manufacturing PMI and soft high-frequency data of steel production. Year-to-date fixed asset investment is expected to edge down to 5.6% from 5.8%, dragged by stringent pandemic control practices. ECB also likely to downshift to a smaller rate hike The European Central Bank (ECB) is also expected to slow down its pace of rate hikes to a 50bps increase this week. Headline inflation eased slightly in November, coming in at 10.0% YoY (exp. 10.4%), but was overshadowed by an unexpected rise in core inflation 6.6% YoY (exp. 6.3%, prev. 6.4%). While there is likely to remain some split in ECB members at this week’s meeting, the central bank’s Chief Economist Lane remains inclined to take into account the scale of tightening done so far. There is also uncertainty on the announcement of quantitative tightening. Bank of England may remain more divided than the other major central banks The Bank of England is also expected to follow the Fed and the ECB and downshift to a smaller rate hike this week, but the decision will likely see a split vote. A host of key data, including GDP, employment and inflation will be due this week in the run up to the BOE decision, and significant positive surprises could tilt the market pricing more in favour of a larger move which also creates a bigger risk of disappointment from the central bank. Headline annualised inflation advanced to 11.1% Y/Y in October, while the core rate remained at an elevated level of 6.5%. Consensus expects inflation to cool slightly to 10.9% Y/Y in November, but the core to remain unchanged at 6.5% Y/Y. Wage pressures are also likely to be sustained, and the cooling in the labor market will remain gradual. In Australia, this week the focus will be on consumer confidence and employment data There are a couple of economic read outs that could move the market needle, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) this week. Weakening confidence is expected; starting with Consumer Confidence for December (released on Tuesday), followed by Business Confidence for November. Employment reports are due on Thursday for November, and likely to show employment fell; 17,000 jobs are expected to be added, down from the 32,200 that were added in October. So focus will be on the AUD and a potential pull back if the data is weaker than expected. Iron ore equites to see volatility China reopening talk vs shut downs pre lunar new year The iron ore (SCOA) trading at four month highs $110.80 rallying as China has been easing restrictions, plus there are whispers Chinese property developers could get more support, which would support demand for iron ore rising. However we mentioned on Friday, why iron ore could pull back, as buying volume appears slowing. So be mindful of potential pull back in iron ore pricing and mining equities. Secondly, consider seasonable halts of Chinese steel plants ahead of the Lunar New year holiday. Restocking typically occurs 5-8 weeks before the holiday, but plants could be closed earlier, due to poor profits and weaker demand. This could cause volatility in iron ore and iron ore equities. So, keep an eye on iron ore majors, Vale, Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and Rio as they could see profit taking after rallying ~25-55% from October.   China’s new aggregate financing and RMB loans are expected to have bounced in November Market economists, as surveyed by Bloomberg, are expecting China’s new aggregate financing to bounce to RMB 2,100 billion in November from RMB 907.9 billion in October and new RMB loans to rise to RMB 1,400 billion in November from RMB 615.2 billion as People’s Bank of China urged banks to extend credits to support private enterprises including property developers. Less bond issuance by local governments and corporate and weak loan demand however might have weighed on the pace of credit expansion in November. Key earnings to watch: Adobe (ADBE:xnas), Trip.com (TCOM:xnas) In his note for key earnings this week, Peter Garnry highlights Adobe and Trip.com. The past five earnings releases have all led to a negative price reaction in Adobe shares as growth has come down while the cost of capital has gone up. Can Adobe buck the trend next when the company reports earnings? Another question investors will be asking is an update on the company’s $20bn acquisition of the industry challenger Figma, which was delayed due to a US Department of Justice investigation of the deal. Adobe reports FY22 Q4 (ending 30 November) earnings on Thursday with revenue growth expected at 10% y/y and EPS of $3.50 up 36% y/y as cost-cutting exercises are expected to improve profitability. Adobe is expected to end the fiscal year with revenue of $17.6bn and strong free cash flow generation of $7.3bn which translates into 5% free cash flow yield. Recently the Chinese government has chosen to move ahead with reopening the economy taking on the associated Covid risks and this could be good for the outlook for travel activity and thus Trip.com. The Chinese online travel agency platform is expected to report earnings on Wednesday with analysts expecting revenue growth of 22% y/y. Analysts expect revenue to increase 50% y/y in 2023 to CNY 29.6bn. •          Monday: Oracle•         Tuesday: DiDi Global•          Wednesday: Lennar, Trip.com, Nordson, Inditex•          Thursday: Adobe•          Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants   Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday 12 December United Kingdom monthly GDP, incl. Manufacturing, Services and Construction Output (Oct)United Kingdom Goods Trade Balance (Oct)India CPI and Industrial Output (Nov)China (Mainland) M2, New Yuan Loans, Loan Growth (Nov) Tuesday 13 December Germany CPI (Nov, final)United Kingdom Labour Market Report (Oct)Hong Kong Industrial Production, PPI (Q3)Germany ZEW Economic Sentiment (Dec)United States CPI (Nov) Wednesday 14 December Japan Tankan Survey (Q4)United Kingdom Inflation (Nov)Eurozone Industrial Production (Oct)United States Fed Funds Target Rate (14 Dec) Thursday 15 December New Zealand GDP (Q3)Japan Trade Balance (Nov)South Korea Export and Import Growth (Nov)Australia Employment (Nov)China (Mainland) Industrial Output, Retail Sales, Urban Investment (Nov)Philippines Policy Interest Rate (15 Dec)Switzerland SNB Policy Rate (Q4)Norway Key Policy Rate (15 Dec)United Kingdom BOE Bank Rate (Dec)Eurozone ECB Deposit and Refinancing Rate (Dec)United States Initial Jobless ClaimsUnited States Retail Sales and Industrial Production (Nov)Taiwan Discount Rate (Q4) Friday 16 December Australia Judo Bank Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesJapan au Jibun Bank Flash Manufacturing PMIUK S&P Global/CIPS Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesGermany S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesFrance S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesEurozone S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesUS S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & ServicesUnited Kingdom GfK Consumer Confidence (Dec)Singapore Non-Oil Exports (Nov)United Kingdom Retail Sales (Nov)Eurozone Total Trade Balance (Oct)Eurozone HICP (Nov, final)   Sign up for our Outrageous Predictions 2023 webinar - APAC edition: Wed, 14 Dec, 11.30am SGT Source:Saxo Spotlight: What’s on the radar for investors & traders for the week of 12-16 Dec? A flurry of central bank meetings from Fed to BOE to ECB, US/UK CPI, China’s reopening and Adobe earnings | Saxo Group (home.saxo)  
    Crude Oil Sees Its Biggest Weekly Pull Back Since April

    Crude Oil Sees Its Biggest Weekly Pull Back Since April

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.12.2022 09:13
    Summary:  In today's video: The Fed meets this week, but the US inflation print could move markets more as an average 3% move in the S&P500 has been seen in either direction on the day CPI has been released. Oil sees its biggest weekly pull back since April, dragging oil equities down. Stocks exposed to the Chinese consumer rally. Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology Basket of stocks is up the most this month. Australian employment data puts AUD on notice. Iron ore volatility could pick up ahead of Lunar New year         The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) are on edge for higher inflation The major US indices fell on Friday with the S&P500 down 0.7%, the Nasdaq 100 losing 0.6%, capping off a sour week with the S&P500 down 3.4% and the Nasdaq 100 down 3.6%. After oil prices posted their biggest weekly drop since April, Energy stocks were some of the biggest laggards last week; with Halliburton down 15% and Marathon Oil down 12%. Consumer spending stocks that may falter if US a recession occurs also fell the most, with stocks like Lululemon down 15% last week after downgrading holiday trade guidance. While EV giant Tesla fell 8%. The other theme that’s driving markets is that China is easing restrictions, so stocks exposed to China consumers are rallying; with Chinese internet stocks like Baidu up 5.4% and Pinduoduo rising 4% last week Why volatility in equites could pick up this week and what we learnt from prior inflationary read outs   Will the inflation read show CPI fell to 7.3%YoY in November as the market expects, down from 7.7% YoY? The risk is that inflation doesn’t fall as forecast, and that may likely push up bond yields and pressure equites lower. We saw this set-up play out on Friday. November’s producer price index showed wholesale prices rose more than expected, which spooked markets that this week’s CPI could be bleak. As such bonds were sold off on Friday, pushing yields up; with the 10-year bond yield rising 10 bps to 3.58%, while equities were pressure lower. Consider over the past six months, the S&P 500 has seen an average move of about 3% in either direction on the day US CPI has been released according to Bloomberg. We haven’t seen these moves since 2009. Also consider, the S&P 500 has fallen on seven of the 11 CPI reporting days this year. The world holds its breath for the Fed Reserve’s final interest rates decision of 2022. What do you need to know? And it could also be one of the biggest final catalyst for equites for 2022. On December 15, the Fed is expected to hike interest rates; by 50 bps (0.5%) with a similar move early next year. Forward commentary will be looked at, as consensus predicts rapid cutting of interest rates to begin after they peak in May 2023, because US unemployment is expected to rise and US GPD is expected to grind lower. But at Saxo, we think rates won’t be cut next year. So that could cause volatility, as markets may have gotten ahead of themselves. Meaning, if forward commentary is hawkish we could see further pull backs in equites. In Australia; this week the focus will be consumer confidence and employment data   There are a couple of economic read outs that could move the market needle, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) this week. Weakening confidence is expected; starting with Consumer Confidence for December (released on Tuesday), followed by Business Confidence for November. Employment reports are due on Thursday for November, and likely to show employment fell; 17,000 jobs are expected to be added, down from the 32,200 that were added in October. So focus will be on the AUD and a potential pull back if the data is weaker than expected. Iron ore equites to see volatility; China reopening talk vs shut downs pre lunar new year The iron ore (SCOA) trading at four month highs $110.80 rallying as China has been easing restrictions, plus there are whispers Chinese property developers could get more support, which would support demand for iron ore rising. However we mentioned on Friday, why iron ore could pull back, as buying volume appears slowing. So be mindful of potential pull back in iron ore pricing and mining equities. Secondly, consider seasonable halts of Chinese steel plants ahead of the Lunar New year holiday could occur. That said, restocking typically occurs 5-8 weeks before the holiday, but we think plants could be closed earlier, due to poor profits and weaker demand. This could cause volatility in iron ore and iron ore equities. So, keep an eye on iron ore majors, Vale, Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and Rio as they could see profit taking after rallying ~25-55% from October.   For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Video: US Inflation read generally causes 3% move in S&P500 on the day, Will iron ore pull back here? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)    
    Rates and Cycles: Central Banks' Strategies in Focus Amid Steepening Impulses

    Assessment Of US Treasuries Has Also Improved As Interest Rates Have Risen

    Ed Perks Ed Perks 11.12.2022 09:27
    Yield is set to be a more important component of total return for investors during the next few years, according to Franklin Income Investors. Harnessing the power of duration Yield is set to be a more important component of total return for investors during the next few years as the “Fed Put” exerts less influence on markets. Ed Perks, CIO of Franklin Income Investors, analyzes the move higher for rates and spreads and shares his expectations for yields and total returns across the capital structure during 2023. The investment landscape heading into 2023 is very different to 12 months ago, when there really was no alternative to equities, and investors were locked into a desperate search for yield across all asset classes. The US Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) singular focus on controlling inflation during 2022 resulted in an aggressive cycle of rate rises, which in turn tightened financial conditions, leading to a sharp rise in yields and spreads on fixed income assets. A year ago, yields on high-quality credit did not seem attractive to us, prospects for total returns were poor, and bonds were not acting as a diversifier. Today, we believe the same assets offer better total return potential than equities,1 while the positive correlation with stocks is also breaking down, allowing fixed income to offset equity market volatility. As a result, Franklin Income Investors (FII) continues to invest with a preference for fixed income, moving closer to a 60/40 split in favor of bonds over equities. Moving forward, our allocation decisions will be driven by what happens with interest rates and inflation during 2023. We believe the move higher in rates is likely almost done, but we expect a long pause from the Fed before any pivot, meaning our attention will be focused on the effect rate hikes have on the economy and inflation.The uncertainty lies in whether the lagged effect of tightening financial conditions and a more challenging growth environment results in a real pullback in fundamentals . Improved total return potential within fixed income Allocation within the fixed income asset class will also depend upon where markets go, although investment-grade (IG) credit is currently our preferred asset class in terms of total return, income and risk management. In a positive economic scenario, we believe these assets have the potential to make double-digit returns as rates move lower and spreads narrow, while they should also outperform other risk assets should fundamentals deteriorate. If IG corporate bond yields move back toward 6%, then, in our view, investors should consider increasing holdings in that sector at a faster pace, taken from either equities, high-yield (HY) bonds or US Treasuries.2 Yields on IG credit Have Become Incrementally More Attractive Relative to Equities Exhibit 1: Yield Spread Between US Equities and US IG CreditNovember 25, 2020–November 25, 2022   Source: Bloomberg, as of November 25, 2022. Past performance is not an indicator or guarantee of future results.   However, our assessment of US Treasuries has also improved as interest rates have risen, given they currently offer attractive yields and downside protection should a recession increase equity market volatility. When 10-year Treasury yields were around 2% they were unattractive to us, but extending duration to lock in yields at 4% is much more compelling from an income perspective. This means US Treasuries will form a core part of FII’s ongoing strategy into 2023. Elsewhere, the HY bond sector is, in our view, more resilient than many investors believe, absent a significant negative impact on corporate earnings. Most HY issues won’t need to be refinanced in the next few years, and therefore a recession in 2023 with a modest pullback doesn’t overly concern us. As a result, while the investment community focuses on whether spreads are wide enough to justify a move into credit, we see opportunities at current yields, which have shot up to levels not seen for 15 years. We don’t think spreads are likely to rise significantly, which means we are very comfortable being in the credit space, particularly at such low prices. Against this background, we believe it is a relatively straightforward call to add selectively to HY credit at the expense of higher volatility equity holdings that, in a recessionary scenario, should underperform credit. In a worst-case scenario, a prolonged period of higher rates or further tightening would eventually put pressure on over-levered companies that need to refinance their debt. Under those circumstances, it is possible to engage with public companies to help them refinance their debt on a private basis, however, we believe the opportunities for healthy returns in the public markets are currently so attractive that private investments would likely not be adequately compensated for the additional illiquidity premium. Managing equity uncertainty We still see opportunities for selective investment in equities to maximize yield and total return while navigating increased volatility. For equities to rally, we believe it would take a favorable trajectory around inflation and economic growth, while earnings would also need to remain relatively robust. We would also want to see the Fed pause rate hikes, move into a position to normalize rates, and get back to a neutral setting. Alternatively, there could be further downside for equities if the economy feels the impact of tightening in 2023 and earnings suffer. In our opinion, equity-linked notes (ELNs) offer a way to manage this uncertainty, while expanding the universe of stocks available for investment. ELNs enable investors to derive income from exposure to equities that offer little or no dividend and can be used in conjunction with common stocks to access both yield and price upside potential. These instruments can also be used to smooth volatility and hedge exposure. The power of duration In summary, we believe the investment environment during 2023 promises to provide much greater potential for yield and total return than we saw at the turn of 2022. In our analysis, locking in attractive yields through duration is the best way to achieve income goals, while investing in fixed income assets at attractive prices should deliver robust returns if rates fall and spreads narrow due to looser Fed policy. Additionally, we think higher-quality bonds offer significant downside protection should any recession prove deeper than expected. Elsewhere, in our opinion, broad equity exposure remains important should an improvement in economic sentiment trigger an equity market rally. Endnotes Exhibit 1 Exhibit 1  WHAT ARE THE RISKS? All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. The value of investments can go down as well as up, and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions. Bond prices generally move in the opposite direction of interest rates. Thus, as prices of bonds in an investment portfolio adjust to a rise in interest rates, the value of the portfolio may decline. Investments in lower-rated bonds include higher risk of default and loss of principal. Changes in the credit rating of a bond, or in the credit rating or financial strength of a bond’s issuer, insurer or guarantor, may affect the bond’s value. In general, an investor is paid a higher yield to assume a greater degree of credit risk. The risks associated with higher-yielding, lower-rated debt securities include higher risk of default and loss of principal. Treasuries, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value; their interest payments and principal are guaranteed. Investments in equity-linked notes (ELNs) often have risks similar to their underlying securities, which could include management, market, and, as applicable, foreign securities and currency risks. In addition, ELNs are subject to certain debt securities risks, such as interest rate and credit risks, as well as counterparty and liquidity risk. Investments in equity index-linked notes (ILNs) often have risks similar to securities in the underlying index, which could include management risk, market risk and, as applicable, foreign securities and currency risks.
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    S&P 500 climbed 0.75%, Dow Jones gained over 0.5%. Nasdaq led the pack with 1.22% increase

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 09.12.2022 10:54
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 9, 2022                 Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views           EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)                 Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.                     Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,312.00 +36.00 (+0.25%) Read the analysis 14,375.00 14,259.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,514.00 7,474.00     S&P 500 (CME) 3,970.00 +4.25 (+0.11%) Read the analysis 3,986.00 3,945.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 11,668.25 +22.75 (+0.20%) Read the analysis 11,750.00 11,555.00     Dow Jones (CME) 33,818.00 +15.00 (+0.04%) Read the analysis 33,935.00 33,660.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 72.16 +0.70 (+0.98%) Read the analysis 71.20 73.20     Gold 1,794.66 +5.522 (+0.31%) Read the analysis 1,803.00 1,785.00                     MARKET WRAP           Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Thursday, U.S. stocks halted their decline. The S&P 500 rose 29 points (+0.75%) to 3,963 breaking an eight-session losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 183 points (+0.55%) to 33,781, and the Nasdaq 100 was up 140 points (+1.22%) to 11,637.U.S. data showed that the latest initial jobless claims rose to 230,000 (vs 240,000 expected).Semiconductors (+3.11%), consumer services (+1.70%), and consumer durables & apparel (+1.58%) sectors gained the most, while telecoms services (-1.19%), energy (-0.47%), and automobiles (-0.40%) sectors remained under pressure.Nvidia (NVDA) jumped 6.51%, NXP Semiconductor (NXPI) rose 4.59%, and Marvell Technology (MRVL) was up 3.19%.U.S.-listed Chinese tech stocks posted gains as China appears to move away from restrict Covid measures. Baidu (BIDU) rose 5.02%, Alibaba (BABA) climbed 6.61%, and JD.com (JD) was up 3.28%.The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint seeking to stop the purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI) by Microsoft (MSFT). Activision Blizzard (ATVI) slipped 1.54%, while Microsoft (MSFT) closed 1.24% higher.The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rebounded 6.9 basis points to 3.486%.European stocks showed a lack of momentum. The DAC 40 was little changed, while the CAC 40 dipped 0.20%, and the FTSE 100 was down 0.23%.U.S. WTI crude futures settled flat at $71.65 a barrel.Gold price added $3 to $1,789 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar softened against other major currencies. The dollar index declined to 104.79.EUR/USD jumped 51 pips to 1.0557.USD/JPY was flat at 136.62.GBP/USD rose 35 pips to 1.2238.AUD/USD gained 47 pips to 0.6772.USD/CHF dropped 48 pips to 0.9360, and USD/CAD fell 70 pips to 1.3583.Bitcoin advanced over 2% to $17,200.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, USD/JPY fell to 135.82. The Bank of Japan reported that the M2 money stock grew 3.1% on year in November (vs +3.0% expected).China’s data showed that consumer prices increased 1.6% on year in November (vs +1.8% expected). USD/CNH declined to 6.9588, while AUD/USD rose to 0.6787.EUR/USD traded higher to 1.0578, and GBP/USD climbed to 1.2272.Gold price advanced further to $1,794 an ounce.Bitcoin held at levels above $17,200.Expected TodayIn the U.S., producer prices are expected to add 0.3% on month and 7.3% on year in November.The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index is expected to dip to 56.4 in December.           UK MARKET NEWS           Berkeley Group, a property development company, posted half-year profit before taxation of 285 million pounds (vs 291 million pounds a year earlier), adding: "Revenue of 1,200.7 million pounds in the period (2021: 1,220.7 million pounds) arose primarily from the sale of new homes in London and the South East. (...) Basic earnings per share have decreased marginally to 200.4 pence per share (2021: 201.7 pence per share), (...) 2,080 new homes (2021: 1,828) were sold across London and the South East at an average selling price of £560,000 (2021: £647,000) reflecting the mix of properties sold in the period."Associated British Foods, a packaged food company, issued a trading update: "We continue to expect the aggregate profit of our Food businesses to be ahead of our last financial year. (...) For the full year, we continue to expect significant growth in sales for the Group, and adjusted operating profit and adjusted earnings per share to be lower than the previous financial year."Anglo American, a global mining giant, posted an investors update: "Anglo American to continue its improvement and growth momentum: 2022 Production down by c.3%: Quellaveco copper ramp-up and strong diamond production, offset by ore grades in Chile and lower production from Kumba and PGMs (...) Unit costs up c.16% (...) 2023 Production expected to increase by 5% as Quellaveco ramps up (...) Unit costs expected to increase by c.3%: inflation expected to moderate; and the benefit of Quellaveco (...) 2024 Production expected to increase by 5% (...) 2025 Production expected to be in line with 2024."Oil & Gas, telecom and basic resources shares fell most in London on Wednesday.In the telecommunications sector, BT Group (-3.72% to 112.55p) reached a new 3-month relative low against the FTSE 100.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, BAE Systems (+1% to 831.4p) crossed above its 50-day moving average.From a technical point of view, BAT (-3.09% to 3305p) crossed under its 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   08:30 PPI YoY (Nov) 7.3% HIGH     08:30 PPI MoM (Nov) 0.3% HIGH     08:30 Core PPI MoM (Nov) 0.1% MEDIUM     08:30 Core PPI YoY (Nov) 6.1% LOW     10:00 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Prel (Dec) 56.4 HIGH     10:00 Wholesale Inventories MoM (Oct) 0.8% MEDIUM     10:00 Michigan Inflation Expectations Prel (Dec) 4.8% LOW     10:00 Michigan Current Conditions Prel (Dec) 58 LOW     10:00 Michigan 5 Year Inflation Expectations Prel (Dec) 2.9% LOW     10:00 Michigan Consumer Expectations Prel (Dec) 55 LOW     12:00 Fed Quarterly Financial Accounts   MEDIUM     12:00 WASDE Report   LOW     13:00 Baker Hughes Total Rig Count (Dec/09)   HIGH     13:00 Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count (Dec/09)   LOW                                     NEWS SENTIMENT           Standard Chartered PLC STAN : LSE 591.40 GBp -0.20% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   BP PLC BP. : LSE 463.95 GBp -3.52% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Deutsche Bank AG DBK : XETRA 10.022 EUR -0.02% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   British American Tobacco PLC BATS : LSE 3,305.00 GBp -3.02% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   AstraZeneca PLC AZN : LSE 11,316.00 GBp +1.23% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                           TECHNICAL VIEWS           EUR/USD Intraday: the bias remains bullish.   Pivot: 1.0540   Our preference: Long positions above 1.0540 with targets at 1.0595 & 1.0625 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 1.0540 look for further downside with 1.0520 & 1.0490 as targets.   Comment: The RSI shows upside momentum.                     Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: limited upside.   Pivot: 3923.00   Our preference: Long positions above 3923.00 with targets at 3947.00 & 3961.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 3923.00 look for further downside with 3911.00 & 3900.00 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is bullish and calls for further advance.                     Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: key resistance at 77.80.   Pivot: 77.80   Our preference: Short positions below 77.80 with targets at 75.70 & 74.50 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 77.80 look for further upside with 79.10 & 80.40 as targets.   Comment: As long as the resistance at 77.80 is not surpassed, the risk of the break below 75.70 remains high.        
    Rivian Break Down Of Joint Venture Negotiations With Mercedes | Amgen Inc. Begins Action to Acquire Pharmaceutical Company Horizon Therapeutics

    Rivian Break Down Of Joint Venture Negotiations With Mercedes | Amgen Inc. Begins Action to Acquire Pharmaceutical Company Horizon Therapeutics

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 12.12.2022 12:20
    Rivian discontinues its partnership with Mercedes-Benz Group and Amagon Inc begins merger talks with Horizon Therapeutics. Read more: US Government Scientists Have Made A Breakthrough | Elon Musk And Shutting Down IP Addresses Of Known Bad Actors On Twitter| FXMAG.COM Joint Venture Negotiations In September, Rivian and Mercedes-Benz Group said they were entering into negotiations for a potential joint venture at a Mercedes plant in Poland that would produce vans for both automakers. Rivian, in a statement early Monday, said the breakdown of joint venture negotiations with Mercedes comes after reassessing growth opportunities and focusing on projects that promise the best "risk-adjusted" return on investment. “We’ve decided to pause discussions with Mercedes-Benz Vans regarding the Memorandum of Understanding we signed earlier this year for joint production of electric vans in Europe,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said. The CEO of Rivian, said the startup is focusing on projects that give it the best return on investment in the short term. The startup said it believes its current sales of trucks and SUVs to retail customers and the van deal it has with Amazon.com Inc. , are best positioned to increase profitability in the near future. Rivian said he would be willing to make a deal with Mercedes at a later date. Rivian went public last November amid a flurry of initial bids by bustling EV startups promising to turn the auto industry upside down. The Irvine, California-based company was briefly worth more than Ford Motor Co. Capital markets have since deteriorated for many of these firms, including Rivian. The company's shares are down about 84% from the peak. Not only is the company looking bad on the stock markets, the internal situation reflects this as well. Rivian sometimes had difficulty carrying out his plans. In March, the company cut its production guidelines to around 25,000, citing parts shortages and supply chain issues. The company reported a total net loss of $5 billion in the first three quarters of this year. Rivian has laid off about 6% of its staff this summer and cut expenses in an effort to save cash. The company's cash stack - about $17 billion at the end of March - shrunk to $13 billion at the end of September, the last period for which information is available. What's more, the start-up also angered customers by deciding to raise the prices of its products, even those reserved. Rivian quickly reversed the price increase for existing reservation holders, but the lower selling cost of those early orders contributed to losses this year. Rivian's share price is approaching its lowest level of the year. RIVN is currently trading at 27,290. The biggest merger in year is in horizon Horizon develops drugs to treat rare autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases that are currently sold primarily in the United States. Its biggest drug, Tepezza, is used to treat thyroid disease, a disease characterized by progressive inflammation and damage to the tissues around the eyes. Last year, revenue from Tepezza more than doubled, increasing Horizon's overall net sales by 47% to $3.23 billion. Horizon said the drug's annual global net sales are expected to eventually reach more than $4 billion as the company looks to gain approval to sell the drug in Europe and Japan. The company is listed on Nasdaq but is based in Ireland with operations in Dublin, Deerfield, Illinois, and a new facility in Rockville, Maryland. Horizon said last month it was interested in acquiring from Amgen, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson later said it had dropped out. The US biotech firm was the last of three competitors standing in the auction for Horizon, people said, after French drugmaker Sanofi SA said on Sunday it was being sidelined. For this reason, Amgen Inc. is already in advanced talks regarding the purchase of the pharmaceutical company Horizon Therapeutics. The merger is likely to be valued at more than $20 billion. According to Jefferies & Co., the Horizon acquisition could bring Amgen approximately $4 billion in new revenue by 2024. The deal for Horizon would likely be the largest global healthcare acquisition in 2022, surpassing the Johnson & Johnson-Abiomed tie-up. From August to the first half of November, HZNP's share price was at its lowest of the year, but then increased, and the current price level is around 97. Amgen Inc prices have been dropping recently and the current level is 285.57. Chart of Horizon Therapeutics shares Chart of Amegon Inc shares Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    China’s New Aggregate Financing Increased Less Than Expected | Tesla And Rivian Shares Fell

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.12.2022 09:09
    Summary:  U.S. equities had a broad-based rally ahead of the CPI data with energy leading the gains. USDJPY bounced, approaching 138, as US yields moved higher. Crude oil prices rose snapping a 5-day losing streak amid supply worries from Keystone pipeline. Traders took profits in Hong Kong and Chinese stocks, selling Chinese property, technology and EV names. All eyes on November US CPI now where a softer print is generally expected but room for an upside surprise remains. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) advanced ahead of the CPI report Softer prints in the one, three, and five years ahead inflation expectation numbers in the New York Fed’s Consumer Expectations Survey on Monday boosted risk-on sentiments ahead of the release of the most watched CPI report on Tuesday. The S&P500 bounced from its 100-day moving average, gaining 1.4%. All 11 sectors of the benchmark advanced, with energy, utilities, and information technology leading the gains. Valero Energy, surging 5.2%, was the best performer in the S&P500. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 rose 1.2%. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) shed 6.3%, falling to the stock’s lowest level in two years on concerns about suspending output in stages at his Shanghai factory ahead of the Lunar New Year and Musk pledged more Tesla shares for margin loans. US Treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rose after a weak 10-year notes auction In a thin-volume session ahead of the CPI report on Tuesday and the FOMC on Wednesday, yields on Treasuries were 1bp to 3bps higher. The auction of USD32 billion of 10-year notes, awarded at 3.625%, 3.7bps cheaper than at the time of the auction, was the worst since 2009.  The one, three, and five years ahead consumers’ inflation expectations in the New York Fed’s Consumer Expectations Survey fell to 5.2%, 3%, and 2.3% in November from 5.7%, 3.1%, and 2.4% respectively in October. The yields on the 2-year notes and 10-year notes added 3bps each to 4.38% and 3.61% respectively. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) consolidated ahead of key events Ahead of two key events, the FOMC meeting in the U.S. and the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) in China, investors in Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks took profits and saw the Hang Seng Index 2.2% lower and the CSI300 sliding 1.1%. Chinese property developers and management services, technology, and EV stocks led the charge lower. Country Garden Services (06098:xhk) tumbled 17% after the property services company’s Chairman agreed to sell more than HKD5 billion worth of shares at a 10.9% discount. Longfor (00960:xhkg), The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped by 4%, with Meituan (03690:xhkg) declining by 7%. Li Auto (02015:xhkg) tumbled 12% after reporting larger losses and a large gross margin miss. In A shares, property and financials stocks were top losers while pharmaceuticals gained. FX: USDJPY heading to 138 ahead of US CPI release The US dollar remained supported ahead of the big flow of key data and central bank meetings later in the week. The modest run up higher in US Treasury yields, along with higher oil prices, brought back some weakness in the Japanese yen. USDJPY reached in sight of 138 and the US CPI release today will be key for further direction. EURUSD remained capped below the key 1.06 handle, but a break of that if it was to happen will open the doors to 1.08. NZDUSD eying a firmer break above 0.64 but would possibly need help from CPI for that. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) prices gain further on China’s easing while Keystone pipeline remains shut Crude oil prices rose on Monday after a week of heavy losses on demand concerns and fading China reopening. Prices were underpinned by further easing of China’s restrictions despite concerns earlier in the week from a rapid surge in cases. Despite reports that the Keystone pipeline was being partially reopened, it remains completely shut on Monday which suggests a potential drop in storage levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, the WTI delivery hub. WTI futures rose to $74/barrel, while Brent touched $78.50. The market awaits news from Russia on whether it will make good on its threat to cut supply to price cap supporters, while the focus will also turn to US CPI today and the FOMC decision tomorrow, as well as the oil market reports from OPEC and IEA.   What to consider? Stronger UK GDP growth but clouded energy outlook, expect more volatility Some respite was seen in UK’s growth trajectory as October GDP rose 0.5% M/M after being down 0.6% M/M last month’s due to the holiday for Queen’s funeral and a period of national mourning. However, the UK may already be in a recession and the outlook remains clouded which suggests there isn’t enough reason for Bank of England to consider anything more than a 50bps rate hike this week. Energy debate continues to run hot and create volatility in gas prices, after weaker wind generation led to talks of refiring the reserve coal plants, but the request was cancelled later on Monday as wind generation rose. The situation continues to highlight the vulnerability of the energy infrastructure due to lack of baseload, and a bigger test probably lies ahead in 2023. Focus will be on energy companies amid the cold snap in the northern hemisphere with coal plants on standby. Agriculture commodities also a focus Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) is expected to have a positive day of trade on Tuesday, as well as Japan’s market, while other Asia futures are lower. In Australia, consumer and business confidence are due to be released. In equites, focus will be on energy commodities and equities, given weather forecasts show a deep chill is descending on the northern hemisphere, and threatening to erode heating fuel stockpiles. Natural gas futures surged, while Oil rose 3% $73.17 a barrel. Energy stocks to watch include Australia’s Woodside, Beach Energy and Santos, Japan’s Japan Petroleum Exploration, Eneos, JGC, Chiyoda and Hong Kong-listed PetroChina, CNOOC and China Oilfield Services. Separately, coal futures are also higher, with Asia set to face a coal winter, and coal plants were previously asked to be on high alert in the UK, with snow blanketing parts of the UK. For coal stock to watch, click here. Separately, wheat prices rose 2.8% on expectations supply could wane; so keep an eye on Australia’s wheat producers GrainCorp, and Elders. Elsewhere, Australian beef output is poised to ramp up in the first half of next year, as the herd continues to rebuild. Australia’s Rural Bank agriculture outlook expects increased slaughter rates, and beef production to rise 5% in the first half, (mind you that’s well below average). So keep an eye on Elders, which helps sell and buy livestock, and Australian Agricultural Co – Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer. EV car makers dominate headlines; revving up competition, despite concerns demand could soften Tesla shares fell 6.3% Monday, to its lowest level since November 2020, making it the worst performer by market cap. TSLA shares have fallen about 54% this year. TSLA is reportedly suspending output at its Shanghai electric car factory in stages, from the end of the month, until as long as early January, amid production line upgrades, slowing consumer demand and Lunar New Year holidays. Most workers on both the Model Y and Model 3 assembly lines won’t be required in the last week of December. Rivian shares also fell 6.2% on reports its scrapping plans to make electric vans in Europe with Mercedes. Instead, Rivian will focus on its own products. While Mercedes-Benz says it will continue to pursue the electrification of its vans and its shares closed almost flat in Europe. VW shares were also lower in Europe, despite it announcing plans to increase market share in North America to 10% by 2030 from 4%. VW wants to produce more electric SUV models in the US; and produce ~90,000 VW’s ID.4 model in 2023 in America. NY Fed consumer expectations survey shows slowing inflation, but.. NY Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations indicated that respondents see one-year inflation running at a 5.2% pace, down 0.7 percentage point from the October reading. Expectations 3yrs ahead fell to 3.0% from 3.1% and expectations 5yrs ahead fell to 2.3% from 2.4%. However, it is worth noting that inflation expectations remain above fed’s 2% target and unemployment and wage data was reportedly steady. Softer US CPI to offer mixed signals and considerable volatility Last month’s softer US CPI report was a turning point in the markets and inflation expectations have turned markedly lower since then. Consensus is looking for another softer report in November, with headline rate expected at 7.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 7.7% YoY, 0.4% MoM) while the core is expected to be steadier at 6.1% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 6.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM). While the case for further disinflationary pressures can be built given lower energy prices, easing supply constraints and holiday discounts to clear excess inventory levels, but PPI report on Friday indicated that goods inflation could return in the months to come and wage inflation also continues to remain strong. Easing financial conditions and China’s reopening can be the other key factors to watch, which could potentially bring another leg higher in inflation especially if there is premature easing from the Fed. Shelter inflation will once again be key to watch, which means clear signs of inflation peaking out will continue to remain elusive. China’s aggregate financing and RMB loans weaker than expectations In November, China’s new aggregate financing increased less than expected to RMB1,990 billion (Bloomberg consensus: RMB2,100bn) from RMB908 billion in October. The growth of total outstanding aggregate financing slowed to 10.0% Y/Y in November from 10.3% in October. New RMB loans also came in weaker than expected at RMB1,210 billion (Bloomberg consensus: RMB1,400bn; Oct: RMB615.2bn). Despite the push from the authorities to expand credits, loan growth remained muted as demand for loans were sluggish. Japan and the Netherland joining the U.S. in restricting semiconductor equipment exports to China According to Bloomberg, Japan and the Netherland have agreed in principle with the U.S. to join the latter in restricting the exports of advanced chipmaking machinery and equipment to China. The decisions have yet to be confirmed but it is expected that announcements will be made in the coming weeks.     Detailed US CPI and FOMC Preview – read here. Sign up for our Outrageous Predictions 2023 webinar - APAC edition: Wed, 14 Dec, 11.30am SGT For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: US CPI day, expect considerable volatility – 13 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    BRICS Summit's Expansion Discussion: Impact on De-dollarisation Speed

    The Fed Does Not Fear A Recession Or Prolonged Bear Market In Equities

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.12.2022 09:19
    Summary:  The Fed is moderating the pace of rate hikes into 2023 but inflation is likely to be stubbornly elevated. The combination of these creates an environment in which Treasury Inflation-protected securities (TIPS) could potentially be an attractive investment option. Declines in real interest rates will see TIPS prices higher and their principal value and coupon amounts (while the coupon rates are constant) will rise together with the consumer price index. The Fed is poised to downshift as it believes that it must have got to somewhere after running so fast As our previous Fixed Income Update suggests, the modus operandi of the Fed has arguably shifted to risk management which aims at balancing the risks of inflation and the yet-to-be-fully-felt impact of monetary tightening on the real economy. Fed Chair Powell signals in his speech at the Brookings Institution on November 30. 2022 that being sufficiently restrictive, in his mind, is likely just “somewhat higher” than the 4.50%-4.75% (mid-point 4.625%) terminal rate in the FOMC’s September projections and he argues for “moderating the pace” of rate increases and “holding policy at a restrictive level”, not keep hiking, “for some time”. Powell acknowledges the fact that the employment, wage growth, and core services ex-housing inflation are all too strong to confidently foretell a victory in fighting inflation anytime soon and admits that the Fed has “a long way to go in restoring price stability”. Nonetheless, resorting to the notion of impact lags of monetary policy, Powell argues that it “makes sense” to downshift rate increases. This may mean that after a 50bp increase this Wednesday, as being well telegraphed and fully priced in, and probably another 50bps to 75bps in total in the February and March 2023 meetings. Powell has apparently on purpose been preparing the market that the Fed may pause even without seeing inflation falling significantly towards the 2% target as he and the November FOMC minutes emphasized the time lags of monetary policies and the importance of financial stability. Since August 2020, the Fed has adopted a new set of a new monetary policy framework that redefines its 2 percent inflation goal not as a ceiling but as inflation averaging 2 percent over time, and the unspecific “average over time” gives the Fed room to maneuver. The Fed may remain behind the inflation train for a prolonged period Alice looked round her in great surprise. “Why, I do believe we’ve been under this tree the whole time! Everything’s just as it was!” “Of course it is,” said the Queen, “what would you have it?” “Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you ran very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.” “A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” “I’d rather not try, please!” said Alice."  Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass. After running as fast as it can with 375bp hikes including four 75bp hikes, since March 2022, the Fed ends up in a situation where inflation rates are not accelerating further but stay at elevated levels and are not coming down. Inflation rates as represented by the key measures on which the Fed is focusing are more or less at the same place as when the Fed started raising rates nine months ago (Figure 1). In his Brookings Institution speech, Powell highlighted the personal consumption expenditure core services ex-housing index being a key indicator for the future path of inflation because he is least confident for this component to fall, as opposed to prices of core goods and costs of housing services.   Figure 1. U.S. inflation rates; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg Likewise, the three measures of wage growth to which the Fed refers are at basically the same place as the Fed start raising the Fed Fund target rate in March 2022 (Figure 2). Elevated wage growth rates tend to fuel inflation, and high inflation raises demand for higher wages. Figure 2. U.S. wage growth; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg While the Fed may not have yet caught up with the runaway inflation train even after running very fast since March this year, it is signaling that it wants to switch to a low gear and hope that the cumulative rate hikes working through the proverbial impact lags, plus the ongoing quantitative tightening will work their wonder in bringing down inflation. The 2-year yield has hit a floor and may bounce As inflation remain elevated, the Fed can downshift the pace of rate hikes but does not have room to pause or cut rates in the next few meetings. Therefore, three-month T-bill rates (currently at 4.23%) will become a floor to the 2-year yield. Unless the Fed’s next move is a rate cut, which will not be the case, 2-year yields will unlikely fall below the yield of 3-month Treasury bills. As illustrated in Figure 3, during the five times over the past 30 years when 2-year yields fell below 3-month yields, the next move by the Fed was cutting rates. When the Fed was not about to cut rates, yields on the 2-year notes did not fall below those of the 3-month bills. When 2-year notes are yielding only 4.33%, they offer little investing value. While we are expecting bonds to be a valuable asset class to have in a portfolio in 2023, we caution investors to be patient and look for a better entry level. Figure 3. 3-month T-bills vs 2-year T-notes spread; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg Without a recession, the value at the long end of the yield curve is stretched At Saxo, it is our view that the U.S. is not entering into a recession. Without a recession that drags down inflation and pushes up unemployment rates substantially and therefore brings about a series of rate cuts, the term premium is unlikely to stay so negative. In other words, investors will demand higher yields to compensate for the risks of owning long-term bonds. This is particularly true when the interest rate volatility is high. Higher implied volatility of treasury yields demands higher term premiums, i.e. higher long-term yields relative to short-term yields. Figure 4 plots the 3-month Treasury yield versus the 10-year Treasury yield spread against the ICE BofA Merrill Lynch Option Volatility Estimate (MOVE) Index. The divergence between the inversion of the yield curve and the elevated level of the MOVE index is unusual and may point to pressure for yields on 10-year notes to go up. Figure 4. 3-month T-bills vs 10-year T-notes spread, Implied volatility of Treasury yields; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg Powell does not want to see bond yields rising too fast and too much from here The Fed does not fear a recession or prolonged bear market in equities. It may welcome both as they help the Fed strive to dampen the development of a wage-price spiral and tighten financial conditions. It is the functioning of the Treasury market that is the elephant in the room and keeps Powell up at night. In the Fed’s own words in its November FOMC minutes, the U.S. Treasury market is important “for the transmission of monetary policy, for meeting the financing needs of the federal government, and for the operation of the global financial system. The FOMC participants noted that “the value of resilience of the market for Treasury securities was underlined by recent gilt market disruption.” In its Global Financial Stability Report Oct 2022, the IMF warns about poor market liquidity in government bond markets as quantitative tightening “leaving more of these bonds in private hands, which could translate into a shallower pocket to absorb shocks and therefore higher liquidity premiums and lower market liquidity.” As the total amount of outstanding Treasury securities has surged by seven times from USD3.2 trillion in 2002 to USD23.7 trillion in November 2022, the average daily turnover of the Treasury market has less than doubled during the same period.  As a result, the average daily turnover as a percentage of the amount of outstanding Treasury securities has declined from 11.6% to 2.6% over the past 20 years (Figure 5). Figure 5. Average daily turnover of Treasury securities as % of outstanding Source: Saxo, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Using the deviation of the quoted prices of individual securities from the fair-value curve as a proxy for market liquidity (Figure 6), the liquidity of the Treasury market has drastically deteriorated and stays currently at an elevated level similar to those in March 2020 when the Fed decided to come to the rescue and start a new round of open-ended buying of Treasury securities, i.e. quantitative easing.   Figure 6. Bloomberg U.S. Government Securities Liquidity Index; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg Both the Fed and the Treasury Department will do yield curve control if needed What if inflation does not come down and raising interest rates not “somewhat higher” but much higher, together with quantitative tightening, risk draining market liquidity and breaking the Treasury securities market? Not speculating on the political dynamic between the Fed, the White House, and Congress, the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, under which the Fed operates, provides that: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee shall maintain long run growth of the monetary and credit aggregates commensurate with the economy's long run potential to increase production, so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.                                                                           Section 2A. of the Federal Reserve Act The notion of moderate long-term interest rates is a goal imposed on the Fed by law, though the Fed has certain leeway to decide on what “moderate” is. The Fed usually talks about a “dual mandate” of monetary policy without mentioning the third one because the Fed considers that “an economy in which people who want to work either have a job or are likely to find one fairly quickly and in which the price level (meaning a broad measure of the price of goods and services purchased by consumers) is stable creates the conditions needed for interest rates to settle at moderate levels”, without the need to define what “moderate levels” are. It may not be the case when bond investors become fed up with the elevated inflation rates and a Fed not willing to run any faster than what it has done to keep up with inflation in a liquidity-strained Treasury market. It was alarming when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned publicly about “a loss of adequate liquidity in the [U.S. Treasury securities] market” in October. As the Fed is busy trimming its holdings of Treasury securities at a pace of USD95 billion a month as qualitative tightening, Secretary Yellen is worried enough to prepare to open her wallet and buy back Treasury securities. In October, the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee asked around primary dealers about their responses if the Treasury Department putting in place a debt management program to buy back long-term treasuries and said in its report in November 2022 that the Treasury Department “should continue to gather information as to the benefits and risks” of bond buybacks. The move highlights the Treasury Department’s concern about its costs and even abilities to fund the U.S. Federal Government’s budget deficits through issuing Treasury securities and the amount of federal debt held by the public as a percentage of U.S. GDP has ballooned to nearly 100% this year and is heading towards 110% by 2032 (Figure 7), surpassing the peak at the end of the Second World War. It was noteworthy to remind our readers that from 1942 to 1951, the Fed implemented yield curve control and capped the Treasury long-term bond yield at 2.5% to help the Treasury Department finance the federal government at low interest rates and bring debt down. Figure 7: U.S Federal Debt Held by the Public; Source: Congressional Budget Office (2022) Options for Reducing the Deficit, 2023 to 2032. P.12. file:///C:/Users/WENW/OneDrive%20-%20Saxo%20Bank%20AS/Documents/research/bonds/58164-budget-options-large-effects.pdf Elevated inflation and Fed downshift: TIPS may do well in this environment The total return on Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) tends to outperform that of nominal bonds when real yields are falling and the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is rising or simply stays at elevated levels higher and more persistently than previously expected. TIPS are quoted and traded in real yields that can be positive or negative. When the real yield rises, the price of TIPS falls; when the real yield falls, the price of TIPS rises. The most unique feature of TIPS is the principal value varies and is indexed to the CPI-U. The index ratio is calculated by the CPI-U index value published three months before the settlement date divided by the CPI-U index value as of the issuance date of the TIPS. For days during the month, linear interpolation of the monthly CPI-U indices is used. The Treasury Department publishes the updated index ratios for all TIPS issues on its website. When the CPI-U index value rises, i.e. inflation is positive, the principal value of TIPS will rise by the same percentage. When the CPI-U index value falls, i.e. inflation is negative, the principal value of TIPS will fall. The coupon rate of a TIPS is constant and does not change over the life of the bond. However, the coupon payment will change over time proportional to the change in the principal value. Therefore, the principal and coupon cash flows, that the investor receives, are protected from inflation. What is not protected is a rise in the real yield of TIPS that reduce the quoted price of the bond. When inflation is positive and even increasingly positive but the real yield is rising fast, the increase in the inflation-indexed principal may not be sufficiently large to offset a decline in bond price and the investor ends up with a loss in total return. From March, the month the Fed started raising rates, to October 2022, the TIPS yield swung dramatically from negative to positive as the Fed raised interest rates aggressively. The 10-year TIPS yield soared from minus-1.0% on March 1, 2022, to positive 1.6% on October 31, 2022, a 2.6% or 260bp movement which caused the 10-year TIPS to fall 21.4% in price. The rise in principal value contributed 5%. The net loss over that eight months was 16.5%. Rising inflation is not enough to generate a positive return for TIPS investors if the Fed aggressively pushes up real interest rates like it did this year. Many investors asked why TIPS lost money in most of 2022 through October and the 260bps rise in the real yield is the answer. The investment environment has become more favorable for TIPS since November 2022 when the Fed signaled to the market that it will downshift the tightening pace even before inflation falls substantially. In Figure 8, the green, light blue, and dark blue lines are breakeven inflation rates implied by the difference between yields on nominal Treasury note yields and the yields on TIPS, which are real yields. The bond market is pricing in future inflation at very near to the Fed’s 2% target as investors believe that the Fed will be able to bring down inflation towards 2%. In a combination of stubbornly high inflation and the Fed’s downshift in the pace of tightening, the line of least resistance for breakeven inflation is going upward, approaching the elevated actual inflation and away from 2% rather than falling below 2%.  Figure 8. Breakeven inflation rates implied versus CPI-U % change Y/Y; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg The breakeven inflation is the difference between nominal Treasury yields and TIPS yields. As inflation turns out to be more persistent into 2023, nominal bond yields are likely to bounce from this current trough level and rise to test the October 4.34% high in yield. However, given the Fed is mindful of the liquidity in the Treasury securities market and not to disrupt its smooth function, the rise in yields will be measured and much behind the rate of inflation. The aggressive pace of raising interest rates was something for 2022 and will unlikely be repeated in 2023. In this environment, for the breakeven inflation to rise, TIPS yields will probably need to fall. That will give TIPS a sweet spot of elevated inflation and at the same time declining real yield. Currently, 5-year TIPS are at 1.44% and 10-year TIPS are at 1.31% (Figure 9) and have room to fall in yield and rise in price. On top of that, the principal of TIPS is rising at the same rate as inflation as it is indexed to the CPI-U. Current inflation assumptions used for index factor calculation are around 8% p.a. Figure 9. Yields on 5-year and 10-year TIPS; Source: Saxo, Bloomberg In Figure 10 below, a list of TIPS is shown for illustration purposes.    Figure 10: Examples of TIPS on the Saxo trading platform for illustration purposes, not as recommendations; Source: Saxo Key Takeaways: Inflation is not coming down as much as the market is hoping for in 2023 Despite elevated inflation, the Fed is going to moderate its tightening pace The Fed and the Treasury Department are mindful of keeping long-term interest rates at moderate levels Nominal bond yields may bounce from the current low levels but be slower than inflation TIPS benefit from a fall in persistently higher-than-expected inflation and a fall in real yields Elevated inflation and a cautious Fed in low gear may present a sweet spot for TIPS   Source: Fixed Income Update: Elevated inflation and Fed downshift could potentially be a sweet spot for Treasury Inflation-protected Securities (TIPS) | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Corn Prices Recorded Their Biggest Weekly Gain, Gold Demand In India May Suffer A Temporary Setback

    The USDA On Friday Cut The Global Supply Outlook For Corn

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.12.2022 09:24
    Summary:  Risk sentiment rebounded yesterday, even as US treasury yields rose further and closed at their highest level in more than a week. Markets are on tenterhooks ahead of the US November CPI print later today as traders recall the explosion higher in risk sentiment in the wake of the October CPI release last month, where the reaction function may have been about extreme short-term option exposure as anything else. The same volatility risk is present over today’s release. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equity markets rebounded yesterday even as US treasury yields edged higher on the day, as traders nervously recall the heavy volatility around the US CPI releases of recent months, particularly the October CPI release on November 10, which saw an explosion higher in US equities of over 5% on the day after softer-than-expected numbers. Today’s release is complicated by the upcoming FOMC meeting tomorrow. The key downside area for the S&P 500 Index remains 3900-10 the cash index, with the equivalent area around 11,430 in the Nasdaq 100 Index. A sharp rise in the VIX yesterday despite the positive session suggests traders are scrambling to protect themselves with short-term options over the key event risks of the coming couple of days, which aggravates the volatility risk further. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index advanced 0.4% after Hong Kong lifted all travel restrictions for visitors arriving the city and relaxed the QR code scanning requirements for residents.  Local Hong Kong catering and retailer stocks surged 5% to 12%. In A-shares, the CSI300 index was little changed. Lodging, tourism and catering stocks outperformed. FX: USDJPY teased 138 ahead of US CPI release The US dollar was mostly sideways ahead of the big flow of key data and central bank meetings later in the week, but a run-up in US treasury yields and higher oil prices yesterday drove a weaker JPY across the board again, with USDJPY nearly reaching 138.00 before pulling back slightly. The US dollar is set to key off the US CPI release today. EURUSD remained capped below the key 1.06 handle, where a break above, for example, on soft data and an indifferent FOMC meeting on Wednesday, possibly opening the doors to 1.08. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) Crude oil trades higher for a second day after last week's heavy losses on demand concerns. Prices were underpinned by further easing of China’s restrictions despite concerns earlier in the week from a rapid surge in cases. Despite reports that the Keystone pipeline was being partially reopened, it remains completely shut on Monday which suggests a potential drop in storage levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, the WTI delivery hub. The market awaits news from Russia on whether it will make good on its threat to cut supply to price cap supporters, while the focus will also turn to US CPI today and the FOMC decision tomorrow, as well as monthly oil market reports from OPEC today and IEA Wednesday. First level of resistance in Brent at $80.50 and $75 in WTI. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) await CPI report Both metals trade steady while awaiting today’s key US CPI print and tomorrow’s FOMC meeting. Having been rejected on a couple of occasions above $1800, the outcome of these will likely determine whether the metal will break higher to signal a strong start to 2023 or whether investors will book some profit ahead of the quiet period before year-end. In such a case, the current strength of the market will be tested with focus on support at $1765 and not least $1735. Silver meanwhile trades near an eight-month high with half an eye on copper as the potential driver for additional strength. US 10-year treasury benchmark rebounds further (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) In a thin-volume session ahead of the CPI report on Tuesday and the FOMC on Wednesday, yields on Treasuries closed the day higher, with the US 10-year benchmark closing 4 bps up to 3.61% and nearly 10 bps above intraday lows. The auction of USD 32B of 10-year notes, awarded at 3.625%, 3.7bps cheaper than at the time of the auction, was the worst since 2009.  The one, three, and five years ahead consumers’ inflation expectations in the New York Fed’s Consumer Expectations Survey fell to 5.2%, 3%, and 2.3% in November from 5.7%, 3.1%, and 2.4% respectively in October. What is going on? Stronger UK GDP growth but clouded energy outlook, expect more volatility Some respite was seen in UK’s growth trajectory as October GDP rose 0.5% M/M after being down 0.6% M/M last month’s due to the holiday for Queen’s funeral and a period of national mourning. However, the UK may already be in a recession and the outlook remains clouded which suggests there isn’t enough reason for the Bank of England to consider anything more than a 50bps rate hike this week. Energy debate continues to run hot and create volatility in gas prices, after weaker wind generation led to talks of refiring the reserve coal plants, but the request was cancelled later Monday as wind generation rose. The situation continues to highlight the vulnerability of the energy infrastructure due to lack of baseload, and a bigger test probably lies ahead in 2023. NY Fed consumer expectations survey shows slowing inflation, but... NY Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations indicated that respondents see one-year inflation running at a 5.2% pace, down 0.7 percentage point from the October reading. Expectations 3yrs ahead fell to 3.0% from 3.1% and expectations 5yrs ahead fell to 2.3% from 2.4%. However, it is worth noting that inflation expectations remain above the Fed’s 2% target and unemployment and wage data was reportedly steady. Corn (ZCH3) advances following biggest clear-out of longs since 2019  Corn futures in Chicago trade higher for a third day, as dry and hot weather conditions in Argentina, an important Southern Hemisphere producer, stresses the crop. In addition, the USDA on Friday cut the global supply outlook for corn due to a smaller crop in Ukraine, and from where supply could slow after Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have affected cargo loading at the Black Sea ports. Renewed support for corn emerged just after money managers in the week to December 6 sliced their corn net long by 37% to 120k lots, lowest since Sept 2020 and biggest one-week reduction since March 2019. Novozymes shares in focus following acquisition news Yesterday should have been a celebration day for Novozymes shareholders according to management as the enzymes manufacturer announced a $12.3bn acquisition of food flavouring manufacturer Chr. Hansen. However, Novozymes shares traded down 15% so the shares will be in focus this morning. The main question is whether regulators will allow the two companies to merge given their respective size and possible market power in the food ingredients business. What are we watching next? US November CPI to likely to trigger considerable volatility Last month’s softer US CPI report was a turning point in the markets and inflation expectations have turned markedly lower since then. Consensus is looking for another softer report in November, with the headline rate expected at 7.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 7.7% YoY, 0.4% MoM in October) while the core, ex-Food & Energy reading is expected to show a steady rise of 6.1% YoY and 0.3% MoM (from 6.3% YoY, 0.3% MoM in October). While a case can be made for further disinflationary pressures, given lower energy prices, easing supply constraints and holiday discounts to clear excess inventory levels, the PPI report on Friday indicated that goods inflation could return in the months to come and wage inflation also remains strong. Easing financial conditions and China’s reopening can be the other key factors to watch, which could potentially bring another leg higher in inflation especially if there is premature easing from the Fed. Shelter inflation will once again be key to watch, which means clear signs of inflation peeking out will continue to remain elusive. Several central bank meetings this week The U.S. Federal Reserve (Wednesday), the Bank of England (Thursday) and the European Central Bank (Thursday) are expected to hike interest rates by 50 basis points each this week. Less than two weeks ago, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said a December rate-hike slowdown is likely. But the hawkish tone should remain based on the latest Non Farm Payroll and Producer Prices reports which indicated that inflation remains high and broad-based. In the eurozone, this is a done-deal that the central bank will hike rates by 50 basis points. Pay attention to the updated economic forecasts (Is a recession the new baseline for 2023?) and to any indication regarding the expected quantitative tightening process. In the United Kingdom, the money market overwhelmingly believes (78%) that the Bank of England will hike its rate by 50 basis points to 3.5% this week. Only a minority (22%) foresees a larger increase, to 3.75%. Earnings to watch This is a quiet period in the earnings season, though a couple of interesting names are reporting this week, with former high-flyer Adobe up on Thursday. Adobe has something to prove as the US software company has seen a negative share price reaction on its past five earnings releases. Trip.com, China's leading online travel agency, reports on Wednesday and investors will judge the result on the company's outlook for Q4 and ideally 2023 as China's reopening is raising the expected travel demand in China for 2023. Read more here. Tuesday: DiDi Global Wednesday: Lennar, Trip.com, Nordson, Inditex Thursday: Adobe Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Germany Dec. ZEW Survey 1030 – UK Bank of England Financial Stability Report 1100 – US Nov. NFIB Small Business Optimism 1330 – US Nov. CPI 2230 – Australia RBA Governor Lowe to Speak 2350 – Japan Q4 Tankan Survey 0005 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before Parliamentary Committee 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 13, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    European Markets Face Headwinds Amid Rising Yields and Inflation Concerns

    Microsoft (MSFT) rose 2.89% after announcing it will purchase a 4% stake in London Stock Exchange Group

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 13.12.2022 10:42
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 13, 2022                 Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views           EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)                 Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.                     Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,324.00 -45.00 (-0.31%) Read the analysis 14,397.00 14,199.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,499.00 7,431.00     S&P 500 (CME) 4,018.25 +50.00 (+1.26%) Read the analysis 4,045.00 3,982.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 11,809.50 +126.50 (+1.08%) Read the analysis 11,860.00 11,730.00     Dow Jones (CME) 34,218.00 +477.00 (+1.41%) Read the analysis 34,420.00 34,010.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 73.46 +2.44 (+3.44%) Read the analysis 75.40 72.80     Gold 1,781.22 -16.102 (-0.90%) Read the analysis 1,777.00 1,789.00                     MARKET WRAP           Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Monday, major U.S. stock indexes rose over 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 528 points (+1.58%) to 34,005, the S&P 500 rose 56 points (+1.43%) to 3,990, and the Nasdaq 100 was up 143 points (+1.24%) to 11,706.The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield added 3.7 basis points to 3.615%.U.S. inflation data will be released on Tuesday, and the Federal Reserve will set interest rates on Wednesday.Transportation (+2.86%), energy (+2.49%), and software (+2.45%) sectors led the market higher.Microsoft (MSFT) rose 2.89% after announcing it will purchase a 4% stake in London Stock Exchange Group.Coupa Software (COUP) surged 26.67%. The cloud-based business software firm said it has agreed to be taken private by buyout firm Thoma Bravo in a deal that values the company at $8 billion.Amgen (AMGN) agreed to buy Horizon Pharma (HZNP) for $116.50 per share or $27.8 billion in total. Amgen's share price closed 0.67% higher, and Horizon Pharma jumped 15.49%.Rivian Automotive (RIVN) declined 6.16%. The company said it paused discussions with Mercedes-Benz on forming a strategic partnership over electric pickup trucks. European stocks closed lower. The DAX 40 fell 0.45%, the CAC 40 declined 0.41%, and the FTSE 100 was down 0.41%.Oil prices were supported by a prolonged outage of the Canada-to-U.S. Keystone crude-oil pipeline. U.S. WTI crude futures gained $2.40 (+3.38%) to $73.46 a barrel.Gold price slid $16 to $1,781 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar held up well against other major currencies. The dollar index climbed to 105.02.USD/JPY jumped 115 pips to 137.71.EUR/USD dipped 5 pips to 1.0535. GBP/USD rose 9 pips to 1.2268. U.K. gross domestic product grew 0.5% on month (vs +0.4% expected) and 1.5% on year (vs +1.6% expected) in October. Industrial production showed no growth in October, as expected,AUD/USD dropped 47 pips to 0.6748. This morning, the Westpac consumer confidence index rebounded 3.0% on month in December (vs -6.9% in November).USD/CHF added 23 pips to 0.9365, while USD/CAD was down 14 pips to 1.3631.Bitcoin regained the $17,000 level.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, USD/JPY held up well at 137.70, while AUD/USD remained under pressure at 0.6742.EUR/USD was little changed at 1.0533, while GBP/USD traded lower to 1.2256.Gold price was flat at $1,781 an ounce.Bitcoin kept trading at levels around $17,100.Expected TodayIn the U.K., the latest jobless rate is expected to edge up to 3.7%.In Germany, the ZEW economic sentiment index is expected to improve to -27 in December. And the November inflation rate is expected to be finalized at 10.0% on year.In the U.S., the inflation rate is expected to tick down to 7.6% on year in November.           UK MARKET NEWS           Royal Dutch Shell, an oil giant, announced the sale of its stake in two offshore production sharing contracts in Malaysia's Baram Delta to Petroleum Sarawak Exploration & Production Sdn Bhd for $475 million.InterContinental Hotels Group, a hotel operator, announced the appointment of Michael Glover as chief financial officer.Auto & Parts, insurance and travel & leisure shares gained most in London on Friday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, BAE Systems (+0.65% to 831p) crossed above its 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   02:00 Unemployment Rate (Oct) 3.7% HIGH     02:00 Claimant Count Change (Nov) 8k HIGH     02:00 Employment Change (Sep) -20k HIGH     02:00 Average Earnings incl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr) (Oct) 6.1% MEDIUM     02:00 Average Earnings excl. Bonus (3Mo/Yr) (Oct) 5.8% LOW     02:00 HMRC Payrolls Change (Nov) 45k LOW     05:00 10-Year Treasury Gilt Auction   LOW     05:30 Financial Stability Report   LOW     05:30 BoE FPC Meeting Minutes   LOW     06:00 NFIB Business Optimism Index (Nov) 89 LOW     08:30 Inflation Rate MoM (Nov) 0.5% HIGH     08:30 Core Inflation Rate MoM (Nov) 0.4% HIGH     08:30 Core Inflation Rate YoY (Nov) 6.2% HIGH     08:30 Inflation Rate YoY (Nov) 7.6% HIGH     08:30 CPI (Nov) 299 MEDIUM     08:55 Redbook YoY (Dec/10)   LOW     10:00 IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism (Dec) 41 MEDIUM     13:00 30-Year Bond Auction   LOW     16:30 API Crude Oil Stock Change (Dec/09)   MEDIUM                                     NEWS SENTIMENT           London Stock Exchange Group PLC LSEG : LSE 7,626.00 GBp -2.85% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Legal & General Group PLC LGEN : LSE 252.00 GBp -1.60% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   BHP Group PLC BHP : LSE 2,537.00 GBp -1.67% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Neutral       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Argo Group Ltd ARGO : LSE 11.00 GBp 0.00% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Bayerische Motoren Werke AG BMW : XETRA 84.43 EUR -0.89% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                           TECHNICAL VIEWS           EUR/USD Intraday: rebound.   Pivot: 1.0530   Our preference: Long positions above 1.0530 with targets at 1.0575 & 1.0590 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 1.0530 look for further downside with 1.0505 & 1.0490 as targets.   Comment: The RSI shows upside momentum.                     Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: intraday support around 3902.00.   Pivot: 3902.00   Our preference: Long positions above 3902.00 with targets at 3951.00 & 3970.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 3902.00 look for further downside with 3879.00 & 3864.00 as targets.   Comment: The RSI lacks downward momentum.                     Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: further upside.   Pivot: 77.60   Our preference: Long positions above 77.60 with targets at 80.00 & 80.80 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 77.60 look for further downside with 76.80 & 76.10 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is bullish and calls for further advance.        
    US stocks gain on hopes of a softer inflation print released later today

    US stocks gain on hopes of a softer inflation print released later today

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 13.12.2022 11:02
    European equities traded in the red at the start of the week, but equities in the US rebounded as investors are hanging on to hope of slower inflation and reasonably hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) by their fingernails.    Today and tomorrow will tell whether they are right being optimistic or not.   The latest US CPI data will reveal whether inflation in the US eased, and by how much. It's highly likely that we will see a number below the 7.7% printed a month earlier. But a number below 7.7% won't be enough as analysts expected it to ease all the way down to 7.3%.   Last Friday, the PPI figure showed that the US factory gate prices eased in November, but not as much as penciled in – leading to some disappointment among investors. Today, a similar disappointment could erase yesterday's 1.43% rebound in the S&P500 and could easily send the index below its 100-DMA. Read next: Microsoft (MSFT) rose 2.89% after announcing it will purchase a 4% stake in London Stock Exchange Group| FXMAG.COM  But if, by any chance, we see a softer CPI figure, then the S&P500 could easily jump above its 200-DMA, and even above the ytd descending channel top.   But, but, but...  Today's US CPI data, unless there is a huge surprise, will probably not change the Fed's plan to hike the interest rates by 50bp this week. Activity on Fed funds futures gives 77% chance for a 50bp hike, and a slim chance of 23% for another 75bp hike.   What will probably change is where investors see the Fed's terminal rate, and for how long.   More importantly, it will give us an idea on how the market pricing for the Fed's terminal rate will clash with the dot plot projections that will come out tomorrow, and that will, in all cases, hammer any potentially optimistic market sentiment.   Therefore, even if we see a great CPI print and a nice market rally today, it may not extend past the Fed decision on Wednesday.   Energy up.  European stock investors are uncomfortable this week due to the icy cold weather, that will get the countries to tap into the natural gas, and other energy supplies.   The US nat gas prices jumped more than 30% since last week due to a powerful Pacific storm bringing cold and snow to the norther and central plains in the US.   In the UK, power prices hit another ATH yesterday. Read next: An incoming cold spell in the US has seen the cost of US gas surge 27% during the past three trading session while (...) Dutch TTF gas contracts remain below €150| FXMAG.COM   Happily, we haven't seen a significant rise in the European nat gas futures, which in contrary kicked off the week downbeat.   But crude oil rallied as much as 2.60% on Monday as Russia said that the EU's $60 cap on its oil could lead to supply cuts, as Goldman said that Chinese reopening could boost demand by 1mpd - which would mean a $15 recovery in crude's price - and as a key pipeline supplying the US closed following a spill discovered last week.   I think that the oil rebound due to these three factors could be short-lived and may offer interesting top selling opportunities for medium term bears looking for a further dip in oil prices to below $70pb. Because, the Russia is not harmed by $60pb currently, US supplies will be restored and  the Chinese reopening may not be smooth due to potential disruptions in economic activity, because people are sick.   Don't count on strong UK GDP  The British GDP grew more than expected last month and that was mostly due to the rebound in activity after Queen Elizabeth's death slowed activity earlier. But strikes across the country are so severe that they could wipe half a billion pounds off the hospitality industry's pre-Xmas earnings. PM Rishi Sunak thinks that military staff could help cover for striking workers.   Cable consolidates gains below 1.23 but is at the mercy of the US dollar. The Bank of England (BoE) is expected to hike by 50bp at this week's MPC meeting, but the hike will certainly be accompanied by dovish statement as the UK economy is not strong enough to withstand a Fed-like tightening in the middle of an energy, and cost-of-living crisis.
    Bank of England Confronts Troubling Inflation Report; Fed Chair Powell's Testimony Echoes Expected Path

    The Pound (GBP) Is Relatively Steady After The Release Of The UK Jobs Data

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 13.12.2022 12:28
    Stock markets are tentatively higher in Asia while Europe and the US are poised for a similarly modest start to trade in what is the start of a hectic 72 hours in the markets. For so many weeks now, the December Fed decision has dominated the minds of traders, while sentiment in the markets has been dictated by how small changes in various data points influence the outcome of the meeting. When a meeting or event generates this much hype, it can often disappoint and be something of an anticlimax but I’m not sure that will be the case this time. It’s not so much the decision itself but what accompanies it that will set the stage for next year. For so long the question has been will the Fed hike into a recession. In that time it’s remained convinced that a soft landing can be achieved and the resilience of the economic data has supported that but unfortunately, the same resilience has also supported the case for more hikes and a higher terminal rate. Last month’s CPI release gave investors real hope that in much the same way that inflation’s acceleration higher this year blew expectations out of the water, the path lower may also not be as gradual as feared. Unfortunately, some of the data since then hasn’t been so favourable – most notably the wages component of the jobs report – so a lot is now hanging on today’s release. Another number below forecasts of around 7.3%, year on year, could get the excitement flowing once more. Jobs data keeps pressure on BoE The pound is relatively steady after the release of the UK jobs data that was in line with market expectations. Unemployment rose marginally to 3.7% while wages rose by 6.1%. While the data does indicate some additional slack in the labour market, the wages number – despite falling well short of inflation – will be of concern to the BoE and ensure its foot remains firmly on the brake in the short term. Steady despite FTX developments and Binance concerns Bitcoin continues to trade around $17,000, undeterred by reports of Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest and possible charges for money laundering against Binance. Withdrawals on the platform highlight the uncertainty and shattered confidence in the space, a desperation not to be caught up in another FTX event. Even when the situation looks very different. But that’s what fear does, especially in a situation where confidence has been so severely damaged, as it has in recent weeks. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.  
    Oil Prices Show Resilience Despite Setbacks, Gold Holds Above $1,900 Ahead of US Jobs Report

    Cathie Wood's ARK Innovation (ARKK) Exchange-Traded Fund Loses Investor Confidence

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 13.12.2022 11:37
    This year is exceptional in terms of many events, in particular events on the financial markets. ARKK is not doing too well, and Microsoft will take 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange. Read next: Euro Holds Above $1.05, USD/JPY Pair Rose Above 136| FXMAG.COM The Losses Investors have bought up growth stocks and other speculative assets en masse this year. In an environment of rising profits where they suddenly have opportunities to earn returns with little risk, many lose their appetite for cash-losing companies that promise a chance of return in the future. Shares in the fund, a pandemic-era favourite, made up mostly of underperforming, growth-minded tech companies, have fallen 63% this year. Wood's flagship fund is near a five-year low. The three largest holdings in the fund - known by the ticker symbol ARKK - are Zoom Video Communications Inc., Tesla Inc. and Exact Sciences Corp. , companies that Mrs. Wood believes have the potential to change the world. At the beginning of the year, Cathie Wood said that venture stocks in exchange-traded funds sold by ARK Investment Management LLC are so cheap that they will inevitably go up. A surprising number of investors wanted to give it a try. Some $16 billion flowed into ARK Innovation from the second quarter of 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, through the first quarter of 2021, when the fund’s assets peaked at $28 billion. Investors heeding a “buy the dip” rallying cry poured money into the fund in each of the first five months of the year—a net $1.89 billion—as markets tumbled. Shares of Zoom and Tesla have lost about half their value this year, while Exact Sciences, an unprofitable supplier of cancer screening and diagnostic tools, is down 42%. While many on Wall Street are curbing risks and preparing for a recession, Ms. Wood has increased her risk in recent weeks by buying more shares in cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. and a bitcoin futures ETF. According to FactSet, ARKK added 931,000 Coinbase shares worth about $43 million in November. ARKK is the second-largest holder of Coinbase shares, which are down 83% since the beginning of the year. Similar bets yielded huge gains in a low-interest-rate environment in 2020 and 2021. ARKK's stock more than doubled in 2020 before concerns about inflation — and the prospect of higher rates — stalled its gains. Currently, ARKK is at its lowest levels, approaching pre-2018 levels. The lowest levels of the year may increase investors' concerns. ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) Microsoft Corp and LSEG Microsoft Corp. will take a 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange’s corporate parent. The agreement between the London Stock Exchange Group and Microsoft Corp connects one of the largest American technology companies with the largest market exchange in Europe. LSEG has tied its future to data sales, a way to diversify away from the low-margin stock market business. In 2021, it completed the purchase of the financial, information and terminal company Refinitiv Holdings Ltd. from the Blackstone Inc. consortium. and Thomson Reuters Corp. Microsoft takes the unusual step of buying an ownership stake in a customer by acquiring LSEG's stake from the Blackstone-Reuters consortium. Microsoft did not disclose how much it will pay for the shares. LSEG shares were up 1.8% Monday afternoon in London. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The NASDAQ Stock Exchange 2118 Companies Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 14.12.2022 08:05
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.30%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.73%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 1.01%. Dow Jones Chevron Corp was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 3.78 points or 2.23% to close at 173.53. Salesforce Inc rose 2.51 points or 1.89% to close at 135.62. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.94 points or 1.78% to close at 110.91. The least gainers were Amgen Inc, which shed 4.52 points or 1.63% to end the session at 272.26. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was up 1.40% or 7.64 points to close at 538.22, while McDonald's Corporation was down 0.85% or 2.34 points to close at 274. 28. S&P 500 Among the S&P 500 index components gainers in today's trading were Moderna Inc, which rose 19.63% to 197.54, Halliburton Company, which gained 7.87% to close at 37.00, and Match Group Inc, which rose 7.67% to end the session at 46.89. The least gainers were United Airlines Holdings Inc, which shed 6.94% to close at 41.17. Trimble Inc lost 6.38% to end the session at 55.03. Quotes of American Airlines Group decreased in price by 5.21% to 13.46. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were OpGen Inc, which rose 84.80% to hit 0.23, Vincerx Pharma Inc, which gained 60.93% to close at 1.08, and shares of Netcapital Inc, which rose by 58.27%, ending the session at around 2.20. Shares of Quotient Ltd became the leaders of the decline, which decreased in price by 50.01%, closing at 0.34. Shares of Argo Blockchain PLC ADR lost 37.21% and ended the session at 0.43. Quotes of Harpoon Therapeutics Inc decreased in price by 36.87% to 0.89. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2162) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (934), while quotes of 113 stocks remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2118 companies rose in price, 1630 fell, and 206 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 9.80% to 22.55. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.65%, or 29.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for January delivery rose 2.95%, or 2.16, to $75.33 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery rose 3.33%, or 2.60, to $80.59 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.89% to hit 1.06, while USD/JPY shed 1.48% to hit 135.63. Futures on the USD index fell 1.09% to 103.62 Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-15 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/304804
    The Challenge to the Dollar: De-dollarisation and Geopolitical Shifts

    The Fed Is Expected To Lift Its Federal Funds Rate Target By 50bps

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 08:48
    Summary:  U.S. equities and bonds faded the initial hype after softer CPI prints and ended the volatile session with muted gains. USD sold off and USDJPY dipped below 135 at one point. Crude rallied for the second day in a row, rising 3% as supply issues remained. A 50bp hike at today’s FOMC is cemented and the market’s focus will be on the dot plot about the Fed’s rate projections for 2023 and Powell’s comment at the press conference. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) jumped at the open before paring most of the gains After a strong opening, soaring at much as 4% in the S&P 500 and 3.9% in Nasdaq 100, the U.S. market spent the rest of the day pulling back from the intraday highs. S&P500 finished the volatile session at 4019.65, up 0.7%, and Nasdaq 100 closed at 11834.21, 1.1% higher.  A large portion of the early surge was in ETFs. A huge USD3.9 trillion notional value of options expiring this Friday may tend to pin the benchmark S&P 500 as well. All sectors with the S&P 500, except consumer staples, advanced. The interest rate-sensitive real estate sector was the top gainer, rising 2%, which was followed by the energy sector which was boosted by a 3% rise in the crude oil price. Meta Platforms (META:xnas) gained 4.7% as Republican Senator Rubio is seeking a pass a bi-partisan bill to ban Tik Tok from operating in the U.S. Moderna (MRNA:xnas) soared 19.6% on news of positive trial data from an experimental skin cancer vaccine in collaboration with Merck (MRK:xnys). Merck climbed 1.8%. Airlines were notable laggards on Tuesday. A 3% drop made airfares one of the largest items contributing to the softness in the CPI report. In addition, Alsska Air (ALK:xnys) warned about slowing corporate travel and JetBlue (JBLU:xnas) which was more leisure travel-focused, mentioned weaker bookings in Q4. US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bull steepened on soft CPI data Immediately after the release of the soft CPI data which increased the chance of further downshift to a 25bp hike instead of 50bps in February, the whole yield curve shifted down with the 2-year at one point shedding 24bps to 4.13% and the 10-year 20bps richer to as low as 3.41%. The money market curve now prices the terminal rate at around 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.98%. The long-end however did not manage to keep their gains after some large block selling in the 10-year contracts and a weak 30-year auction. The 10-year gave back nearly half of the gain to close the session 11bps richer at 3.50%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to 72bps. The yield on the 30-year long bonds finished the day only down 4bps at 3.53%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index advanced by 0.7% after Hong Kong lifted all travel restrictions on visitors arriving in the city and relaxed the QR code scanning requirements for residents.  Catering and retailer stocks outperformed. Cosmetic chain operator Sa Sa (00178:xhkg) jumped 14.2%. Local developers and commercial landlord stocks rose by 3% to 4%. Cathay Pacific climbed 3.2%. Macau casino operators gained between 1% and 4%. Shares of the semiconductor industry jumped on media reports suggesting that the Chinese Government is going to spend RMB 1 trillion to support the industry. SMIC (00981:xhkg) gained 9.7% and Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) soared 17.4%. In A-shares, the CSI300 index was little changed. Farming, textile, and transportation stocks outperformed. FX: USDJPY dipped below 135 before a recovery in Asian hours The US dollar sold off on Tuesday following the softer November CPI print in the US saw US yields plunge lower. AUDUSD was however seen paring some of the gains in early Asian trade and slid below 0.6840 amid concerns on China’s Covid cases ramping up further which also led to the postponement of the Central Economic Work Conference. USDJPY took a brief look below 135 after the CPI release but some of the move was erased later. EURUSD surged to 1.0673 and remains supported above 1.0620 ahead of Fed meeting today and ECB meeting tomorrow. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) pauses after two days of gains Crude oil prices gained further on Tuesday after a softer-than-expected US CPI print for November spurred hopes that the Fed will slow down its pace of rate hikes. Supply side issues were also supportive. TC Energy Corp has yet to submit a restart plan for the Keystone pipeline following a leak last week, and plans have been delayed by bad weather. Russia’s President Putin is planning to sign a decree banning the sale of Russian oil through any contract that specifies the recipient as a nation that joined the G7 price cap. OPEC urged caution as its members implement the recent 2mb/d production cut. It now expects to see a finely balanced market in Q1 2023, instead of the deficit implied by its forecasts a month ago. It sees demand increasing by 2.2mb/d next year to average 101.77mb/d. Demand concerns may pick up further in Asia today as Covid cases in China continue to rise and impede the reopening trade, but caution will prevail ahead of Fed meeting later today.   What to consider?   Another softer US CPI print is still not enough The November CPI report was cooler-than-expected across the board, highlighted by the headline cooling to 7.1% from 7.7% (exp. 7.3%), with a M/M gain of 0.1%, slowing from the prior 0.4% and beneath the expected 0.3%. Core metrics saw Y/Y print 6.0% vs 6.3% prior and beneath the 6.1% expectation, while the M/M saw a 0.2% gain, lower than the prior and expected 0.3%. The market pricing has shifted towards a 25bps rate hike for February after we potentially get a 50bps today, while the terminal rate forecast has drifted lower to 4.82%. If we dig into the details, the disinflation is clearly driven by goods and energy, while services prices continue to rise further. This means wage pressures will continue and provides room for the Fed to continue to beat the drum on rates being higher-for-longer.  December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, and are expected to show a higher terminal rate than the September projections (4.6%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. Easing financial conditions and expected China stimulus could mean Fed continues to chase the inflation train from the back into the next year as well, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing out the rate cuts of ~50bps that are priced in for next year, and emphasise that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. China’s Central Economic Work Conference is reportedly postponed According to Bloomberg, which cites unnamed sources, the Chinese Communist Party is postponing the Central Economic Work Conference that was previously scheduled for this week due to the spread of Covid-19 inflections in Beijing. No signs, however, show that the Chinese authorities are reversing the recent trend of relaxing pandemic restrictions. New Zealand forecasts a recession starting Q2 2023 New Zealand Treasury Department issued 2022 half-year economic and fiscal update, forecasting three quarters of negative GDP growth from Q2 2023. Overall, the forecast calls for 0.8% contraction in 2023. Still, comments from RBNZ this morning suggested inflation focus will continue to drive more rate hikes, even as spending slows and unemployment levels increase as more people join the workforce over the coming year, partially helped by improving migration levels. Bank of Japan’s Tankan shows weakening business sentiment Sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers deteriorated slightly in the three months to December amid concerns over the global economic slowdown. The main index for sentiment among large manufacturers was +7, compared with +8 in Q3, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey. Non-manufacturers still took a more positive view as the economic reopening gathered momentum, and large non-manufacturer index rose to 19 in Q4 from 17 previously.     Detailed FOMC Preview – read here. Sign up for our Outrageous Predictions 2023 webinar - APAC edition: Wed, 14 Dec, 11.30am SGT For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Softer-than-expected US CPI puts the focus on FOMC dot plot and Powell’s comments – 14 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Feed: China's 2023 growth target underwhelms markets

    Many Investors Are Bullish On The Chinese Stocks For 2023

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 08:52
    Summary:  As China reopening from Covid-zero and continued moves to ease policy, many investors are bullish on the Chinese stocks for 2023. Chinese equities are at attractively cheap valuation. With China loosening Covid curbs, more malls and restaurants reopened and it creates positive impact on the consumer staples and consumer discretionary industries. As China reopening from Covid-zero and continued moves to ease policy, many investors are bullish on the Chinese stocks for 2023. MSCI China Index has rallied 34% from the low on 31 October after China reopening hopes. Many investors are looking at Chinese equities as they are sitting at attractively cheap valuation. With China loosening Covid curbs, more malls and restaurants reopened and it creates positive impact on the consumer staples and consumer discretionary industries. Global X MSCI China Consumer Staples ETF (CHIS)The ETF invests in large and mid capitalization segments of the MSCI China Index that are classified in the Consumer Staples Sector as per the Global Industry Classification System (GICS). It tracks the performance of the MSCI China Consumer Staples 10/50 Index. The index includes China A, B and H shares, Red chips, P chips and foreign listings. The ETF has a market cap of USD 21.8 million, average P/E of 25.83 and expense ratio of 0.65%. Top 5 holdings are Kweichou Moutai, China Resources, China Mengniu Dairy, Nongfu Spring and Tsingtao Brewery, which makes up 40.58% of the total net assets. It has high exposure in beverage and food industries, 53.34% exposure in beverages industry and 25.87% in food industry. The ETF provides semi-annual distribution, 0.94% yield per year. Global X MSCI China Consumer Discretionary ETF (CHIQ) The ETF targets play on the Consumer Discretionary Sector in China and tracks the MSCI China Consumer Discretionary 10/50 Index. The ETF has a market cap of USD 289.6 million with an average P/E of 42.31 which is relative high compared to the MSCI China Index average P/E of 11.1 as it consists of more e-commerce stocks in the ETF. The top 5 holdings make up 38.44% of the total net assets, which consists of Meituan, Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo and Yum Chin. The ETF has 40.62% exposure in internet industry, 21.01% exposure in retail industry and 20.07% in auto manufacturers.
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Headwinds Are Mounting For Tesla As EV Demand Is Coming Down In China | Risk Sentiment Rushed Higher

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 08:57
    Summary:  Risk sentiment rushed higher on the soft US November CPI data yesterday, although sentiment rapidly turned more cautious as traders recognize the risk that the Fed may be less willing to react as quickly to signs of easing inflation as the market in today’s FOMC meeting, which will refresh the Fed’s latest economic projections and the “dot plot” of projected Fed rates for coming years. Four G10 central bank meetings follow tomorrow, including the BoE and ECB.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US November CPI report was exactly what the market was hoping for, sending S&P 500 futures on a rally to the 4,180 level before being sold off declining 3% from the high to the close. This rejection indicates that the market is doubting itself despite the lower US core inflation print. A weak session by Tesla suggests that while inflation fears might be disappearing growth fears will begin to take hold instead posing a new threat to the equity market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese stocks edged up higher. The news about a delay in China’s central economic work conference due to a surge in Covid inflections in Beijing. Investors are encouraged by signs that the Chinese authorities are not reversing course despite outbreaks after the easing of restrictions. China will stop reporting infections without symptoms as mandatory testing has been dropped. Hang Seng Index climbed 0.7%, led by technology names. Chinese educational services providers were among the top gainers. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.3%, with tourism, lodging, Chinese liquor, and semiconductor outperforming. FX: USD dumped after another soft CPI print The US dollar sold off on Tuesday on the softer November CPI print in the US taking US treasury yields sharply lower. AUDUSD pared some of the gains in early Asian trade and slid below 0.6840 amid concerns on China’s Covid cases ramping up further which also led to the postponement of the Central Economic Work Conference. USDJPY took a brief look below 135 after the CPI release but some of the move was erased later. EURUSD surged to 1.0673 and remains supported above 1.0620 ahead of the FOMC meeting today and ECB meeting tomorrow. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) pauses ahead of FOMC Crude oil trades softer ahead of FOMC after rallying 6% over the previous two sessions, driven by an improved risk appetite following Tuesday's CPI print and encouraging signs from China where easing restrictions eventually will boost demand. The rally however slowed after the API reported a 7.8 million barrel rise in crude inventories versus expectations for a +3 million barrel draw from EIA later, and OPEC urged caution as it cut its Q1 23 oil demand forecast. The IEA will publish its monthly report later today. Goldman cut its Q1 price forecast by $20 to $90/bbl siting weak demand while saying “The structural oil cycle has taken a pause this year”. Apart from IEA, also focus on a potential Russian response to the price cap and not least today’s FOMC result. Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD) and copper (HGH3) all rallied strongly following the lower-than-expected US CPI print Gold closed at its highest level since July above $1808 while silver reached an 8-month high above $24. The recovery in silver has been impressive with the market only requiring 15 weeks to recover half of what it lost during an 82-week period from Feb 2021 to Sept this year. Copper meanwhile briefly traded above its 200-day moving at $3.913/lb before finding stiff resistance ahead of the $4/lb area. All metals finding support from a weaker dollar and lower bond yields on signs that the worst inflation has likely passes, suggesting the Fed could further slow the pace of rate hikes next year. US 10-year treasury benchmark rebounds further (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Immediately after the release of the soft CPI data which increased the chance of further downshift to a 25bp hike instead of 50bps in February, the whole yield curve shifted down with the 2-year at one point shedding 24bps to 4.13% and the 10-year 20bps richer to as low as 3.41%. The money market curve now prices the terminal rate at around 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.98%. The long-end however did not manage to keep their gains after some large block selling in the 10-year contracts and a weak 30-year auction. The 10-year gave back nearly half of the gain to close the session 11bps richer at 3.50%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to 72bps. The yield on the 30-year long bonds finished the day only down 4bps at 3.53%. What is going on? Another softer US CPI print The November CPI report was cooler-than-expected across the board, highlighted by the headline cooling to 7.1% from 7.7% (exp. 7.3%), with a M/M gain of 0.1%, slowing from the prior 0.4% and beneath the expected 0.3%. Core metrics saw Y/Y print 6.0% vs 6.3% prior and beneath the 6.1% expectation, while the M/M saw a 0.2% gain, lower than the prior and expected 0.3%. The market pricing has shifted towards a 25-bp rate hike from the Fed for February after we are nearly certain to get a 50bp hike today, while the terminal rate forecast has drifted lower to 4.82%. If we dig into the details, the disinflation is clearly driven by goods and energy, while services prices continue to rise further. This means wage pressures will continue and provides room for the Fed to continue to beat the drum on rates being higher-for-longer. Tesla shares down another 4% Headwinds are mounting for Tesla as EV demand is coming down in China and VW CEO said yesterday that EV sales in Europe is slowing down due to high price points and elevated electricity prices. Tesla shares closed just above the $160 level, which is just below the 200-day moving average at $164, the lowest levels since November 2020. High battery materials prices are also weighing on the outlook for EV makers. Finally, CEO Elon Musk’s endeavour at Twitter is potentially pressuring Tesla shares as he might be forced to put up Tesla shares as collateral for refinanced Twitter debt. Inditex Q3 results in line with estimates The European fast fashion retailer has delivered nine-months results (ending in October) with revenue at €23.1bn and EBIT at €4.2bn in line with estimates. Apple to allow alternative App Stores on its devices This move is a response to new European Union requirements under the Digital Markets Act that are set to go in effect in 2024. The move will initially only apply to the European market unless regulators elsewhere make similar moves. This will allow app developers to avoid paying Apple up to 30% of revenues for payments made through Apple’s app store. Several large app makers’ shares, including those for streaming service Spotify and dating services app Match group jumped on the news. New Zealand forecasts a recession starting Q2 2023 New Zealand Treasury Department issued 2022 half-year economic and fiscal update, forecasting three quarters of negative GDP growth from Q2 2023. Overall, the forecast calls for 0.8% contraction in 2023. Still, comments from RBNZ this morning suggested inflation focus will continue to drive more rate hikes, even as spending slows and unemployment levels increase as more people join the workforce over the coming year, partially helped by improving migration levels. Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey shows weakening business sentiment Sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers deteriorated slightly in the three months to December amid concerns over the global economic slowdown. The main index for sentiment among large manufacturers was +7, compared with +8 in Q3, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey. Non-manufacturers still took a more positive view as the economic reopening gathered momentum, and large non-manufacturer index rose to 19 in Q4 from 17 previously. US places 30 additional Chinese companies on Entity List, a trade blacklist The companies included Yangtze Memory Technologies, China’s top memory chip producer and others and will prevent them from purchasing selected American components. This expands the original Entity List of companies that were blacklisted back in October for their connection with China’s military. What are we watching next? December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, as will the latest “dot plot” projections of the Fed policy rate, which are expected to show a median terminal rate that is higher than the September projections (4.6%, with the market currently projecting 4.32%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. Easing financial conditions and an anticipated China stimulus could see the Fed Chair Powell remaining in hawkish mode, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing back against the market’s anticipation that the Fed will be trimming rates by Q4 of next year, emphasising that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. Four more central bank meetings tomorrow The Swiss National Bank, Norway’s Norges Bank, Bank of England and the European Central Bank will all meet tomorrow, with the Norges Bank expected to hike 25 basis points and the three others expected to hike 50 basis points.  Markets will look for the relative degree to which the central banks signal that they are ready to declare at least a pause in the hiking cycle soon. The Norges Bank has hinted that it sees its tightening cycle near an end and the BoE has said that the peak rate will likely prove lower than the market was forecasting around the time of its last meeting. With the late dollar weakness, a dovish shift is more likely. Earnings to watch Inditex has reported its Q3 results in early European hours (see review above) which extends today’s earnings focus to the US session where our focus will be on Lennar, a US homebuilder. Lennar is expected to show 20% revenue growth y/y in its FY22 Q4 period (ending November), which is expected to decline to 5% y/y in FY23 Q1 (ending February). Today: Lennar, Trip.com, Nordson, Inditex Thursday: Adobe Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – IEA's Monthly Oil Market Report 1000 – Euro Zone Oct. Industrial Production 1330 – Canada Oct. Manufacturing Sales 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1900 – US FOMC Meeting 1930 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2145 – New Zealand Q3 GDP 0030 – Australia Nov. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate 0120 – China Rate Decision 0200 – China Nov. Retail Sales 0200 – China Nov. Industrial Production Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 14, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    USA: Final Q3 GDP amounts to 3.2%. Subtle Micron earnings

    Meta Platforms (META) rose 4.74%, Amazon.com (AMZN) gained 2.14%, Alphabet (GOOGL) climbed 2.49%

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 14.12.2022 10:10
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 14, 2022                 Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views           EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)                 Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.                     Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,476.00 -11.00 (-0.08%) Read the analysis 14,530.00 14,310.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,517.00 7,462.00     S&P 500 (CME) 4,068.25 +13.00 (+0.32%) Read the analysis 4,088.00 4,025.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 12,001.00 +42.25 (+0.35%) Read the analysis 12,100.00 11,850.00     Dow Jones (CME) 34,492.00 +104.00 (+0.30%) Read the analysis 34,750.00 34,200.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 75.21 -0.18 (-0.24%) Read the analysis 76.40 74.00     Gold 1,809.93 -0.87 (-0.05%) Read the analysis 1,824.00 1,800.00                     MARKET WRAP           Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Tuesday, U.S. stocks closed higher as market sentiment was lifted by softer-than-expected inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 103 points (+0.30%) to 34,108, the S&P 500 increased 29 points (+0.73%) to 4,019, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 127 points (+1.09%) to 11,834.In fact, stocks pared gains ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate decision on Wednesday. The S&P 500 once jumped over 2.7% within the session.U.S. data showed that consumer prices grew only 7.1% on year in November, slower than +7.6% expected and +7.7% in October. Monthly inflation rate was only 0.1% (vs +0.3% expected, +0.4% in October)..The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield sank 10.8 basis points to 3.503%.Media (+2.15%), real estate (+2.04%), and semiconductors (+1.85%) sectors led the market higher.Meta Platforms (META) rose 4.74%, Amazon.com (AMZN) gained 2.14%, Alphabet (GOOGL) climbed 2.49%, Apple (AAPL) edged up 0.68%, while Tesla (TSLA) slid 4.09%.Moderna (MRNA) surged 19.63%, and Merck & Co (MRK) rose 1.78%. A treatment developed by both company proved to reduce melanoma deaths in a mid-stage trial.United Airlines (UAL) fell 6.94% after the company announced an order of 100 Boeing 787 jets.European stocks also closed higher. The DAX 40 rose 1.34%, the CAC 40 increased 1.42%, and the FTSE 100 was up 0.76%.U.S. WTI crude futures advanced $2.10 to $75.25 a barrel.Gold price jumped $28 to $1,810 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar dropped sharply against other major currencies as softer-than-expected inflation data led investors to anticipate slower interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The dollar index fell to 104.04.USD/JPY sank 206 pips (-1.50%) to 135.61.EUR/USD jumped 93 pips to 1.0630. In Germany, the ZEW economic sentiment index improved to -23.3 in December (vs -27.0 expected).GBP/USD increased 94 pips to 1.2363. In the U.K., the latest jobless rate edged up to 3.7% (as expected). The number of jobless claims increased 30,500 in November (vs +3,300 expected).AUD/USD climbed 109 pips to 0.6854.USD/CHF fell 72 pips to 0.9291, and USD/CAD slid 88 pips to 1.3548.Bitcoin gained over 3% to $17,700.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, the Bank of Japan reported that its Tankan large manufacturers index fell to 7 (vs 6 expected) in the fourth quarter, while the Tankan large non-manufacturers index rose to 19 (vs 16 expected). Also, core machine orders grew 5.4% on month in October (vs +2.4% expected).USD/JPY remained subdued at 135.52.EUR/USD dipped to 1.0623, GBP/USD traded lower to 1.2348, and AUD/USD fell to 0.6827.Gold price was stable at $1,810 an ounce.Bitcoin advanced further to $17,820.Expected TodayIn the U.K., the inflation rate is expected to tick down to 11.0% on year and 0.7% on month in November. The retail price index is expected to increase 0.6% on year in November.The Eurozone's industrial production is expected to decline 1.2% on month in October.In the U.S., the Federal Reserve is expected to raise its key interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.25-4.50%.The U.S. Energy Department is expected to report a reduction of 3.595 million barrels in the crude-oil stockpiles.           UK MARKET NEWS           U.K. data showed that the inflation rate slowed to 10.7% on year (vs +11.0% expected) and 0.4% on month (vs +0.7% expected) in November.Auto & Parts, retail and basic resources shares fell most in London on Monday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, BAE Systems (-1.2% to 821p), Compass Group (-0.18% to 1899p) crossed under their 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   02:00 Core Inflation Rate MoM (Nov) 0.6% HIGH     02:00 Inflation Rate MoM (Nov) 0.7% HIGH     02:00 Inflation Rate YoY (Nov) 11% HIGH     02:00 Core Inflation Rate YoY (Nov) 6.6% MEDIUM     07:00 MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate (Dec/09)   MEDIUM     08:30 Export Prices MoM (Nov) -0.4% MEDIUM     08:30 Import Prices MoM (Nov) -0.4% MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Gasoline Stocks Change (Dec/09) 2.714M MEDIUM     10:30 EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change (Dec/09) -3.595M MEDIUM     14:00 Fed Interest Rate Decision 4.5% HIGH     14:00 FOMC Economic Projections   HIGH     14:00 Interest Rate Projection - Longer   MEDIUM     14:00 Interest Rate Projection - 3rd Yr   MEDIUM     14:00 Interest Rate Projection - 2nd Yr   MEDIUM     14:00 Interest Rate Projection - 1st Yr   MEDIUM     14:00 Interest Rate Projection - Current   MEDIUM     14:30 Fed Press Conference   HIGH                                     NEWS SENTIMENT           Legal & General Group PLC LGEN : LSE 258.20 GBp +1.89% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   HSBC Holdings PLC HSBA : LSE 500.10 GBp +1.27% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Barclays PLC BARC : LSE 161.78 GBp +2.76% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Deutsche Lufthansa AG LHA : XETRA 7.989 EUR +4.58% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Deutsche Bank AG DBK : XETRA 10.248 EUR +2.83% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Neutral       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Rio Tinto PLC RIO : LSE 5,747.00 GBp +2.33% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                           TECHNICAL VIEWS           EUR/USD Intraday: the bias remains bullish.   Pivot: 1.0600   Our preference: Long positions above 1.0600 with targets at 1.0655 & 1.0675 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 1.0600 look for further downside with 1.0580 & 1.0550 as targets.   Comment: The RSI shows upside momentum.                     Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: choppy.   Pivot: 3941.00   Our preference: Long positions above 3941.00 with targets at 3995.00 & 4017.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 3941.00 look for further downside with 3919.00 & 3903.00 as targets.   Comment: The RSI is mixed.                     Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: bullish bias above 79.25.   Pivot: 79.25   Our preference: Long positions above 79.25 with targets at 81.30 & 82.30 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 79.25 look for further downside with 78.50 & 77.40 as targets.   Comment: The next resistances are at 81.30 and then at 82.30.        
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Tesla Trades At Cheapest, Crude Oil Rallied More Than 2.50%

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 14.12.2022 11:19
    Yesterday’s inflation report in the US filled investors with joy and further hope that inflation in the US may have peaked this summer and we will be heading lower from here, and that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will adopt a softer monetary policy stance and hike, yes, by 50bp today, but certainly not more than another 25bp in February. Powell  But Powell could also stress the fact that inflation remains significantly high compared with the 2% policy target, and that relaxing the tightening measures prematurely is not a good idea. US Dollar In the FX, the US dollar index fell following the softer-than-expected CPI print, and hit a fresh low since summer. Markets The softer US dollar, and stronger euro sent the European indices to fresh highs since summer. The DAX flirted with the June peak, and the Eurostoxx50 traded at the highest level since FebruaryCrude oil rallied more than 2.50% yesterday, on hope that the Fed could slow down the rate hikes, and not push the US into a deep recession to fight inflation. The FTX drama In cryptocurrencies, the FTX drama continues with the arrestation of Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas, news that investors withdrew $3.7 billion worth of funds from Binance since last week, and that Binance reportedly stopped the stablecoin USDC withdrawals. Bitcoin But Bitcoin couldn’t care less. The price of a coin advanced more than 3% yesterday, showing that the FTX drama has been priced in and out and further drama should not hit the coin harder. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 How does the Fed will about falling US inflation? 5:24 US dollar falls, majors & global equities rally 6:45 Crude oil tests short-term resistance 7:35 Bitcoin up despite unideal sector news 8:33 Tesla trades at cheapest ever PE Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #FOMC #Fed #rate #decision #dotplot #USD #CPI #inflation #data #EUR #GBP #JPY #XAU #crudeoil #DAX #EU50 #Bitcoin #SamBankmanFried #FTX #Binance #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Look At Tesla Posting New Cycle Lows, Equity Market Upside Fading Quickly And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 13:06
    Summary:  Today we look at yesterday's reaction to the softer than expected US November CPI data, with equity market upside fading quickly even as the reaction in US yields and the US dollar was stickier. We also discuss today's upcoming FOMC meeting, with the Fed facing a tough task if it wants to push back against easing market conditions and policy expectations today. We also look at Tesla posting new cycle lows and concerns for the stock and EV market, Apple, Inditex, crude oil, precious metals, and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole S Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: FOMC will have a hard time moving the needle today | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    FX Market Update: Dollar Strengthens on Higher-For-Longer Narrative Amid US Data Resilience

    "Candid Stories" - Instagram like BeReal? Supermarkets Are Doubling The Number Of Their Own Product Lines

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 14.12.2022 12:46
    After losing ground to branded products during the pandemic, private label sales have regained momentum this year. Also, Instagram updates come as young people flock to newer apps like BeReal and TikTok. Own brands of stores are becoming more and more attractive Growing inflation has made consumers pay attention to the price and prefer to take advantage of cheaper sukpermaket products instead of their branded counterparts. A recent survey of food retailers by FMI, a food retail group, revealed that more than 80% of respondents plan to moderately or significantly increase their investment in private labels over the next two years. Supermarkets tend to make a higher profit margin on private label goods than on the sale of branded products made by consumer giants. Large supermarket operators such as Kroger Co. in the US and Carrefour S.A. in Europe say they are investing to expand their internal offerings in more price ranges and product categories. Kroger's private label sales increased more than 10% year-on-year in the third quarter, which saw the launch of 147 new store-brand products. Kroger launched a new bargain line called Smart Way in September, which has been purchased by two million households. As the data shows, KR share prices have increased the most this year since the beginning of the pandemic. In the recent period, prices have been in a downward trend, and today their level is 45.45 Kroger shere chart Walmart Inc. it also develops its private label products and tracks growing consumer demand as revenues are squeezed. The Dutch group Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV manages supermarket chains in Europe and the US, where its brands are Food Lion and Stop & Shop. The company says its store brands account for half of its sales in the Netherlands and Belgium compared to 30% in the US. The picture is similar in some other parts of Europe, where shoppers tend to buy more branded goods than their American counterparts. Read next: $1 Trillion As Part Of Barclays Efforts To Accelerate The Transition To A Low-Carbon Economy | FXMAG.COM Instagram new feature The photo-sharing app owned by Meta Platforms Inc (Instagram) has been testing a new feature in South Africa since Tuesday. Over two billion people use Instagram every month, says Meta. The app and its parent company had concerns about its impact on younger users. At the same time, some users — including celebrities who have long been champions of the platform — urged the company to "turn Instagram back to Instagram" by prioritizing friends' posts over paid posts. Candid Stories gives users a daily notification to take and share two unfiltered photos using the front and rear camera lenses - similar to the prompts sent by BeReal, which has recently garnered millions of users. Instagram did not say when or if Candid Stories will go global. If Candid Stories goes mainstream, Instagram could have an advantage over BeReal in terms of scale and business model. For Meta critics, Candid Stories will be the latest example of Instagram emulating the features of other popular apps to grow and maintain its user base. Previous examples include Stories, a Snapchat hallmark, and Reels, short TikToks-like videos. Instagram is testing other friend-centric tools. Group Profiles, a new type of profile, allow members to share posts and stories with each other rather than with all of their followers. Group profiles have already started testing in Canada, Chile and Taiwan. The new features are intended to give users more ways to interact with people. After a year-low, Meta shares rose at first but then fell and held its price in the 114-115 range. Today's share price is at 114.71 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Weekly Commitment of Traders update - Buying of crude oil moderated, ICE gas oil net long reduced to a 30-month low

    Overall Crude Consumption Is Expected To Rise Next Year | The ECB And The Bank Of England Are Expected To Follow The Fed

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.12.2022 08:50
    Summary:  The widely expected 50bps rate hike by the Fed came along with hawkish revision of the dot plot in which the terminal rate projection was increased to 5.1% from September’s 4.6%. Equities and bonds fell but the reaction faded later at Chair Powell’s presser where he hinted that policy is close to “sufficiently restrictive”. Dollar ended the day lower. Meanwhile, China’s plan to go ahead with the Central Economic Work Conference despite the surge in cases boosted sentiment. Crude oil prices were firmer on IEA expecting higher prices next year. A plethora of G10 central banks, including the BoE, ECB, SNB, & Norges Bank, meet today. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) erase part of the post-FOMC announcement declines Equity markets were in a whipsaw falling sharply after the announcement of a 50bps rate hike which was accompanied by a hawkish shift in the dot plot which brought the terminal rate projections to 5.1% for end-2023 from 4.6% at the September meeting. Some of the decline was however reversed later as Chair Powell press conference went underway. Fed Chair Powell started the press conference with a hawkish tone in which he noted there is still some ways to go and the Fed needs to see substantially more evidence to have confidence inflation is on a sustained downward path back to target, although there was some reprieve after Powell stated during the Q&A that he thinks policy is getting to a pretty good place and close to sufficiently restrictive. S&P 500 ended the session down 0.6% and Nasdaq 100 was down close to 0.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) edged higher in a lackluster session Hong Kong and Chinese stocks edged up higher. The Bloomberg story speculating about a delay in China’s annual Central Economic Work Conference due to a surge in Covid inflections in Beijing did not worry investors much. Investors were encouraged by signs that the Chinese authorities were not reversing course despite outbreaks after the easing of restrictions. China will stop reporting infections without symptoms as mandatory testing has been dropped. Hang Seng Index climbed 0.4%. CSPC Pharmaceutical (01093:xhkg), rising 6.5%, was the best performer in the benchmark index. Hengan (01044:xhkg), Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg), Techtronic Industries (00669:xhkg), Li Ning (02331:xhkg), and Baidu (09888:xhkg) were other outperformers, gaining between 3% and 6%. Previously battered Chinese educational services providers soared while online healthcare names pulled back from recent strength on profit-taking. Alibaba Health (00241) slid 7%. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.3%, with semiconductor, tourism, lodging, and Chinese liquor stocks advancing. FX: Hawkish Fed unable to provide a lasting bid to the dollar The USD eventually settled lower on Wednesday following the FOMC rate decision and the press conference by Chair Powell. Initial positive reaction following the upside adjustment in the dot plot was erased as Chair Powell said he thinks policy is getting to a pretty good place and policy is getting close to sufficiently restrictive. GBPUSD tested the critical 1.2450 with UK CPI also coming in softer than expected at 10.7% and cooled from the prior 11.1%. EURUSD got in close sight of 1.0700 while USDJPY fluctuated between 135-136. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) extended the rally on IEA outlook Crude oil prices surged higher again on Wednesday with the IEA warning that prices may rise next year as sanctions squeeze Russian exports. It expects its output will fall by 14% by the end of the first quarter. It also increased estimates for global demand by 300kb/d, in a nod to China’s reopening. Overall crude consumption is expected to rise 1.7mb/d next year to average 101.6mb/d. A weaker US dollar despite the Fed’s hawkish shift in the dot plot also underpinned, while the unexpectedly large increase in US inventories was shrugged off. WTI futures rose above $77/barrel while Brent touched $83.  Read next: Given the peculiarities of the US labor market and the high labor mobility, the acceptable unemployment rate is considered to be 5.0%| FXMAG.COM What to consider? FOMC sets the terminal rate forecast at 5.1%, above market expectations The Fed voted unanimously to lift the Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, as expected, downshifting the pace of rate hikes. While the statement was broadly unchanged, the updated economic projections showed Fed Funds at 5.125% by December 2023 and core PCE still at 3.5% by that time. That implies 75bps of more tightening in this cycle, which will be seen in 2023, but the markets are still pricing in a peak rate of 4.87%. After that point, the dot plot is far more distributed, but the median projects the Federal Funds Rate target at 4.1% by the end of 2024, suggesting 100bps of rate cuts. Equities did see a negative reaction to the upside surprise in terminal rate projections, but this may remain short-lived as markets remain focused on incoming data. Bond markets had little reaction to the Fed’s updated dot plot. Dollar fell. Australia employment report better-than-expected Australia’s November employment rose 64k, higher than the +19k estimate and more than the revised +43k gains for October. Jobless rate was steady at 3.4% and participation rate came out higher to return to the record highs of 66.8% (vs. estimate 66.6%). The strength in the labor market will continue to provide room to the Reserve Bank of Australia to continue with its modest rate hikes, after it has already downshifted to a smaller rate hike trajectory. A weak set of Chinese activity data is expected Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are forecasting that China’s retail sales shrank sharply by 3.9% Y/Y in November. The potential weakness is likely attributed to poor performance of auto sales, dining-in activities, and sales during the “double-11” online shopping festival in the midst of Covid-19 lockdowns during the best part of November. November auto sales in China fell by 9.2 %Y/Y and by 10.5% M/M. Courier parcels processed on Nov 11 fell 20.7% Y/Y. The growth in industrial production is expected to fall to 3.7% Y/Y in November from 5% to 3.7%, following a weak November NBS manufacturing PMI and soft high-frequency data of steel production. Year-to-date fixed asset investment is expected to edge0 down to 5.6% from 5.8%, dragged by stringent pandemic control practices. ECB also likely to downshift to a smaller rate hike The European Central Bank (ECB) is also expected to slow down its pace of rate hikes to a 50bps increase this week. Headline inflation eased slightly in November, coming in at 10.0% YoY (exp. 10.4%), but was overshadowed by an unexpected rise in core inflation 6.6% YoY (exp. 6.3%, prev. 6.4%). While there is likely to remain some split in ECB members at this week’s meeting, the central bank’s Chief Economist Lane remains inclined to take into account the scale of tightening done so far. There is also uncertainty on the announcement of quantitative tightening. Bank of England may remain more divided than the other major central banks The Bank of England is also expected to follow the Fed and the ECB and downshift to a smaller rate hike this week, but the decision will likely see a split vote. A host of key data, including GDP, employment and inflation will be due this week in the run up to the BOE decision, and significant positive surprises could tilt the market pricing more in favour of a larger move which also creates a bigger risk of disappointment from the central bank. Headline annualised inflation advanced to 11.1% Y/Y in October, while the core rate remained at an elevated level of 6.5%. Consensus expects inflation to cool slightly to 10.9% Y/Y in November, but the core to remain unchanged at 6.5% Y/Y. Wage pressures are also likely to be sustained, and the cooling in the labor market will remain gradual. The U.S. is adding China’s top memory chips maker to the trade blacklist The U.S Department of Commerce is reportedly moving Yangtze Memory Technologies, a leading memory chip maker in China, together with 30+ other Chinese companies, from the Unverified List to the Entity List, after the expiry of a 60-day period for the company to answer requests for information about its business and customers. The Entity List is the official export control blacklist that restricts companies from access to American technologies. Read next: From the fundamental point of view, these facts may become a game changer, sending the EUR/USD pair to the parity level | FXMAG.COM New Zealand Q3 GDP comes in above expectations A big positive surprise in NZ Q3 GDP which came in at 2.0% Q/Q sa vs expectations of 0.9% and higher than last quarter’s revised 1.9%. With the possibility of a recession in 2023 highlighted yesterday, this print suggests that there is a substantial amount of work left to be done by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to dampen demand in order to curb inflation. Bank of Japan policy review speculation gathers further pace Some reports suggested that the BOJ could review policy next year, after pay growth and any slowdown in the global economy are closely examined. The results of spring wage negotiations come in mid-March, after Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's final policy meeting, so an assessment would probably be done after he departs. The review could reaffirm the existing ultra-loose framework, but possibility of some tweaks to the yield curve control policy remains as inflationary pressures remain a concern.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: FOMC’s hawkish dot plot; more G10 central bank meetings ahead – 15 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Tesla (TSLA) slumped 8.88% after the electric-car maker offered a higher discount of $7,500 on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S

    Tesla (TSLA) sank a further 2.58% after Goldman Sachs lowered its price target on the stock

    Intertrader Market News Intertrader Market News 15.12.2022 08:51
    DAILY MARKET NEWSLETTER December 15, 2022                 Pre-Market Session News Sentiment Technical Views           EUR/USD   Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)   Brent (ICE)                 Please note that due to market volatility, some of the key levels may have already been reached and scenarios played out.                     Price Movement Analyst Views Target Pivot   Dax (Eurex) 14,399.00 -65.00 (-0.45%) Read the analysis 14,350.00 14,505.00     FTSE 100 (ICE Europe) 0.00 0.00 (0.00%) Read the analysis 7,461.00 7,509.00     S&P 500 (CME) 4,030.50 -0.25 (-0.01%) Read the analysis 4,070.00 3,997.00     Nasdaq 100 (CME) 11,854.50 -14.50 (-0.12%) Read the analysis 12,060.00 11,730.00     Dow Jones (CME) 34,258.00 +19.00 (+0.06%) Read the analysis 34,620.00 33,960.00     Crude Oil (WTI) 76.63 -0.65 (-0.84%) Read the analysis 77.80 75.70     Gold 1,795.33 -11.995 (-0.66%) Read the analysis 1,785.00 1,805.00                     MARKET WRAP           Market Wrap: Stocks, Bonds, CommoditiesOn Wednesday, U.S. stocks posted an intraday reversal to the downside after investors digested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's hawkish post-rate-hike comments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 142 points lower (-0.42%) to 33,966, the S&P 500 fell 24 points (-0.61%) to 3,995, and the Nasdaq 100 slid 93 points (-0.79%) to 11,740.As widely expected, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.25-4.50%. The Fed now projects the key rate to reach 5.10% by the end of 2023.And Jerome Powell pointed out the central bank will not cut interest rates until its inflation target of 2% is reached.The U.S. 10-year Treasury Yield dropped 2.9 basis points to 3.472%.Automobiles (-2.14%), diversified financials (-1.56%), and semiconductors (-1.49%) sectors lost the most.Tesla (TSLA) sank a further 2.58% after Goldman Sachs lowered its price target on the stock.Marriott International (MAR) fell 2.32% as the hotel operator was downgraded to "neutral" at Citi.On the other hand, Delta Air Lines (DAL) rose 2.79% as the airline gave a better-than-expected full-year guidance on adjusted earnings per share.Pfizer (PFE) gained 2.66% on reports that the drugmaker has been allowed to import and distribute antiviral drug Paxlovid in China.European stocks also closed lower. The DAX 40 fell 0.26%, the CAC 40 dropped 0.21%, and the FTSE 100 dipped 0.09%.U.S. WTI crude futures added $2.00 to $77.38 a barrel. The U.S. Energy Department reported an addition of 10.23 million barrels in crude-oil stockpiles, in contrast to a reduction of 3.59 million barrels expected.Gold price declined $3 to $1,807 an ounce.Market Wrap: ForexThe U.S. dollar softened against other major currencies. The dollar index declined to 103.62.EUR/USD rose 52 pips to 1.0685. Data showed that the Eurozone's industrial production declined 2.0% on month in October (vs -1.2% expected).GBP/USD gained 64 pips to 1.2430. In the U.K., the inflation rate slowed to 10.7% on year in November (vs +11.0% expected).USD/JPY dropped 16 pips to 135.43.AUD/USD added 9 pips to 0.6864. This morning, Australia's data showed that the jobless rate remained stable at 3.4% in November with employment rising by 64,000 (vs +25,000 expected).USD/CHF declined 44 pips to 0.9240, and USD/CAD was little changed at 1.3544.Bitcoin once broke above $18,000 before retreating to $17,800 after the 50-basis-point rate hike was confirmed.Morning TradingIn Asian trading hours, Japan's data showed that trade deficit narrowed to 2.03 trillion yen in November (vs 1.80 trillion yen expected) with exports increasing 20.0% on year (vs +24.0% expected).USD/JPY was stable at 135.53.Australia's data showed that the jobless rate remained stable at 3.4% in November with employment rising by 64,000 (vs +25,000 expected).AUD/USD declined to 0.6839.EUR/USD retreated to 1.0655, and GBP/USD traded lower to 1.2392.Gold price lost again the handle of $1,800 an ounce.Bitcoin declined further to $17,720.Expected TodayIn the U.K., the Bank of England is expected to raise its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.50%.The European Central Bank is expected to increase its key interest rates by 50 basis points to 2.0-2.5%.In the U.S., retail sales are expected to grow 0.2% on month in November. The latest number of initial jobless claims is expected at 235,000.The New York State manufacturing index is expected to fall to 1.0 in December, while the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index is expected to improve to -7.0 in December.           UK MARKET NEWS           AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will extend the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date by three months to provide further time for a full review of the supplementary new drug application (sNDA) for Lynparza (olaparib) in combination with abiraterone and prednisone or prednisolone for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).Auto & Parts, chemicals and insurance shares gained most in London on Tuesday.From a relative strength vs FTSE 100 point of view, BAE Systems (+1.61% to 834.2p), Compass Group (+1.37% to 1925p), Croda International (+0.29% to 7016p) crossed above their 50-day moving average.           ECONOMIC CALENDAR           Time Event Forecast Importance   07:00 BoE Interest Rate Decision 3.5% HIGH     07:00 MPC Meeting Minutes   MEDIUM     07:00 BoE MPC Vote Cut 0/9 MEDIUM     07:00 BoE MPC Vote Unchanged 0/9 MEDIUM     07:00 BoE MPC Vote Hike 9/9 MEDIUM     08:30 Retail Sales MoM (Nov) 0.2% HIGH     08:30 Initial Jobless Claims (Dec/10) 235k MEDIUM     08:30 NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (Dec) 1 MEDIUM     08:30 Retail Sales Ex Autos MoM (Nov) 0.5% MEDIUM     08:30 Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Dec) -7 MEDIUM     09:15 Industrial Production YoY (Nov) 2.7% MEDIUM     09:15 Industrial Production MoM (Nov) -0.2% MEDIUM     10:00 Business Inventories MoM (Oct) 0.3% MEDIUM     16:00 Net Long-term TIC Flows (Oct)   MEDIUM     19:01 GfK Consumer Confidence (Dec) -43 HIGH                                     NEWS SENTIMENT           HSBC Holdings PLC HSBA : LSE 497.70 GBp +0.48% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Neutral       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Uniper SE UN01 : XETRA 3.044 EUR -7.25% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   RWE AG RWE : XETRA 42.73 EUR +2.08% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Neutral       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Rio Tinto PLC RIO : LSE 5,622.00 GBp -2.73% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Deliveroo PLC ROO : LSE 86.90 GBp -4.06% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Negative       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                                   Barclays PLC BARC : LSE 160.26 GBp +2.21% In the last 5 days         NEWS SENTIMENT (24H) Very Positive       TECHNICAL SCORE Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term                           TECHNICAL VIEWS           EUR/USD Intraday: the upside prevails.   Pivot: 1.0635   Our preference: Long positions above 1.0635 with targets at 1.0700 & 1.0725 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 1.0635 look for further downside with 1.0610 & 1.0585 as targets.   Comment: The RSI lacks downward momentum.                     Euro Stoxx 50 (Eurex)‎ (Z2)‎ Intraday: under pressure.   Pivot: 3984.00   Our preference: Short positions below 3984.00 with targets at 3944.00 & 3921.00 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Above 3984.00 look for further upside with 3995.00 & 4017.00 as targets.   Comment: As long as the resistance at 3984.00 is not surpassed, the risk of the break below 3944.00 remains high.                     Brent (ICE)‎ (G3)‎ Intraday: bullish bias above 81.20.   Pivot: 81.20   Our preference: Long positions above 81.20 with targets at 83.60 & 85.20 in extension.   Alternative scenario: Below 81.20 look for further downside with 80.10 & 78.60 as targets.   Comment: Even though a continuation of the consolidation cannot be ruled out, its extent should be limited.        
    Serious liquidity crisis? According to Franklin Templeton, a massive, but unlikely deposit flight from Credit Suisse would have to happen

    The Swiss National Bank Is Expected To Hike Another 50bp | The BOJ Could Review Policy Next Year

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.12.2022 08:55
    Summary:  The FOMC meeting and accompanying economic and Fed Funds projections saw the Fed attempting to bolster its inflation fighting credibility with forecasts of a weaker economy and higher inflation and policy projections than in September. But after some back-and-forth churning, the market decided it was largely a non-event, with very minor shifts in the USD and US yields. Today, we have four more G10 central banks on the menu.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The market initially took the hawkish FOMC rate and inflation projections at face value last night, plunging sharply, if briefly, before rebounding slightly into the close. The trading ranges for the main indices are generally sandwiched in a narrow zone between important support and resistance. In the case of the S&P 500, the upside range high is clearly marked at just above 4,100, while the downside support level comes in the 3,900-20 area. FX: The USD merely churned around with little conviction on latest hawkish Fed blast The new FOMC monetary policy statement and economic and policy projections (more below) were hawkish as the Fed raised the median policy forecast for the end of next year to above 5%, but after a volatile reaction, traders decided they were unimpressed and the US dollar largely fell back to where it was trading ahead of the meeting as only the shortest part of the yield curve was marked slightly higher in recognition of the Fed’s hawkishness and risk sentiment stabilized. If the market is willing to ignore Fed guidance, what should we expect from the market’s treatment of today’s central bank meetings? Watching USDJPY cycle lows and the 200-day moving average where the pair is sticky (currently near 135.65) and the cycle top in EURUSD just ahead of 1.0700 after yesterday’s stab at posting new highs. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) Crude oil trades softer ahead of the reopening of a key pipeline in the US and following a strong session on Wednesday where prices found support after the IEA warned that prices may rise next year as sanctions squeeze Russian exports. It expects its output will fall by 14% by the end of the first quarter. It also increased estimates for global demand by 300kb/d, in a nod to China’s reopening and more gas-to-oil switching. Overall crude consumption is expected to rise 1.7mb/d next year to average 101.6mb/d. China’s reopening and a weaker US dollar despite the Fed’s hawkish shift in the dot plot also underpinned prices, while the unexpectedly large 10mb increase in US inventories and signs of slowing demand for gasoline and diesel were shrugged off. Both Brent and WTI are now facing resistance at the 21-day average, at $83.25/b and $77.80/b respectively. Gold (XAUUSD) was little changed after the FOMC raised its terminal rate forecast ... and Fed Chair Powell said the central bank isn’t close to ending its battle against inflation. Supported by ten-year US yields holding steady around 3.5%, the most inverted yield curve in four decades on recession angst and the dollar trading near a six-month low. However, following a 180-dollar rally during the past five weeks and after struggling to break resistance around $1808 this week, the metal increasingly looks ripe for a period of consolidation which may see it drift lower towards $1745, the 38.2% retracement of the run up since early November. A correction of this magnitude may setup an eventual and potential healthier and robust attempt to break higher. US treasury yields underwhelmed by FOMC meeting (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The FOMC accompanying projection materials saw the Fed projecting significantly higher inflation for 2023 than expected, and a higher median Fed Funds rate projection just north of 5%. This sparked a sharp reaction in Treasury yields, with the 2-year rising more than 10 basis points briefly before sawing that move in half, while the 10-year yield only rose about 5 bps before wilting back just below 3.50%. Incoming data will set to the tone from here as the market was largely unmoved by the Fed’s rather bold rate projections of its policy rate and inflation for 2023 in last night’s FOMC meeting. Read next: Given the peculiarities of the US labor market and the high labor mobility, the acceptable unemployment rate is considered to be 5.0%| FXMAG.COM What is going on? FOMC sets the terminal rate forecast at 5.1%, above market expectations The Fed voted unanimously to lift the Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, as expected, downshifting the pace of rate hikes. While the statement was broadly unchanged, the updated economic projections showed Fed Funds at 5.125% by December 2023 and core PCE still at 3.5% by that time. That implies 75bps of more tightening in this cycle, which will be seen in 2023, but the markets are still pricing in a peak rate of 4.87%. After that point, the dot plot is far more distributed, but the median projects the Federal Funds Rate target at 4.1% by the end of 2024, suggesting 100bps of rate cuts. Equities did see a negative reaction to the upside surprise in terminal rate projections, but this may remain short-lived as markets remain focused on incoming data. Bond markets had little reaction to the Fed’s updated dot plot. The dollar fell. Australia employment report better-than-expected Australia’s November employment rose 64k, higher than the +19k estimate and more than the revised +43k gains for October. The jobless rate was steady at 3.4% and participation rate came out higher to return to the record highs of 66.8% (vs. estimate 66.6%). The strength in the labor market will continue to provide room to the Reserve Bank of Australia to continue with its modest rate hikes, after it has already downshifted to a smaller rate hike trajectory. New Zealand Q3 GDP comes in above expectations A big positive surprise in NZ Q3 GDP which came in at 2.0% Q/Q sa vs expectations of 0.9% and higher than last quarter’s revised 1.9%. With the possibility of a recession in 2023 highlighted yesterday, this print suggests that there is a substantial amount of work left to be done by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to dampen demand in order to curb inflation. What are we watching next? The Bank of England may remain more divided than the other major central banks The Bank of England is also expected to follow the Fed and the ECB and downshift to a smaller rate hike this week, but the decision will likely see a split vote. A host of key data, including GDP, employment and inflation will be due this week in the run up to the BOE decision, and significant positive surprises could tilt the market pricing more in favour of a larger move which also creates a bigger risk of disappointment from the central bank. Headline annualised inflation advanced to 11.1% Y/Y in October, while the core rate remained at an elevated level of 6.5%. Consensus expects inflation to cool slightly to 10.9% Y/Y in November, but the core to remain unchanged at 6.5% Y/Y. Wage pressures are also likely to be sustained, and the cooling in the labor market will remain gradual. ECB is also likely to downshift to a smaller rate hike The European Central Bank (ECB) is also expected to slow down its pace of rate hikes to a 50bps increase this week. Headline inflation eased slightly in November, coming in at 10.0% YoY (exp. 10.4%) but was overshadowed by an unexpected rise in core inflation of 6.6% YoY (exp. 6.3%, prev. 6.4%). While there is likely to remain some split in ECB members at this week’s meeting, the central bank’s Chief Economist Lane remains inclined to take into account the scale of tightening done so far. There is also uncertainty on the announcement of quantitative tightening. Bank of Japan policy review speculation gathers further pace Some reports suggested that the BOJ could review policy next year, after pay growth and any slowdown in the global economy are closely examined. The results of spring wage negotiations come in mid-March, after Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's final policy meeting, so an assessment would probably be done after he departs. The review could reaffirm the existing ultra-loose framework, but possibility of some tweaks to the yield curve control policy remains as inflationary pressures remain a concern. Norges Bank and Swiss National Bank also up this morning The Swiss National Bank is expected to hike another 50 basis points, taking its policy rate to 1.00%, with little anticipation of pointed guidance coming into this meeting as Swiss inflation has peaked at 3.50% for the cycle and was 3.0% for the most recent print. The Norges Bank, meanwhile, seems more interested in signaling that policy tightening is set to cease and may indicate that today’s expected 25 basis point hike to 2.75% could be the last for now as it is concerned about weakness in the “mainland” (non-oil & gas) economy after the worst Regions Survey outlook since the global financial crisis. Earnings to watch The big name reporting today is Adobe Inc., the former high-flyer that trade north of 700 before rolling over to below 300 on the rise in interest rates and as its steady pace of top-line growth decelerated in recent quarters. The stock closed yesterday at 339. Many highly-valued growth stocks have been extremely sensitive to both execution for the current quarter and revenue expectations for the coming quarter, so traders should brace for this earnings report after market hours today. Today: Adobe Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants Read next: From the fundamental point of view, these facts may become a game changer, sending the EUR/USD pair to the parity level | FXMAG.COM Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Switzerland SNB Policy Rate Announcement 0900 – Switzerland SNB press conference 0900 – Norway Norges Bank Deposit Rate announcement 1200 – UK Bank of England Rate Announcement 1315 – Eurozone ECB Rate Announcement 1315 – Canada Nov. Housing Starts 1330 – US Dec. Empire Manufacturing 1330 – US Nov. Retail Sales 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1330 – US Dec. Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook 1345 – Eurozone ECB Press Conference 1415 – US Nov. Industrial Production 1530 – EIA's Natural Gas Storage Change 1900 – Mexico Rate Announcement 0001 – UK Dec. GfK Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source:Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 15, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Kiwi Faces Depreciation Pressure: RBNZ Expected to Hold Rates Amidst Downward Momentum

    The European Central Bank (ECB), The Bank Of England (BoE) And The Swiss National Bank (SNB) Are Also Expected To Hike The Rates By 50bp

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 15.12.2022 10:46
    As expected, the Fed raised its interest rates by 50bp to 4.25/4.50% range, the dot plot showed that the Fed officials’ median forecast for the peak Fed rate rose to 5.1%. Forecasts Plus, the distribution of rate forecasts skewed higher, with 7 officials out of 19 predicting that the rates could rise above 5.25%. Moreover, the inflation forecast for next year was revised higher DESPITE the latest decline in inflation. Read next: Given the peculiarities of the US labor market and the high labor mobility, the acceptable unemployment rate is considered to be 5.0%| FXMAG.COM And the median rate forecast for 2024 was revised higher to 4.1%. In summary, the FOMC message was very clear: the Fed is not ready to stop hiking rates - even though they will be hiking by smaller chunks. Today's decisions Today, the European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank of England (BoE) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are also expected to hike the rates by 50bp to tame inflation in Europe. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:36 Powell dashes dovish Fed hopes 2:40 Stocks fell, and could fall lower 4:30 USD gained, but may not gain much 5:33 ECB to hike by 50bp 7:27 BoE to hike by a dovish 50bp 8:50 SNB to hike by 50bp, as well! But a 50bp hike is not the same for all, as they don’t have the same inflation levels! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. Read next: From the fundamental point of view, these facts may become a game changer, sending the EUR/USD pair to the parity level | FXMAG.COM #ECB #BoE #FOMC #Fed #SNB #rate #decision #dotplot #USD #EUR #GBP #CHF #CPI #inflation #growth #forecasts #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Doubts Surround Euro Amid European Economic Concerns and Political Speeches

    Vietnamese Warehouse Equipment Maker Sues Amazon, Musk once again sold Tesla shares, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc Has Problems With High Costs

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 15.12.2022 12:29
    Warner Bros. Discovery Inc continues to cut costs and expects restructuring costs to increase by up to $1 billion than anticipated less than two months ago. Amazon sued for breach of contract. Once again, Elon Musk decided to sell Tesla shares, leaving himself 13.4%. Amazon is sued The Vietnamese warehouse equipment maker says in a lawsuit filed in New York on Tuesday that it has dramatically expanded its operations in eight years to accommodate Amazon's rapid growth. This included setting up more manufacturing facilities, more than doubling the workforce, and cutting ties with other large retail clients such as IKEA, Columbia Sportswear Co. and Decathlon S.A. Gilimex said Amazon scaled up its purchases in 2020 and 2021, when e-commerce sales were booming as the pandemic shifted consumer behavior, then sharply pulled back orders this year as online sales growth slowed. Gilimex said the partnership was built on "trust" and Gilimex relied on the accuracy of Amazon's forecasts to make appropriate investments to meet demand, including purchasing materials and arranging capacity and manpower to meet the US company's needs. The lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair trade practices and negligent misrepresentation, was filed in the New York State Supreme Court. The lawsuit said the change resulted in "immediate and virtually complete destruction of Gilimex's business." Gilimex seeks approximately $280 million in damages to recover costs. Read next: From the fundamental point of view, these facts may become a game changer, sending the EUR/USD pair to the parity level | FXMAG.COM Warner Bros. Discovery Inc and cost problems Warner Bros. Discovery Inc, whose holding companies include film and television studios, CNN and HBO, and Discovery channels such as Food Network and HGTV, said in a statement Wednesday that it expects to incur pre-tax restructuring costs of as much as $5.3 billion by 2024. In October, it said it anticipated as much as $4.3 billion in restructuring fees. Since the conclusion of the Discovery and WarnerMedia merger earlier this year, there have been significant layoffs, including executives at the major units. Many high-profile projects and programs have also been killed or cancelled. Warner Bros. Discovery said it still expects restructuring initiatives to be completed by the end of 2024. Last month, the company raised its cost synergy target to $3.5 billion from $3 billion. It also has debt of about $50 billion. The company's shares fell 1.1% in Wednesday's after-hours trading. Musk holds 13.4% of Tesla shares Musk sold nearly 22 million Tesla shares in the three days ending December 14. This week's sale means Tesla's CEO has sold more than $39 billion worth of Tesla shares since the company's shares peaked in November 2021. Tesla, still the world's most valued carmaker by value. Tesla's CEO previously sold the company's shares in April, August and November this year, linking the last two batches of sales to Twitter. This month's sale leaves Musk with about 13.4% of Tesla, meaning he remains by far the company's largest shareholder. Still, the sale of shares could weaken his control over Tesla. It wasn't clear what prompted Musk to sell the extra Tesla shares. Mr Musk's focus on Twitter has irked some Tesla investors as the company tracks its worst annual stock price performance ever. Read next: Given the peculiarities of the US labor market and the high labor mobility, the acceptable unemployment rate is considered to be 5.0%| FXMAG.COM Tesla shares closed up 2.58% on Wednesday at $156.80, their lowest level in more than two years. The company's stock price drop of around 55% in 2022 overshadowed that of the Nasdaq Composite, which has fallen around 29% since the beginning of the year. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    On The New York Stock Exchange 2,473 Shares Declined More Than The Gain Of 595

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 16.12.2022 08:00
    At closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 2.25 percent to a one-month low, the S&P 500 index shed 2.49 percent and the NASDAQ Composite fell 3.23 percent. Dow Jones The leaders among Dow Jones index components in Thursday trading were shares of Verizon Communications Inc. which gained 0.32p (0.85%) to close at 37.77. Chevron Corp dropped 1.29p (0.75%) to close at 171.04. Walmart Inc shares shed 1.31p (0.89%) to close at 145.36. International Business Machines were the least gainers, with shares falling 7.50p (5.00%) to close the session at 142.36. Shares of Apple Inc soared 6.71p (4.69%) to 136.50, while Intel Corporation dropped 1.11p (3.93%) to 27.15. S&P 500 The gainers among S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Lennar Corporation shares, which gained 3.82% to 94.29, DR Horton Inc. which gained 3.49% to close at 90.45 and Align Technology Inc. which gained 3.15% to close the session at 201.97. Western Digital Corporation shares were the least gainers, dropping 10.10% to close at 32.21. Shares of Nucor Corp lost 9.35% and closed the session at 134.10. Warner Bros Discovery Inc. dropped 8.93 percent to 10.00. NASDAQ The top gainers among NASDAQ Composite index components in today's trading were Core Scientific Inc, which gained 72.00% to 0.43, Imv Inc, which gained 66.55% to close at 3.64, and Scopus Biopharma Inc, which gained 44.85% to close the session at 0.34. Third Harmonic Bio Inc shares were the least gainers, down 78.28% to close at 4.30. Shares of Axcella Health Inc lost 50.78% and closed the session at 0.44. Novavax Inc's stock declined 34.30% to 11.32. Numbers On NYSE, 2,473 shares declined more than the gain of 595, while 113 remained almost flat. On NASDAQ, 2,775 stocks declined, while 961 gained and 197 remained flat. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 7.99% to 22.83. Gold Gold futures for February delivery lost 1.75% or 31.80 to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for January delivery fell 1.37%, or 1.06, to $76.22 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery fell 1.58%, or 1.31, to $81.39 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.53% to hit 1.06, while USD/JPY edged up 1.74% to hit 137.82. Futures on the USD index rose 0.79% to 104.23. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-17 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/305167
    Gold Stocks Have Performed Very Well Under Pressure

    Oil Prices Fell, Gold Will Also Weaken Due To The Increase In US Dollar

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.12.2022 08:51
    Summary:  Equities tumbled across the world after the ECB and the Bank of England followed the footstep of the Fed in hiking 50bps, but the ECB gave a hawkish surprise by pulling forward QT and warning of more rate hikes to come as inflation remains high. The US dollar regained strength amid risk-off sentiment as US economic data deteriorated further but labor market strength was sustained. The US accounting regulatory body, PCAOB, successfully concluded an inspection on the audit work of eight U.S. listed Chinese companies and removed the delisting risks of Chinese ADRs for now. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) plummeted on Fed follow-through and hawkish ECB Nasdaq 100 tumbled 3.2% and S&P 500 declined by 2.5% on Thursday, as a rate hike plus hawkish comments from the ECT, and follow-through from a higher terminal rate on the Fed’s projection dot plot the day before weighed on equities. The decline in stocks was broad-based and all 11 sectors of the S&P 500 fell. The decline was led by the communication series, information technology, and materials sectors. Alphabet (GOOGL:xnas) declined 4.4%. Netflix (NFLX:xnas) tumbled 8.6%, following a media report saying the streaming giant is refunding advertisers because it missed viewership guarantees. Lennar (LEN:xnys) gained 3% and was among the top gainers in the S&P 500 on Thursday after the home builder said the cancellation rate for new homes had peaked in October and declined significantly in November. Adobe (ADBE:xnas) surged 4.7% in extended-hour trading on earnings beat. US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) turned more inverted on hawkish central banks and weak data Following a hawkish rate path dot plot from the Fed the day and hawkish remarks from ECB President Lagarde and pull-forward of QT by the ECB on Thursday but a weak U.S retail sales report, the Treasury yield curve flattened. The 2-year yield rose 3bps to 4.24% while the 10-year yield shed 3bps to 3.45%, bringing the 2-10-year inversion to more negative to -79bps. After Lagarde pledged Eurozone “interest rates will still have to rise significantly higher at a steady pace”, the German 2-year yields jumped as much as 30bps and closed 24bps higher at 2.36%, a 14-year high. The Treasury Department announced a USD12 billion 20-year auction and a USD19 billion 5-year TIPS auction next week. In the futures pit in Chicago, large-size curve flattening trades were seen on selling the five-year contracts versus buying the ultra-10-year contracts. The money market curve is pricing a terminal rate of 4.9% in 2023, significantly lower than the Fed’s dot plot of 5.1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) retreated on Fed rate hike; China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) little changed Hong Kong opened sharply lower after the U.S. Fed raised the target Fed Fund rate the day overnight and traded sideways throughout the day to finish 1.6% lower. HSBC (00005:xhkg), down 1.8%,  raised its prime rate by 25bps to 5.625%, and Standard Chartered (02888:xhkg), down 1.4%, lifted its prime rate by 25bps to 5.875%. Other leading banks in Hong Kong also raised their prime rates by 25bps. Shenzhou (02313:xhkg), Wuxi (02269:xhkg), Baidu (09888:xhkg), and Alibaba (09988:xhkg), each declining more than 4%, were the top losers with the benchmark. China’s industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investments all came in worse than expected and pointed to Covid containment restrictions’ severe disruption to the economy in November. Investors tend to look beyond the weakness in November as the Chinese authorities have eased the pandemic containment practices substantially in December. China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) was little changed on Thursday. Semiconductor and new energy names gained. FX: Dollar strength returned amid weakness in risk sentiment After the markets reacting in a limited way after the hawkish shift of the dot plot by the FOMC on Wednesday, the USD strength returned the following day. Concerns that Fed will be hiking into a recession gathered pace as US economic data deteriorated further but labor market resilience prevailed. Money market pricing for the Fed has still not budged to catch up with the dot plot, suggesting that it is likely the risk sentiment weakness that led to the dollar surge. AUDUSD was the biggest loser on the G10 board, sliding lower to 0.67 from 0.6850+ as weak China activity data offset the impact from positive employment numbers in Australia yesterday. GBPUSD also plunged below 1.22 and EURGBP rose above 0.87 amid relative ECB hawkishness. USDJPY touched 138 again despite a lower in US yields. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices dip on global rate hikes and partial restart of Keystone pipeline Crude oil prices fell on Thursday after the fed’s hawkish tilt was followed by a slew of other G10m central banks especially the ECB which highlighted the struggle to get inflation under control and hinted at more rate hikes and QT was to come. Along with that, a partial restart of the Keystone Pipeline after last week’s oil spill eased some supply concerns. WTI futures tested the $76/barrel support while moved towards $81. However, there are tentative signs that key Russian oil exports from a port in Asia are dipping following G7 sanctions, and this may impede the supply relief, but demand weakness concerns still continue to remain the biggest worry as of now with China’s full reopening demand also likely to be delayed due to the vast spread of infections. Gold (XAUUSD) back below 1800 on central banks hawkishness The return of the strength of the US dollar on Thursday meant weakness in gold. Fed’s message from a day before finally seemed to have been understood by the markets, and hawkishness from other central banks, especially the ECB, further sounded the alarm on rates remaining higher for longer globally. Gold broke below the 1800-mark in the Asian session on Thursday, and the lows extended further to sub-1780 in the European/NY hours. Silver plunged as well to move back towards $23.   What to consider? Bank of England followed the Fed with a 50bps hike, likewise for SNB and Norges Bank The Bank of England opted to step down the pace of its rate hiking cycle to 50bps from 75bps, taking the Base Rate to 3.5%. The decision to move on rates was not a unanimous one with two dovish dissenters and one hawkish dissenter. The markets are pricing in a peak for the BOE at 4.25% in H1 2023, as inflation continues to cool. The MPC is of the view that CPI inflation has reached a peak, but is expected to remain high in the coming months. The Norges Bank and SNB also hiked 50bps, in-line with expectations. ECB surprises with a hawkish tilt The European Central Bank (ECB), much in line with the Fed and the BOE, stepped back from its 75bps rate hike trajectory and announced an increase of 50bps, taking the Deposit rate to 2.0%. It was reported that a third of the Governing Council favored a 75bps increase, and Christine Lagarde warned investors to expect more 50bps moves and not to see this as a ‘pivot’. The commentary was hawkish saying that "interest rates will still have to rise significantly at a steady pace to reach levels that are sufficiently restrictive". Moreover, the bank announced a start of QT in the first quarter of 2023, even though with a small amount. The APP portfolio will decline at an average pace of EUR 15bln per month until the end of Q2 with its subsequent pace to be determined over time. The inflation forecast also came as a surprise, with 2023 HICP raised to 6.3% from 5.5%, and 2024 and 2025 seen at 3.4% and 2.3% respectively and therefore indicative that further tightening will be required to bring inflation back to target over the medium term. On the growth front, 2022 GDP was upgraded to 3.4% from 3.1% and 2023 now seen at just 0.5% (prev. 0.9%) with the upcoming recession likely to be shallow and short-lived. US economic slowdown concerns continue to be offset by a strong labor market Several economic indicators in the US pointed to concerns of an economic slowdown. Headline retail sales declined 0.6% in November, deeper than the 0.1% expectation and paring from October's gain of 1.3%. The December NY Fed Manufacturing survey fell into contractionary territory at -11.2, deeper than the expected -1.0 from the prior +4.5. US manufacturing output fell -0.6% in November, well beneath the expected 0.1% decline and against October's rise of 0.3%, which was upwardly revised from +0.1%. However, labor market resilience was confirmed by jobless claims unexpectedly dropping to 211k from a revised 231k last week, well below the expected 230k. PCAOB concluded its inspection and removed the delisting risks of Chinese ADRs for now The Public Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) announced on Thursday that the U.S, accounting regulatory body has “conducted inspection field work and investigative testimony” of the audit work of KPMG Huazhen LLP in mainland China and PwC in Hong Kong on eight Chinese ADR issuers, “in a manner fully consistent with the PCAOB’s methodology and approach to inspections and investigations in the U.S. and globally.” The PCAOB was satisfied that its “investors and investigators were able to view complete audit work papers with all information included, and the PCAOB was able to retain information as needed” without consultation with, or input from Chinese authorities. The PCAOB’s conclusion removes the risk of forced delisting of Chinese ADRs for now. The PCAOB will continue to do regular inspections starting in early 2023. China’s retail sales, industrial production, and fixed asset investment were weak in November November activity data in China came in worse than the already low expectations. Retail sales shrank by 5.9% Y/Y in November (Consensus: -4.0%; Oct: -0.5%). The weakness partly reflected the high base last year and mostly as a result of the outbreaks of Covids and the relevant containment restrictions then were still the modus operandi. Revenue growth tumbled to -6% Y/Y for merchandise, -4.2% Y/Y for auto, and -8.4% Y/Y for catering. Industrial production growth slowed to 2.2% Y/Y in November (consensus: 3.5%; Oct: 5.0%). The manufacturing and utility sectors were weak while the mining sector improved in growth. Smartphone volume shrank by 19.8% Y/Y in November as Foxconn’s factory in Zhengzhou experienced disruption from Covid restrictions and labor unrest. The growth of fixed asset investment plummeted to 0.8% Y/Y in November from 5.0% Y/Y in October. The weakness of fixed asset investment was mainly in the manufacturing and property sectors. Infrastructure fixed asset investment climbed to 13.9% Y/Y in November from 12.8% in October. Adobe delivered earnings and guidance beating expectations Adobe (ADBE:xnas) reported a fiscal Q4 net income of USD1.176 billion, a 4.6% increase from last year and above the USD1.158 billion expected by analysts. Adjusted earnings per share came in at USD3.60, beating the USD3.50 consensus forecast. Revenues increased 10% from a year ago to USD4.525 billion, in line with expectations. The software giant gave an upbeat fiscal Q1 EPS guidance of USD3.65 to USD3.70 on revenue of USD4.60 to USD4.64 billion, above analysts’ estimates of USD3.64 on revenue of USD4.26 billion.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Fed’s message comes through; ECB outpaces other central banks on hawkishness – 16 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Market Reaction to Eurozone Inflation Report: Euro Steady as Data Leaves Impact Limited

    Adobe Earnings For The Fiscal Fourth Quarter Was Strong, Changes In Loyalty Programs Of American Airlines

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.12.2022 10:53
    Adobe showed very good results, better than expected. Airlines have started tightening requirements again in an attempt to find the right balance to ensure programs remain attractive. Adobe gain profits Business software companies indicated that customers are more cautious in their spending plans due to the difficult economic situation. On Thursday, Adobe also released its earnings forecast for the current quarter, which was better than Wall Street analysts had predicted. The company forecasts fourth-quarter revenue up 10% thanks to continued strong demand for its software and services. Overall, Adobe reported earnings of $1.18 billion, or $2.53 per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 2, compared to $1.23 billion, or $2.57 per share, in the prior year. While Adobe left its forecast for the current fiscal year unchanged, it said it expects adjusted profits of $3.65 to $3.70 for the current quarter. The software company announced a plan to buy hot startup Figma in the quarter. Adobe hopes the deal will be finalized in the coming months. Adobe shares, which have fallen 42% this year to Thursday's close, are up 5.7% in after-hours trading. Read next: The BoE And The ECB Raised Rate By 0.50% To 3.50% Today, Australian Dollar Falls After Disappointing Data From China| FXMAG.COM Airlines Loyalty Programs Many airlines offer loyalty programs to their customers. Thanks to such programs, they encourage the use of their services by offering additional services as part of the points earned in the program. The most common practice of awarding points is to charge them for the cost of the ticket. Airlines have relied heavily on their frequent flyer programs during the pandemic. Co-branded credit cards remained a stable source of revenue as customers swiped even when they weren't buying airline tickets. And airlines used their frequent flyer programs as collateral for billions of dollars in loans as they scrambled for cash as their appetite for travel dried up. Carriers have made it easier for people to maintain and gain status during the pandemic in an effort to keep customers. But programs have also grown, with some customers complaining that providing premium cabin and lounge seats has become more competitive. American Airlines Group Inc. raised the bar in achieving Gold status. Starting in March, members of American’s AAdvantage program will need to earn 40,000 “loyalty points” to reach Gold, its lowest tier of status, up from 30,000. That level includes benefits such as a free checked bag, earlier boarding and access to free upgrades if there is availability. American also introduced new perks for people who have 15,000 points and haven’t yet earned status, are between tiers or who have already reached the upper level. Requirements to qualify for other status tiers will remain unchanged. Delta Air Lines Inc. is also reviewing requirements for frequent flyers to access luxury lounges to reduce overcrowding. Starting next year, Delta travelers will need to spend 33% more on flights to qualify for Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion status in 2024. Delta has not made any changes to its requirements for the number of miles and distances a person must travel. American Airlines Group Inc shares has been quite low for the last two quarters. The current low was last recorded in the second half of June. Looking at the broader timeframe, the current stock price resembles the level of the pandemic (2020). A similar stock price move is for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL). The current price level of 33.25 is also reminiscent of the 2020 pandemic period American Airlines Group Chart Delta Air Lines Inc. Chart Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Tesla Will Struggle To Recover In The Coming Years

    Knorr-Bremse Strengthens Its ESG Measures In Partnership With Deutsche Bank | Arizona Is Attractive For The EV Market

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.12.2022 11:54
    The electric vehicle market has a bright future, but is currently struggling with the lack of chip supplies and difficulties in the investment market. Many companies use partnerships with financial institutions, and some such as Knorr-Bremse and Deutsche Bank develop their partnerships. In this article: Arizona and EV market Investments in EV start-ups are not so attractive anymore Preparing for the new tax year Knorr-Bremse and its Partnership With Deutsche Bank Electric Vehicles And Self-Driving Technology Have The Potential To Grow In Arizona Problems in the delivery of chips from China have become one of the problems in the United States. Companies producing electric cars are looking for solutions. Arizona quickly became the epicenter of electric vehicles and self-driving technology and is now the site of three major new semiconductor plants. The Arizona Commerce Authority says it helped 634 companies relocate or expand in Arizona between 2015 and 2020. Thus, many new residents who are qualified in this field have flowed into this region. Arizona has rapidly become an epicenter for EV and self-driving tech — and now it's the site of 3 big new semiconductor factories. Watch the full video here: https://t.co/N6fsv8kiZt pic.twitter.com/UublHC3Wnz — CNBC (@CNBC) December 16, 2022 Read next: Adobe Earnings For The Fiscal Fourth Quarter Was Strong, Changes In Loyalty Programs Of American Airlines| FXMAG.COM Investments in EV start-ups are not so attractive anymore The automotive industry is investing over $1 trillion in the revolutionary transition from combustion engines to software-controlled electric vehicles. From Detroit to Shanghai, automakers and government policy makers have embraced the promise that electric vehicles will deliver cleaner, safer transportation. Industry executives and forecasters disagree on how quickly electric vehicles could take over half of the global vehicle market, let alone the entirety. Industry officials and analysts said that among the barriers to EV adoption were the lack of public fast-charging infrastructure and the rising cost of EV batteries. Difficulties arose not only in the production area. Investors who eagerly watched and invested in Tesla Inc and competing electric vehicle start-ups that hoped to emulate Tesla's success. This year has shown that nothing is complete and economic situations also hit the giants. With interest rates rising and financial markets swirling, stakes in many EV startups have declined. WATCH: The past year was sobering for investors who poured money into Tesla and rival electric vehicle startups that hoped to emulate the success of Elon Musk's company https://t.co/1ZAIf7TV8i $TSLA pic.twitter.com/gmlWlMIoEJ — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) December 16, 2022 Preparing for the new tax year With the end of the year, financial institutions in their tweets and articles will draw attention to what you need to prepare from the financial side. Before the new year, it's worth looking back at your expenses, general cash flow to be able to prepare better for the new year. Financial security is important, but you should also remember about taxes. There is no doubt that taxes are a nightmare for everyone, whether for an individual taxpayer or for entrepreneurs. There may be changes in tax regulations that are worth paying attention to. Preparing for the new tax year can help you not to lose too much on taxes. An important part of this process is knowing the likely tax bracket you'll fall into, the limits that may affect you, and the potential deductions available. With the year rapidly coming to a close, it might pay to prepare in advance for Tax Day. Here are 8 things to keep in mind as you prepare to file your 2022 taxes. https://t.co/vTPSg1p4cH — Charles Schwab Corp (@CharlesSchwab) December 15, 2022 Knorr-Bremse and its partnership With Deutsche Bank Knorr-Bremse strengthens its ESG measures in partnership with Deutsche Bank and expands its supply chain finance program to include sustainability aspects. For 15 years, Knorr-Bremse suppliers have been using the Supply Chain Finance program run by Deutsche Bank. For example, they get their money faster because the bank pre-finances at attractive interest rates until Knorr-Bremse pays the invoice. Financing costs for suppliers are based on the creditworthiness of Knorr-Bremse, which usually reduces financing costs for suppliers. Deutsche Bank supports @KnorrBremseAG in strengthening its ESG measures and expanding its supply chain finance programme to include sustainability aspects. Suppliers with good sustainability performance benefit from more attractive financing terms. https://t.co/pEvfnF0Zk0 — Deutsche Bank (@DeutscheBank) December 16, 2022
    The ECB Has Made It Clear That Rates Will Remain High Until There Is Evidence That Inflation Is Falling Toward The Target

    Surprise Hawkishness From Christine Lagarde | Netflix Ad-Supported Versions Have Poor Demand

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 16.12.2022 12:28
    The European Central Bank (ECB) raised its interest rates by 50bp as expected yesterday, and President Christine Lagarde said that the ECB will raise the rates by another 50bp at the next meeting. Then by another 50bp in the meeting after that. And another 50bp in the meeting after that. Then another one! Markets European yields spiked during Madame Lagarde’s speech. The DAX and the CAC fell more than 3%. The S&P500 slipped below its 100-DMA, as Nasdaq fell below its 50-DMA. The EURUSD spiked to 1.0736, the highest level since April. EU The significant hawkish shift in ECB’s policy stance, and the determination of the European leaders to shot inflation to the ground should continue giving some more support to the euro, therefore, price pullbacks in EURUSD could be interesting dip buying opportunities for a further rally toward the 1.10 mark. US And if the US dollar strengthened yesterday, it was certainly due to a heavy selloff in stocks and bonds that ended up with investors sitting on cash. Other than that, the data released in the US yesterday was not brilliant! The retail sales fell by most in a year; holiday shopping apparently didn’t help improve numbers. The Empire Manufacturing index tanked from 4.5 to -11, versus -1 expected by analysts. Both data hinted at a slowing economic growth in the US, which should normally boost recession fears and keep the Fed hawks at bay. And that could mean a further downside correction in the dollar in the run up to Xmas. Netflix In Individual stock news, Netflix slumped more than 8.5% on news that its new ad-supported versions didn’t kick off well, as most people preferred keeping ads away when they were in the middle of the Meghan and Harry drama! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 Surprise hawkishness from Christine Lagarde 3:09 … sent sovereign bonds & stocks tumbling 5:13 … should help the euro recover 7:01 … at least against the British pound 8:14 Netflix falls as ad-supported versions sees weak demand Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #hawkish #ECB #Lagarde #speech #BoE #FOMC #Fed #SNB #rate #decisions #USD #EUR #GBP #CHF #DAX #CAC #SMI #EuroStoxx50 #Netflix #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    August CPI Forecast: Modest Inflation Increase Expected Amidst Varied Price Trends

    Even if Santa Rally delivers us with ca. 1% gains, remember we're about 17% below-the-line so far this year

    Jing Ren Jing Ren 16.12.2022 14:49
    Stocks are down substantially this year, even including indices which had a bit of a rally through the last month or so. There has been a split in trend, which is worthy of note. The DJIA moved higher, while the Nasdaq remained relatively steady. In Europe, indices don't concentrate in certain sectors like they do in the US, but a similar trend has emerged when considering certain types of firms. The Dow Jones consists mostly of lower valuation, so called "value stocks", which have been outperforming. Tech stocks have continued to underperform, even in periods of recovery. This is often attributed to their relatively high valuations, meaning that they are more speculative. The Fed's tightening contributes to reducing interest in higher valuation stocks, and now the Fed is expected to slow its rate hikes. This could be an indication of which sectors/stocks could benefit the most from a Santa Rally. What are the chances this time? In order to make an educated guess about whether we can expect a rally this year or not, we need to have a better understanding of why it happens. Which is a bit of a problem, because there isn't much agreement on the causes of the rally. Not only that, but there also isn’t even an agreement on when it happens. Some say it's in the week before Christmans, others say it's the week between Christmas and New Year, and still others say it's both. So far this month, stocks have been trending higher thanks to an expectation that the Fed won't keep hiking rates so much. Now that they have delivered, the expectation is that US stocks can continue to rise. Across the Atlantic, the situation is a little more complicated, as the UK is expected to fall further into recession. Even if the BOE slowed the pace of hiking, there might not be as much room for optimism. Meanwhile, the ECB threatened to keep raising rates. That is expected, however, since the shared central bank was one of the last to join the hiking movement, so would likely be one of the last to end its tightening cycle. Read next: In December, the Fed maintained a tougher rhetoric than the market consensus, playing on the bears' side| FXMAG.COM What can we expect? Santa rallies happen about 2 out of 3 years, on average gaining about 1.3% over the period from Christmas to the Jan 2 of the next year. It's positive, sure, but not a blow-out growth. Particularly not in the context of the market losing around 17% since the start of the year. Another difficulty is that the final two weeks of trading for the year see dwindling liquidity as major traders go on holiday. Usually, starting with the final meeting of the Fed, activity starts to drop off, reaching a minimum between Christmas and New Years. That means that volatility tends to increase, with more erratic moves in the markets as relatively small trades can cause bigger moves. Other factors In general, markets tend to average higher through December. But in the case of the US in particular, they tend to do even better in an election year. 2018 was a notable exception, as the Fed was tightening though that period. After stocks performed better in the run-up to the Fed, investors might have some time to digest the results. They could pay more attention to how the market is currently pricing in a terminal rate of 4.85%, but the average of forecasts from the Fed is 5.1%. That could lead to a revaluation of where the Fed could go in the first quarter of next year and let the Grinch into steak the Christmas cheer.
    Twitter And Elon Musk Faced A Growing List Of Claims

    Elon Musk Has Reinstated The Twitter Accounts Of Several Journalists | According To Jim Cramer, Caterpillar Stocks, Illinois Tool Works And CSX Are Noteworthy

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 18.12.2022 20:34
    With the end of the year, I look at what may happen in 2023. JP Morgan looks at finance from the economic side and what affects it, and Jim Cramer traditionally focuses on the stock market. In this article: Outlook Of 2023 by JP Morgan Jim Cramer’s look at stock market Elon Musk And Twitter Outlook 2023 Most of the things that could go wrong for investors happened in 2022, driven by high inflation, an aggressive cycle of interest rate hikes around the world, and the war in Ukraine. Remarkably, both stocks and bonds suffered heavy losses in 2022 – one of the worst years in the history of a balanced portfolio. Lower stock valuations and higher bond yields offer investors the most attractive entry point into a traditional portfolio in more than a decade. All this will be reflected in the new year. JP Morgan takes into account key economic and market factors in this year's forecast - the consequences of monetary policy tightening, the weakening of the global economy, market prices and valuation resets Higher rates. Weaker growth. Valuation resets. Explore what these key economic and market forces may mean for investors. — J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) December 16, 2022 Read next: Rise Of The Attractiveness Of Living In Cities – Urbanization| FXMAG.COM Jim Cramer’s look at stock market Jim Cramer looks at market action, this time specifically industrial stocks. The specialist looks at the situations of individual companies and assesses their attractiveness. His tips can be helpful for investors, especially those who are starting their adventure with this market. Jim Cramer on Friday identified three industrial stocks that he believes are worth owning next year “CAT has much more exposure to infrastructure, and I think they’ve got a boost from the oil and gas industry coming,” Cramer said. According to a specialist, companies such as Caterpillar, Illinois Tool Works and rail operator CSX are noteworthy. Here is why @JimCramer sees more upside ahead for Caterpillar in 2023. https://t.co/CmEl3RctII — Mad Money On CNBC (@MadMoneyOnCNBC) December 17, 2022 Elon Musk And Twitter For the past two months, Elon Musk's attention has been focused on the development of Twitter, which he purchased in late October. Since then, his activities on this social networking site have been watched with special attention. Not only on Twitter, but also after it. One such action was blocking the accounts of journalists. The suspensions stemmed from disagreements over a Twitter account called ElonJet that tracked Musk's private jet using publicly available information. On Wednesday, Twitter suspended the account and others that tracked private jets, despite Musk's earlier tweet saying he would not suspend ElonJet in the name of free speech. Soon after, Twitter changed its privacy policy to prohibit the sharing of "live location information." Then on Thursday night, several journalists, including those from the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post, were suspended from Twitter without notice. The episode, which one high-profile security researcher called a "Thursday night massacre," is regarded by critics as new evidence that Musk considers himself a "free speech absolutist," eliminating speech and users he personally dislikes. Now it has been reported that Elon Musk has reinstated the Twitter accounts of several journalists who had been suspended for a day in connection with the controversy over publishing public data about the billionaire's plane. The reinstatement came after unprecedented suspensions prompted heavy criticism on Friday from government officials, advocacy groups and journalistic organizations in several parts of the world, with some saying the microblogging platform threatened press freedom. Elon Musk reinstated the Twitter accounts of several journalists that were suspended in a controversy over publishing public data about the billionaire' s plane https://t.co/MPaQFmEp3Q pic.twitter.com/V6ipgraOpY — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) December 18, 2022
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    The US Stock Market Finished Trading On The Back Of Negative Dynamics

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 19.12.2022 08:07
    US stocks closed lower, Dow Jones down 0.85% The US stock market finished trading Friday lower on the back of negative dynamics from the sectors of utilities, consumer goods and oil and gas. Dow Jones At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.85% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 1.11% and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.97%. Caterpillar Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 0.89% or 2.06 points to close at 232.72. Boeing Co rose 0.98 points (0.53%) to close at 184.70. Dow Inc rose 0.27 points or 0.55% to close at 49.80. The least gainers were American Express Company shares, which lost 3.92 points or 2.61% to end the session at 146.30. Nike Inc was up 2.36% or 2.56 points to close at 105.95 while McDonald's Corporation was down 2.06% or 5.61 points to close at 266.12.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Adobe Systems Incorporated, which rose 2.99% to 338.54, Meta Platforms Inc, which gained 2.82% to close at 119.43, and also shares of Universal Health Services Inc, which rose 2.49% to close the session at 135.83. The least gainers were shares of Ford Motor Company, which fell 6.98% to close at 12.12. Shares of Moderna Inc shed 6.74% to end the session at 193.29. Quotes of CarMax Inc decreased in price by 6.04% to 61.44. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Cosmos Holdings Inc, which rose 178.91% to hit 23.01, Nanthealth LLC, which gained 98.95% to close at 5.70, and shares of Trean Insurance Group Inc, which rose 91.51% to end the session at 5.97. Shares of Synaptogenix Inc became the least gainers, which decreased in price by 74.63%, closing at 1.20. Shares of Agrify Corp lost 69.87% and ended the session at 0.25. Quotes of Axcella Health Inc decreased in price by 63.08% to 0.16. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2161) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (893), and quotes of 105 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,231 companies fell in price, 1,478 rose, and 188 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.92% to 22.62. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.84%, or 15.05, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI futures for January delivery fell 2.34%, or 1.78, to $74.33 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery fell 2.64%, or 2.14, to $79.07 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.37% to 1.06, while USD/JPY fell 0.78% to hit 136.68. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.23% to 104.44 Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-20 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/305334
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Bank Of Japan Meeting And More

    The Japanese Authorities May Be Considering A Policy Review In 2023 | Elon Musk Is Seeking New Investors For Twitter

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.12.2022 09:01
    Summary:  A chorus of hawkish Fed speak and weakening US PMI data, together with global tightening concerns elevating further last week, continued to weigh on risk sentiment. The Japanese yen will remain in focus amid BOJ policy review chatter as the central bank meets this week. Musk’s Twitter saga continues, weighing further on Tesla. China’s reopening concerns also remain as the Covid waves spreads rapidly, but a steady economic growth focus by the authorities is seen. Oil and gold start the week being bid. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated for the third day on concerns about the Fed’s rate path in 2023 On Friday, the U.S, stock market continued to slide for the third day in a row since Fed Chair Powell’s hawkish leaning comments on the post-FOMC presser on Wednesday. Remarks from several other Fed officials reiterating that the Fed may have a long way to go and may need to raise rates beyond the 5.1% peak projected added to the risk-off sentiment. S&P 500 shed 1.1% and Nasdaq 100 declined 0.9%. All sectors within the S&P 500 lost, with real estate, consumer discretionary, and utilities falling the most. Ford Motor (F:xnys) was the biggest losing stock within the S&P500. The automaker dropped nearly 7% on Friday after it announced a price increase for its electric truck due to rising material costs and supply chain issues. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), falling 4.7%, was the second biggest laggard with the Nasdaq 100, following Moderna (MRNA:xnas) which declined 6.7%. Adobe, gaining 3% after reporting an earnings beat, was the best performer within Nasdaq 100, followed by Meta (META:xnas) which rose 2.8% on an analyst upgrade. US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepened as the 2-year yield fell and the 10-year yield rose The 2-year notes were well bid and finished the Friday session 6bps richer at 4.18%. The 2-year notes are now yielding not only less than the 3-month Treasury bills but also the lower bound of the Fed Fund target rate. Softer than expected S&P Global US manufacturing as well as services PMI added fuel to the demand for the front end of the Treasury curve. Hawkish comments from the Fed’s Williams, Daly, and Mester might have contributed to the selling in the long end of the curve. Yields on the 10-year notes rose 4bps to 3.48%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks had a morning session on Friday. Hang Seng Index opened lower on the back of tumbling overseas markets overnight despite the positive news from the US accounting regulatory body removing the delisting risk of Chinese companies listed in the U.S. bourses for now. Stocks had a rally on market chatter of reopening of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland earliest next month before the gains waned and the Hang Seng Index was 0.4% higher. The front page editorial at the mouthpiece People’s Daily this morning is upbeat about growth in China but it does not catch much attention from investors. Leading Chinese property developers outperformed, gaining 2% to 6%.  In A-shares, CSI300 was modestly lower, driven by profit-taking in semiconductor names and weaknesses in autos. Real estate and educational services outperformed. In the evening, a readout was released setting out the key results of the Central Economic Work Conference. FX: Dollar starts the new week on a weaker footing as JPY gains on 2023 policy review speculations The US dollar ended last week lower again, albeit modestly, with majority of weakness against the NOK. EURUSD also took a brief look above 1.07 on ECB hawkishness but is heading below 1.06 this morning as peripheral spreads remain a concern and continue to cast doubts on how far ECB’s hawkishness can run. USDJPY had a volatile week as a drop below 135 was not maintained despite US yields remaining capped. A fresh bout of strength in coming to JPY this morning on reports of Japan PM Kishida considering a tweak in BOJ’s 2% inflation goal next year (read below). GBPUSD also reversed back below 1.2200 after a look above 1.2400 last week. AUDUSD traded close to 0.67 to start the new week, with one eye on RBA minutes due this week but another on China reopening delays resulting from a large number of workers calling in sick. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices advance on China’s growth push and US refilling SPR Oil prices started the week on a firmer footing, with WTI rising towards the $75/barrel mark and Brent heading back towards $80. While there are unconfirmed reports of massive number of cases and fatalities in China from the spread of Covid, the government’s official message continues to stress upon the need to expand consumption as the key economic priority for 2023. This helps paint a better demand outlook for oil, as global demand slowdown concerns continue to mount. Moreover, it was reported that the US is starting to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), starting with a 3-million barrel, fixed-price purchase.   What to consider? Hawkish Fed speak continues A number of Fed speakers on Friday continued to highlight the case for higher-for-longer inflation as investors give too much weight to peaking inflation in the US. Fed’s Daly (non-voter in 2023) said she was prepared to hold peak rates for more than 11 month if necessary, and highlighted the core services ex-housing inflation which is still quite elevated. Mester (non-voter in 2023) said she expected the Fed to hike more than its median forecast, and the Fed will need to maintain rates for an extended period once hikes are done. Williams (2023 voter) said it is possible that Fed hikes more than terminal rate forecast. US flash PMIs send warning signals Flash December PMIs for the US slumped to fresh lows, sending more warning signals about the economic momentum going into 2023. Manufacturing PMI came in at 46.2, below last month’s 47.7 and the expected 47.8, while the services PMI receded to 44.4 from 46.2 previously. Markets have however understood the Fed’s message on hiking rates into a possible recession, and do not take bad news as good news anymore. Japan PM Kisihda hinting at altering inflation goal for central bank Reports suggested that Japan PM Kishida plans to revise a ten-year-old accord with the BOJ and will consider adding flexibility to the agreement's 2% price goal. Kishida will discuss the matter with the next central bank governor, who'll take office in April. Furthermore, some more comments from officials this morning continued to signal that the authorities may be considering a policy review in 2023, and more hints are awaited at the BOJ meeting tomorrow. Ex-BOJ Deputy Governor Yamaguchi said that the BOJ must stand ready to tweak YCC next year if Japan's economy can withstand overseas economic risks, while also warning that once inflation expectations become entrenched, it is very hard to control them. China’s Central Economic Work Conference emphasized economic stability and had a conciliatory tone towards platform companies The Chinese Communist Party held its annual Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) on Dec 15 and 16 to formulate China’s macroeconomic policy frameworks for 2023. According to the readout released, the CEWC emphasized policy priorities as being economic stability and high quality of development. Fiscal policies will be expansionary and monetary policies will be forceful and precise. The focus is however more on quality than quantity and the choice of words tends to imply “best effort” rather than hard targets. Mainland economists are expecting the GDP growth target, which will not be released until the two-session meetings in March 2023, to be around 5% for 2023. While there will be supportive measures to ensure stability in the housing markets, the rhetoric of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” is once again in the readout. Domestic consumption is a key focus. In industrial policies, weak links in manufacturing technology, energy, mining, agriculture, new energy, AI, biomanufacturing, green and low carbon, quantum computing, and the digital economy are priorities. Encouragingly, the CEWC removes last year’s “preventing the disorderly growth and expansion of capital” from its readout this year and instead pledges “support to platform enterprises in leading development, creating employment, shining in competing globally” and “support the development of the private sector and private enterprises”. EU considering cutting the proposed natural gas price The EU nations are likely to discuss cutting the gas price cap by almost a third today after the EUR275 per megawatt-hour was proposed last month. As energy crisis continues to threaten a fresh surge in inflation and growth slowdown in the region, it is also stretching government budgets to maintain popularity. But this will eventually be inflationary again, as price caps hardly work effectively. Elon Musk hinting at stepping down from Twitter Elon Musk is seeking new investors for Twitter at the same price he paid when he took the company private in October, Semafor reported. Musk is asking on Twitter the question that “should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll”. He said he is going reverse his prior decision to suspend the Twitter accounts of several journalist and reinstate them based on the results of a Twitter survey. Meanwhile, Musk's actions are weighing heavily on Tesla shares — and the selloff may continue.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Fed’s hawkish speak; BOJ’s policy review hints – 19 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

    The Energy Crisis Continues To Threaten A Fresh Surge In InflationAand Growth Slowdown In The Eurozone

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.12.2022 09:14
    Summary:  Markets stumbled into the close last week, shaken in Europe by a resolute, and possibly unrealistic ECB stance at last Thursday’s ECB meeting, while a heavy calendar of event risks combined with trillions in options expiries roiled US markets last week. The two final weeks of a remarkable 2022 await. Are traders willing to put any risk to work here after an exhausting year or hanging up their spikes until 2023?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Following a close at the 50-day moving average on Friday, S&P 500 futures are attempting to rebound this morning trading around the 3,885 level driven by fresh sentiment change over China’s alleged move to enact pro-business policies and stimulus in 2023. There are no meaningful earnings or macro releases expected today so we expect a calm trading session with Friday’s low in S&P 500 at the 3,855 level being the key level on the downside and the 100-day moving average at the 3,935 level being the key upside level to watch. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities are still digesting their decline last week, biggest decline in many months, as the ECB delivered a more hawkish message than expected. STOXX 50 futures are trading around the 3,818 level getting a little bit of tailwind electricity prices coming down from excessive levels. The IFO December survey out at 0900 GMT is today’s main macro release that could jolt market sentiment. Analysts expect an improvement in the IFO survey for December. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese stocks pared all the early gains and turned lower as investors turned cautious during a surge in media reports of rises in Covid inflections and death tolls. The lack of commitment to more large-scale economic stimulus measures from the Central Economic Work Conference was considered underwhelming. Nonetheless, a shift to a more conciliatory stance towards the private sector from the meeting may be a positive that will contribute to growth and reduce risk premium in the medium-term. More details about the Central Economic Work Conference can be found here. Hang Seng Index dropped 0.9% and the CSI300 Index tumbled 1.8%. FX: Dollar off to a weak start to the week as JPY gains on 2023 policy review speculation EURUSD has rebounded slightly from the Friday close as the market must decide whether the ECB can maintain the hawkish bluster on display at last Thursday’s meeting, which initially supported the euro, but subsequently saw doubts emerging as peripheral EU spreads widened sharply. USDJPY had a volatile week as a drop below 135 was not maintained despite US yields remaining capped, but a fresh bout of JPY strength arrived overnight on reports that Japan PM Kishida is considering a tweak in BOJ’s 2% inflation goal next year (read below). Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices advance on China’s growth push and US refilling SPR Oil prices started the week on a firmer footing, with WTI rising towards the $75/barrel mark and Brent heading back towards $80. While there are unconfirmed reports of massive number of cases and fatalities in China from the spread of Covid, the government’s official message continues to stress upon the need to expand consumption as the key economic priority for 2023. This helps paint a better demand outlook for oil, as global demand slowdown concerns continue to mount in the US and Europe and Russian flows show no signs of slowing. Moreover, it was reported that the US is starting to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), starting with a 3-million barrel, fixed-price purchase. In week to Dec 13 funds cut bullish Brent and WTI bets to lowest since April 2020. Gold (XAUUSD) trades near $1800 as it continues to find support Since the current run up in gold started in early November, the price has not dipped below its 21-day moving average, today at $1775. Speculators increased bullish gold and silver bets by 50% in the week to December 13 when prices briefly spiked in response to a softer dollar and CPI print. The subsequent setback following Wednesday’s hawkish FOMC, however, was not big enough to rattle recent established longs. For that to happen the price in our opinion as a minimum need to break below $1765. The risk of a recession and the FOMC hiking into economic weakness – potentially without succeeding getting inflation under control - continues to strengthen the upside risk for investment metals in 2023.  US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepens as market refuses to price Fed rate projections Soft US preliminary PMIs on Friday and weak risk sentiment kept treasuries supported and the 2-year benchmark yield remains near recent lows as the market refuses to price in the projected Fed Funds rate projections from last week’s FOMC meeting, as the market persists in pricing in high odds of Fed rate cuts late next year. At the longer end of the curve the 10-year yield remains pinned near the 3.50% level and the 2-10 slope steepened to –67 basis points this morning, near the highest reading in a month. What is going on? New Zealand Q4 Westpac Consumer Confidence plunges to lowest ever measured The survey reading was 75.6, a huge drop from 87.6 in Q3 and the lowest reading in the 34-year history of the survey and below the 78.7 former record low from Q2 of this year and the 81.7 trough during the global financial crisis. NZD gapped lower after another strong week on the recent relative hawkishness of the RBNZ, a stance that may soften in coming weeks. AUDNZD hit lows since late 2021 over the last couple of weeks after trading at the highest in years as recently as last September. EU considering cutting the proposed natural gas price The EU nations are likely to discuss cutting the gas price cap by almost a third today after the EUR275 per megawatt-hour was proposed last month. As the energy crisis continues to threaten a fresh surge in inflation and growth slowdown in the region, it is also stretching government budgets to maintain popularity. But this will eventually be inflationary again, as price caps hardly work effectively. US flash PMIs send warning signals. Flash December PMIs for the US slumped to fresh lows, sending more warning signals about the economic momentum going into 2023. Manufacturing PMI came in at 46.2, below last month’s 47.7 and the expected 47.8, while the services PMI receded to 44.4 from 46.2 previously – that survey has shown little correlation with the ISM Services survey, which continues to suggest an expanding US services sector. Japan PM Kishida hinting at altering inflation goal for central bank Reports suggested that Japan PM Kishida plans to revise a ten-year-old accord with the BOJ and will consider adding flexibility to the agreement's 2% price goal. Kishida will discuss the matter with the next central bank governor, who'll take office in April. Furthermore, some more comments from officials this morning continued to signal that the authorities may be considering a policy review in 2023, and more hints are awaited at the BOJ meeting tomorrow. Ex-BOJ Deputy Governor Yamaguchi said that the BOJ must stand ready to tweak YCC next year if Japan's economy can withstand overseas economic risks, while also warning that once inflation expectations become entrenched, it is very hard to control them. Speculators bought investment metals and sold dollars ahead of FOMC The latest Commitment of Traders report covering the week to December 13, when the market responded to a softer dollar and CPI print, showed speculators increase their dollar short against nine IMM currency futures to a 17-month high. The selling of CAD being more than offset by short covering in AUD, GBP, and not least the JPY. Since the turn of the dollar in early November, the speculative short in JPY has almost halved. In commodities, the net longs in gold, silver and platinum all increased strongly. Crude oil was mixed with the Brent long being cut to a 26-month low, the natural gas short was cut in half. Across the agriculture sector, the soymeal long hit a 4-½ year high, the cocoa position flipped back to long while buyers returned to coffee. What are we watching next? The calendar roll after a volatile 2022 Many long only equity funds have suffered their worst year since 2008, and “balanced” stock-bond funds have put in their worst year in modern memory on the surge in bond yields this year that has seen the 2022 calendar year providing nowhere for the passive investor to run and hide. On the flip side, some hedge funds and volatility traders enjoyed the market environment of the last 12 months. As we wind down 2022, note that new themes can quickly develop in 2023, as many have closed their books on taking risk as liquidity thins out for the holiday time frame and may be set to put on significant risk on the rollover into the New Year. Earnings to watch This week’s earnings focus is Nike, FedEx, and Carnival which we previewed in the earnings watch note on Friday. The bar is set high for Nike earnings as sell-side analysts have recently hiked their price target on the stock and increased their expectations for 2023 on margins. Today’s earnings focus is HEICO which sells aerospace products to the airline industry and defense contractors. Analysts expect FY22 Q4 (ending 31 October) revenue growth of 18% y/y and EPS of $0.70 up 12% y/y. Today: HEICO Tuesday: Nike, FedEx, General Mills, FactSet Research Systems Wednesday: Toro, Micron Technology, Cintas, Carnival Thursday: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Dec. IFO Survey 1330 – Canada Nov. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1500 – US Dec. NAHB Housing Market Index Bank of Japan meeting (Asian hours Tuesday)   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 19, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    CHF/JPY Hits Fresh All-Time High in Strong Bullish Uptrend

    The Disney Challenges Now Belong To Iger, Ford And Arguments For A New Trial In A Truck Overturning Case

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 19.12.2022 11:48
    The issue of roof strength in rollover accidents has been the subject of much contention in the automotive industry for several decades, prompting lawsuits against many automakers, including Ford. Ford and new trial? Ford on Monday to present arguments for a new trial in a truck overturning case. If granted a new trial, Ford plans to provide evidence that the roofs used on these trucks were safe by design. The lawsuit in Georgia stems from a 2014 rollover accident that killed an elderly couple driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the victims were crushed inside the truck when the roof collapsed during the incident. In the spring of 2014, Melvin and Voncile Hill - a couple who had been married for 48 years - were driving their 2002 Ford F-250 pickup truck from their farm in Georgia when a tire burst, causing the truck to overturn. Ford introduced a new line of heavy trucks in the late 1990s, a design that included the F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks, models of various displacements that are among the largest and heaviest cars. Ford disputed Georgia's $1.7 billion verdict, saying the trucks were safe and the roof in question was stronger than the competition. The company also argued that other factors could cause injuries in the event of a violent rollover. Ford's lawyers argued that the tire fitted to the pair's truck had the wrong load capacity, causing it to burst. Read next: Elon Musk Has Reinstated The Twitter Accounts Of Several Journalists | According To Jim Cramer, Caterpillar Stocks, Illinois Tool Works And CSX Are Noteworthy| FXMAG.COM For nearly two decades, Ford has settled dozens of similar lawsuits brought by plaintiffs alleging that people were killed or seriously injured in a truck overturn that caused the roof to collapse. A point of contention was the roof strength of older Super Duty pickup models sold by the company for roughly 17 years. Of these lawsuits, 43 were settled in contracts where terms were largely kept secret or not made public, according to court records and plaintiffs' attorneys involved in the cases. The lawsuits are similar in that they relate to heavy-duty trucks sold by Ford from model years 1999 to 2016 under its Super Duty line. Ford ended the week in the red despite the company announcing some major news this week. Its F-150 Lightning EV received the prestigious MotorTrend Truck of the Year award for 2023 earlier this week. Shares have fallen to near daily lows. On the Pre-Market, stocks showed a slight increase to 12.22$ Disney: about how Iger replaced his successor The former Disney chairman and CEO, who led the company for 15 years, stayed with the company long after Chapek took over the top job in February 2020. That Iger was unhappy with Chapek is well known. Iger, then still under contract as executive chairman, did not move out of the office he had at Disney's headquarters in Burbank, California. He called strategic meetings with Chapek's subordinates without inviting the new CEO. In late 2021, Mr. Iger finally left Disney after postponing his retirement four times over the years. His comeback began with a call 11 months later on November 16. For nearly three years, Iger's chosen successor at Disney, Bob Chapek, has faced one crisis after another: a pandemic that closed theme parks and movie theaters, a bitter battle with the Florida governor, and a previously unreported board clash with his chief financial officer. One by one, Chapek lost the support of Disney fans, studio talent, executives, employees, Wall Street, and finally the company's board of directors. B. Chapek's presentation showed a loss of $1.47 billion in Disney's streaming division. McCarthy, Disney's chief financial officer, was fed up with Chapek's performance and leadership. McCarthy called to ask Iger if he would consider returning. He said yes. Two days later, CEO Susan Arnold offered him the job, knowing he was likely to take it. The move ended a years-long power struggle worthy of a company known as the leading storyteller in the entertainment industry. The Disney challenges now belong to Iger. Stocks are at their lowest level in nearly three years. In discussions with investors following Iger's return, Disney's directors of investor relations described the company's status as weak. And in the last month they will write off the year for the continuation of the downward trend. Source: wsj.com
    Oil Prices Soar on Prospect of Soft Landing, Eyes Set on $80 Breakout

    On The New York Stock Exchange, Most Of Securities Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 20.12.2022 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.49% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 0.90%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.49%.  Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which gained 0.27 points (0.69%) to close at 39.32. Chevron Corp rose 1.16 points or 0.69% to close at 169.88. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 0.77 points or 0.60% to close at 130.06. The least gainers were Walt Disney Company, which shed 4.30 points or 4.77% to end the session at 85.78. Nike Inc was up 2.74% or 2.90 points to close at 103.05, while Home Depot Inc was down 1.86% or 6.01 points to close at 317. 33.  S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were NRG Energy Inc, which rose 1.58% to 31.54, Wells Fargo & Company, which gained 1.53% to close at 41.82. as well as Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, which rose 1.48% to end the session at 151.45. The least gainers were Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which shed 6.66% to close at 9.25. Shares of Under Armor Inc A shed 6.01% to end the session at 9.54. Quotes of CarMax Inc decreased in price by 5.45% to 58.09. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 268.07% to hit 234.83, Axcella Health Inc, which gained 165.27% to close at 0.43, and also shares of Soleno Therapeutics Inc, which rose 103.86% to end the session at 1.85. Shares of Cosmos Holdings Inc became the drop leaders, which fell in price by 67.01%, closing at 7.59. Shares of Pingtan Marine Enterprise Ltd shed 11.72% to end the session at 0.58. Quotes of Schmitt Industries Inc decreased in price by 44.88% to 0.46. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2222) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (876), while quotes of 90 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,698 companies fell in price, 1,051 rose, and 177 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.93% to 22.41. Gold Gold futures for February delivery lost 0.21%, or 3.85, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 1.85%, or 1.38, to $75.84 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery rose 1.45%, or 1.15, to $80.19 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.21% to 1.06, while USD/JPY rose 0.19% to hit 136.95. Futures on the USD index practically did not change 0.00% to 104.33 Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-21 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/305503
    The Results Of The March Meeting Of The Bank Of Japan Are Rather Symbolic

    The Bank Of Japan Remains Focused On Achieving Wage Inflation | European Nations' Deal To Cap Natural Gas Prices at €180 Per MWh

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.12.2022 08:55
    Summary:  US equities declined on rise in bond yield with noted weaknesses in big tech, even though the USD remained range-bound. The announcement from the Bank of England to include long-maturity gilts in the winding down of QE portfolio in Q1 pushed up yields. Bank of Japan decision will the focus today in Asia, along with China’s Loan Prime Rates, and the US PCE is due later in the week. Earnings from Nike and Fedex today may give investors insights into consumer spending and global economic activities. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) were dragged down by higher bond yields and tech weaknesses U.S. equities declined for a fourth consecutive session. Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.4% and S&P 500 was 0.9% lower on Monday. All sectors, except energy, within the S&P 500 declined, led by communication services, consumer discretionary, and information technology. The 10bp jump in the 10-year yield weighed on growth stocks. The NAHB Housing Market Index plunged to 31, approaching the March 2020 Covid-19 recession low. Key U.S. stock movers Warner Brothers (WBD:xnas), down 6.6%, Meta (META:xnas), down 4.1%, and Amazon (AMZN:xnas) were among the top losers in the Nasdaq 100. Warner Brothers said the entertainment company is to record a large restructuring charge. Meta was hit by news that the European Union antitrust regulators were probing the company for allegedly unfairly squeezing out rivals. Walt Disney (DIS) slid 4.8% after releasing the debut weekend box office of Avatar: the Way of Water, below expectations. Supported by the possibility that Musk stepping down from Twitter, the shares of Tesla were little changed despite general market weakness and a probe by German prosecutors on suspected illegal storage of hazardous materials. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) cheapened as UK yields surged on BOE QT The surge in yield across the pond in the U.K. and Eurozone dragged U.S. Treasury yields higher, with the yield on 2-year notes 8bps higher to 4.26% and that on 10-year notes up 10bps to 3.58%. At the futures trading pits, large selling was on the 10-year (ZNH3) and the ultra 10-year (TNH3) contracts. The 2-10-year curve steepened by 3bps to -68bps. The move was triggered by a 17bp jump in the yield on the U.K. 10-year Gilts after the Bank of England announced the Q1 2023 bond selling schedule for its Asset Purchase Facility portfolio (i.e. bonds accumulated during QE) starting from January 9, 2023, in five auctions for a total of GBP9.75 billion, dividing equally in short, medium, and long-maturity bonds (including the first time). Adding further to the upward pressure on yields were the remarks from ECB’s Simkus and Guindos on more 50bp rate hikes in the Eurozone. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) slid on surge of Covid cases in mainland China Hong Kong and Chinese stocks pared all the early gains and finished the session lower as investors turned cautious following media reports of rises in Covid inflections and death tolls across large cities in China. The lack of commitment to more large-scale economic stimulus measures from the Central Economic Work Conference was considered underwhelming by investors who had higher expectations ahead of the meeting. The positive development of shifting to a more conciliatory stance towards the private sector was buried in the risk-off sentiment. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), and Meituan (03690:xhkg) gained between 0.7% and 1.7%. Online healthcare providers were among the largest losers, Alibaba Heath (00241:xhkg), JD Health (06618:xhkg), and Ping An Healthcare tumbled by 4% to 8%. Chinese pharmaceuticals and Macao casino operators were among the largest losers. In A-shares, pharmaceutical and biotech names led the decline while the new energy space bucked the broad market and rise. FX: Dollar range-bound ahead of key PCE data this week The US dollar saw mild selling on Monday in thin markets and lack of any tier 1 data or Fed speak. Focus remains on US PCE data due later in the week which remains the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. EURUSD rose above 1.06 again supported by hawkish commentary from ECB's Kazmir. Kazmir noted rates will not only need to go to restrictive territory but they will need to stay there much longer, noting inflation requires a strong policy response. Meanwhile, Germany's IFO Business climate data came in better than expected on the headline, led by a rise in both expectations and current conditions. USDJPY saw a modest uptick to 137+ levels in the Asian morning hours on Tuesday as the BOJ policy announcement was awaited, and expected to remain dovish (read preview below). GBPUSD testing a break below 1.2150 following the BOE’s long-end QT announcement. AUDUSD was little changed ahead of the RBA minutes. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices modestly higher Crude oil prices continue to find it challenging to balance the varied narrative around the demand outlook. China demand faces short-term headwinds as the Covid wave spreads, but is likely poised for a rebound in the medium term as authorities remain committed to driving up consumption recovery. Meanwhile, global demand outlook faces headwinds amid the massive tightening seen by global central banks this year. Supply side volatilities also persist with US refilling its SPR and sanctions on Russian oil. Crude oil prices were slightly higher, with WTI futures above $75/barrel and Brent futures getting close to $80.   What to consider? BOE announces restart of long-end bond selling, triggering another sell-off in Gilts After pausing the sales of long-end bonds recently to help the market to stabilize after the September rout, the Bank of England has announced that it will now start selling evenly across short, medium and long maturity bonds starting from Jan 9, as part of its QT. 2yr gilt yields up 20bps and 10yr up 17bps. Still, gilt yields are well below the peaks near 5% struck in late September and early October, when prices slumped in response to plans for tax cuts and extra spending from former British Prime Minister Liz Truss's short-lived government. Further pressure on gilts cannot be ignored as BOE likely to raise rates by another 50bps at the Feb 3 meeting. EU energy ministers lower gas price cap European nations reached a deal to cap natural gas prices at €180 per MWh, in a measure that will be applicable for a year from Feb 15. The price cap is significantly lower than an earlier proposal by the European Commission, and will only take effect if the benchmark Dutch TTF gas prices are above €180 per megawatt-hour, and their price difference with global LNG prices is greater than €35 per megawatt-hour. While this may take the immediate pressure off the consumers who are reeling under the energy crisis, we think price caps rarely work and only transfer the pressure somewhere else. Watch for Bank of Japan’s policy review hints The Bank of Japan is set to announce its policy decision today, and no change is expected in its monetary policy stance. The BOJ is expected to keep rates unchanged at -0.1% while maintaining its cap on the 10-Year JGB at 0.25%. Even as inflation increased to 3.6% YoY in October, the BOJ remains focused on achieving wage inflation before it considers a shift in policy stance. However, keep an eye out for any comments about a monetary policy review, which can trigger a strong JPY correction. There have been some mentions by BOJ members regarding a review of how monetary policy is conducted, they have generally been dismissed. While the timeline is still expected to be closer or after Governor Kuroda’s retirement in spring, any notes on who will succeed him or what policy change can be expected would be critical. US December NAHB housing market index slips further The NAHB housing index fell for a 12th straight month from 84 in December 2021 to 31 this month. However, the rate of decline moderated to its slowest in 6 months, indicating that we are possibly nearing the bottom of the cycle for builder sentiment. Of the index’s three components, current sales conditions fell 3 points to 36, buyer traffic was unchanged at 20, but sales expectations in the next six months increased 4 points to 35, also indicating an improved outlook. Better German business climate than expected in December The headline German IFO business climate index, which is based on 9,000 monthly survey responses from firms in the manufacturing, service sector, trade and construction, was out better than expected in December. It climbed to 88.6 versus prior 86.3 and expected 87.2. The current economic assessment and the expectations also improved to 94.4 and 83.2, respectively. Companies are slightly less pessimistic about the macroeconomic trajectory. Though a recession is certainly unavoidable in Germany, the impact of the energy crisis has been so far more limited than initially feared. On a flip note, ECB policymaker Gediminas Simkus, who serves as the Chairman of the Bank of Lithuania, indicated that a 50 basis points rate hike in February is a done-deal. This is aligned with comments from ECB president Christine Lagarde at last week’s ECB press conference. The market reaction was muted. Nike and FedEx earnings on watch today Recently sell-side analysts have raised their price targets on Nike (NKE:xnys), citing potential margin recovery. The sportswear giant reports FY23 Q2 (ending Nov 30, 2022) today and the street consensus is expecting its revenue to grow 11% Y/Y to USD12.6 billion. Peter Garnry suggests in his note that the focus will be on the outlook for the holiday season quarter ending in February 2023 which can give investors some ideas if consumers are still keeping up their spending on discretionary items. Analysts covering Nike seem more optimistic about consumer spending in 2023 than the US bank CEOs who recently suggested that US consumer spending has been coming down. FedEx (FDX:xnys) earnings are also key to watch today. FedEx is now on the other side of the pandemic boom in logistics and expectations for revenue growth have collapsed to zero revenue growth over the next two quarters which in real terms are very low given the inflation. This means that the bar is set low for FedEx when its earnings hit the wire today.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Markets grinding lower; BOE to restart long-end QT; Eyes on BOJ – 20 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Despite The Improvement In The Outlook Due To Falling Energy Prices, The Economic Environment In Britain Remains Difficult

    The Bank Of England Will Now Start Selling Bonds | A Shift In Bank Of Japan Policy Overnight

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.12.2022 09:08
    Summary:  The Bank of Japan surprised global markets overnight with a tweak to their yield curve control policy that came as a large shock to currency traders and even shook risk sentiment more broadly. Not only did the JPY surge broadly, especially against non-USD major currencies, but global yields jumped on the news as yields on Japanese government bonds rose in step-wise fashion on the shift higher in the yield cap on 10-year JGB’s from 0.25% to 0.50%.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) After a weak session yesterday that saw the major indices losing about a percent, futures traded lower still overnight after the Bank of Japan decision to tweak its policy (more below) took US long yields sharply higher overnight. The next technical focus lower could be the 61.8% retracement of the rally from the October low – which is at a rather lower level for the cash index at 3,724 because the wild spike higher in US equity futures on the CPI release last week was not traded in the cash market. Equity traders will keep at least one eye on treasury yields after the surge overnight. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) STOXX 50 futures are some 1.5% lower this morning from yesterday’s close after the surprise BoJ policy shift overnight cratered sentiment and have tumbled over 5% since the ECB’s hawkish meeting last week. The next technical focus lower could be the 200-day moving average, which for the cash index comes in near 3,675. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Overnight U.S. stock market weaknesses, concerns about spreading of Covid-19, and the upward adjustment of yield cap by the Bank of Japan contributed to the risk-off sentiment in the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stock markets.  Both the Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index plunged around 2%. Technology stocks underperformed. Hang Seng TECH Index tumbled 4%, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Tencent (00700:xhkg) dropping by more than 4% and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) tumbling more than 8%. Placement of shares at discount from two Hong Kong listed Chinese developers weighed on the property sector. Chinese banks fixed their 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates unchanged. FX: BoJ move sees massive JPY surge, particularly in the crosses The market was surprised to see a shift in BoJ policy overnight, as Governor Kuroda and company shifted the cap on the 10-year JGB to 0.50% from 0.25%, even as they left the base policy rate of -0.10% alone. The move took the JPY sharply higher, with USDJPY trading some 3% lower to new cycle lows below 133.00, while non-USD JPY crosses surged somewhat more as the BoJ’s move triggered a global surge in bond yields and took risk appetite down a few notches, helping support the US dollar elsewhere. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices modestly higher Crude oil prices continue to find it challenging to balance the varied narrative around the demand outlook. China demand faces short-term headwinds as the Covid wave spreads but is likely poised for a rebound in the medium term as authorities remain committed to driving up consumption recovery. Meanwhile, global demand outlook faces headwinds amid the massive tightening seen by global central banks this year. Supply side volatilities also persist with US refilling its SPR and sanctions on Russian oil with a government response close to being completed. In week to Dec 13 funds cut bullish Brent and WTI bets to lowest since April 2020 and it highlights the risk of large price swings as the short-term outlook remains very clouded. Crude oil prices were slightly higher, with WTI futures above $75/barrel and Brent futures getting close to $80. Gold (XAUUSD) maintains a bid near $1800 ... after Bank of Japan’s surprise tweak of its yield cap sent mixed signals for bullion as the dollar dropped and bond yields rose. Overall, however, the prospect of higher yields in Japan following years of artificially low rates could potentially be seen as gold negative given that the BOJ’s steadfast commitment to defending its 10-year yield cap has served as an anchor indirectly helping keep borrowing costs low around the world. Since the current run up in gold started in early November, the price has not dipped below its 21-day moving average, today at $1777. With momentum showing signs of slowing a break below may signal a period of consolidation ahead of yearend while a close above $1815 is needed for that risk to fade. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) drop on BOE and BOJ actions The surge in yield across the pond in the U.K. and Eurozone as well as the surprise announcement from the BOJ that it will lift the yield cap on 10-year JGB’s from 25 bps to 50 bps has driven U.S. Treasury yields higher, with the yield on 2-year notes rising to 4.27% and that on 10-year notes to 3.68%. In futures, large selling was seen on the 10-year (ZNH3) and the ultra-10-year (TNH3) contracts. The 2-10-year curve steepened to -60bps from the recent peak at -84bps. The move was supported on Monday by a 17bp jump in the yield on the U.K. 10-year Gilts after the Bank of England announced the Q1 2023 bond selling schedule for its Asset Purchase Facility portfolio. What is going on? Bank of Japan surprises with lift of yield cap on 10-year JGB’s The BoJ left the policy rate unchanged at -0.10%, but lifted the cap on 10-year JGB’s to 0.50% from 0.25%, triggering an avalanche of JGB selling that immediately took the 10-year JGB yields close to the new target. The market was caught very off-guard despite recent rumblings that the BoJ would likely eventually shift policy. Most observers assessed, given Governor Kuroda’s constant stout defense of the BoJ’s policy mix, that a change to BoJ policy would take place after Kuroda’s exit on April 8 of next year. This decision overnight finally shows a willingness to move that will have the market more likely to anticipate follow up moves after next April, even hikes of the policy rate. For now, this decision took the JPY some 3% higher overnight and sent global bond yields sharply higher and risk sentiment broadly lower as the tightening move comes at a time when many other central banks are shifting to a deceleration of their respective tightening regimes. Better German business climate than expected in December The headline German IFO business climate index, which is based on 9,000 monthly survey responses from firms in the manufacturing, service sector, trade and construction, was out better than expected in December. It climbed to 88.6 versus the prior 86.3 and expected 87.2. The current economic assessment and the expectations also improved to 94.4 and 83.2, respectively. Companies are slightly less pessimistic about the macroeconomic trajectory. Though a recession is certainly unavoidable in Germany, the impact of the energy crisis has been so far more limited than initially feared. On a flip note, ECB policymaker Gediminas Simkus, who serves as the Chairman of the Bank of Lithuania, indicated that a 50-basis points rate hike in February is a done deal. This is aligned with comments from ECB president Christine Lagarde at last week’s ECB press conference. US December NAHB housing market index slips further The NAHB housing index fell for a 12th straight month from 84 in December 2021 to 31 this month. However, the rate of decline moderated to its slowest in 6 months, indicating that we are possibly nearing the bottom of the cycle for builder sentiment. Of the index’s three components, current sales conditions fell 3 points to 36, buyer traffic was unchanged at 20, but sales expectations in the next six months increased 4 points to 35, also indicating an improved outlook. BOE announces restart of long-end bond selling, triggering another sell-off in Gilts After pausing the sales of long-end bonds recently to help the market to stabilize after the September rout, the Bank of England has announced that it will now start selling evenly across short, medium and long maturity bonds starting from Jan 9, as part of its QT. 2yr gilt yields up 20bps and 10yr up 17bps. Still, gilt yields are well below the peaks near 5% struck in late September and early October, when prices slumped in response to plans for tax cuts and extra spending from former British Prime Minister Liz Truss's short-lived government. Further pressure on gilts cannot be ignored as BOE likely to raise rates by another 50bps at the Feb 3 meeting. European nations reached a deal to cap natural gas prices at €180/MWh The deal that will apply for one year from February 15 have no impact on markets this winter given the timing of the implementation and ample supply with stock levels still up 290 TWh year-on-year, the equivalent of 39 days of peak winter demand. The Dutch TTF benchmark gas contract trades near €100/MWh in response to milder weather during the next week and increased power production from renewables reducing demand for gas. The price of gas for the winter 2023/24 period meanwhile has slumped to €110, further reducing the outlook for economic pain next year. Gas consumption in Europe is set to shrink by more than 50 billion cubic meters in 2022, a 12-15% drop and “the sharpest decline in history,” led by price-driven demand destruction and mild weather according to Bloomberg Intelligence. What are we watching next? Follow-on from Bank of Japan move overnight The Bank of Japan move overnight was an uncomfortable one for global markets as it sent global bond yields sharply higher, including the US 10-year yield, which jumped over 10 basis points at one point overnight. Yields also rose elsewhere and this sudden new development in less liquid markets here toward the end of the calendar year could aggravate volatility risks across equity and bond markets. Earnings to watch The bar is set high for Nike earnings as sell-side analysts have recently hiked their price target on the stock and increased their expectations for 2023 on margins. The stock recently tried to retake the 200-day moving average above 110.00, but that effort failed and closed yesterday near 103 ahead of today’s earnings report after today’s close. FedEx will also report after the close. Today: Nike, FedEx, General Mills, FactSet Research Systems Wednesday: Toro, Micron Technology, Cintas, Carnival Thursday: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US Nov. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1330 – Canada Oct. Retail Sales 1500 – Eurozone Dec. Consumer Confidence 2100 – New Zealand Dec. ANZ Consumer Confidence 2130 – API's Weekly Report on US Crude and Fuel Inventories  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 20, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    UK Manufacturing Surge Lifts Q2 Growth: Insights and Outlook

    The FCC Seeks More Than $200 Million From Four Cellphone Carriers

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 20.12.2022 10:50
    Federal Communications Commission law enforcement has ordered the country's top mobile operators to pay more than $200 million in fines for allegedly mishandling sensitive location data. AT&T, T-Mobile among companies facing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines, though likely to fight decision. Cellphone carriers facing roughly millions in fines The Federal Communications Commission is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in fines from the country’s top cellphone carriers after officials found the companies failed to safeguard information about customers’ real-time locations. The penalties remained in limbo until August, when Rosenworcel moved to enforce them. Some privacy advocates criticized the FCC's actions as being overdue. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, in August circulated four forfeiture orders penalizing AT&T Inc., Sprint, T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. for allegedly mishandling access to the real-time whereabouts of their subscribers. Cell phone companies need to know the coordinates of their subscribers to direct calls and data to the right place. This gives them a more consistent view of customer movements than app developers who use global positioning systems, Wi-Fi and other data sources that users can disable via smartphone settings. Wireless carriers also sell anonymous location data to marketers. The U.S. telecom regulator currently has four commissioners—two Democrats and two Republicans—and needs at least three votes to move forward with fines it proposed years ago on the biggest wireless-service providers. The FCC can’t issue the orders without approval from at least three commissioners. The FCC first outlined the penalties for cellphone carriers in early 2020. Read next:EUR/USD Pair Looks Reasonably Well Supported | The Japanese Yen Galloped Higher In The Morning| FXMAG.COM The commission investigated mobile operators after public reports that data brokers with access to subscribers' real-time locations were sharing this information with dozens of third-party companies allegedly mishandling the data. Cellphone carriers facing roughly $200 million in fines. The FCC said the proposed penalty amounts reflect the length of time each carrier shared information without appropriate safeguards and the number of entities that had access to the data. The FCC has not offered any settlements to the carriers, one person said. This could prompt some carriers to fight the allegations against them through the commission's administrative process. T-Mobile said that it would contest the regulators’ findings. AT&T shares were down 4.1%. Calling the telecom's gains over the past few months a "dramatic bounce," analyst Craig Moffett said he thinks AT&T is now overvalued. He sees rival Verizon as the better pick of the two, though he believes T-Mobile is the best of the three main U.S. carriers. The telecommunications industry is not known for its staggering growth, but according to specialists, T-Mobile should see a significant acceleration in free cash flow next year. That's because 2022 should mark the peak of T-Mobile's integration spending after the 2020 acquisition of Sprint. This merger gave T-Mobile an advantage in the mid-range 5G band, catapulting T-Mobile's network ahead of its rivals. This is a contrast to the 4G era, in which T-Mobile was a network straggler. AT&T still has massive debt on its balance sheet, finished third quarter with debt of $134 billion and goodwill of $93 billion. Verizon's business during this period is simpler and unchanged as it did not make the same major changes as AT&T. But these companies are now easier to compare, and each focuses primarily on Internet and phone plans. Keep in mind that AT&T and Verizon are not fast-growing tech companies; they are mature companies. Source: wsj.com
    Wage agreement may be game-changing in a way. First meeting of the new BoJ Governor Ueda takes place on April 28th

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Bank Of Japan Shocking Markets, The Japanese Yen Rose

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.12.2022 12:27
    Summary:  Today we look at the Bank of Japan shocking markets overnight with a surprise shift in its yield-curve-control policy, as it lifted the cap on 10-year JGB's to 50 basis points from 25 basis points. The JPY rose in stepwise fashion together with the jump in longer Japanese yields and global yields were also impacted, taking risk sentiment lower. In commodities, we discuss metals and natural gas. In equities, we discuss the outlook for European defense stocks, including Rheinmetall and cover upcoming earnings reports from Nike, where the bar of market expectations looks high, and from FedEx, where the bar of expectations is quite low. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Bank of Japan roils markets with a surprise policy tweak | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The USD/JPY Price Seems To Be Optimistic

    The Japanese Yen (JPY) Soared More Than 3% Versus Major Currencies

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.12.2022 09:23
    Summary:  The top story of the day was the unexpected decision from the Bank of Japan to raise its cap on the 10-year government bond yield to 0.50% from 0.25%. The Yen jumped versus all major currencies and strengthened by 3.7% to 131.80 versus the U.S. dollar. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield surged 10bps to 3.68% while the S&P 500 managed to snap a four-day losing streak to finish slightly firmer. In extended-hour trading, Nike and FedEx gained on earnings beats. Chinese and Hong Kong stocks declined in a risk-off session. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished the session mixed S&P 500 pared the post-BOJ upward yield cap adjustment loss and managed to snap a four-day losing streak to finish 0.1% higher on Tuesday. Nasdaq 100 edged down by 0.1%. Energy, rising 1.5%, was the top gainer within the S&P500 as the WTI crude gained 1%. Consumer discretionary, dropping by 1.1%, was the biggest losing sector. On single stocks, Tesla (TSLA:xnas) was the biggest loser within both the S&P500 and Nasdaq 100. The electric vehicle maker tumbled 8% on Tuesday, following analyst downgrades. The stock shed 23.8% in December, significantly underperforming the 3.8% decline in Nasdaq 100 and the 3.4% loss in S&P 500. Nike (NKE:xnys) jumped nearly 12% in the extended-hour trading after the sportswear company reported revenue and earnings beats. Yields on 5-30-year US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) surged on the hawkish BOJ surprise From the Intermediate through the long-maturity Treasuries sold off on the Bank of Japan’s decision to move its cap on 10-year Japanese government yields to 0.5% from 0.25%. Large blocks selling came in the five-year and 10-year futures contracts. The 10-year yield jumped 10bps to 3.68%, breaking the upper bound (in yield) of the trading range in December. Yields on the 2-year, anchored by the Fed’s rate path, finished the session unchanged. The 2-10-year yield curve steepened by 9bps to 58bps. The housing data released on Tuesday was mixed. Housing starts shrank by 0.5% M/M, less than the -1.8% expected but housing permits were down 11.2% M/M in November, much weaker than the -2.1% consensus in the Bloomberg survey. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) declined in a risk-off day Overnight U.S. stock market weaknesses, concerns about the spreading of Covid-19 in mainland China, and the upward adjustment the of yield cap by the Bank of Japan contributed to the risk-off sentiment in the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stock markets.  Hang Seng Index declined 1.3% and CSI300 Index plunged 1.7%. Technology stocks underperformed. Hang Seng TECH Index tumbled 3.1%, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Tencent (00700:xhkg) dropping by around 3.4% each and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) tumbling 6.7%. Placement of shares at discount from two Hong Kong-listed Chinese developers, Agile (03383:xhkg) down 17.4%, and CIFI (00884:xhkg) down 16.5% weighed on the property sector. Country Garden (02007:xhkg) shed 8.8%. FX: USDJPY tumbled 3.7% to 131.80 on BOJ’s 25-bp hike to the 10-year JGB cap The Bank of Japan surprised with a 25 basis point hike to the 10-year JGB cap, even as Governor Kuroda tried to ease the impact of the move on markets in his post-meeting press conference with statements suggesting that was “not a rate hike” and that it is too early to consider a general exit from or review of its Yield Curve Control (YCC) policy framework. USDJPY shed 3.7% to 131.80. The Japanese Yen soared more than 3% versus major currencies. Saxo’s Head of FX Strategy, John Hardy notes that the scale of the JPY reaction and its more than 12% rally off the lows against the US dollar, together with far lower commodity prices help ensure that we are very unlikely to see further policy tweaks under Governor Kuroda’s leadership. The ability of the JPY to continue higher after this step-wise reset will depend on the follow-up direction in global yields. FedEx (FDX:xnys) surged 4.3% in the extended hours on results beating earnings estimates. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) bounced on API inventory drawdown WTI crude oil gained 1% to USD76.1 as the American Petroleum Institute (API) said crude oil inventories in the U.S. dropped by 3.1 million barrels last week. What to consider? BOJ’s surprise policy tweak Bank of Japan tweaked its long-held Yield Curve Control (YCC) policy in a surprise announcement after the December 19-20 meeting. The central bank widened the band in which it would allow rates for 10-year Japanese government bonds to move to -/+ 0.5% from -/+ 0.25% previously. The rest of the monetary policy levers were left unchanged, including the 10-year target still being held at 0%. In her notes, Charu Chanana suggests that the run higher in Japanese yields is likely to create further volatility in global equity and bond markets. As the market once again pressures the BOJ to move towards an eventual exit, the short JGB or long yen trades could potentially have more room to run. This is not just yen positive, but also negative for foreign assets. In terms of equities, this could mean a favourable stance towards Japanese financials vs. exporters and technology companies. For more details about the BOJ policy change, please refer to Charu’s notes. Results from Nike and FedEx beat expectations Nike reported results from FY23 Q2, that ended on Nov 30, beating analyst estimates in sales and margins. Adjusted EPS came in at USD0.85, well above the US0.65 forecasted by analysts. Although inventories increased by 43% Y/Y, the management attributed the buildup to “abnormally low levels” resulting from supply chain disruption a year earlier. The company’s management gave an upbeat assessment of the holiday season sales momentum. FedEx reported FY23 Q2 Adjusted EPS at USD3.18, beating the USD2.8 expected. The positive surprise resulted from a combination of price increases and cost cuts despite a decline in package volume. The logistics giant guided an additional USD1 billion of projected cost cuts in fiscal 2023.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: – Yen soared to 131.80 versus the dollar and global bond yields rose after the BOJ raised its yield cap on 10-year bonds - 21 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities: In The Near Term The Oil Market Remains Relatively Well Supplied

    OPEC+ Will Remain Proactive And Pre-emptive In Managing The Global Oil Market

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.12.2022 09:27
    Summary:  The US equity market found its feet again yesterday, pulling itself off the lowest levels in over a month and closing approximately unchanged as traders mull whether there is more to wring out of this calendar year before capital is put to work in the New Year. The soaring JPY found resistance ahead of 130.00 in USDJPY, with higher US global yields pushing back against further upside after the big reset higher for the yen. Elsewhere, gold has pulled up to cycle highs.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rebounded yesterday from the intraday lows of 3,803 and the rebound has continued this morning with the index futures trading around the 3,867 level. Nike posted stronger than expected earnings and an optimistic outlook for the new year bolstering the view that US consumer spending is still going strong. Tesla is a key stock to watch today as shares were down 8% yesterday despite a positive session suggesting big flows are adjusting the price to the new reality of lower EV demand and demanding prices input materials for batteries. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks started the session firmer but fizzled out and were about flat at the time of writing. Chinese property developers continued to trade weak after recent rounds of placements and headlines in state-owned media reiterating the “housing is not for speculation” rhetoric. Tech names outperformed with Hang Seng TECH Index climbed 0.6%. In A-shares, consumption, lodging, and banking stocks gained while solar, auto and machinery underperformed. FX: JPY finds resistance as global yields reset higher There is some irony at work here as global yields jumped on the Bank of Japan decision to reset the yield cap on 10-year JGB’s to 0.50% yesterday, in that global yields reset higher. But if the BoJ is seen standing pat with its new policy, any further rise in yields can also serve to push back against follow-on JPY strength after the one-off reset (for now, at least.) that fell short of taking 130.00 to the downside in USDJPY before a significant bounce from yesterday’s lows. Elsewhere, the USD is mixed and not the focus, stuck in a tight range versus the euro, but with EURUSD having run out of upside momentum. Elsewhere in G10, the Aussie rallied against a weak NZD as another New Zealand confidence survey, the ANZ Consumer Confidence, slipped badly to 73.8 versus 80.7 and far and away the worst reading of the survey since its inception in 2004. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOG3) holds onto its recent gains ... supported by a drop in US crude stocks, data pointing to a notably drop in Russian seaborne oil shipments this month and Saudi Arabia warning that OPEC+ will remain proactive and pre-emptive in managing the global oil market. Having been vindicated in the necessity of their November production cut as demand slowed, the comment from the Saudi oil minister points to a soft floor under the market below which additional cuts could be implemented if necessary to support the price. The risk of large price swings as liquidity dries up ahead of yearend cannot be ignored with focus today on EIA’s stock report. Crude oil prices were slightly higher, with WTI futures above $76/barrel and Brent futures above $80. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) surged higher on Tuesday ... after the Bank of Japan surprised the market by revising its yield-curve-control policy. The move saw the dollar weaken sharply against the Japanese yen while an accompanying rise in bond yields played no role as a potential headwind. Silver reached an eight-month high before running into some profit taking while gold closed saw its highest close since June above $1800. The extent of the move surprised the market and may signal some trigger happy investors not waiting for the new year to get involved amid expectations for an investment metal friendly 2023.  Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) surged on the hawkish BOJ surprise From the Intermediate through the long-maturity Treasuries sold off on the Bank of Japan’s decision to move its cap on 10-year Japanese government yields to 0.5% from 0.25%. Large block selling came in the five-year and 10-year futures contracts. The 10-year yield jumped 10bps to 3.68%, the highest close this month. Yields on the 2-year, anchored by the Fed’s rate path, finished the session unchanged. The 2-10-year yield curve steepened by 9bps to 58bps. The housing data released on Tuesday was mixed. Housing starts shrank by 0.5% M/M, less than the -1.8% expected but housing permits were down 11.2% M/M in November, much weaker than the -2.1% consensus in the Bloomberg survey. What is going on? Tesla shares slide another 8% even as Musk promises new Twitter CEO Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised to abide by the results of a Twitter poll to step down as the Twitter CEO, and yet the prospect of fewer distractions for Musk failed to help Tesla’s shares, which stumbled badly yesterday, also as two analysts cut their targets for the company. One could speculate that Elon Musk has engineered an escape route out of Twitter because things are deteriorating fast at Tesla and that Tesla is ultimately more important for his personal wealth and other money losing assets. Results from Nike and FedEx beat expectations Nike reported results from FY23 Q2, that ended on Nov 30, beating analyst estimates on sales and margins. Adjusted EPS came in at $0.85, well above the $0.65 forecasted by analysts. Although inventories increased by 43% y/y, the management attributed the buildup to “abnormally low levels” resulting from supply chain disruption a year earlier. Nike’s management gave an upbeat assessment of the holiday season sales momentum. FedEx reported FY23 Q2 Adjusted EPS at $3.18, beating the $2.8 expected. The positive surprise resulted from a combination of price increases and cost cuts despite a decline in package volume. The logistics giant guided an additional $1bn of projected cost cuts in fiscal 2023. Housing weakness continues in the United States Housing starts were mostly flat in November (minus 0.5 % month-over-month) while building permits continued to tumble (drop of 11.2 % month-over-month). Permits are now at their lowest level since June 2020. Many analysts consider that such a drop is consistent with an imminent recession. However, there are other signals showing the U.S. economy is still very resilient despite several headwinds (such as widespread inflation, tight labor market and high level of private debt). Nonetheless, we agree that the evolution of the housing market in the coming months will determine the pace of economic activity in the United States in 2023. This is the most important economic sector to monitor at the moment. What are we watching next? US Dec. Consumer Confidence This survey of US consumer confidence tends to correlate most closely with the labor market prospects in the US historically, although the impact of the massive inflation spike this year was felt in this survey during the spring and summer months despite the strong jobs market as confidence dropped from 128.9 in late 2021 to as low as 95.3 in July, before stabilizing, perhaps on gasoline prices in the US retreating sharply after June. The November survey came in at 100.2, a four-month low, and is expected flat at 101 for the December release later today. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Micron and Carnival. Analysts expect Micron to report FY23 Q1 (ending 30 November) negative revenue growth of 46% y/y and adjusted EPS of $-0.01 down from $2.10 a year ago. The memory chip industry is going a tough period with falling prices and lower demand. Carnival is still cruising the high wave of travel and leisure post the pandemic with FY23 Q4 (ending 30 November) revenue expected to increase 205% y/y but still delivering negative earnings with adjusted EPS expected at $-0.87 improving from $-1.72 a year ago. Today: Toro, Micron Technology, Cintas, Carnival Thursday: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – UK Dec. CBI Reported Sales 1330 – US Q3 Current Account 1330 – Canada Nov. CPI 1500 – US Nov. Existing Home Sales 1500 – US Dec. Consumer Confidence 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 21, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)  
    CHF/JPY Hits Fresh All-Time High in Strong Bullish Uptrend

    CEO Bob Chapek: "2022 Was A Strong Year For Disney"

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 21.12.2022 09:58
    "Avatar", which premiered in 2009, earned $2.74 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in history. It seemed that the latest instalment of this film, 'Avatar: The Way of Water', which is over three hours long, would be similarly or even more successful. The studio predicted that the film would earn between US$ 135 million and US$ 150 million on its opening weekend. In the meantime, it stood at around USD 100 million. Disney (Disney) shares have fallen by more than 4.5% since the beginning of the week. Is this a buying opportunity? History of the Walt Disney Company Disney is one of the world's most famous and respected entertainment companies, founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney. The company began as a small film studio, but quickly grew to produce animated films, television series and children's programmes. In 1955, Disney opened its first theme parks, Disneyland in California, and a few years later, in 1971, it opened Walt Disney World in Florida. Today, Disney owns several theme parks around the world, as well as many other companies in the entertainment industry, such as film studios, television and radio stations, and companies that produce toys and other children's products, valued for their quality and for inspiring and cheering up people around the world. In November 2019, the company launched the 'Disney+' streaming platform, which provides access to a variety of film and TV content. It includes films, series, TV shows and animation from a number of well-known brands such as Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Pixar. It appears that the company has now set its sights on significant growth on this platform. The service has more than 164.2 million subscribers compared to Netflix's (Netflix) 223 million subscriptions, which now seems to be the company's biggest competitor. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Netflix, Weekly Financial situation The company's revenue grew by 23% year-on-year. The number of new subscribers on the 'Disney+' platform grew by more than 39% year-on-year, compared to Netflix, for which this growth was 4.2% year-on-year. According to the company's CEO Bob Chapek: "2022 was a strong year for Disney. We saw sizable subscription growth in the fourth quarter, adding 14.6 million total subscriptions, including 12.1 million Disney+ subscribers. Disney+ in just three years since launch is a direct result of our strategic decision to invest heavily in creating incredible content and rolling out the service internationally, and we expect our DTC (direct-to-consumer) operating losses to narrow going forward and that Disney+could still achieve profitability in fiscal 2024, assuming we do not see a meaningful shift in the economic climate." It appears that Disney could not return to previous levels of profitability since the launch of the service. Currently, the company's net margin ratio is 3.8% (it was 22% in 2019) compared to Netflix's 16%. One could conclude that the company is currently focused on growing the platform even at the expense of profitability. However, it is hard to predict when this trend would change and what results we could expect. What does Wall Street think of Walt Disney's share price? According to the Market Screener portal, the company has 30 recommendations, and among them, the predominant one reads: "Buy". The average target price is set at USD 124.05, 44% below the last closing price. The highest target price is at USD 177 and the lowest is USD 94, which is below the last closing price. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Disney, Weekly Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    The ECB's Rate Hike: EUR/USD Rally in Question

    Nike Saw Strong Demand And Raised Its Revenue Forecast

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 21.12.2022 10:33
    Efforts by the sneaker giant to use discounts to clear excess merchandise. Nike raised its revenue forecast and said inventory challenges are diminishing, it raised its revenue forecast and said inventory challenges are diminishing. Consumer sentiment Analysts have been watching Nike and other retailers for progress in reducing inventory, as many Rising prices of food, fuel and many other goods and services weakened consumer sentiment. Shoppers buy but pay more for less goods. They also prioritize food purchases and other necessities over garden furniture and gadgets. Retailers are running overstock and cutting prices to free up space for holiday goods. Many companies have already lowered their profit expectations for this year and are working to reduce costs as consumers pull back spending in categories such as apparel and homeware ahead of the key year-end shopping season. Companies are trying to balance serving consumers who are willing to spend despite rising prices, while being sensitive to shoppers who need or want to be more budget conscious. As a result, retail executives and consultants are predicting the slowest November-January sales growth in years. Read next: The Bank Of Japan's Decision To Allow 10-Year Government Bonds Caused Turmoil In The Financial Markets, USD/JPY Trading Below 133| FXMAG.COM Nike deals better Nike is deviating from the trend, as the company's current results show. The company said second-quarter revenue was up 17% on a year-on-year basis and profits were about the same, a better result than analysts had expected, helping the stock gain more than 11% in trade outside working hours. Nike has reduced inventory levels from the first quarter, but they remain elevated. The company said its inventory was worth $9.3 billion in the quarter ended Nov. 30, up 43% over the previous year. Directors said they saw strong demand, but the company is aware that the economic woes facing consumers have not subsided. On top of that, Nike now expects full-year revenue to grow by a percent below teens, excluding currency fluctuations, up from its September forecast of low double-digit percentage growth. The most optimistic forecast reflects what Nike has seen from consumers starting in August through the first few weeks of December. The past For the past two years, supply chain turmoil has held back Nike's growth as the company has struggled with stock shortages due to Covid lockdowns and factory closures in Vietnam and China. The company then sought to increase orders to both meet consumer demand and stay ahead of transit constraints. Nike executives said the company began increasing discounts this summer, but was more aggressive in trying to get rid of items in the fall quarter. A year ago, Nike went from having a tight inventory and being able to charge full prices for its goods to having to reduce inventory in a market where products are sold at a discount. Some items can still be sold without significant discounts. As a result, sales in North America increased by 30% compared to the previous year. Retailers that sell Nike products, such as Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. and Foot Locker Inc., have reported better-than-expected sales in recent quarters, in part because they have had access to products that have been hard to come by for the past two years. Nike share price In the most recent quarter, Nike reported net income of $1.33 billion, or 85 cents a share, compared with $1.34 billion, or 83 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose to $13.32 billion from $11.36 billion a year earlier. Currently, the share price in December is even higher and exceeded 100. It seems that December will be the best month of this quarter due to the Christmas mood. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    The Outlook 2023: Which Scenarios For 2023 On Stocks And Indices?

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 21.12.2022 12:42
    2022 has been a volatile year for stock markets worldwide: with a 10-month decline and a recovery in the last two months, we are a long way from the highs. So what can we expect for 2023 on stocks and indices? Enjoy the viewing! 0:00 Intro 00:39 How severe is the 2022 bear market compared to previous bear markets? 1:35 How do our feelings change through an equity market cycle? 2:41 Being in drawdown is not unusual 4:23 Bear market comparisons: are we close to a bottom in equities, or do we have more to suffer? 5:29 The era of easy money is over! 7:16 What to expect next year regarding monetary policy and interest rates? 8:00 Why has inflation been so sticky? What could make inflation persist in 2023? 11:12 Best and worst sectors in case of a recession in 2023 14:05 Best trade idea for 2023   The second part of Outlook 2023: forex and commodities: https://youtu.be/kod851_Yx2Y Glenn began his investment management career in 1997 and has managed private client and family office wealth ever since. Glenn is the Founder & Managing Director of Harver Capital, an active macro investment manager at www.harvercapital.com. Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 at the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst at the London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as a Senior Analyst in 2020. #swissquote #investing #stockmarket #indices #bearmarket #inflation #tradingideas #spx #outlook #outlook2023 #recession _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars, and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    A Positive Close On The New York Stock Exchang, 2414 Securities Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 22.12.2022 08:00
    At the close of the day on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.60%, the S&P 500 rose 1.49%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 1.54%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Nike Inc, which gained 12.57 points or 12.18% to close at 115.78. Quotes Boeing Co rose by 7.71 points (4.09%), ending trading at 196.00. Caterpillar Inc rose 2.80% or 6.59 points to close at 241.73. The leaders of the fall were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which shed 0.93 points or 2.35% to end the session at 38.60. The Walt Disney Company rose 0.10 points (0.11%) to close at 86.92, while McDonald's Corporation rose 0.91 points (0.34%) to close at 268. 16. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Nike Inc, which rose 12.18% to 115.78, APA Corporation, which gained 5.76% to close at 46.67, and Etsy Inc, which rose 5.69% to end the session at 134.33. The leaders of the fall were Host Hotels & Resorts Inc, which shed 6.09% to close at 15.88. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc shed 2.35% to end the session at 38.60. Quotes Western Digital Corporation fell in price by 2.18% to 31.38. NASDAQ The top gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Gorilla Technology Group Inc, which rose 69.79% to 4.74, SINTX Technologies Inc, which gained 57.16% to close at 11.74. as well as shares of Rekor Systems Inc, which rose 56.45% to close the session at 0.93. The leaders of the fall were Meiwu Technology Co Ltd, which shed 83.43% to close at 0.32. Shares of Core Scientific Inc lost 75.53% and ended the session at 0.05. Quotes Icecure Medical Ltd fell in price by 46.92% to 1.38. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2414) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (679), while quotes of 99 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2469 companies rose in price, 1219 fell, and 186 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 6.56% to 20.07. Gold Gold futures for February delivery lost 0.04%, or 0.65, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 2.90%, or 2.21, to $78.44 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for February delivery rose 2.91%, or 2.33, to $82.32 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.08% to 1.06, while USD/JPY was up 0.47% to hit 132.32. Futures on the USD index rose 0.24% to 103.85. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-23 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/305885
    The Commodities Feed: China's 2023 growth target underwhelms markets

    The China-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: The Removal Of China’s Trade Sanctions On Australian Goods

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.12.2022 08:50
    Summary:  The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 jumped by 1.5% on the Conference Board Consumer Confidence index rising to an 8-month high and 12-month inflation expectations sliding to the lowest since Sep 2021. Energy stocks led the gains as crude oil prices rose by nearly 3% on a larger-than-expected EIA crude oil inventories drawdown. USDJPY stabilized at 132.40 after the sharp decline the day before. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rallied 1.5% on consumer confidence survey US equities jumped on a bullish combination in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey with consumer confidence improving to an 8-month high and inflation expectations for the next 12 months falling to 6.7% in December from 7.1% in November. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 each climbed 1.5%. Nike (NKE:xnys), soaring 12.2% on an earnings beat and upbeat assessment of demand, was the best-performing stock within the S&P500 on Wednesday. All 11 sectors of the S&P500 gained, with energy, industrials, and financials leading. Energy stocks were boosted by a 2.9% rise in crude oil prices. APA (APA:xnys) gained 5.8%. Shares of FedEx climbed 3.4% after reporting a decline in earnings less than feared and plans to cut costs. Carnival rose by 4.7% after the cruise liner reported a smaller-than-expected loss. In extended-hour trading, Micron (MU:xnas) shed 2.1% following the chipmaker reporting FY23 Q1 earnings and Q2 revenue guidance weaker than expectations. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) finished firmer with the 2-year outperforming Yields on the 2-year shed 4bps to 4.21% and the 10-year was 2bps richer to 3.66%. The 20-year auction went well with a decent demand from investors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) edged up modestly; China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) was flat Hong Kong stocks started the session firmer but fizzled out to finish the session only 0.3% higher in light volume. Textiles manufacturer Shenzhou (02313:xhkg), which supplies to Nike (NKE:xnys) surged 6.7% following Nike’s upbeat outlook guidance, making the stock the top gainer in the Hang Seng Index. Chinese catering stock Haidilao (06862:xhkg) gained 4%; white goods home appliances manufacturer Haier Smart Home (06690:xhkg) climbed 2.9%. In A-shares, CSI300 closed nearly unchanged from the day before. Consumption, lodging, tourism, catering, food and beverage, and Covid drugs gained. FX: bids for the dollar returned somewhat with USDJPY stabilized at 132.40 After sliding 3.7% on Tuesday after the BOJ decision, the USDJPY stabilized at around 143.40 for now. EURUSD edged down modestly to 1.0600. AUDUSD gained, rising to 0.6710. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) rallied 2.9% to USD78.50 on EIA inventory drawdown WTI crude jumped 2.9% to USD78.50 following a 5.9 million barrel drawdown on U.S. inventories reported by the EIA. The Biden administration’s plan to replenish the strategic petroleum reserve in February also helped the market sentiment. What to consider? Mixed U.S. data: weaker home sales, higher consumer confidence, lower inflation expectations Economic data were mixed. The 1-year-ahead inflation expectation in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey softened from 7.1% in November to 6.7% in December, the lowest since September 2021. Existing home sales shrank 7.7% M/M in November, the 10th consecutive month of decline. On the other hand, Headline consumer confidence as well as the present situation and expectations components rose in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey. The headline consumer confidence improved to 108.2, (vs consensus 101.0; Nov: 101.4), the highest level since April this year. China and Australia seek to improve the relationship between the two countries During a phone call to mark the 50th anniversary of the official diplomatic relationship between China and Australia, Chin’s President Xi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that China would seek to “promote a sustainable development of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership”. Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that China and Australia agreed to continue high-level dialogue on issues including the removal of China’s trade sanctions on Australian goods. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: U.S. stocks rallied on stronger consumer confidence and lower inflation expectations – 22 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Bank Of Japan Meeting And More

    The Rally In The Japanese Yen (JPY) Will Help Moderate The Relative Inflation Risks For Japan

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.12.2022 08:57
    Summary:  Risk sentiment bounced yesterday after December US Consumer Confidence came in far stronger than expected, jumping to an eight-month high. And yet, US Treasury yields fell gently all along the curve yesterday, in part as the same US confidence survey showed inflation expectations dropping more quickly than expected and on a strong 20-year US treasury auction. In FX, the Aussie has rebounded sharply on hopes for stimulus measures in China and a friendly diplomatic tone in recent talks between Australian and Chinese leaders.   Note: This is the final Saxo Market Quick Take until Monday January 2, 2023. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 1.5% yesterday closing above the 50-day moving average as positive earnings from Nike helped lift sentiment yesterday and provided a positive assessment of the US consumer. Equity trading will slowly enter hibernation as the holiday period approaches so expect little price action today and tomorrow. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied on stimulus rhetoric and talk of shortening quarantine The Hang Seng Index rallied 2.4% and CSI 300 climbed 0.4% as of writing, after China’s State Council, the People’s Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission separately released meeting readout or statements to pledge to implement the decisions from the recent Central Economic Work Conference to boost the economy, support the property sector, and the internet platform companies. Adding to the risk-on sentiment is market chatter about the shortening of quarantine to three days. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged 3% to 6%. Leading retail and catering stocks jumped by 2% to 11%. FX: choppy markets as USD starts day on a weak footing Some gentle back and forth in FX yesterday as the USD put on a show of rallying, while most of the action has been in the crosses and the greenback has eased back lower after a strong session for risk sentiment yesterday and lower US treasury yields helping USDJPY back lower after its traumatic sell-off and broad JPY rally on Tuesday’s surprise tweak of BoJ policy. The biggest mover to the upside has been the Aussie, which is enjoying the more friendly diplomatic tone with China and has suddenly rallied in the crosses, especially in AUDNZD, on more rhetoric overnight from China on its intent to boost growth. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOG3) rally extends on US inventory data Crude oil closed at the highest level since December 5 after the US DoE inventory reports showed a nearly 6M barrel draw on crude oil stocks, while gasoline inventory levels rose nearly 2.5M barrels, a half million more than expected, and distillates inventories fell –242k vs. A rise of 1.5M barrels expected. Gasoline and distillate stocks have been generally building of late, but the latter remains slightly below the inventory range of the past 5 years. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) remain near recent highs ... after surging in the wake of the Bank of Japan policy tweak on Tuesday and despite yields easing lower yesterday in the US. BOth 2020 and 2021 saw gold ending the year on a strong note and then sharp follow-on rallies in January were quickly reversed. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) remained subdued despite surge in US Consumer Confidence US Treasury yields eased lower all along the curve yesterday despite a large and unexpected surge in US Consumer Confidence as that same survey’s drop in inflation expectations may have received more attention. Later in the day, a strong US 20-year auction, where bidding metrics were the firmest since this spring. End-of-year portfolio rebalancing may obscure the next bigger move for treasuries until we roll into the New Year. What is going on? Mixed U.S. data: weaker home sales, higher consumer confidence, lower inflation expectations Economic data were mixed. The 1-year-ahead inflation expectation in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey softened from 7.1% in November to 6.7% in December, the lowest since September of 2021. On the other hand, Headline consumer confidence as well as the present situation and expectations components rose in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey. The headline consumer confidence improved to 108.2, (vs consensus 101.0; Nov: 101.4), the highest level since April this year. Elsewhere, the annualized rate of existing home sales fell -7.7% in November, the 10th consecutive month of declines as the historic surge in US mortgage rates this year continues to pressure the US housing market. Micron shares down 2% as glut in memory chips continues The US memory chip manufacturer delivered last night a positive surprise on FY23 Q1 (ending 1 December) adjusted EPS at $0.04 vs est. $-0.88 and announced a 10% headcount reduction to reduce costs. The real negative surprise was the Q2 revenue outlook of $3.6-4bn vs est. $3.9bn and the Q2 adjusted gross margin of 6-11% vs est. 17.8% suggesting significant pricing headwinds compared to market expectations. Micron is also drastically reducing its 2024 capex plans. China and Australia seek to improve the relationship between the two countries During a phone call to mark the 50th anniversary of the official diplomatic relationship between China and Australia, China’s President Xi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that China would seek to “promote a sustainable development of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership”. Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that China and Australia agreed to continue high-level dialogue on issues including the removal of China’s trade sanctions on Australian goods. What are we watching next? Japan’s November Inflation data up tonight After an historic move in the JPY this week, the market will be watching the latest batch of Japan’s CPI data, which has surged to multi-decade highs recently and is expected in at +3.9% YoY for the headline and +2.8% YoY ex Fresh Food and Energy. The rally in the JPY by some 12% from its lows of two months ago will help moderate the relative inflation risks for Japan. US PCE inflation data for November out tomorrow This is arguably the last interesting macro data point out of the US until the first week of the New Year. The PCE data is expected to show that core inflation will drop sharply to 4.6% YoY vs. 5.0% in October, while the headline is expected in at 5.5% versus 6.0% in October. Hotter than expected inflation readings will be an interesting test for markets in coming months as the market has a strong view that the Fed is poised to halt rate hikes as soon as Q2 of next year and will be cutting by year end, despite the Fed “dot plot” projections suggesting the Fed will have a policy rate at the end of next year of above 5% (versus 4.25%-4.50% now). Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is winding down for the year, with payroll and HR-services company Paychex reporting today before the market opens and struggling US used car seller and servicer CarMax, which is trading near its lows for the year, likewise reports before the market open today. Today: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 2330 – Japan Nov. CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 22, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    EUR/USD Fragile Amidst Strong US Data and Bleak Eurozone News

    Netflix Wants You To Pay For Sharing Your Password With Others

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 22.12.2022 11:15
    A challenge for both viewers and the streaming giant. Netflix as a leader in the video streaming industry, with 223 million subscribers worldwide and a market capitalization of approximately $128 billion, Netflix is the industry's first to tackle password sharing, but it likely won't be the last. Two perspectives Netflix is one of the biggest streaming platforms. Netflix gained popularity thanks to the attractive offer of movies and series, as well as the possibility of sharing an account with others. More than 100 million Netflix viewers now watch the service using passwords they borrow - often from family members or friends, the company says. From the customer's point of view, this option is used because several people can subscribe to one subscription. From the point of view of the platform, this is not a good solution. Password sharing was the top issue eating up subscriptions in 2019, but the company was concerned about how to solve the problem. The effort has waned as a cause for concern as the pandemic accelerated the company's growth in 2020. While cinema, arena and restaurant closures left users seeking entertainment at home, Netflix added nearly 16 million new subscribers in the first quarter of this year alone. Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Keeps Trading Above $1.06, The USD/JPY Is Below 132 | FXMAG.COM No more password sharing on Netflix coming soon Netflix said it would end this deal starting in 2023, asking those who share accounts to pay for it. The company expects to begin rolling out the changes in the United States early this year. It's a radical change for a company that once tweeted, "Love is sharing a password." Netflix's crackdown could waste years of goodwill the company has built up over the years and anger consumers who have plenty of other streaming services to choose from. Netflix's terms of service have long said that the person paying for the account should keep control of the devices using it and not share passwords, but the company has never enforced this rule strictly. Drawing a hard line on who should be able to share passwords has proven difficult. Instead of blocking password borrowers from accessing someone else's account, Netflix asks them to enter a verification code for their device. The code is sent to the primary account holder and must be entered within 15 minutes. Netflix updated its customer help pages this year to add that accounts can only be shared with people who live together. The company said it would enforce its policies based on IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity. To assuage consumer backlash, Netflix discussed gradually increasing the pressure to share passwords. Netflix has considered allowing users to rent pay-per-view content through their subscriptions, as Amazon Prime Video customers can, as it may make users wary of sharing their login information with others who may be billed, people familiar with have said with internal discussions. The test While Netflix has not announced its plans for the US, it has been testing in Latin American countries, one of the regions where password sharing is most prevalent. In these tests, Netflix allows subscribers to pay to share accounts with up to two people outside their home. Netflix has received complaints from consumers about efforts in Latin America, but according to some people, many users choose to pay to share. The main challenges One of the main challenges is that Netflix has difficulty determining when an account holder is traveling and accessing the service from somewhere else, such as a second home or hotel, and when another person is borrowing their password, said people familiar with the internal discussions. Not only Netflix Other streaming rivals are taking a hit as well, and over time the pressure to make money and continue to grow may prompt services like Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+ to take a close look at password sharing as well. Netflix share price As a result of inflation, many people decided to unsubscribe, which contributed to the decline in the price quotes on the stock exchange. From April to the first half of October, trade was in the range of 166-249. From the second half of October, the situation seems to be improving and the price has increased. The last quarter of the year turns out to be positive, and at the time of writing the Netflix share price is 298.20. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    Declines In Most Sectors In The US Stock Marker, Only The Energy Sector Rose. The Cryptocurrency Market Has Stagnated.

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 22.12.2022 14:31
    After a week full of interest rate rises, it seems that markets may finally be catching their breath, or at least most of them. The exception may be Japan, where the central bank there has announced a turnaround in financial policy. Macroeconomic data Monday saw the publication of several important macroeconomic data, including the German Ifo Business Climate Index for December, the RBA meeting minutes, the PBoC Loan Prime Rate and a statement and the Bank of Japan. The German Ifo Business Climate Index is an important index that measures business sentiment in Germany. The reading for December was 88.6 points, which was better than expected (87.4 points) and may signal an improvement in business sentiment in Germany. The previous reading for November was 86.4 points. The result may indicate that the German economy is in better shape than expected and could be a positive signal for other economies in Europe. The minutes of the RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) meeting did not bring any surprises and contained no significant changes to the central bank's monetary policy, which is expected to continue to raise interest rates. The PBoC (People's Bank of China) interest rate remained at 3.65%, which was expected by the market. The Bank of Japan (BoJ) released its monetary policy statement and held a post-meeting press conference. The first steps were taken to tighten monetary policy, announcing a rate hike and increasing the level of government bond purchases. Because of this, the Nikkei index (JP225) may have fallen by more than 3% since the start of the week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, JP225, Daily On Tuesday, we learnt about the number of new building permits in the US, the reading for November was 1.342 million, worse than expected (1.485 million) and a decrease in permits compared to the previous month (1.512 million). The reading may indicate that the construction sector in the US is less active than expected, which could have a negative impact on the economy, potentially contributing to higher unemployment in the sector in the future. Wednesday brought the publication of more data. We learned about Canada's core inflation reading (excluding food and energy prices). The reading for November was 0.0% m/m, while 0.2% m/m was expected. This represents no change in the price level compared to the previous month (0.4% m/m.). On the same day, we learned the reading of the Consumer Confidence index, which measures consumer sentiment in the US. The reading for December was 108.3 points, which is better than expected (101.0 points) and represents an improvement in consumer sentiment compared to the previous month (101.4 points). This good result could be attributed to the pre-Christmas period. The last of the important publications concerned US crude oil inventories. The reading for last week was -5.894 million barrels (previously 10.231 million b.). Which could suggest a return to a further shortage of this crude. On Thursday, we learned of signs of a slowdown in the UK economy. The GDP reading for the third quarter of this year was 1.9% y/y. (2.4% y/y was expected). This is down from the previous reading of 4.4% y/y. Due to the holidays starting on Friday's session, some stock exchanges will close earlier than usual, which should be taken into account in investment intentions. The stock market Declines in most sectors in the US are unlikely to represent optimism about the 'Father Christmas rally' starting. We could see the largest in the new technology sector. TheTechnology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK), which tracks the sector's quotations, fell by 4.8%. Only the energy sector rose. This seems to have had something to do with rising energy commodity prices this week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XLK, Daily This week gave us the last of this year's Q3 figures. Tuesday brought the release of financial results from Nike (Nike), the global footwear and apparel giant, among others. The company reported Q3 EPS of $0.85, better than expected ($0.65). Next is General Mills (GnrlMils), the food manufacturer reported EPS of 1.1, a reading that came as a positive surprise to analysts (1.06 was expected). Next is FactSet Research (FactSet), a data and analytics solutions company, reported Q3 earnings of 3.99 per share, 3.62 was expected. On Wednesday, we learned the results of Micron (Micron), a computer memory manufacturer, which reported an EPS loss of 0.04 in Q3 (-0.01 expected). On the same day, Cintas (Cintas), an apparel services company, reported Q3 earnings per share of 3.12, expected (3.03). Carnival Corp (Carnival-US), the cruise company, reported a loss of $0.85 per share in Q3, better than expected (-$0.88). Currency and cryptocurrency market After a week of decisions by as many as 11 central banks, we saw numerous interest rate rises. These seem to have changed some global currency market trends. The EUR/GBP pair saw the biggest increase, up 1%, but we saw the biggest changes in pairs linked to the Japanese yen. The USD/JPY exchange rate has fallen by more than 3% over the course of this week and now stands at around 132. This is a drop of more than 13% from its peak, and appears to have been triggered by Monday's announcement of a change in monetary policy by the central bank of Japan. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDJPY, Daily The cryptocurrency market has stagnated. The price of bitcoin (BTCUSD) was virtually unchanged over the course of this week, rising by just 0.3%. One of the strongest gaining cryptocurrencies was ethereum (ETHUSD), which increased in value by 2%. The digital currency market appears to continue to remain in its sideways course, showing no signs of changing. It's time for Christmas to begin! As we begin the festive period, we will not know any more key data until the end of the year, and the markets have to accept that this year would probably do without the usual 'Father Christmas rally' during this period. Nevertheless, we would like this period to be the best it can be for all of us. The Conotoxia team sends its regards. Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Asia Morning Bites: Focus on Regional PMI Figures, China's Caixin Manufacturing Report, and Upcoming FOMC Minutes and US Non-Farm Payrolls"

    Thursday Brought Declines At The Close In The New York Stock Exchange

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 23.12.2022 08:01
    At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.05%, the S&P 500 index fell 1.45%, the NASDAQ Composite index fell 2.18%. Dow Jones The leading gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Verizon Communications Inc, which gained 0.53 points (1.40%) to close at 38.31. Nike Inc rose 0.93 points (0.80%) to close at 116.71. Procter & Gamble Company rose 0.35 points or 0.23% to close at 152.19. The least gainers were Boeing Co shares, which fell 7.75 points or 3.95% to end the session at 188.25. Intel Corporation was up 3.21% or 0.86 points to close at 25.97, while Microsoft Corporation was down 2.55% or 6.24 points to close at 238.19.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components today were FedEx Corporation, which rose 3.35% to 175.69, VF Corporation, which gained 2.95% to close at 26.21, and Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which rose 2.10% to end the session at 9.23. The least gainers were shares of Tesla Inc, which decreased in price by 8.88%, closing at 125.35. Shares of Lam Research Corp lost 8.65% and ended the session at 409.11. Quotes of Applied Materials Inc decreased in price by 7.84% to 97.60. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were IsoPlexis Corp, which rose 102.87% to hit 1.40, E-Home Household Service Holdings Ltd, which gained 91.76% to close at 1, 35, as well as Core Scientific Inc, which rose 72.94% to end the session at 0.09. The least gainers were Akso Health Group DRC shares, which were virtually unchanged at 0.00% to close at 0.39. Shares of Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp lost 40.75% to end the session at 14.86. Quotes Pacifico Acquisition Corp fell in price by 35.06% to 1.13. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2,350) exceeded the number that closed on the plus side (735), while 101 stocks were virtually unchanged. On NASDAQ, 2,439 stocks were down, 1,256 were up, and 189 remained flat. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 9.47% to 21.97. Gold Gold futures for February delivery shed 1.41%, or 25.65, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery fell 0.03%, or 0.02, to $78.27 a barrel. Brent oil futures for February delivery fell 0.56%, or 0.46, to $81.74 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.09% to 1.06, while USD/JPY fell 0.08% to hit 132.37. Futures on the USD index rose 0.25% to 104.11. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-24 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/306064
    Market Insights with Nour Hammoury: S&P 500 and Bitcoin Projections for H2 2023

    US Inflation Is Cooling, Japan Headline CPI Ticked Up To 3.8% Y/Y

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.12.2022 08:55
    Summary:  Summary: S&P500 shed 1.5% and Nasdaq 100 tumbled 2.2% following an upward revision to the U.S. Q3 GDP data that dashed investors’ optimism of goldilocks of moderation of inflation and a potential soft landing. Among today’s several economic data releases from the U.S., all eyes will be on the November PCE report which has the most potential to shape expectations on the Fed’s policy path. This is the last Market Insights Today for 2022. Our first edition for 2023 will be on 3 January. We would like to wish all our readers a joyous festive season and happy New Year.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) reversed and fell on upward revision in Q3 GDP U.S. equities reversed the gains from the previous session and tumbled on an upward revision in the Q3 GDP to 3.2% from the previously reported 2.9%. Coming in at 216K, the initial jobless claims increased less than the 222K expected. Investors were whipsawed by the hope of goldilocks of moderation of inflation and a soft landing and the fear of the persistent strength in the labor market and the economy preventing the Fed from lifting its foot from the brake. A day after the hope on Wednesday, investors succumbed to fear on stronger than expected economic data that were taken as bad news for the market. S&P500 fell by 1.5% and Nasdaq 100 shed 2.2% on Thursday. All 11 sectors within the S&P 500 declined, with laggards of consumer discretionary, information technology, and energy falling over 2% each. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), plunging 8.9% was once again the top loser in the S&P 500 as well as the Nasdaq 100. Please refer to Peter Garnry’s notes on more about the harsh reality that Tesla is facing. Following the gloomy demand outlook from Micron (MU:xnas), the semiconductors were sold off, with Lam Research (LRCX:xnas) falling 8.7%, Applied Material (AMAT:xnas) down 7.8%, Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) down 7%, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) down 5.6%. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) cheapened on strong economic data Q3 GDP was revised up to 3.2% from the previously reported 2.9%. The personal consumption component was revised up to 2.3% from the previously reported 1.7% on firmer services consumption. The quarterly core PCE in the Q3 GDP report was revised up to 4.7% from the previously reported 4.6%. The monthly PCE and core PCE for November are scheduled to release today. The stronger-than-expected GDP revision saw yields on the 2-year Treasuries 6bps cheaper to 4.27%. The long-end’s reaction to the data was muted with yields on the 10-year 2bps higher to 3.68%. The demand in the 4-week and 8-week bill auctions was good while the demand in the 5-year TIPS auction is relatively subdued. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied on stimulus rhetoric and talk of shortening quarantine The Hang Seng Index rallied 2.4% and CSI 300 climbed 0.4% as of writing, after China’s State Council, the People’s Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission separately released meeting readouts or statements to pledge to implement the decisions from the recent Central Economic Work Conference to boost the economy, support the property sector, and the internet platform companies. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 4.1%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 4.1%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 6.8%, and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) up 9.6%. Adding to the risk-on sentiment is market chatter about the shortening of quarantine to three days. Leading retail and catering stocks soared. Xiabuxibu (00520:xhkg) jumped 15.7% and Haidilao (06862:xhkg) rose by 7.6%. Li Ning (02331) surged 7.4%. Educational services providers continued to rise in anticipation of potential loosening restrictions over the sector. FX: US dollar little changed versus major currencies The U.S. dollar tread water in thin trading ahead of a busy economic calendar today in the U.S. with the closely watched PCE deflators, plus personal spending, durable goods, new home sales, and the U. of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey. USDJP and EURUSD were nearly unchanged at 132.30 and 1.0600 respectively. GBPUSD was moderately lower at 1.2030, down 0.4% and AUDUSD was down 0.5% to 0.6670. What to consider? Japan’s November CPI in line with expectations Japan’s national CPI released this morning came in basically in line with expectations. The headline CPI ticked up to 3.8% Y/Y from 3.7% in October but below the 3.9% consensus forecast. CPI excluding fresh food and CPI excluding fresh food and energy were as expected, being at 3.7% Y/Y (vs consensus: 3.7%, Oct: 3.6%) and 2.8% Y/Y (vs consensus: 2.8%, Oct: 2.5%) respectively in November. US November PCE may be on course for further easing for now US inflation is cooling, but we argue that the debate at this point needs to move away from peak inflation to how low inflation can go and how fast it can reach there. Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the Core PCE, will continue t,o remain in focus especially after Powell has highlighted it a key metric recently at both the Brookings Institute and the December FOMC press conference. However, PCE may now slow as rapidly as CPI with the two key restraining components – goods and energy – likely to play a smaller part in PCE. Expectations are for a November reading of 5.5% Y/Y reading vs a previous reading of 6.0% Y/Y while the core is expected to come in at 4.6% Y/Y from 5.0% Y/Y in October. Still, risks to inflation remain tilted to the upside going into 2023 as financial conditions have been easing and China’s reopening brings a fresh wave of inflation risks. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: U.S. stocks reversed and fell on upward Q3 GDP revision ahead of today’s November PCE deflator – 23 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Euro Dips as German Business Confidence Weakens Amid Soft Economic Data

    Migration Of Sports From Traditional Television To Streaming Is Chugging Ahead- The NFL Sunday Ticket On YouTube

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 23.12.2022 11:18
    The deal with The NFL Sunday Ticket cements YouTube, a division of Google, as a growing force in online and TV streaming. The agreement The company that started out as a website offering user-generated clips with little curation now also sells cable bundles and the best sports shows it was once meant to supplant. On Tuesday, the National Football League was in advanced talks to grant YouTube exclusive rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket, a subscription-only package that allows football fans to watch most Sunday afternoon games. YouTube will pay an average of around $2 billion a year to secure the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket franchise. What is The Sunday Ticket? The Sunday Ticket is a subscription-only package that gives customers access to all Sunday afternoon matches from non-market teams. The NFL is eager to form media partnerships with tech companies, which broadens the pool of potential bidders whenever rights deals come up. YouTube will offer the Sunday Ticket as an add-on to YouTube TV and on the video platform's main app through a service called Primetime Channels, which allows viewers to subscribe to individual channels. Current owner of rights DirecTV currently pays the National Football League an average fee of $1.5 billion per season for both residential and commercial rights. His contract expires at the end of this season. The current rights holder DirecTV has approximately 13.5 million subscribers. However, like all other cable and satellite providers, it has been hit hard by cable cuts as more and more consumers turn to streaming. Major sports are migrating The potential move of the Sunday Ticket to YouTube is further evidence that major sports are migrating from traditional television, which has been hit by cable cuts, to streaming and tech companies willing to spend a lot on content. Amazon.com Inc. has its own NFL deal while Apple Inc. broadcasts some Major League Baseball games and has a new Major League Soccer deal. Amazon and Apple also kicked the Sunday Ticket tires. Even Netflix, which has said it has no interest in acquiring major sports rights to its streaming service, has explored acquiring rights to niche sports and even taking stakes in leagues. Read next: According To The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Cities In Europe And Canada Are The Best To Live In| FXMAG.COM Why is it good deal for YouTube? The addition of a Sunday ticket would provide a boost to YouTube streaming as the video platform tries to expand beyond ad sales to subscription revenue. YouTube's advertising business fell year-on-year for the first time in the third quarter after a series of rapid growth during the pandemic. YouTube situation YouTube has recently become a go-to destination for TV viewers, surpassing Netflix Inc. as the most watched streaming service on TV for the first time earlier this year, according to Nielsen data. YouTube TV, an online bundle of cable channels for $64.99 a month, surpassed more than 5 million subscriptions and trial accounts in June. The Primetime channels, which launched in November, allow viewers to subscribe individually to more than 30 streaming services, and the Sunday Ticket would be offered as an add-on to both services. Problems for traditional television Traditional TV networks continue to make big NFL rights deals. CBS and Fox air Sunday games, while NBC and ESPN air prime-time games on Sunday and Monday, respectively. The NFL has signed long-term deals with its partners that collectively are valued at over $100 billion. There are signs some traditional media companies are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of sports rights deals, especially given the high amounts tech companies are willing to pay. Google share prices Google should see higher stock prices due to increasing internet usage and ad revenue. This week, stock prices fell from 90.25 to 88.26. Thus, this is the worst week in the current month. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    For What It Is Worthy To Pay Attention Next Week 23.01-29.01

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Discussing These Pressing Wish List Items For The New Year

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.12.2022 11:32
    Summary:  In this Special Edition of the podcast, we discuss what investors are hoping to see in 2023 after the most traumatic year for "balanced" portfolios in modern memory. Items on the Wish List include hopes for a soft landing, easing pressure from central banks as inflation fades, a weaker US dollar, Chinese demand returning and more. But is this what investors will get? Discussing these pressing wish list items for the New Year on this special edition podcast are Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Read next:Migration Of Sports From Traditional Television To Streaming Is Chugging Ahead- The NFL Sunday Ticket On YouTube| FXMAG.COM Source: Podcast: Special Edition - Investors' Wish List for 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Outlook 2023: The Major Trends And Themes For The Coming Year

    Outlook 2023: The Major Trends And Themes For The Coming Year

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 23.12.2022 11:38
    DISCLAIMER: The opinions and comments of the speakers provided in this video do not constitute investment advice. You are responsible for your trades. All investments involve risk. 2022 has been very difficult for financial markets, equities, crypto, and bonds went down. Investors were hardly finding a safe place. In this chaotic environment, Peter Rosenstreich, head of investment products at Swissquote, and Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst, discuss the major trends and themes for the coming year and the way to invest for private clients with managed and balanced portfolios.   00:00 Intro 00:24 How to hedge or benefit from inflation 02:36 Shorting the global markets 06:54 Promising sectors for 2023? 08:32 Sustainable energy & decarbonization 09:10 Metaverse counter-performance 10:30 Global cybersecurity needs growing 11:57 Low point of semiconductors? 12:45 China: economic growth vs equity valuation 14:27 Themes Trading: how to invest in megatrends Peter Rosenstreich is the head of investment products at Swissquote. He identifies and analyses opportunities in structural and sustainable change, which includes new business models, disruptive technology, and impacts from sustainable investment. Ipek Ozkardeskaya began her financial career in 2010 at the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst at the London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as a Senior Analyst in 2020. #swissquote #megatrend #themestrading #inflation #sustainability #decarbonisation #investing #investingtips #metaverse #cybersecurity #chinastocks _____ Themes Trading is a product issued by Swissquote Bank SA based in Switzerland and regulated by FINMA. _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars, and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    French Industrial Production Rebounds in July Amid Weak Demand and Gloomy Outlook

    Shopping On Etsy Continues To Be Popular

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 27.12.2022 10:33
    The world of online commerce is facing a brutal reality: during the pandemic, when many people were stuck at home, they went shopping online. Now that everything is back to normal, e-commerce sales are slowing down or falling. Online shopping still popular Buyers also did not give up shopping, even though they have been able to return to brick-and-mortar stores for a long time. Unlike Amazon, Etsy makes shopping personal - goods often come with a handwritten note. Unlike eBay, Etsy has a platform that feels up-to-date because many consumers have only recently discovered it. Once a fringe online marketplace for crafters, Etsy gained widespread popularity during the pandemic. But unlike many Covid beneficiaries in the e-commerce space, Etsy has achieved gains that have thus far proven durable. Etsy reported more than 94 million active buyers as of the end of the third quarter—down less than 2% from its peak at the end of last year and roughly double the number it counted prepandemic. Data In November, Etsy reported that gross merchandise sales fell 3.3% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier - better than the 5.5% decline expected by analysts polled by Visible Alpha. It was also milder than the 11% drop eBay reported on the same day. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin was 28% better than expected. Etsy added 6 million new buyers during this period, which was higher than the rate of adding new buyers before the pandemic. That's impressive considering the number of active Etsy buyers has more than doubled in the last three years to around 94 million in the last quarter. This growth has been handsomely rewarded in the stock market, with stocks still up more than 40% over the last three years. Etsy raised its transaction fee earlier this year by about 30%, but has since lost less than 4% of its sellers - numbers that speak to the exceptional value sellers seem to find on their platform. Not everyone is convinced that Etsy's fortune will last. Following last month's third-quarter earnings, Morgan Stanley wrote that Etsy's growth outlook now appears "significantly different" from how it has been over the past three years, suggesting the stock now deserves a lower multiplier. Read next: The Cable Market (GBP/USD) In The Week Leading Up To Christmas Drops Significantly| FXMAG.COM Forecast Etsy said in a Q3 conference call that it expects gross merchandise sales in the fourth quarter to decline by about 10% from a year earlier in the middle of the forecast, reflecting a "dynamic and somewhat unpredictable" market environment. However, there is a good chance that the forecasts are conservative and the company may still surprise on the plus side. Etsy said business in October was even better compared to the same period before the pandemic than in Q3 on the same basis. Development The company is constantly investing in its website and app. The latest version is a feature that allows iOS users to upload a photo of an item they like - such as a cup of a certain shape - and search for similar ones. Meanwhile, the company has taken a slow and steady approach to hiring during the pandemic. This pace has no doubt helped Etsy retain talent as some other tech companies are shrinking fast. Etsy share price Since the pandemic, Etsy stock has been on the rise. There has been a decline this year. Although this year prices have fallen below 200, they are at a fairly high level, staying above 100 for a significant part of the year. Before the pandemic, prices were well below 100, trading around 50. For this reason, drops below 200 this year do not make the firam less attractive to investors. Currently, the Etsy share price is at 126.94. Source: wsj.com,finance.yahoo.com
    Turbulent Times Ahead: Poland's Central Bank Signals Easing Measures

    PayPal Has Not Had A Quarter With A Decline In Revenue Since 2015 And Is Leveraging Its Advantage Over Its Competitors

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 27.12.2022 14:20
    “I think the environment that we are in, as difficult as it is, is an opportunity for us in many ways. I’d rather the economy be booming along but if you are going into a difficult time, this is the time where market leaders have the opportunity to improve their position coming out of a difficult economic cycle. You’ve got a rising interest rate environment. That’s clearly a tailwind for us [given that with higher interest rates we earn higher interest on customer balances held on our platform].” - With these words, Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal (Paypal), opened the recent conference. What could this mean for the future of this company and is it really an opportunity? A few words about PayPal PayPal is a financial services company best known for one of the world's largest and most popular online payment platforms. PayPal allows users to make payments for purchases in online shops, transfers of money between people and other financial operations. It also offers: credit cards, bank accounts and other financial tools. The company operates in more than 100 countries and serves more than 400 million active users worldwide. The company's business model is mainly based on fees for using the platform to make online payments. Users who meet conditions regarding the number of transactions or the level of turnover are exempt from these. PayPal also earns fees for the use of the credit or debit cards it makes available to its users. The company also gets fees from merchants for allowing them to accept payments through its platform. Overall, PayPal's business model is based on fees for using its services and exchange rate differences. PayPal financial results The company has not had a quarter with a decline in revenue since 2015, while the average annual growth was 16% year-on-year (21% year-on-year. after excluding E-Bay). We learned from the Q3 report that this growth has now dropped to 10% y/y. Similarly, the company's situation is similar for organisational profit, which increased by 7.19% y/y. The net profit margin for the company currently stands at 8.5% and has seen a noticeable decline since the beginning of 2021, when it stood at 22.8%. However, it seems that the company is nevertheless leveraging its advantage over its competitors, where the average net profit margin is 7.45%. However, given the nature of this type of business, let's look at operating cash flow and the amount of funds held. Operating income appears to be strongly seasonal, which may be linked to the customer buying cycle. The company's cash inflow values are highest in recent quarters. Currently, cash flow growth from its core business has increased by 28% year-on-year. The company currently holds more than USD 10 billion in cash and cash equivalents, representing 14% of its market value. What does Wall Street think of PayPal's share price? According to the Market Screener portal, the company has 47 recommendations, and among these, the predominant one reads: "Buy". The average target price is set at USD 105.62, 53% below the last closing price. The highest target price is at USD 160 and the lowest is USD 75, which is below the last closing price. Source: Conotoxia MT5, PayPal, Weekly Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.    
    August CPI Forecast: Modest Inflation Increase Expected Amidst Varied Price Trends

    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange All Indices Fell

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.12.2022 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.11%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.41% and the NASDAQ Composite fell 1.38%.  Dow Jones The gainers among Dow Jones index components in today's trading were shares of Verizon Communications Inc. which gained 0.84p (2.19%) to close at 39.25. Caterpillar Inc. gained 3.27p (1.36%) to close at 243.14. Chevron Corp. gained 2.23 pct (1.26%) to close at 179.63. Shares of the Walt Disney Company were the least gainers, with their price dropping 1.64p (1.86%), ending the session at 86.37. Shares of Apple Inc soared 1.83p (1.39%) to close at 130.03, Goldman Sachs Group Inc dropped 3.54p (1.02%) and closed the session at 341.97.  S&P 500 index The top gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were shares of Wynn Resorts Limited, which gained 4.47% to 84.33, VF Corporation, which gained 4.18% to close at 27.16, and Las Vegas Sands Corp, which gained 4.17% to close the session at 48.46. Shares of Tesla Inc were the least gainers, down 11.41% to close at 109.10. Moderna Inc shares lost 9.50% and closed the session at 180.17. NVIDIA Corporation shares were down 7.14% to 141.21. NASDAQ  The top gainers among NASDAQ Composite index components in today's trading were shares of Elys Game Technology Corp, which gained 111.91% to 0.37, Lightjump Acquisition Corp, which gained 100.00% to close at 19.00, and shares of Quotient Ltd, which gained 94.74% to close the session at 0.37. The least gainers were shares of Tuesday Morning Corp, which fell 46.12% to close at 0.83. Shares of Mingzhu Logistics Holdings Ltd lost 44.57% and closed the session at 0.97. Lion Group Holding Ltd. was down 36.45 percent to 0.68. Numbers On NYSE the number of securities, which fell in price (1697) exceeded the number of securities, which closed on the plus side (1401). On NASDAQ, 2,517 stocks were down, 1,251 were up, and 139 remained flat. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 3.74% to 21.65. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.98%, or 17.65, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 0.16%, or 0.13, to $79.69 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 0.43%, or 0.36, to $84.86 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.05% to 1.06, while USD/JPY was up 0.49% to hit 133.51. Futures on the USD index fell 0.12% to 103.89. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-29 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/306511
    The Crude Oil Market Situation Is Stable Despite Russia's Production Cuts

    Russia Responded To The Europeans' Price Cap, China Reopening Story Is Not All Rosy!

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 28.12.2022 10:24
    Yesterday, Russia finally responded to the EU’s price cap on its oil exports, saying that they will simply stop exporting their oil to parties that ‘directly or indirectly use the mechanism of setting a price cap’. Crude Oil The latter announcement gave a minor boost to crude oil yesterday, but the barrel of American crude remained offered into the 50-DMA, near $81.60pb, and the price is back below the $80pb this morning. BUT, an eventual decrease in Russian oil supply gives support to the oil bulls’ in the medium run, along with other factors as China reopening and cold winter in America. China reopening news IMPORTANT to note: If the Chinese reopening story is positive for oil and commodity prices - and for the massively battered Chinese stocks, it’s bad news for global inflation. This is why we don’t see the US stocks gain on China reopening news, but we rather see them under a decent pressure, as the surge in Chinese demand will certainly boost inflation through higher energy and commodity prices. Inflation And in response to higher inflation, the central banks will continue hiking rates. As a result, the sovereign bond yields are higher, the stocks are lower, while the US dollar is mixed. Apple And Tesla Apple is down to lowest levels since summer 2021, and Tesla’s deep dive deepens by the day. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:44 Russians won't sell oil to parties involved in price cap 3:32 China reopening story is not all rosy! 6:03 Bitcoin hash rate rings alarm bell 7:30 Tesla races to the bottom Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Russia #oil #ban #China #Covid #reopening #crudeoil #rally #inflation #expectations #USD #EUR #AUD #XAU #Bitcoin #Apple #Amazon #Tesla #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    The Crisis Of The Semiconductor Industry, Chip Inventory Levels Are Well Above Our Target Level

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 28.12.2022 10:45
    Consumer appetite for electronics has waned against a backdrop of rising interest rates, falling stock markets, and recession fears. Problems Nvidia and other chipmakers have been hit hard by increasing pressure on consumer spending, including high inflation and rising interest rates, which has triggered a wave of industry-wide cost cuts and layoffs. They are also struggling with the reversal of the surge in demand for electronics caused by the pandemic, which has driven the shift to working and learning from home. In recent months. HP Inc. and Dell Technologies Inc., two of the biggest PC makers, say their products, which disappeared from shelves at the start of the pandemic, are now on the shelf longer. Rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which also makes central processing units that go into personal computers, warned of elevated stock levels. Nvidia situation Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. issued a muted forecast in November and reported a sharp decline in quarterly sales, driven by weakening consumer demand for its video game chips after a pandemic-fueled boom and the onset of crypto winter. America's largest chip company by value said revenue fell 17% to $5.93 billion after gaming segment sales more than halved in the fiscal third quarter. Net profit was $680 million. Smartphone sales are also declining It's not just PC shipments poised for their biggest drop in more than two decades that chipmakers are destroying the fortune of. Smartphone sales are also declining. Micron said it lowered its forecast for phone shipments this year from a forecast just three months earlier. Qualcomm Inc., which supplies the chips that go into Samsung Electronics Co.'s flagship smartphones. and Apple Inc., has repeatedly lowered its sales forecasts this year. The company in November said it expected a persistently weak phone market and elevated chip inventories. Negative effects on employees Computer memory manufacturer Micron Technology Inc. is cutting jobs and expenses in response to a further weakening in demand for electronics and the chips it supplies, as it reported a sharp drop in sales and a net loss in the last quarter. Two sides What happens in chips is good news for consumers, who can get their hands on products from washing machines to laptops faster and sometimes cheaper than a year ago. For chipmakers, the change has sparked a wave of layoffs and capital spending cuts as companies try to restore profitability levels that have eroded in recent months. Some chipmakers see stockpiling as an opportunity. While developers of the processors that are at the heart of the personal computer must deliver their product before a new, more powerful version is introduced, others create chips that will essentially remain the same for years. Read next: GBP/USD Is Struggling, The Aussie Pair Have Good Day And Is Trading Above 0.67$, The EUR/USD Is Trading Above 1.0650| FXMAG.COM Expectations Chip executives said they expect a gradual recovery next year, although there is still uncertainty as to when an industry known for its sharp ups and downs cycles will be ready for another recovery. Despite the short-term glut, chip directors are bracing for a long-term surge in demand for chips that will require them to build more factories. Industry executives expect chip sales to double by 2030, exceeding $1 trillion globally. Micron Micron's revenue fell 47% year-on-year in its fiscal first quarter, which ended December 1. Bit shipments fell by double-digit percentages from the previous quarter across Micron's entire product lineup, and average selling prices fell more than 20%. Micron is aggressively cutting costs and capital spending to deal with this crisis. Total capital expenditures for fiscal year 2023 are expected to be a maximum of $7.5 billion, and the company expects capital expenditures for wafer equipment to decline by approximately 50% year-on-year. The Share Price is practically the lowest of the year, and the current month is one of the weakest of the year. The price is currently just over $50. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Leading Used Tesla Prices Fall Faster Than The Market

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 28.12.2022 11:31
    The electric car market is mainly associated with Tesla, its situation is also observed by investors. The stock markets are still attracting new investors, the current year is coming to an end, so it is worth checking what should be confessed to this market in 2023. In this article: US Treasury yields fell Morningstar look at stocks market Tesla news US Treasury yields fell Investors are bracing themselves for the potential pressures of a recession, persistent inflation and what this could mean for Federal Reserve policy, especially with regard to interest rates, in 2023. They will be scouring the latest economic data releases this year for clues. Many investors are hoping the data will signal an easing of inflationary pressures, as it would suggest the Fed may slow down further or stop rate hikes altogether. These factors affect the market situation of bonds. US Treasury yields fell on Wednesday as investors became concerned about economic growth and the direction of monetary policy for 2023. Treasury yields slip as investors gauge 2023 Fed policy https://t.co/uR6xgrxlPy — CNBC (@CNBC) December 28, 2022 Read next: The Crisis Of The Semiconductor Industry, Chip Inventory Levels Are Well Above Our Target Level| FXMAG.COM Morningstar look at stocks market The new year is getting closer. Everyone prepares as best they can to start it in the best possible way, makes plans. The stock market is under the watch of Morningstar analysts. How it presented itself this year and what it is heading for in 2023 is detailed in the following tweet. Early in the year, Morningstar analysts deemed many of the stocks they cover to be overvalued. But after the broad market has fallen more than 20 percent since the start of the year, analysts believe valuations have moved too far in the opposite direction. Over the last 20 years, Morningstar analysts found that US stocks were undervalued only 10 different times, or about 36% of the time. According to Morningstar, among the most underrated industries today are online content and information, including stocks like Alphabet (GOOGL), Google's parent company, and Meta Platforms (META), Facebook's parent company. Where are stocks looking cheap or expensive as we head into 2023?Here are 7 charts detailing our analysts' latest stock market valuations: https://t.co/UZMK7Ygufy pic.twitter.com/uUsnYGWKZI — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) December 28, 2022 Tesla Tesla is the most popular manufacturer of electric cars. Sales have increased in recent years, but many factors affect car prices. Fuel prices are easing, interest rates are rising, Tesla output is increasing, and EV competition is growing, all of which have implications for the price of used Teslas. Soaring gasoline prices as a result of the war in Ukraine have boosted demand for the Tesla, one of the few long-range electric vehicles on the market. Buyers of some new Teslas took advantage of the booming market to sell their relatively new cars at a profit and then order new ones, fueling the demand for new Tesla cars. Used Tesla prices are falling faster than those of other automakers, and clean energy status symbols languish in dealerships longer, according to the information. WATCH: Fuel prices are easing, interest rates are rising, Tesla output is increasing, and EV competition is growing, leading used Tesla prices to fall faster than the market. It's creating a cascading effect on new Tesla prices https://t.co/jCLZphpcRX pic.twitter.com/ZgXRr3d2Fc — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) December 28, 2022
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    DAX And CAC40 Seems To Test Key Supports, AEX25 Is In A Bearish Trend, FTSE 250 Is In A Downtrend

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.12.2022 11:49
    Summary:  DAX, AEX and CAC40 seems to be heavy testing key supports. BEL20 still holding up. FTSE 100 could seems strong and could test all-time highs. FTSE 250 in falling channel but indicators point to bullish break out. But will it? DAX got rejected at the previous support at 14,149 last week (now a resistance level) and seems set for lower levels. Strong support at around 13,564 is likely to be tested withing the next week or so.However, RSI hasn’t yet broken below 40 threshold i.e., still showing positive sentiment. If DAX manages to close above 14,160 we would be likely to see a move towards 14,500 possibly also December highs.Look out for a move below last weeks lows 13,791. If that occurs RSI is likely to break below 40 supporting the bearish trend.   All charts and data : Saxo Group AEX25 is in a bearish trend after closing below 715 last week. Bouncing from around the 0.382 selling seems to be picking up. RSI still above 40 however, but a close below is likely to fuel further selling. A close below 690 on AEX will confirm the bearish outlook with no strong support until around 661-654.For AEX to reverse the bearish picture a close above 715 is needed.   BEL20 seems indecisive. The index broke support at 3,670 only to jump back above but has so far failed to resume uptrend by breaking above 3,777 which is needed for further upside.If BEL20 closes back below support at 3,670 followed by new low below 3,631 BEL20 is likely to experience a sell off down to 3,569 possibly 3,497.RSI indicator is still showing positive sentiment but there is divergence indicating the uptrend has weakened. CAC40 bounced from 55 daily SMA last week but is in a bear trend supported by negative RSI. RSI closed below 40 16th December. The support at around 6,363 could prove not be that strong if tested. If that scenario plays out a sell off down to around 6,200 should be expected. For CAC40 to reverse to uptrend a close above 6,615 is needed. Read next: Leading Used Tesla Prices Fall Faster Than The Market| FXMAG.COM FTSE 100 bounced strongly from 7,300 after breaking support at 7,423. FTSE seems likely to resume uptrend. RSI is not showing divergence and if RSI closes back above 40 it could be a good indicator FTSE 100 will test previous highs at around 7,600 potentially take it out for at move to all-time highs at 7,687.However, a possible scenario is that FTSE 100 could be caught in a range between 7,300 and 7,578. Break out is needed for direction. FTSE 250 is in a downtrend and seems for trade in a falling channel pattern. Support at 18,493 seems to hold for now. If FTSE250 breaks above its show term falling trendline a move to November highs at around 19,615 could be seen.No divergence on RS and still showing positive sentiment indicates we could see a bullish breakout of the falling channel.However, a close below 18,422 is likely to push the Index to next support at around 17,822. RSI divergence explained: When  price is making a new high/low but RSI values are not making new high/low at the same time. That is a sign of imbalance in the market and an weakening of the uptrend/downtrend. Divergence or imbalance in the market can go on for quite some time but not forever. It is an indication of an exhaustion of the trend Source: Technical Update - DAX, AEX25, BEL20, CAC40, FTSE100 & FTSE250 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    On The New York Stock Exchange, The Number Of Securities That Fell Was Much Higher Than Those That Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.12.2022 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 1.10%, the S&P 500 was down 1.20% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 1.35%. Dow Jones JPMorgan Chase & Co was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 0.72 points (0.55%) to close at 132.46. Quotes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc fell by 1.10 points (0.32%) to close at 340.87. Johnson & Johnson shed 0.77 points or 0.43% to close at 176.66. Shares of Apple Inc were the least gainers, the price of which fell by 3.99 points (3.07%), ending the session at 126.04. The Walt Disney Company was up 2.55% or 2.20 points to close at 84.17, while Dow Inc was down 2.34% or 1.20 points to close at 49. 99.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Generac Holdings Inc, which rose 5.61% to 96.26, Tesla Inc, which gained 3.31% to close at 112.71, and shares of Illumina Inc, which rose 1.08% to end the session at 190.81. The least gainers were SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which shed 5.87% to close at 275.84. Shares of APA Corporation shed 5.16% to end the session at 45.18. Quotes of Southwest Airlines Company decreased in price by 5.16% to 32.19. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc, which rose 218.37% to hit 12.48, Minerva Surgical Inc, which gained 66.15% to close at 0.27, and also shares of Transcode Therapeutics Inc, which rose 51.82% to end the session at 0.61. The least gainers were Minerva Neurosciences Inc, which shed 39.15% to close at 1.43. Shares of Model Performance Acquisition Corp lost 35.54% to end the session at 8.78. Quotes Lightjump Acquisition Corp fell in price by 37.11% to 11.95. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2407) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (717), while quotes of 69 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,412 companies fell in price, 1,348 rose, and 156 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.26% to 22.14. Gold Gold futures for February delivery lost 0.59%, or 10.70, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery fell 1.08%, or 0.86, to $78.67 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery fell 1.20%, or 1.02, to $83.66 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.24% to 1.06, while USD/JPY edged up 0.72% to hit 134.45. Futures on the USD index rose 0.34% to 104.24.     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-30 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/306666
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    China Reopening Starts Worrying, The British And The Turkish Stocks Did So Well This Year

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 29.12.2022 11:55
    The good news with China’s reopening is that it should boost global growth. China and Covid The bad news with China’s reopening is that it will not only boost global growth, but also energy and commodity prices - hence inflation, the interest rate hikes from central banks and potentially the global Covid cases – which could then give birth to a new, and a dangerous Covid variant, which would, in return, bring the restrictive Covid measures back on the table, and hammer growth. Note that the reasoning stops here right now, the risky markets are painted in the red, but we could eventually go one step further and say that if the Chinese reopening hits the global health situation – hence the economy badly, the central banks could become softer on their rate hike strategies. But no one is cheery enough to see silver lining anywhere. This year really needs to end, now!   European and US markets So, Wednesday was marked by further selloff across European and US markets. The S&P500 slid 1.20% and Nasdaq lost another 1.32%. The DAX struggles to keep its head above the 50-DMA, but the FTSE 100 index is about to close the year with slight gains! Why? Also Turkish BIST 100 shot up to 188% at some point this year, making investors wonder whether Turkish stocks good performance could last and what happens if the lira dropped. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:34 China reopening starts worrying 2:33 Why FTSE 100 outperformed in 2022? 5:00 What made Turkey’s BIST 100 rally 188%? Could it last? 7:37 Chinese stocks could outperform next year Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #FTSE #BIST #outperform #China #Covid #reopening #inflation #expectations #energy #mining #stocks #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    The First Technical Problems Of Twitter Under The Leadership Of Elon Musk, Tesla Shares Worst Of The Year

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 29.12.2022 11:46
    The companies of a business magnate and investor Elon Musk have been struggling with problems lately. Tesla has a problem with listing on the stock exchange and Twitter with technical problems. Around 10,000 people reported Twitter going down Wednesday night. Twitter Twitter's performance has been under scrutiny since Musk completed his takeover of the company in late October. He then downsized the company's workforce, leading some former employees and outside observers to question whether the cutbacks would hamper Twitter's operations. Users who tried to log in via their desktop browsers on Wednesday received an error message. The Twitter Spaces tab, which allows users to join real-time conversations with others, also did not work on the platform's mobile app version. Other aspects of the Twitter app seemed to work well for users, including the ability to tweet. The problems were solved after about two hours. Musk, when asked on Twitter if there had been a service disruption, tweeted "It's working for me." It wasn't clear from which Twitter function Musk sent the message. Twitter, like many online platforms, has had occasional outages in the past due to technical glitches, including one in July. The outage occurs amidst a brawl between Twitter and Elon Musk, the world's richest man. Internet outages are quite common and have affected many tech companies over the years, although the length of the outages can vary greatly. They can affect people's ability to do business or connect with friends and family. Twitter shares hold their level above 50.0. Thus, they have the best month of the year. Read next: The US Will Require PCR Testing For Travelers From China, BRF Agree To Pay $111 Million To The Government| FXMAG.COM Tesla Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker is nearing its worst December stock performance and endured a seven-day streak after Tuesday's close. It was Tesla's longest streak since September 2018, when the company struggled to get its new Model 3 into the hands of customers. Tesla has lost almost a third of its value in the past seven days of losses, returning to August 2020 levels. The stock rebounded slightly on Wednesday, closing 3.3% higher. Musk Twitter call Spaces signaled that he would not be selling any Tesla stock for at least 18 to 24 months. The chief executive has liquidated more than $39 billion in the company's stock since the stock peaked in November 2021. The billionaire's comments on Twitter Spaces were among his most expansive responses to Tesla investor concerns that he had been distracted since he bought Twitter in October in a $44 billion deal. Tesla shares have fallen more than 60% this year, underperforming the broader market. Some of Musk's actions on Twitter and his political comments on the platform have raised concerns that Tesla's brand could suffer. The company's image has deteriorated in recent months, in part because of Musk's Twitter involvement, according to brand surveys. The Tesla boss also said the car company will continue to invest as part of its growth plans. He said the company was "close to choosing a location for its next Gigafactory", without giving details. He said Tesla also plans to start refining lithium for batteries at its Corpus Christi, Texas facility in about two years to help the electric vehicle maker meet demand for materials needed for power cells. As mentioned above, Tesla shares are the worst of the year. Such low levels of the electric car manufacturer has been recorded since 2020. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange All Indices Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 30.12.2022 08:01
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.05%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.75%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 2.59%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), which gained 3.01 points or 3.58% to close at 87.18. Salesforce Inc rose 4.07 points or 3.17% to close at 132.54. Apple Inc rose 2.83% or 3.57 points to close at 129.61. The least gainers were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which lost 0.11 points (0.29%) to 37.47 by the end of the session. Merck & Company Inc. shares rose 0.26 points (0.23%) to close at 110.82, while Boeing Co rose 0.53 points (0.28%) to close at 188. .91. S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were SVB Financial Group, which rose 8.40% to 234.63, Tesla Inc, which gained 8.08% to close at 121.82, and shares of Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which rose 6.31% to end the session at 9.43. The least gainers were shares of Cardinal Health Inc, which shed 1.12% to close at 77.72. Shares of CF Industries Holdings Inc shed 0.96% to end the session at 85.51. AmerisourceBergen fell 0.78% to 166.05. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Hoth Therapeutics Inc, which rose 143.64% to hit 10.72, Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 99.04% to close at 24.84, and also Palisade Bio Inc (NASDAQ:PALI), which rose 77.90% to close at 3.22. The least gainers were FStar Therapeutics Inc, which shed 40.38% to close at 4.09. Shares of Jasper Therapeutics Inc lost 21.97% to end the session at 0.46. Quotes of Th International Ltd decreased in price by 20.00% to 2.60. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2651) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (450), while quotes of 73 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,095 companies rose in price, 646 fell, and 141 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 3.16% to 21.44. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.34%, or 6.15, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery fell 0.37%, or 0.29, to $78.67 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery fell 0.31%, or 0.26, to $83.73 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.56% to 1.07, while USD/JPY shed 1.12% to hit 132.96. Futures on the USD index fell 0.48% to 103.68. Relevance up to 03:00 2022-12-31 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/306809
    Analysis Of Crude Oil Futures, WTI Prices Recorded A Slight Decline

    TC Energy Corp Has Announced That It Is Aiming To Fully Reactivate The Keystone Oil Pipeline System After The Largest Reported Spill In The Pipeline's History

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 30.12.2022 11:46
    Keystone comes from the Canadian province of Alberta and supplies approximately 622,000 barrels of oil per day to refineries in the Midwest and the Gulf Coast. It is one of nearly twenty pipelines that pass through the oil storage complex in Cushing - the center for pricing US West Texas Intermediate crude oil and the physical delivery point for benchmark oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The company partially reactivated the pipeline earlier this month, but the so-called Cushing extension remained offline. Repairs completed Oil pipeline operator Keystone TC Energy Corp said on Thursday that it had completed repairs, inspections and testing of the pipeline and that the system was now operational at all delivery points. Last week it said it had received approval from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to restart a 300-mile branch linking Steele City, Nebraska, with a major U.S. oil storage facility in Cushing, Oklahoma. The company said it would operate the line at reduced operating pressure. Previously, regulators allowed the pipeline to operate at a higher pressure than otherwise allowed, saving costs for the operator. Read next: Japan Is Trying To Maintain Cover For LNG Vessels In Russian Waters, How Digital Money Could Look Like According To The IMF| FXMAG.COM What happened? According to TC Energy, the 2,700-mile Keystone pipeline was shut down on December 7 after a rupture in Kansas spilled about 14,000 barrels of crude oil - the largest reported spill in the pipeline's history. TC Energy said it shut down the pipeline, a key conduit for Canadian oil to the US, at around 8pm local time on Wednesday after detecting a pressure drop in its systems. The company said it has since mobilized teams to stop oil spilling into a stream about 20 miles south of Steele City, Nebraska. The affected segment was isolated and outriggers were deployed to control the downstream migration of versions. The system remained disabled as crews actively responded and worked to contain and recover the oil. Despite the scarcity of oil entering Cushing, there were about 25 million barrels in storage tanks in the week ending December 23, according to the Energy Information Administration, about a million more than at the start of the month. The buildup was partly attributed to traders shipping more oil from the Gulf Coast to Oklahoma as they sought to store and sell barrels at a profit at a later date. TC Energy did not say what caused the spill, prompting stream cleanup operations involving hundreds of people. Cleaning continues. As of December 20, TC Energy had extracted 7,599 barrels of oil from the stream, according to the company's records. It has not been stated when the repair and repair operations will be completed. How has this affected oil prices? U.S. oil prices rose more than 2% on Thursday morning (8th druph) after the Keystone Pipeline initiated an emergency shutdown to contain a spill near the Nebraska-Kansas border. On the other hand, West Texas Intermediate futures fell to $78.40 a barrel on Thursday after announcing the end of the repair. TC Energy Corp Share Prices The company's shares are the worst of the year at 39.65. A sharp drop from 43.20 occurred a few days after the pipeline leak. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    A Further Rise In Gold Is Very Likely, The Dovish Expectations Are Feeding Well Into The Bond Markets

    Gold Tends To Respond To Relative Dollar Strength As Well As Changes In Bond Yields

    XTB Team XTB Team 30.12.2022 13:01
    Markets worth watching US stock indices: US500, US100 There is an ongoing debate about the relationship between stock markets and inflation. Stocks are holding instruments covered by the real assets of the companies that issued them. Because inflation reflects increase in the prices of goods and services, should eventually translate into revenues of companies selling these goods and services. From this perspective, stocks can be seen as a hedge against inflation. However, looking at history, we can confidently say that there is no linear relationship between company earnings and stock prices. So-called the price-to-sales ratio can fluctuate significantly for a number of reasons. After first, even if higher prices translate into higher revenues, costs can increase in even faster pace. A period of high inflation creates a lot of uncertainty and some companies can not be able to maintain the current profit margin. Second, the stock market is always trying discount the future. And if that discounting is done using higher rates interest rates - typical of higher inflation - the present value of future gains will be lower. Because periods of high inflation in the US are rare and far apart in time, there is no such thing confirmed relationship. The S&P 500 hit a ten-year low in October 1974, just before the peak of inflation that year. However, the markets were much more overvalued back then - the index fell from the peak (in 1973) to the trough of 50%, and the price-earnings ratio was below 8 - almost 3 times lower than today. Moreover, the Fed has started to cut interest rates in November 1974, thus supporting the bull rally. Precious metals: GOLD, SILVER Commodities are considered a leading indicator of inflation as the prices of goods and even services are in highly dependent on raw material costs. Therefore, there is a belief that raw materials are a good hedge against inflation, and the first example that comes to mind is gold. Is it really so? Gold is an excellent diversifier for an investment portfolio due to its low and even negative correlation with other asset classes. But what about inflation? Gold tends to respond to relative dollar strength as well as changes in bond yields. We can see a very strong negative correlation between gold price changes and profitability bonds in the long term. Therefore, we are dealing with a relatively weak sentyment against gold in an environment of the highest inflation in the US in 40 years. Of course, gold can too respond to other risk factors, such as natural disasters or war, which the world unfortunately experienced this year, which for a short time pushed gold prices to historical levels maxima. As mentioned earlier, the key factors for the price of gold are changes in the level yields and valuation of the dollar. Further changes are the most important for the dollar and bond yields Fed interest rates. The dollar already seems to be very overbought, especially if we will look at historical standards and this could be an opportunity for gold. Of course, gold is still there relatively expensive in nominal terms, but high bond yields led to a significant drop in gold prices from near historical highs. Moreover, correcting prices for inflation, gold is not extremely expensive compared to the 1970s or even 1970s 2011. It is also worth mentioning that gold often retains its value during periods of recession, especially when compared to more volatile assets such as stocks.
    The South America Are Looking For Alternatives To The US Currency

    The US Dollar Is Trading On Its Back Foot Despite A Solid Back Up In US Treasury Yields

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.01.2023 10:51
    Summary:  Equity markets churned back and forth in the last week of 2022 and we start 2023 off with a holiday for UK and US markets today as traders get their bearings in the New Year. The US dollar is trading on its back foot despite a solid back up in US treasury yields in the final weeks of 2022 and ahead of the first important macro data this Friday in the form of the December US jobs report.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) It is a US holiday today so US equity markets will be closed. US equities fell the most in 2022 since 2008, ending a year that saw inflation and interest rates coming back to haunt excessive equity valuations. The first two weeks of the year are going to be very exciting to see whether last year’s momentum in commodities and defence stocks continues or new trends in our theme baskets will start to emerge. Stoxx 50 (EU50.I) First day of trading under way in Europe with STOXX 50 futures up 0.7% despite several recent remarks from ECB members that policy rates must remain high or go even higher to curb inflation. STOXX 50 futures remain in a tight trading range established since mid-December with the 3,782 level being the key level to watch on the downside and the 3,875 level on the upside. FX: USD trades near multi-month lows as 2023 gets under way Interesting to see the USD weakness despite a solid surge in US treasury yields, especially at the long end of the yield curve, as 2022 drew to a close. The first week or two of this year will be needed to see if some portion of the USD’s weakening was down to end-of-year effects. USDJPY trades not far above the important 130.00 level as investors anticipate that the new Bank of Japan leadership change in April will finally bring some tightening, while the market still predicts that the Fed will quickly reach its “terminal” high in the policy rate and eventually ease policy before the year is over. But will the first data points of the year, starting with this Friday’s December US jobs data, support this view? Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) Crude oil futures ended a volatile 2022 close to unchanged after having traded within the widest range since 2008. Another volatile year undoubtedly lies ahead with multiple uncertainties still impacting supply and demand. The two biggest that potentially will weigh against each other in the short term remain the prospect for a recovery in Chinese demand being offset by worries about a global economic slowdown. Covid fears, inflation fighting central banks, lack of investments into the discovery of future supply, labour shortages and sanctions against Russia will also play its part in the coming months. Ahead of yearend, hedge funds raised bullish Brent crude oil bets by the most in 17 months. At 144k contracts, however, it remains around half the five-year average. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) ended 2022 on a high note Having closed 2022 near unchanged despite massive headwinds from a stronger dollar and surging treasury yields, the outlook for 2023 looks more price friendly with recession and stock market valuation risks, an eventual peak in central bank rates combined with the prospect of inflation not returning to the expected sub-3% level by yearend all adding support. In addition, the de-dollarization seen by several central banks last year, when a record amount of gold was bought look set to continue, thereby providing a soft floor under the market. As always, the dollar and yield movements will be a key focus while in the short term the market will look ahead to Wednesday’s FOMC minutes and Friday’s US job report. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) start the year near multi-week highs US Treasury yields backed up higher as 2022 drew to a close, particularly at the longer end of the yield curve, helping to steepen the yield curve from its most inverted levels in some four decades earlier in December, but still starting the year with an inversion for the 2-10 yields of around –50 basis points as market participants figure that a recession is on the way this year that will see the Fed chopping rates by year end. The 10-year yield level to watch to the upside is perhaps the 4.00% area ahead of the 4.34% high from October, which is a 15-year high. Read next: Walmart Has Ambitions To Become An E-Commerce Leader| FXMAG.COM What is going on? 2022 was the worst year for combined stock and bond portfolios in modern memory The year of 2022 was so unusual as bonds failed to provide any diversification in what investors have traditionally seen as “balanced” portfolios of, for example, 60 percent stocks and 40 percent bonds. An FT article calculated that 2022 was the worst year, in nominal terms, for combined equity and stock portfolios, since 1871. China official December Non-manufacturing PMI plunges to 41.6 ... as December was the month (December 7 seen as the major turning point) that China finally backed away from its zero Covid policy, ironically meaning that in the short term, activity levels have plunged as the virus spreads rapidly throughout the country rather than due to official restrictions on activity. In a New Year’s address, President Xi Jinping discussed the “new phase of Covid response”. Hedge funds increased commodities exposure ahead of year-end Speculators went on a buying spree ahead of yearend with broad demand lifting the combined net long across 24 major commodity futures contracts by 16% to a six-month high of 1.4 million lots. Except for natural gas all other contracts saw net buying led by Brent crude which saw the net long jump by the most in 17 months. The other main contributors were gas oil, gold, grains led by corn, as well as sugar and cocoa. Combined with the prospect of a recovery in demand from China, continued dollar weakness ahead of yearend may have played a role supporting demand. Speculators exited 2022 with the biggest dollar short since July 2021, but it is worth noting the bulk being against the euro where the €18.5 billion long is the biggest in 23 months. What are we watching next? US Data this week relative to market expectations for Fed policy The market continues to express the view that inflationary pressures will decelerate and that the labour market will loosen up sufficiently for the Fed to begin chopping rates before year-end. Last week’s US Consumer Confidence survey for December showed a strong surge in confidence, a development that is at odds with past patterns for the survey if the country is tilting into a recession. Further strong US data for December and the next month or two would be an interesting challenge of the market expectations. This week sees the release of the December ISM manufacturing survey on Thursday and the December jobs report on Friday. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light in the first week of the new year, but in a couple of weeks the first Q4 earnings releases will begin to be released. The Q4 earnings season will continue its focus on margin pressures related to input costs on employees and raw materials including energy. Thursday: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston, Constellation Brands, RPM International Friday: Naturgy Energy Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Manufacturing PMI UK Markets Closed US Markets Closed 0145 – China Dec. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 2, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Twitter And Elon Musk Faced A Growing List Of Claims

    Twitter Did Not Pay $136,260 Rent, Microsoft Reported Its Worst Quarterly Results In Years

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 02.01.2023 12:04
    Twitter has been struggling with new problems since the beginning of the year. This time he was accused of not paying the rent. Other tech companies are also having problems. 2022 was not the best year for Meta or Mircrosoft stocks. Twitter has another problem While Elon Musk has been working to cut costs on Twitter since he took over the company in October. More problems arise. Recently there has been an inflromation that the social platform will experience technical difficulties in using the computer version. Today there was information about financial problems. The owner, Columbia Reit-650 California LLC, says the social media company failed to pay $136,260 in owed rent for office space at 650 California St. The lawsuit alleging breach of contract was filed in the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. Other companies, including a software provider and a transportation company, have also sued Twitter in recent weeks in an effort to recover overdue payments. Can this prove that under the leadership of a businessman, Twitter is struggling with serious financial problems. What's more, according to Twitter data, hasn't booked an annual profit since 2019. Even though the new year has brought some shocking news about Twitter, its shares are above 50 and thus are the highest. Read next: Walmart Has Ambitions To Become An E-Commerce Leader| FXMAG.COM It was a tough time for tech stocks The future outlook is an important aspect when buying stocks, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. For most of the past decade, investors have focused on high-growth tech stocks whose strong year-over-year returns have convinced them they have no choice but to grow. Soaring stocks like Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Netflix Inc. and owner of Google Alphabet Inc. caused the major indices to hit dozens of new highs. The trade has become so popular that it has its own acronym: FAANG. Meta dropped 64% in 2022; Netflix dropped 51%; the other three shares fell at least 27%. Together, FAANG shares have lost more than $3 trillion in market value, helping to pull the wider stock market down with it. As consumers and businesses tighten their belts to prepare for a potential recession, tech companies that seemed immune to the economic woes of the pandemic have seen their revenues plummet. Companies like Microsoft reported their worst quarterly results in years. Amazon and Meta announced layoffs. When interest rates were close to zero, investors were more willing to pay for growth stocks and risky assets in search of higher returns. However, with the Fed raising interest rates at the fastest pace since the 1980s, the market environment began to favor investments, which now generate cash for the holder. Even after tech stocks ran out last year, the sector still looks expensive compared to the wider market. Although the tech stock market has not been positive lately, MSFT prices have kept their prices above 200. The second half of last year was quite weak for this company's stock and mostly in a downtrend, but prices remained mostly above 225. MSFT share price Meta shares also had their worst period recently, with the price mostly staying around 120. Meta share price Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Oanda Podcast: US Jobs Report, SVB Financial Fallout And More

    An Overall Bullish View Maintain On Commodities, U.S. Economy May Turn Out To Be More Resilient Than The Market Is Expecting

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.01.2023 08:38
    Summary:  Both stocks and bonds declined substantially in 2022 on the surge of inflation and monetary tightening in the U.S. Looking ahead to 2023, the U.S. economy may turn out to be more resilient than the market is currently expecting and inflation is not falling to 2% but staying at or above 4%. Commodities may have another bull run and the U.S. equity market may register positive returns driven by the tangible industries in 2023. China’s reopening from Covid containment and support to its property sector benefit Chinese stocks as well as boost demand for commodities globally. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) dropped 33% S&P 500 (US500.I) slid 19% in 2022 U.S. equities were closed on Monday. Last Friday, Nasdaq 100 edged down 0.10% to finish the year of 2022 with a 33.1% decline, its worst since 2008. S&P500 was off 0.3% on Friday and slid 19.4% on the year. In 2022, energy stood out as the lone gaining sector with the S&P500 and rose a stunning 59%. All the other 10 sectors declined and communication services, down 40.4%, consumer discretionary, down 37.6%, information technology, down 28.9%, and real estate, down 28.5%, were the laggards. Throughout the year, the stock market was driven down by higher interest rates which resulted from the Fed slamming hard on the brake after waking up to the fact that the inflation genie had been out of the bottle. Stocks bounced from their October lows in November as the Fed’s hawkish rhetoric peaked and investors started positioning for a pause of the Fed in tightening in Q2 2023 but the rally lost momentum in December. The outlook for equities remains challenging as inflation may not be falling as much as investors are hoping for in 2023. For a detailed review of 2022 from a wider perspective of the structural shifts beyond interest rates, we refer you to our Head of Equity Strategy, Peter Garnry’s brilliant article, Equites in 2022: a fork  in the road for globalization. You can also find the technical analysis of major equity indices from Kim Cramer Larsson, Saxo’s Technical Analyst, on his note, Quarter Technical Outlook – S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, DAX, FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and Hang Seng Index. For a summary of Peter and Kim’s views on the equity outlook for 2023, you can listen to this special edition of the Saxo Market Call here. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) had a huge down year not seen for decades The U.S. Treasury market was closed on Monday. In 2022, yields on the 2-year soared 372 basis points to 4.43% from 0.72% in 12 months. Yields on the 10-year jumped 237 bps to 3.87% from 1.51%. The iShares 20+ Treasury Bond ETF (TLT:xnas) plunged 32.7% in 2022. The sharp rise in yields and decline in prices in Treasury notes and bonds meant that investors had few placed to seek safety and the popular 60-40 portfolio, which protected investors well in the Great Financial Crisis in 2008 did not work this time in 2022 as both bonds and stocks were dragged down by the rise in inflation and therefore interest rates. As yields have risen to levels that provide more meaningful returns and the Fed has signaled a shift to a data-dependant risk management mode of operation, we argue that bonds will be a valuable component again in diversified investment portfolios. Nonetheless, as inflation, while its growth may be slowing, will likely stay at elevated levels, there are likely to be opportunities again for investors to pick up bonds at yields higher than the current levels in 2023. Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) look attractive at 1.6% real yields plus inflation compensation (currently at 7.68% p.a.; likely to fall towards 4% in 2023) in the form of indexation of the principal to the consumer price index. For details, please refer to our recent Fixed Income Updates: Bonds to shine in 2023 as the U.S. economy slows and the Fed moves into a risk management mode, and Elevated inflation and Fed downshift could potentially be a sweet spot for Treasury Inflation-protected Securities (TIPS). Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied since November 2022 on China’s shift in Covid containment policy The Hong Kong and China equity markets were closed for holiday on Monday. Over the year of 2022, the Hang Seng Index was down 15.5% and the CSI300 Index slid 21.6%. Over the past two months, stocks traded in Hong Kong and mainland China rallied as the China has effectively abandoned its stringent Dynamic Zero-Covid policy and moved to reopen the economy despite the surge in cases of infection. While it is inevitable to see further surges and more widespread in inflection at the initial stage of opening, the outlook for the Chinese economy has brightened for 2023.  In addition to the reopening, China has intensified its effort to support the distressed property sector and given property developers access to credits and equity financing which had been denied to them for the most part of 2022. The Chinese authorities have also shifted to more friendly gesture towards private enterprises, in particular the internet platform companies in the recent Central Economic Work Conference.  This new development, together with improvement in the credit impulse since last summer, the outlook for Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities have gained a more positive tendency for 2023. FX: US dollar stumbles into the New Year In his latest note, Saxo’s Head of FX Strategy wrote that the year 2023 is starting off with the US dollar on its back foot even as US treasury yields rose into year-end as the market continues to believe that we are nearing the end of the Fed rate hike cycle, with easing to follow, while the ECB has grown increasingly hawkish and the Bank of Japan is seen further adjusting its policy mix under new leadership from early Q2. Will the first key data of 2023 on Friday, the U.S. employment report, play well with the market’s strong convictions? Commodities’ continue to have a positive outlook in 2023 We maintain an overall bullish view on commodities, especially in energy, industrial metals, and precious metals for 2023 despite the near-term price volatilities that will be driven by the state of the U.S. economy and the development in the reopening of China from Covid containment. Saxo’s Head of Commodity, Ole Hansen, discussed the outlook for commodities in this special edition of the Saxo Market Call podcast. What to consider? U.S. recession is unlikely to come anytime soon as the market is expecting In his latest Macro Digest: Powell just started the next bull run in commodities, and a special edition of the Saxo Market Call podcast: A look ahead at 2023 with Steen Jakobsen, Saxo’s Chief Investment Officer, Steen Jakobsen argues that the U.S. economy is going to run hot in Q1 2023, as opposing to the market’s expectation of a recession. The U.S. services sector and the labor market are resilient and the fall in gasoline prices since last summer is a tailwind to consumer spending. The long-term equilibrium of U.S. inflation is likely to be 4% than 2%. While the growth of the headline inflation may slow somewhat, the structural inflationary force of deglobalization means the long-term equilibrium of inflation in the U.S. will more likely to be at around 4% rather than the 2.25% that the bond market and inflation derivative market are currently pricing in and many other asset prices base their valuation on. The Fed may not be able to deliver rate cuts as the market is hoping to get As the U.S. economy is resilient and not falling into a recession and inflation stays well above the Fed’s on average 2% target, the Fed is unlikely to be able to cut rates in the first half of 2023 or may not even be able to do some in the whole year of 2023. The Fed may pause and become data dependent and focus on risk management including ensuring proper market functioning and the U.S. federal government’s ability to service its mounting debt burdens. In the equity space, the tangibles are likely to do well in 2023 A resilient U.S. economy, elevated inflation, higher costs of capital due to high interest rates and more realistic equity valuation, and China reopening provide the backdrop for the tangible industries, such as defense, mining, energy, and biotech to outperform in 2023. The board equity markets may retrace as the disappointment of Fed easing kicks in but 2023 may turn out to be a positive year for equities driven by the tangible industries and companies that can improve productivity or be innovative. China’s PMIs declined further in December China’s Official NBS manufacturing PMI fell to 47.0 (consensus: 47.8; Nov: 48.0) and non-manufacturing PMI slid to 41.6 (consensus: 45.0; Nov: 46.7), further into contraction. The weakness was board-based and seems to be a result of the surge and widespread of Covid inflections during the initial stage of abandoning stringent containment measures. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: – Tangible industries to outperform in the U.S. and China to pick up momentum in 2023 - 3 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    UK GDP Already Falling And Continuing To Do So For This Calendar Year, Copper Is Still Within A Tightening Range

    UK GDP Already Falling And Continuing To Do So For This Calendar Year, Copper Is Still Within A Tightening Range

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.01.2023 09:36
    Summary:  While Japan, the UK and the US have yet to start trading this year, markets are on the move elsewhere, as mainland European stocks put in a strong session yesterday and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong is making a bid at multi-month highs overnight. Despite Japan’s closed markets, the JPY is surging, as are the Chinese renminbi and gold, which rose overnight to a six-month high in USD terms.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures opened 0.7% higher on the first print of the year but have since retreated lower up 0.3% for the session compared to the last day of trading in 2022. The positive sentiment from yesterday’s European equity session and positive trading session in Asia, despite a slightly weaker than estimated China PMI manufacturing figures for December, are carrying over into US equity futures. We still expect equity markets to be quiet and not reveal anything meaningful in terms of information of positioning and flows until early next week. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) On its first day of trading in 2023, Hang Seng Index opened lower but rallied to post a 2% gain as of writing. China telcos, electricity generating companies, pharmaceuticals, autos, and Macao casino operators led the charge higher. It is widely expected that the border between the mainland and Hong Kong will be reopened as soon as January 8, 2023. Investors brushed the weak December NBS PMI reports released during the holiday and the Caixin PMI today and the inevitable surge and spread of Covid inflections during the initial stage of relaxation of pandemic containment in China to focus on the improved economic outlook in mainland China and Hong Kong for 2023. China’s CSI 300 Index gained 0.5%. FX: The action in FX remains firmly centred on Asia … with the Japanese yen surging to new highs overnight versus the rest of G10 currencies as the 130.00 level in USDJPY gave way without much fight and EURJPY is poking below 138.50, its lowest level since September of last year as the market has grown increasingly convinced that the Bank of Japan is set for a further policy tightening this year and despite the ECB’s overt hawkishness. The Chinese renminbi is also off to a strong start in 2023 despite dramatic disruptions to activity on the ground from Covid as a further CNH rally overnight has taken USDCNH to within striking distance of its 200-day moving average near 6.86. The USDJPY performance is particularly interesting, given the tight correlation of USDJPY with US treasury yields over the last 12 months and more, as US yields backed up sharply to end 2022 and have yet to trade this year. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3 ) Crude oil futures fluctuated around unchanged as a new year got underway overnight in Asia. Another volatile year undoubtedly lies ahead with multiple uncertainties still impacting supply and demand. The two biggest that potentially will weigh against each other in the short term remain the prospect for a bumpy recovery in Chinese demand being offset by worries about a global economic slowdown. Covid fears, inflation fighting central banks, lack of investments into the discovery of future supply, labour shortages and sanctions against Russia will also play its part in the coming months. Sentiment, however, did improve ahead of yearend after hedge funds raised bullish Brent crude oil bets by the most in 17 months. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) strongly out of the starting blocks Gold trades at a fresh six-month high above $1840 and silver an eight-month high at $24.50 as the positive momentum from December gets carried over into the new year. The US treasury market opens later today but futures are signalling softer yields from where we left off on Friday while the dollar trades soft led by a strong yen. In general, we are looking for a price friendly 2023 supported by recession and stock market valuation risks, an eventual peak in central bank rates combined with the prospect of a weaker dollar and inflation not returning to the expected sub-3% level by yearend all adding support. In addition, the de-dollarization seen by several central banks last year, when a record amount of gold was bought look set to continue, thereby providing a soft floor under the market. In the week ahead we focus on Wednesday’s FOMC minutes and Friday’s US job report. Above $1842, the 50% of the 2022 correction, gold will be looking for resistance at $1850 and $1878 next. Copper jumps despite short-term headwinds HG copper trades up more than one percent at the start of a new trading year, but still within a tightening range, currently between $3.8 and $3.94 per pound. We expect to see a bumpy start to the year with China’s reopening process potentially being delayed by virus outbreaks and companies shutting down early ahead of the Lunar New Year, starting already on January 23 this year.  In addition, the risk of a global economic slowdown as highlighted by the IMF in its latest update may also weigh at the start of a year. Overall, however, the medium term offers further upside driven by reduced mining supply and increased focus on the electrification of the world, a copper intensive process that may offset weakness from the housing sector. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) start the year near multi-week highs US Treasuries have just started trading for 2023 this morning in Europe, opening some five basis points lower for the 10-year benchmark at 3.82% after backing up sharply as 2022 drew to a close, particularly at the longer end of the yield curve, helping to steepen the 2-10 portion of the treasury yield curve from its most inverted levels in some four decades earlier in December at around –80 basis points, to closer to –50 basis points as market participants figure that a recession is on the way this year that will see the Fed chopping rates by year end. The 10-year yield level to watch to the upside is perhaps the 4.00% area ahead of the 4.34% high from October, which is a 15-year high. What is going on? ECB President Lagarde out with fresh hawkish rhetoric yesterday … warning of a further rise in borrowing costs to fight inflation - “It would be even worse if we allowed inflation to become entrenched.” Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel was also out yesterday warning of a “significant increase in long-term inflation expectations”. European yields surged in the wake of the December 15 ECB meeting on Lagarde’s hawkish blast at the press conference, with German 2-year yields, for example, rising from 2.13% before that meeting to as high as 2.77% last Friday before easing a few basis points yesterday. Tesla deliveries for Q4 fell short of estimates, despite incentives The company delivered 405.3k vehicles in the fourth quarter, which fell short of consensus expectations for over 420k. Still, the number was a record for quarterly deliveries and strongly higher from the 308.7k vehicles Tesla sold in Q4 of last year. Tesla shares lost 65% last year, though they did surge over 10% off late December lows just ahead of year-end. UK Economy may face worst recession in 2023 An FT poll of over 100 economists suggested that four out of five respondents think that UK growth will fall short of global peers, with GDP already falling and continuing to do so for this calendar year, after the inflationary shocks of the last two years will required that the Bank of England continues to raise borrowing costs and as the new Sunak-Hunt government is bent on stabilizing the country’s debt trajectory with a more austere fiscal regime than its predecessors. Recession will hit a third of the world this year The new year has kicked off with a warning from the IMF head that a third of the global economy will be hit by recession this year. In their latest update Kristalina Georgieva warned that the world faces a “tougher” year in 2023 than the previous 12 months as the US, EU and China are all slowing simultaneously. China could see its annual growth in line with global growth for the first time in 40 years and potentially acting as a drag on instead of a driver of worldwide growth. She did sound more optimistic on the prospects for the US saying it may avoid recession because unemployment is so low. What are we watching next? US data this week relative to market expectations for Fed policy The market continues to express the view that inflationary pressures will decelerate and that the labour market will loosen up sufficiently for the Fed to begin chopping rates before year-end. Last week’s US Consumer Confidence survey for December showed a strong surge in confidence, a development that is at odds with past patterns for the survey if the country is tilting into a recession. Further strong US data for December and the next month or two would be an interesting challenge of the market expectations. This week sees the release of the December ISM manufacturing survey and the December jobs report, both on Friday. US Debt Ceiling issue as the new 118th US Congress convenes today in Washington D.C. The perennial debt ceiling issue was largely skirted over the last couple of years as pandemic priorities may have prevented partisan grandstanding. But Republican lawmakers have promised a fight to extract concessions from the Biden administration. Watching for how hard the Republicans are willing to take this issue as the debt ceiling will be reached by summer of this year. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light in the first week of the new year, but in a couple of weeks the first Q4 earnings releases will begin to be released. The Q4 earnings season will continue its focus on margin pressures related to input costs on employees and raw materials including energy. Thursday: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston, Constellation Brands, RPM International Friday: Naturgy Energy Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0855 – Germany Dec. Unemployment Change 0930 – UK Dec. Final Manufacturing PMI 1300 – Germany Dec. CPI 1430 – Canada Manufacturing PMI 1445 – US Dec. Final Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 3, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Tesla Is Expected A Temporary Rally

    New Record For Electric Car Manufacturer - Tesla Deliveries Increased By 40% Year-On-Year

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.01.2023 11:58
    Tesla survived a difficult year, losing about $ 675 billion in market valuation. Car sales The company expected to "sell every car we make as far in the future as possible," Musk said as Tesla posted a near-record quarterly profit. Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker said Monday it delivered about 1.31 million vehicles last year, about 40% more than in 2021. The company would need to deliver more than 1.4 million vehicles to meet its initial target of increasing deliveries by 50% or more. From analyst estimates compiled by FactSet, as of December 31, 2022, Wall Street expected Tesla to report deliveries of around 427,000 in the final quarter of the year. Estimates updated in December and included in the FactSet consensus ranged from 409,000 to 433,000. Tesla said changes to manufacturing and distribution practices to help lower vehicle costs led to more cars in transit at the end of the quarter. Tesla car prices Strong vehicle prices helped Tesla generate nearly $3.3 billion in quarterly profit for the three months ended September, beating the expectations of analysts surveyed by FactSet. That's not much compared to the company's record quarterly profit of over $3.3 billion, set in the first quarter. Tesla has repeatedly raised the price of its vehicles as parts have become more expensive and new cars hard to come by due to supply chain bottlenecks. Tesla cars averaged about $57,000 in the third quarter, up from about $49,000 a year earlier, analysts polled by FactSet estimated, boosting company revenue and mitigating lower-than-expected third-quarter deliveries. Moreover, the automaker may have to cut vehicle prices by $1,800 to $4,500 from Q3 2022 levels. Shareholders Musk, Tesla's largest shareholder, sold over $15 billion in Tesla stock this year, indicating that at least some of the proceeds will be used to fund his $44 billion Twitter deal. Some investors fear he may have to sell more to close the deal. The billionaire entrepreneur said the company's board of directors is considering the idea of buying back Tesla shares and it is likely that the company will pursue a "significant buyout". He put forward the idea of a buyout of around $5 billion to $10 billion in 2023. Read next: The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) Will Impose A Fine Of $2.2 Million On Tesla Inc| FXMAG.COM Problems The company idled its car factory in Shanghai on multiple occasions, early on because of local pandemic restrictions, then again in December as it faced a wave of Covid-19 infections among workers and suppliers. In October, Musk characterized Tesla as "recession-proof", saying, "We're going to pedal to the metal whether it's raining or shining. So we're not reducing our production in any significant way, whether in a recession or not." But now, Musk suggested exacly last month that the higher interest-rate environment was hurting vehicle demand. In a year-end sales push, Tesla offered discounts to many buyers who agreed to take delivery of vehicles before January. Demand problems will continue until Tesla introduces a cheaper vehicle in large numbers, which is not on the horizon any time soon. Tesla share price Shares have been falling since December 9. The biggest decrease in the month and the beginning of the year was recorded on December 27, 110, at the level of 109.10. It then surged to above 120. The new year started with Tesla stock price below 120 (118.93). So the trade will be on the tenth day around 120. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

    Concerns Among Investors About The Demand Outlook For The Products Of Apple

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.01.2023 08:57
    Summary:  The share price of Tesla plunged 12% following releasing weak deliveries in December. Apple’s market value fell below US2 trillion for the first time since March 2021 on weakening demand for its MacBooks, the Apple Watch and Airpods. The USD bounced by 1% against EUR and GBP. Crude oil slid by 4% on higher OPEC daily production. On Wednesday, all eyes are on the US ISM Manufacturing Index, JOLTS job openings, and the December Fed minutes. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) slid with significant weakness in Apple and Tesla U.S. equities started the year weaker on Tuesday. S&P 500 slid 0.4% and Nasdaq 100 lost 0.8%. Energy, plunging 3.6% on a 4% decline in crude oil, was the worst-performing sector within the S&P 500 Index. Communication Services, up 1.4%, advanced the most, with Meta (META:xnas) up 3.7% and Alphabet (GOOGL:xnas) up 1.1%. Nasdaq 100 was dragged down particularly hard by the declines in the share prices of Apple (AAPL:xnas) which accounts for 13% index weighting and Tesla (TSLA:xnas) which accounts for 2.5% index weighting. Tesla fell by 12.3% after releasing weak December delivery data. Apple slid 3.4% on a Nikkei report suggesting potential weak demand for the company’s products, taking the company’s market value down below USD2 trillion, the first time since March 2021. Apple accounted for 13% in Nasdaq 100 weighting. Tesla plunged 12.3% on weak December deliveries Tesla announced Q4 deliveries of 405.3K coming short of the estimate at 420.8K and significantly below the 439.7K units produced in Q4. In this article, Peter Garnry suggests that Telsa is facing problems of elevated battery costs that forced the EV maker to raise prices and excessive electricity costs in Europe that weighs on demand. Some demand in the U.S. in Q4 might have been pushed into Q1 2023 by the EV purchase tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. The share price of Tesla plunged 12.3% on Tuesday, its largest decline by percentage since September 2020. Apple fell by 3.4% on reportedly weakening demand for its MacBooks, the Apple Watch and Airpods A Nikkei article reported that “Apple has notified several suppliers to build fewer components for Airpods, the Apple Watch and MacBooks for the first quarter, citing weakening demand”. The article stirred up concerns among investors about the demand outlook for the products of the consumer electronics giant. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied with yields on the 10-year 14bps richer to 3.74% Bids returned to Treasuries as German Bunds jumped in price following German CPI coming in softer than expectations.  Yields on 10-year German bunds fell by 6bps on Tuesday and by 18 bps since the New Year. On the tape, former Fed Chair Aland Greenspan and former New York Fed President Bill Dudley said a not-too-severe U.S. recession was the most likely outcome. The 10-year segment led the rally, with yields 14bps richer to 3.74%. Yields on the 2-year fell by 6bps to 4.37%. The corporate issuance calendar was busy with 19 investment grade bonds for a total of over 30 billion issued on Tuesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) On its first day of trading in 2023, Hang Seng Index opened lower but rallied to post a 1.8% gain. Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) climbed 1.9%. Chinese telco, consumer, electricity utilities, pharmaceuticals, autos, and Macao casino operators led the charge higher. It is widely expected that the border between the mainland and Hong Kong will be reopened as soon as January 8, 2023. In addition, a rebound in mobility data in some large Chinese cities, such as Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Beijing helped market sentiment. Investors brushed off the weak December NBS PMI reports released during the holiday and the Caixin PMI on Tuesday and the seemingly inevitable surge and spread of Covid inflections during the initial stage of relaxation of pandemic containment in China to focus on the improved economic outlook in mainland China and Hong Kong for 2023. Southbound flows into Hong Kong amounted to a decent HKD4.25 billion, of which buying in Tencent (00700:xhkg) accounted for HKD1.58 billion. Following the release of strong December sales, BYD rose by 4.7%, Li Auto by 10.5%, and Xpeng by 7.8%.  China’s CSI 300 Index gained 0.4%, with computing, communication, media, and defense names gaining the most. FX: the dollar gained 1% versus EUR and GBP As Saxo’s Head of FX Strategy, John Hardy, put it in his note, USD wakes up with a bang ass US market come back on line. Softer CPI prints from Germany triggered selling in the Euro and saw EURUSD down 1%. The pound sterling also slid 1% versus the dollar. The Yen held on relatively well, after briefly strengthening to 129.52, finished the day little changed at around 131. Crude oil fell nearly 4% on higher OPEC production WTI crude fell 3.9% on Tuesday following production by OPEC countries increased by 150,000 barrels to 29.14 million barrels a day, partly due to higher output from Nigeria. The warmer-than-normal weather in the U.S. and Europe also weighed on the market sentiment. What to consider? German December CPI softer than expectations Germany released headline CPI at 8.6% Y/Y below the street estimate of 9.0%Y/Y and November’s 10.0%. Germany’s EU Harmonized CPI came in at 9.6% Y/Y, falling from the 10.2% expected and 11.3% in November. U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index, JOLTS Job openings, and the December FOMC minutes to focus on Wednesday We have a busy economic calendar in the U.S. on Wednesday. The ISM Manufacturing Index is generally considered by investors as one of the key indicators in the recession question. The Bloomberg consensus estimate is calling for a further decline into the contractionary territory to 48.5 in December from 49.0 in November. JOTLS job openings (consensus 10.05 million; Nov 10.33 million) will also be closely monitored as the data series was highlighted by Fed Chair Powell almost every time in his assessment of the state of the labor market and monetary policies. Finally, at 2pm US EST, we will have the minutes from the Fed’s December FOMC meeting. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: – Apple and Tesla plunged; ISM, JOLTS, and Fed minutes the focus on Wednesday - 4 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Tesla Had A Bad Start To 2023, US Treasury Yields Fell Sharply

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.01.2023 09:10
    Summary:  US equities got off to a choppy start in 2023 with a slightly weak session yesterday, but with notable weakness in high profile companies like Tesla after it reported weak Q4 deliveries, while market cap leader Apple posted a new cycle low. The US dollar traded was choppy in volatile trading but generally ended the day on the strong side, even as US treasury yields dropped. Gold chopped back and forth but surged back toward yesterday’s highs overnight.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures started the year’s first day of trading yesterday with the element that they had plenty of in 2022, namely volatility. The index futures started rallying in the beginning of the session helped by positive sentiment in Europe and China trading up as much as 1.2% at the intraday high, but spillover effect on sentiment from the slide in Tesla shares and related technology stocks took S&P 500 futures down 0.4%. The intraday price range in S&P 500 futures was more than 2%. The first important macro events of the year are the ISM Manufacturing and the JOLTS Job Openings report for December which could move interest rates and inflation expectations and thus US equity futures later in the session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index rallied for the second straight session in 2023 rising by 1.8%. Hang Seng TECH Index surged 3.4%, led by Alibaba (09988:xhkg)  soared more than 7% following the news that the Chinese authorities approved an increase in registered capital of the consumer finance unit of Ant Group. Shares of Chinese developers and management services providers climbed on anticipation of state support from the state-owned Economic Daily emphasizing the importance of the real estate sector to the economy in its editorial. Longfor (00960:xhkg) and Country Garden Services (06098:xhkg) each jumped around 10%, being the top performers of the Hang Seng Index. Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg), a supplier to Apple (AAPL:xnas), plunged 12% on analyst downgrades and a Nikkei report that “Apple has notified several suppliers to build fewer components for Airpods, the Apple Watch and MacBooks for the first quarter, citing weakening demand”. CSI 300 is unchanged. FX: Yesterday’s USD rally moderates. AUD surges on possible end of Chinese coal ban The US dollar surged yesterday for no readily apparent reason, even as US treasury yields dropped and risk sentiment was strong early in the day. The rest of the day saw very choppy action that suggests currency traders are struggling to find their feet in 2023, although the greenback generally ended the day stronger than where it started ahead of the first important macro data of the year this Friday. Overnight, the Aussie surged sharply, erasing the AUDUSD losses yesterday and seeing AUDNZD to new local highs as Chinese authorities discussed a partial lifting of the Australia coal import ban. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) Crude oil futures, led by gasoline and diesel, turned sharply lower during its first full day of trading with the early 2023 focus being centred around a short-term deterioration in demand as China struggles with Covid-19, milder weather reduces demand for heating fuels and the IMF’s latest warning that one third of the world may suffer recession in 2023. OPEC increased production by 150k b/d last month according to a Bloomberg survey as Nigeria, currently producing below its quota, ramped up production. US production meanwhile is expected to rise by just 600k b/d in 2023, with the pre-pandemic record peak at 13m b/d remaining out of sight. On the supply side Russia’s December shipments of oil slumped to the lowest for 2022 driven by storm disruptions and a shortage of vessels. In Brent, the uptrend from early December looks challenged with a break below $81 signalling further loss of momentum, initially towards $79.65.  Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD) and platinum (XPTUSD) This trio of investment and semi-industrial metals, led by gold’s break higher, are the only commodities trading in the black this week. On Tuesday, sudden dollar strength was being offset by a sharp fall in US treasury yields, both highlighting weak risk sentiment at the beginning of a new trading year. In general, we are looking for a price friendly 2023 for investment metals supported by recession and stock market valuation risks, an eventual peak in central bank rates combined with the prospect of a weaker dollar and inflation not returning to the expected sub-3% level by yearend. However, in the short-term continued dollar strength - as risk appetite elsewhere suffers - may prove too hard to ignore, thereby raising the prospect for a correction and better buying levels. Focus on today’s FOMC minutes and Friday’s US job report. Key support in gold at $1801 with trendline resistance at $1852 being followed by $1878. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) fall sharply on US first trading day of 2023 US Treasury yields fell sharply all along the curve, but fell the most at the longer end of the curve, with the 10-year yield benchmark down almost 15 basis points to 3.73%. Some of the move was in sympathy with European yields, which dropped on a much softer than expected German CPI print.  The 10-year US Treasury yield level to watch to the upside is perhaps the 4.00% area ahead of the 4.34% high from October, which is a 15-year high. To the downside, the cycle lows below 3.50% (intraday cycle low was 3.40%) are the focus, with the first major test of the US Treasury market up this Friday on the release of US jobs data and the December ISM Services index and next week on the December CPI report on Thursday, January 12. What is going on? US House Republicans so far failing to elect new Speaker of the House A minority of more Trumpist-leaning Republicans are holding back the election of Kevin McCarthy to become the next Speaker, as he failed to win approval after three rounds of voting yesterday. The House is unable to conduct any kind of business until a new Speaker is elected, and the degree of dysfunction in the House over the next two years will likely be determined by the identity of the leader in the house. Inflation is cooling down in Germany Germany December CPI rose 8.7 % year-over-year against prior 10.4 %. The monthly decline is astounding: minus 1.0 % from November to December. In parallel, inflation also slowed down in Germany’s largest state by population – North Rhine Westphalia – with CPI out at minus 1.0 % month-over-month. This matters because it is one of the major industrial states. The drop is partially explained by the drop in energy prices and the one-time government support to reduce the gas bills of households and SMEs. This means the decline in inflation may not last. It will highly depend on the evolution of energy prices this winter. But this is a welcome figure as we kick off the new year. Officials in China discuss easing Australia coal import ban Bloomberg is breaking this story, citing sources familiar with the matter, which claim that bureaucrats are proposing allowing a few major coal consumers in China to resume imports as soon as April 1. The Australian dollar jumped sharply in response, as did Australian coal exporters, and even major miner BHP Billiton posted a strong session overnight. Tesla shares plunge 12% to lowest levels since August 2020 Tesla had a bad start to 2023 as the EV maker reported worse than expected Q4 deliveries Tuesday night trailing the productions figures for the quarter expanding the gap between production and deliveries to a new high. Investors are speculating whether Tesla is facing a demand issue and the recent implemented discounts to entice buyers are still in place suggesting Tesla is willing to sacrifice its operating margin at the expense of keeping up demand to maintain high utilization of its factory capacity. Read our take on Tesla in yesterday’s equity note. What are we watching next? November JOLTS Job openings up later, FOMC Minutes up tonight The JOLTS survey of job openings dropped in October back toward the low for 2022 at just above 10.3M as the November release today is expected to post a new cycle low near 10.0M. Still, these numbers are far north of the previous pre-pandemic record near 7.5M. The FOMC minutes tonight may not move markets much, but are worth watching for where FOMC members are expressing their inflation concerns. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light in the first week of the new year, but in a couple of weeks the first Q4 earnings releases will begin to be released. The Q4 earnings season will continue its focus on margin pressures related to input costs on employees and raw materials including energy. This week’s earnings focus is Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Conagra Brands, with WBA expected to -3% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November adding to the series of quarters with negative revenue growth. Conagra Brands is expected to deliver 7% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November as the manufacturer of packaged foods is able to pass on inflation to its customers. Thursday: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston, Constellation Brands, RPM International Friday: Naturgy Energy Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0745 – France December Flash CPI 0815-0900 – Eurozone final December Services PMI 0930 – UK Nov. Consumer Credit/Mortgage Approvals 1500 – US Dec. ISM Manufacturing  1500 – US Nov. JOLTS Jobs openings 1900 – US FOMC Minutes 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Inventory Report 0145 – China Dec. Caixin Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 4, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Feed: OPEC+ meeting ahead

    Exxon And Chevron Abandon The Global Market And Focus On The Americas

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 04.01.2023 12:29
    The two fossil fuel giants plan to spend most of their annual budgets in the both Americas this year. Focus on Noth and South America For much of their modern history, Chevron and Exxon have scoured the world for oil to add to their reserved reserves. Chevron saying it will pour 70% of the capital allocated for production into oil fields in the U.S., Argentina and Canada, and Exxon saying it will spend a similar portion of its budget in the Permian Basin of New Mexico and West Texas, Guyana, Brazil and liquefied natural-gas projects. Their focus on the Western Hemisphere is expected to continue for years as they give priority to growing shareholder returns and cut costly frontier drilling projects. The Chevron planned to sell off at least $15 billion in assets as of 2018, reducing its global reach and focusing on its most valuable assets. Last year, Irving, Texas-based Exxon sold or proposed to sell assets in Chad, Cameroon, Egypt, Iraq and Nigeria. Read next: New Record For Electric Car Manufacturer - Tesla Deliveries Increased By 40% Year-On-Year| FXMAG.COM Exxon and Chevron Situation The company's oil and gas production is down nearly 18% in 2021 from its annual peak in 2011. Around this time, Exxon had dozens of projects around the world and made most of its money outside the United States. Meanwhile, Chevron's international production fell 3% last year after concessions in Thailand and Indonesia expired. Last year, she promised to leave Myanmar, citing human rights violations. Chevron has kept some international assets close to home. The US re-granted it a new license to pump oil in Venezuela after years of sanctions. So far it has said it will not make new investments in the country, but will only hold existing assets while it collects debt from its state-owned joint venture partner. The involvement of Venezuela In October last year, information appeared about the possibility of easing the sanctions imposed by the US on Vezeuela. The Biden administration has taken steps to reduce the sanctions imposed on the regime in Venezuela, provided authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro agrees to negotiate with the US-backed opposition to hold a free and fair presidential election in 2024 on the matter. Venezuela was once a major oil producer, pumping more than 3.2 million barrels a day in the 1990s, but the state-owned industry has collapsed over the past decade due to underinvestment, corruption and mismanagement. The sanctions imposed by the Trump administration have further curtailed production and forced Western companies out of the country. Chevron wrote off its Venezuelan assets in 2020, charging a $2.6 billion fee, just months after the Trump administration tightened sanctions that barred U.S. companies from drilling, transporting or selling Venezuelan oil. The speed at which Chevron can resume operations in Venezuela, mainly in the Orinoco belt to the east, will depend largely on how quickly modifications to the Trump-era sanctions can be implemented. Read next: How Dream Sports Built Its Value, High Inflation And Its Impact On The Hedge Fund| FXMAG.COM Chevron will have to deal with everything from fuel shortages to an accident-prone oil infrastructure to security threats and corruption that could hamper its efforts to revitalize the country's gutted oil industry. The involvement of Venezuela, which sits on top of some of the world's largest oil reserves, could serve as a long-term strategy for the United States and European countries trying to secure new energy sources as Russia's war in Ukraine drags on and overturns commodity markets. Chevron share price The war in Ukraine has mainly hit the goods market, which has made energy companies gain. Chervron gained over 40% last year. The share price last year was mostly above 150, and this year it started the year with levels above 170. Exxon share price Exxon's stock didn't do as well as Chevron's, but it was on the rise and in 2022 it was trading above 85. Currently, the company's stock is above 100. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Russia's Weekend Mutiny and Gold's Bounce off Support Raise Concerns; Verbal Intervention in USD/JPY and US Banking Stocks Tumble Ahead of Fed's Stress Test Results

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Lifting Risk Sentiment And Seeing A Weaker US Dollar

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.01.2023 12:45
    Summary:  Today, we note that today's inter-market picture makes far more sense than what we saw yesterday as some low inflation data in Europe is helping to drive global bond yields lower, lifting risk sentiment and seeing a weaker US dollar. This came after a volatile and confusing day yesterday. The biggest winner of the first couple of days this year has been gold, which has soared above major resistance. We also look at the latest Tesla plunge and some of the network effects that may be aggravating its decline, discuss the reversal in crude oil prices and new lows in natural gas prices and how markets may continue to flourish on signs of a weakening economy. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Read next: How Dream Sports Built Its Value, High Inflation And Its Impact On The Hedge Fund| FXMAG.COM Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Read next:Exxon And Chevron Abandon The Global Market And Focus On The Americas| FXMAG.COM Source: Podcast: Global markets getting back in synch today | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

    European Investors Got An Energy Boost From Lower Inflation Reads

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 04.01.2023 12:59
    European investors got an energy boost from lower inflation reads, and the falling nat gas futures, but US investors didn’t follow up on the cheery market mood. However, US sovereign bonds gained yesterday as an indication that the latest market moves were backed by recession fears, rather than hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations… The risk-off investors will likely continue And if the first trading day of the year is any indication, we could see the holy negative correlation between stocks and bonds come back in 2023. This is what many investors think will happen. The risk-off investors will likely continue exiting stocks on profit recession – and not on hawkish Fed expectations, and they could go back to bonds and to gold instead. US economy Due today, the ISM manufacturing index will reveal if and how fast US manufacturing contracted last month. If yesterday’s PMI is any hint, we could see a fastening contraction in ISM manufacturing, which would then boost recession worries, hit the stocks, but not necessarily the bonds and gold. Also, JOLTS data will show if, and by how much the US job openings fell in November. Read next: Exxon And Chevron Abandon The Global Market And Focus On The Americas| FXMAG.COM But regardless of the ISM data, and the US job openings, the FOMC minutes will likely confirm that the Fed remains serious about further tightening policy, even if it slows the pace of interest rate hikes. Remember, if the Fed decided to go slower on its rate hikes, it’s to be able to go higher! And the more resilient the US economy and the US jobs market, the more eager the Fed will be to continue its journey north… Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 European stocks rally but… 3:04 US stocks fall, as bonds rise… 4:08 … hinting at the eventual return of negative correlation btw stocks and bonds? 5:51 …from which Gold could also benefit? 6:30 What to watch today? 7:38 Oh Tesla, Apple and Exxon… 9:06 Do you dare going back to Chinese stocks? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Stock #bond #correlation #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #economic #data #recession #pricing #Tesla #Apple #Exxon #crude #oil #DAX #CAC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Supply Trends Resurface: Analyzing the Impact on Market Dynamics

    The Australian Dollar (AUD) Was The Best Performer Among Major Currencies Against The Dollar

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.01.2023 08:51
    Summary:  European and U.S. equities as well as bonds gained on a large-than-expected decline in the rate of inflation in France. Hong Kong stocks had a strong day in anticipation of more economic stimulus, support to the real estate sector, and relation on regulations over the internet sector in mainland China. The U.S. JOLTS job openings report shows the Fed has more work to do to cool off the labor market. The December FOMC minutes sent mixed signals of warning against an easing of financial conditions and concerns about two-sided risks of under- and over-tightening. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) ended higher in a choppy session U.S. stocks had a strong start on Wednesday through the morning and then oscillated after the release of the FOMC minutes in the afternoon digesting the hawkish warnings from the Fed about an unwarranted easing in financial conditions and the dovish signal of an increasing number of Fed FOMC members being concerned about two-sided risks. S&P 500 ended the session 0.8% higher and Nasdaq 100 climbed 0.7%. The rally was broad-based as all 11 sectors within the S&P 500 gained. The interest rate-sensitive real estate sector was the best performer while the energy sector was close to flat as crude oil slid nearly 5%. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) rebounded 5%. Micorsoft (MSFT:xnas) plunged 4.4% on analyst downgrades and concerns about the company’s cloud computing business. The next key focus of investors will be the employment report this Friday. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) gained on softer French CPI prints, and the FOMC minutes showed more Fed officials concerned about two-sided risks Treasuries caught some strong bids in tandem with the European bond markets that rallied on softer-than-expected CPI prints from France. The market pared some gains after a stronger-than-expected JOLTS job openings report and position squaring ahead of the release of the FOMC minutes. Yields, in particular, those in the longer-end segment, fell again after the FOMC minutes. The 10-year finished Wednesday 6bps richer to 3.68% which yields on the 2-year falling only 2bps to 4.35%. The December FOMC minutes highlighted Fed officials’ worries about “an unwarranted easing in financial conditions” due to a misinterpretation by the market of the Fed’s downshift from 75bp to 50bp hike as a pivot. Nonetheless, the minutes showed that “many participants” argued for balancing the two-sided risks of under- and over-tightening in the December meeting. Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari said in an article that he saw rate hikes “at least at the next few meetings”, leading to a terminal rate of 5.375%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index rallied for the second day in a row in 2023, registering an impressive gain of 3.2% and rising to above its 250-day moving average. A pledge of fiscal expansion from China’s Finance Minister fueled investors’ optimism in more economic stimulus measures. Hang Seng TECH Index surged 4.6%, led by Alibaba (09988:xhkg) which soared 8.7% following the news that the Chinese authorities approved an increase in registered capital of the consumer finance unit of Ant Group. Shares of Chinese developers and property management services providers climbed on anticipation of state support, following the state-owned Economic Daily emphasizing the importance of the real estate sector to the economy in its editorial, a recent message from the Financial Stability and Development Committee to support “systematically important” property developers, and Asset Management Association of China’s decision to resume approvals for private equity funds investing in property projects. Longfor (00960:xhkg) and Country Garden Services (06098:xhkg) each jumped more than 11%, being the two biggest gainers within the Hang Seng Index. Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg), a supplier to Apple (AAPL:xnas), plunged 10% on analyst downgrades and a Nikkei report that “Apple has notified several suppliers to build fewer components for Airpods, the Apple Watch and MacBooks for the first quarter, citing weakening demand”. Semiconductors names were among the laggards as China was reportedly going to slow its investment push for developing the country’s chip-making industry due to pressures on its fiscal budget. In A-shares, CSI 300 finished the day little changed, with real estate and financials outperforming and weakness in semiconductors and new energy. FX: AUD gained 1.6% to 0.6840 as China is considering resuming coal imports from Australia The Australian dollar was the best performer among major currencies against the dollar following news headlines saying that China is considering ending its import ban on Australian coal. EUR and GBP also rebounded from the loss the day before and each up about 0.7% against the dollar. The Japanese yen was the laggard among major currencies and weakened to 132 against the dollar. Crude oil fell nearly 5% to USD73.17 WTI crude oil fell 4.9% to US73.17 on concerns of a slowing global economy and higher-than-average temperatures in Europe and the U.S. Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Above 1.06 Again, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To Level Of 131| FXMAG.COM What to consider? FOMC minutes warned about an unwarranted easing in financial conditions while highlighting a shift toward risk management The FOMC minutes sent out mixed messages. FOMC participants worried that the downshift from a 75bp hike to a 50-hike would be interpreted by the market as the signal of a pivot and warned that “an unwarranted easing in financial conditions, especially if driven by a misperception by the public of the committee’s reaction function, would complicate the committee’s effort to restore price stability”. Nonetheless, the minutes showed that “many” participants argued for balancing two risks: the risk “insufficiently restrictive monetary policy could cause inflation to remain above the Committee’s target for longer than anticipated” and the other risk of “the lagged cumulative effect of policy tightening could end up being more restrictive than is necessary to bring down inflation to 2 percent and lead to an unnecessary reduction in economic activity”. That points to a data-dependent risk management approach going forward. Fed’s Kashkari expects the Fed to raise the policy rate another 100 basis points Saying in an article, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said that “it would be appropriate to continue to raise rates at least at the next few meetings” and indicated that he saw the ultimate rate going 100 basis points higher to 5.25%-5.50%, in 2023. He suggests that any sign of slow progress that keeps inflation elevated for longer will warrant the policy rate potentially much higher. Softer-than-Expected French CPI A day after a softer-than-expected German CPI report, December CPI in France also came in softer. French December headline CPI decelerated to 5.9% Y/Y from 6.2% in November as opposed to the expectation of a rise to 6.4% Y/Y.  French CPI EU Harmonized slowed to 6.7% Y/Y in December (consensus estimate: 7.3%) from 7.1% in November. U.S. JOLTS job openings stronger than expected U.S. JOLTS job openings declined to 10.46 million in November, above the consensus estimate of 10.01 million, from a revised 10.51 million (previously reported 10.33 million) in October. It implies that the ratio of vacancies to unemployment is 1.74, above the pre-pandemic level and the labor market will be considered by the Fed as being too tight. U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index fell to 48.4, slightly below expectations The ISM Manufacturing Index slid more than expected to 48.4 in December (consensus: 48.5) from 49.0 in November. New orders were weak, falling to 45.2 from 47.2. The price-paid sub-index decelerated to 39.4 in December (consensus: 42.9) from 43.0 in November. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Softer inflation prints from France, solid JOLTS job openings report, mixed messages from the FOMC minutes – 5 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Russia Look Set To Double Its Exports For The First Half Of 2023

    Russia Look Set To Double Its Wheat Exports For The First Half Of 2023

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 05.01.2023 09:00
      Summary:  Equity markets managed to keep an even keel yesterday, with a lack of direction in US equity markets continuing well into its third week. Late yesterday, the minutes from the last FOMC meeting offered the latest pushback against market expectations for rate cuts as soon as year-end, while gold and especially the JPY eased back lower from their recent strength on treasury yields halting their slide. Tomorrow’s US jobs report for December offers the next test for global markets.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US equity market once again chopped back and forth yesterday as the action has been bottled up in a range in the S&P 500 for nearly three weeks. The market may be waiting for the next batch of US data and the impact on treasury yields for choosing a direction, with tomorrow’s batch of data the next important hurdle for markets. The technical focus for S&P 500 traders is the range low and the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement near 3,780 for the March futures contract. For Nasdaq 100 trader, the cycle low near 10, 750 and the nominal intraday lows from last October a bit lower still are the key focus. Ironically, strong US economy data may be the most negative for equity markets in the short run if yields jump. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed more than 1% and CSI300 surged nearly 2% as China continue to roll out additional reopening measures and supports to the economy. On Thursday, China announced the much-anticipated gradual reopening of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland starting from January 8, 2023. Internet platform giants Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Meituan (03690:xhkg), China restaurant chain Haidilao (06862:xhg), beer brewers China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) and Budweiser (01876:xhkg) were among the top gainers within the Hang Seng Index. In A-shares, baijiu (Chinese white liquor) surged in anticipation of rebound in consumption. Electric equipment, household electronic appliances, and logistics stocks also outperformed. FX: JPY rally reversed, USDCNH testing key levels The US dollar found a modicum of support yesterday as treasury yields stabilized and as the Fed delivered the expected message in its latest set of meeting minutes – a pushback against market expectations for the Fed to cut rates as soon as this year. The next important step for the USD will be on tomorrow’s December jobs report and next Thursday’s December CPI release. USDJPY bounced well above 132.00 after its recent test below 130.00 on signs that the yen’s recent surge may need more support from new developments (a larger drop in global yields in particular) after resetting from 150.00+ in USDJPY terms. The Chinese yuan continued its resurgence on hopes for a boost to Chinese growth on the other side of the current Covid trauma, with USDCNH testing its 200-day moving average near 6.87 for the first time since April. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) Crude oil found a bid on Wednesday following a two-day tumble of more than 9% tumble on China demand and global growth worries. The bounce has so far primarily been driven by short covering while also signalling an end to selling from funds who bought the market aggressively ahead of yearend. For now, a surge in Covid-19 cases across China is clouding the near-term demand outlook, overshadowing optimism and delaying the timing of when commodity consumption in the world’s top importer will eventually rebound. The API reported a 3.3-million-barrel increase in US crude stocks with gasoline stocks also rising while distillates dropped. The EIA will release its weekly report later today. Gold (XAUUSD) sees increased two-way action after hitting fresh six-month high Gold’s run of gains extended to a fourth day on Wednesday but after touching $1865 some two-way actions emerged potentially signalling traders have started to book profit. Gold, silver and platinum have been favoured by traders during the first days of trading, with momentum from last year being carried over. Driven by recession and stock market valuation risks, an eventual peak in central bank rates combined with the prospect of a weaker dollar and inflation not returning to the expected sub-3% level by yearend. It is worth remembering that traders' conviction at the beginning of a new year always tends to be low for fear of catching the wrong move. At the same time, however, the fear of missing out can also drive a rapid build-up in positioning which subsequently can be left exposed should a change in direction occur. Focus on Friday’s US job report with resistance at $1865 & $1878 while the current strong uptrend may not be challenged unless the price breaks below $1800 Europe’s gas price (TTFMc1) slump continues Europe’s gas prices have fallen by more than 50% during the past month and on Wednesday the Dutch TTF futures contract closed at €65/MWH ($20/MMBtu), the lowest since October 2021. The slump has been driven by a combination of mild weather and at times strong production from renewables as well as reduced industrial consumption resulting in an unusual seasonal increase in inventories. Gas held in storage across Europe is currently 164 TWh above the five-year average and close to a full month of peak winter withdrawals. With LNG imports still strong and demand down by more than 10% the continent has now ended up in a situation, unthinkable just a couple of few months ago, where prices need to stay low in order to divert LNG shipments away from Europe in order not to overwhelm storage facilities. Wheat (ZWc1) tumbles on ample Black Sea supply. The Chicago wheat contract has lost more than 5% during the first trading days to trade near a one-month low. Forced lower by an abundance of low-price wheat from Russia and Ukraine providing stiff competition to U.S. exporters where production has been hit by drought, and recently, by severe cold. Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, look set to double its exports to a record 21.3 million tons for the first half of 2023. This following a record grain crop of 151.0 million tons last year, including 102.7 million tons of wheat. In addition to strong Russian shipments, European Union soft-wheat exports are running about 6% higher than a year earlier, and Australia’s top shipper loaded a monthly record 2.18 million tons of grain in December. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) stabilized after their steep fall to start the year US Treasury yields arrested their descent yesterday after the 10-year benchmark hit 3.66%, rising a few basis points. At the short end of the curve, yield pulled back slightly higher as well, perhaps lifted at the margin by a strong JOLTS survey for November and the ISM Manufacturing survey showing a stronger employment sub-index. The price action was little affected by the FOMC minutes release, which saw the Fed continuing its pushback against market expectations for easing as soon as year-end. Tomorrow’s US data, including the December jobs report and ISM Services Index, offer the next test for the treasury market. Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Above 1.06 Again, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To Level Of 131| FXMAG.COM What is going on? France’s inflation is cooling down BUT… Inflation is cooling down in several eurozone countries. France is the last example. In December, the EU-harmonized CPI rose 6.7 % year-over-year versus expected 7.3 %. On a monthly basis, inflation decreased 0.1 % versus expected +0.4 %. This is positive, of course. But it will likely not be sufficient for monetary policy to shift out of tightening mode just yet. There is a high risk that inflation will increase again in Spring/Summer this year due to higher energy prices. This could be fueled by a deficit in the oil market due to OPEC+ cuts and EU ban on Russian oil and difficulties filling gas inventories for next year in the EU. Therefore, it is too early to believe the peak in inflation is effectively behind us in the eurozone. The FOMC minutes sent out mixed messages FOMC participants worried that the downshift from a 75bp hike to a 50-hike would be interpreted by the market as the signal of a pivot and warned that “an unwarranted easing in financial conditions, especially if driven by a misperception by the public of the committee’s reaction function, would complicate the committee’s effort to restore price stability”. Nonetheless, the minutes showed that “many” participants argued for balancing two risks: the risk “insufficiently restrictive monetary policy could cause inflation to remain above the Committee’s target for longer than anticipated” and the other risk of “the lagged cumulative effect of policy tightening could end up being more restrictive than is necessary to bring down inflation to 2 percent and lead to an unnecessary reduction in economic activity”. That points to a data-dependent risk management approach going forward. Separately, Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari said in an article that he saw rate hikes “at least at the next few meetings”, leading to a terminal rate of 5.25-5.50%. UK Mortgage Approvals plunged in November A clear sign that higher interest rates are impacting the UK housing market, approvals plunged to 46.1k in November, a stunning drop from 59k in October and for wider perspective, a sign of very weak activity relative to the average of well over 60k approvals per month in the years before the pandemic outbreak. Amazon to lay off over 18k employees This was more than previously expected as the company over-expanded its warehouse and logistics infrastructure after the wild increase in demand from pandemic-era stimulus. Shares rose some 1.7% after hours yesterday. US House of Representatives still has no speaker The narrow Republican majority in the House after the mid-term elections last November means that nearly all Republicans must agree on a candidate, with a small cabal of Trumpist-leaning Republicans continuing to block the candidacy of Keven McCarthy, who failed three more votes yesterday in his effort to become the next Speaker of the House. This issue could gain considerable importance for the debt ceiling issue in the US if a more confrontational figure acceptable to the GOP extremists is eventually found. What are we watching next? US data today and tomorrow Today we will get the latest weekly US jobless claims number as this data series has yet to show material weakening in the US labour market, market bets of Fed cuts by year-end notwithstanding. The December ADP Private Payrolls data is also up today, with that data series showing a rather persistent decline in payrolls growth since Q2 of last year. It is expected at +150k after +127k in November. Tomorrow’s calendar is important as the Fed has clearly expressed the most uncertainty on the inflationary pressures from the employment-intensive services side of the economy. This could make the market sensitive to strong surprises in the Nonfarm payrolls change number (expected around +200k, with considerable recent attention on the divergence in this survey relative to the far weaker household survey used to calculate the overall unemployment rate) and average hourly earnings. Ninety minutes after the jobs data, we’ll have a look at the December ISM Services survey after November saw a surprising improvement in the survey to 56.5 after the cycle low of 54.4 in October. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light in the first week of the new year, but in a couple of weeks the first Q4 earnings releases will begin to be released. The Q4 earnings season will continue its focus on margin pressures related to input costs on employees and raw materials including energy. Today’s earnings focus is Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Conagra Brands, with WBA expected to -3% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November adding to the series of quarters with negative revenue growth. Conagra Brands is expected to deliver 7% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November as the manufacturer of packaged foods is able to pass on inflation to its customers. Today: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston, Constellation Brands, RPM International Friday: Naturgy Energy Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Poland Dec. Flash CPI 0930 – UK Final Dec. Services PMI 1000 – Eurozone Nov. PPI 1000 – Italy Dec. CPI 1230 – US Dec. Challenger Job Cuts 1230 – US Fed’s Harker (2023 FOMC voter) to speak 1315 – US Dec. ADP Private Payrolls change 1330 – Canada Nov. International Merchandise Trade 1330 – US Nov. Trade Balance 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1600 – EIA Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1830 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 2330 – Japan Nov. Labor Cash Earnings Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 5, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    UK Manufacturing Surge Lifts Q2 Growth: Insights and Outlook

    Samsung Suffers From Weakening Demand, Amazon Will Increase The Total Number Of Layoffs To Over 18,000

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 05.01.2023 10:36
    The remaining cuts in Amazon will bring the total number of redundancies to over 18,000 and will be implemented in the coming weeks. Samsung also has problems and suffers from a lack of demand for its products. Samsung Macroeconomic challenges hit Samsung hard last year as companies and consumers cut back on electronics spending after a shopping boom in the early stages of the pandemic. Demand for tech will remain weak as high inflation, rising interest rates and a strong dollar weigh on sales. This led to a sharp decline in demand for goods from Samsung, the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones, televisions and semiconductors. The drop in demand is a constant challenge for Smanung. According to analysts surveyed by data provider FactSet, Samsung's operating profit for the quarter ended December 31 was projected to be almost half as much as a year earlier. Currently, Samsung leads the global smartphone market in terms of total shipments, but Apple dominates the premium smartphone market. In recent years, Samsung has battled rival Apple to defend its share of the premium smartphone market, where most of the industry's profits are generated. Apple has created an exclusive ecosystem of connected products and services that helps attract new consumers and increase their retention. Samsung plans to overcome current market challenges by strengthening the integration of connected devices and related software, an area where it has previously lagged behind rivals such as Apple Inc. For now, Samsung smartphone users can set the washing machine to complete its cycle when they get home and turn on music on the Samsung TV, and the stereo speakers will automatically turn on to the beat of the music. The user can also scan the barcode on a package of frozen hot dogs with a smartphone, and Samsung's microwave oven will heat the product according to the instructions. Samsung has created a new umbrella team made up of employees from each product unit to work to improve the user experience across multiple devices, said Han Jong-hee, vice president and general manager of the South Korean tech company. The team office includes rooms imitating real houses and other spaces where connected devices are tested and developed in many scenarios. Since October 2021, Samung shares have skyrocketed significantly. After peaking at 88,800, it declined. The year 2022 was in a downward trend. This year, the company's shares started at 55,500 and began to grow. Currently, Samsung shares are trading at 58,200. Read next: How Dream Sports Built Its Value, High Inflation And Its Impact On The Hedge Fund| FXMAG.COM Amazon The Seattle-based company said in November it was starting layoffs, with the cuts focused on its appliance, recruitment and retail business. More than 18,000 workers will be affected, the biggest cut recorded last year at a major tech company as the industry recoils amid economic uncertainty. The layoffs are concentrated within the company's corporate ranks and account for about 5% of that portion of its workforce and 1.2% of its 1.5 million employees as of September. Amazon was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic as customers flocked to shop online. The rush into Amazon's various businesses, from e-commerce to groceries and cloud computing, has accelerated the company's years of growth. To keep up with demand, Amazon doubled its logistics network and added hundreds of thousands of employees. When demand began to wane and customers returned to in-store shopping, Amazon initiated an extensive cost-cutting review to cut back on units that were unprofitable. In the spring and summer, the company made targeted cuts to lower costs by closing physical stores and business units such as Amazon Care. Amazon later announced a company-wide hiring freeze before opting to lay off employees. Many tech companies cut jobs as the economy worsened. Last time, ending 2022, Amazon shares were below 90. They ended the year at 84.18, and are now slightly up to 87.19. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Composite Had The Biggest Growth

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.01.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 2.13%, the S&P 500 rose 2.28%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.56%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Intel Corporation, which gained 1.17 points or 4.25% to close at 28.73. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc rose 1.42 points or 4.04% to close at 36.61. Dow Inc rose 2.11 points or 3.99% to close at 55.02. The biggest losers were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, which gained 0.04 points (0.01%) to end the session at 490.00. Home Depot Inc was down 0.65% or 2.06 points to close at 317.53, while Chevron Corp was up 0.75% or 1.32 points to close at 176. 56. S&P 500 The leading performers in the S&P 500 index today were Costco Wholesale Corp, which rose 7.26% to 482.87, Old Dominion Freight Line Inc, which gained 6.83% to close at 300.70. , as well as shares of IDEXX Laboratories Inc, which rose 6.82% to close the session at 447.77. The biggest losers were Baxter International Inc, which shed 7.84% to close at 48.45. Shares of Waters Corporation shed 7.15% to end the session at 322.21. Quotes of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc decreased in price by 3.94% to 535.00. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Swvl Holdings Corp, which rose 115.36% to hit 0.30, Medavail Holdings Inc, which gained 80.19% to close at 0.56, and also shares of Golden Sun Education Group Ltd, which rose by 77.78%, ending the session at around 2.24. The biggest losers were Fate Therapeutics Inc, which shed 61.45% to close at 4.24. Shares of Nabriva Therapeutics AG shed 44.84% to end the session at 1.30. Quotes of Graphite Bio Inc decreased in price by 39.54% to 1.85. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2655) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (459), while quotes of 79 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2689 companies rose in price, 1087 fell, and 190 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 5.92% to 21.13. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.66%, or 30.50, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 0.14%, or 0.10, to $73.77 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery fell 0.14%, or 0.11, to $78.58 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 1.18% to 1.06, while USD/JPY shed 0.99% to hit 132.09. Futures on the USD index fell 1.12% to 103.65.       Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-10 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/307765
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    The Chinese Authorities Are Considering To Relax Restrictions On Highly-Leveraged Property Developers

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.01.2023 08:32
    Summary:  U.S. stocks surged over 2% following the ISM services index shrinking to 49.6 and average hourly earnings growth slowing to 0.3% M/M in December from a downward revised 0.4% in November (previously reported 0.6%). Investors became more optimistic about inflation having peaked because of these unexpected weaknesses in services and wages. Yields on 10-year Treasury notes plunged 16 basis points to 3.56%. The dollar fell against all G10 currencies with the Dollar Index shedding 1.1%. Gold and copper advanced. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged more than 2% on slowing wage growth and activities in services in contraction Bad news once again was good news for equities last Friday when the U.S. released slower wage growth in December as well as in November (a downward revision) and the ISM services index plunged unexpectedly by 6.9 points to 49.6 and into the contraction territory.  Investors noted that Fed Chair Powell had emphasized in his recent speeches that the price of core services other than housing, which was driven by wages and service sector activities, is the most important price category to consider for understanding the future evolution of inflation. Despite the higher-than-expected prints in non-farm payrolls and a lower unemployment rate, Nasdaq 100 rose 2.8% and S&P 500 climbed 2.3%. All 11 sectors within the S&P500 gained, with materials, up 3.4%, leading, followed by information technology, and real estate. Tesla recovered from early losses on cutting prices in China and bounced 2% Tesla China has cut again the price of its Model 3 by 13.5% to RMB 20,990 (USD3,350) and Model Y by 10% to RMB 25,990 (USD3,790) in China within three months from the prior price cut.  Following the news, shares of Tesla (TSLA:xnas) plunged as much as 7.7% in early trading but recovered throughout the day and managed to finish the Friday session 2% higher. Costco (COST:xnys) surged 7.2% on strong December sales Costco reported U.S. comparable sales rose 6.4% in December 2022, above the 5% expected by street analysts. The strong holding sales performance saw the bulk retailer’s share price advance 7.2% last Friday. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) soared with yields on the 10-year notes 16bps richer to 3.56% Treasuries were bid following the growth in average hourly earnings slowed to 0.3% M/M and 4.6% Y/Y from a revised down 0.4% M/M (previously reported 0.6%) and 4.8% Y/Y (previously reported 5.1%). Yields oscillated for a while as investors weighed the soft wage growth against the solid payrolls and fall in unemployment rates. Decisive declines in yields came after the release of the ISM Services Index which unexpectedly collapsed to 49.6 in December from 56.5 in November, indicating contracting activities in the service sector. A service sector in contraction may help cool down inflation in core services excluding housing which is the focus of Fed Chair Powell. Yields on the 2-year notes fell by 21bps to 4.25% and those on the 10-year notes became 16bps richer to 3.56%. What should you be watching today in equities across APAC; Copper, gold, iron ore The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened 1% higher today, following the stellar close of US shares. This week we could also see some money deployed that was removed from the market from the end of US financial year two weeks ago. In terms of key pockets of potential gains to watch; Commodity stocks could likely to do well as there is room for the Fed to not be as hawkish. The copper price rose 2.4% to its highest level since November, which will could likely boost copper stocks today and this week, and spot gold price jumped 1.8% to a range it last traded in June last year. Also keep an eye on coal stocks this week, as coal demand usually peaks in January and Chinese authorities are in discussion on a partial end to the Australian coal ban. So keep an eye on Whitehaven Coal and New Hope. Meanwhile, iron ore equities may be possible laggards. Vale, Champion Iron, Fortescue Metals, BHP and Rio will be on watch as the Iron ore price (SCOA) has fallen 1.3% from its five month high as buying of iron ore is expected to grind lower as China heads to lunar new year holidays. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks consolidated in a choppy session. Shares of Chinese developers surged in the morning session, following China’s central bank and bank regulator jointly issued a directive to allow banks in cities with declining home prices to lower mortgage interests below the floor dictated current policies. Adding to fuel the rally in property developers was the comment from China’s Minster of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in an interview with the People’s Daily, pledging support to the financing needs of developers and reports suggesting that China is considering relaxing the “three red lines” that constraining highly leveraged developers from getting new financing. Stocks however turned to the south after the lunch break. President of the China Society of Economic Reform said the Chinese Government will roll out “some forceful measures” to redistribute income and “establish a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation” in order to advance “common prosperity”.   Hang Seng Index finished last Friday 0.3% lower. Alibaba Health (00241:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), and Haidilao (06862:xhkg) were among the biggest losers with the Hang Seng Index. EV stocks fell, following the news that Tesla China has cut again the price of its Model 3 and Model Y in China within three months from the prior price cut. In A-shares, China’s CSI300 advanced by 0.3% with solar names, lithium battery makers, electric equipment, non-ferrous metal, petrochemicals, and basic chemicals leading. FX: the dollar declined versus G10 currencies on Friday The USD posed a bullish breakout from the three-week range at the start of 2023 but aggressively snapped back after a disappointing PMI release on Friday as 10-year yields dipped back towards 3.55%. NOK, AUD and NZD were the biggest gainers against the USD on Friday, with AUD also benefitting from China reopening. AUDNZD remains supported above 1.0800 with USDCNH testing support at 6.8200 on the Chinese reopening wave with extra vigour via strong PBoC midpoint fixes and measures aimed at propping up the ailing real estate sector. USDJPY slid to 132 with BOJ Governor Kuroda sticking to dovish intentions but PM Kishida once again saying over the weekend that he will have 'discussions' with new BOJ governor. The Aussie dollar flagged a bullish signal, crossing above the 200-day moving average The US dollar suffered its longest streak of weekly falls in two months. So that’s supporting other currencies higher. In particular, the commodity currency, the Aussie dollar broke above its 200-day moving average, which could be seen as a bullish sign. The Aussie dollar trades at two-month highs of 68.85 US cents. What's also supporting the Aussie dollar is that China’s reopening is expected to add considerably to Australia’s GDP. Some economists predict a 0.5% addition to GDP in a year once Chinese students and tourists return. JPMorgan thinks over the next two years Aussie GDP will grow near 1% thanks to inbound Chinese students and holiday makers likely returning. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains volatile amid China’s chaotic reopening The first week of 2023 was tough for crude oil, with global demand concerns weighing and China outlook remaining mixed. Despite removing most virus-related restrictions, a surge in cases across the country could stifle economic activity. Meanwhile, the IMF warned that a third of the global economy could be in recession in 2023. Supply side concerns are also seen with European sanctions on Russian oil having kicked in, while OPEC has reiterated that it is willing to step in with further production cuts. WTI futures traded slightly higher to $74/barrel in Asian morning while Brent was close to $78.90. Gold (XAUUSD) advanced over 2% on weaker USD Gold is off to a positive start in 2023, and a further boost was seen on Friday after the mixed jobs report and weakness in ISM services saw a plunge in the USD. However, demand ahead of Lunar New Year is likely to stay strong, and central banks are also active in the physical market. People’s Bank of China bought another 30 tonnes of gold in December 2022, following 32 tonnes in November, boosting the country's stash of gold to 2,010 tonnes. Speculation remains rife that these are steps for China to move away from dollar-based trading as geopolitical tensions remain high. Gold prices are testing $1870 this morning and support at $1808 will be key to hold to maintain the uptrend. US CPI data due this week remains key. Copper getting in close sight of $4 as China stimulus continues Copper is leading a rebound in base metals as China looked to support its property sector. Beijing may allow some firms to add leverage by easing borrowing caps and push back the grace period for meeting debt targets. These were part of the “three red lines” policy that contributed to the downturn in recent years. HG Copper broke above resistance at the 200-day at $3.8525, and will be targeting the $4 per pound next.  Read next: The U.K. Economy Is In Trouble, Fall Of GDP Is Expected!| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US macro: Big miss in ISM services overshadows NFP gains The ADP report from last week had set up expectations for a stronger NFP print on Friday, and while the headline came in stronger and with a drop in unemployment but the market instead focused on significantly slower wage growth and the reaction was dovish, with the US dollar sagging. Still, the report doesn’t change the fact that US labor market remains tight and WSJ’s Timiraos also noted that Friday’s employment report does little to clarify how much the Fed will raise interest rates at its next policy meeting. Nonfarm payrolls showed US employers added 223,000 jobs last month, from a downwardly revised 256,000 in November, with the unemployment rate hitting a cycle low of 3.5% again. Wage growth however slowed to 4.6% YoY (0.3% MoM) in December from a revised 4.8% YoY (0.4% MoM) in November, keeping the market reaction to the overall jobs report mixed, before the big disappointment from ISM services which surprisingly dipped into contraction for the first time since May 2020 to 49.6 vs. expected 55. The forward-looking sub-indicator, new orders, fell 10.8 pts to 45.2 but details were still mixed with 11 of the 18 services sector remaining in expansion. Fed speakers continue to highlight inflation concerns A host of Fed speakers were on the wires on Friday, and key message was the need for more rate hikes still despite signs of price pressures cooling. Cook (voter) said inflation is "far too high" and "of great concern" despite recent encouraging signs, while Bostic (non-voter) said the Fed needs a target rate above 5% and he expects Fed to hold at a peak policy rate for an extended period, "well into 2024". Barkin, another non-voter, touched more on inflation saying that that the Fed is still resolute on inflation, and needs to stay on the case until inflation is sustainably back to the 2% goal. Retiring member Evans however called for a slower pace of rate hikes. The eurozone inflation is cooling down It was largely expected that the eurozone inflation would cool down in December. But the first estimate is actually much lower than forecasted, at 9.2 % versus prior 10.1 % in November. This is a positive development and it goes in the right direction, of course. But this is still a high number. Looking at the main components, energy had (without surprise) the highest annual rate in December at 25.7 %), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (13.8 %), non-energy industrial goods (6.4%) and services (4.4%). What is worrying is that core CPI continues to increase at 5.2 % versus prior 5.0 % and expected 5.1 %. This will push the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep hiking interest rates in the short-term. But the peak in interest rates is getting closer (Mario Centeno) and the eurozone macroeconomic outlook is not that bad actually (if there is a recession underway, it is at the mild end according to the ECB chief Philip Lane). Alibaba’s Jack Ma cedes his control of Ant Group According to a statement released by the company on 7 January, Jack Ma terminated his acting-in-concert arrangement with other individuals. Under the new structure, 10 individuals, including Mr. Ma, have independent voting rights in the management of the company, as opposed to the prior arrangement that gave Mr. Ma indirect control of 53,46% of the voting rights. Mr. Ma’s stake in Ant Group is reduced to 6.2% from 10.6%. China’s government think-tank said China is launching measures to regulate wealth accumulation President of the China Society of Economic Reform, which is under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said in a reform forum that the Chinese Government is launching “some forceful measures” to redistribute income, increase taxes, social security, and transfer payments, and “establish a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation” in order to advance “common prosperity”. Establishing a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation was first mentioned in President Xi’s work report delivered at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress as a means to advance common prosperity. China is reportedly considering to relax the three red-line policy that restrained developers from borrowing According to Bloomberg, the Chinese authorities are considering to relax restrictions on highly-leveraged property developers from increasing their borrowings. The uplift of the restrictions would be important addition to the recent support measures to the real estate sector in China. The three red lines that were introduced in 2020 restrict developers’ ability to borrow if their debts have gone beyond the stipulated limits relative to assets, net debt, or cash. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Contraction in US ISM services and soft wage growth overshadows strong jobs numbers – 9 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Sterling Slides as Market Anticipates Possible Final BOE Rate Hike Amidst Weakening Consumer and Housing Market Concerns

    The Market Is Betting On A Shallow Recession In Some Parts Of The World

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.01.2023 09:58
    Summary:  Markets jumped higher on Friday after a mixed December jobs report from the US, mostly reacting a bit later in the session to the very weak December ISM Services survey, which suggests a rapidly decelerating services sector. US rates plunged all along the curve and the USD tanked as the market lowered Fed rate hike expectations, and risk assets rallied, with a further tailwind from China’s huge policy shifts in recent weeks.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) On Friday, it seems the market was looking past the strong labour market data focusing on the miss on the ISM Services Index in December at 49.6 vs 55. This bolsters the view that bad news is good news as it will cause the Fed to halt its monetary tightening sooner rather than later. Our view is still the same that inflation will remain stickier than what the market expects and thus even a mild slowdown in the economy will not lead to substantially lower interest rates. When the market recognizes this, it will begin to price equities more on slowing growth not offset by lower interest rates. Nevertheless, the US equity market is picking up momentum with S&P 500 futures extending their gains up 0.2% trading around the 3,924 level and above the upper level of the recent trading range. If momentum extends and the news flow remains supportive then the 3,950 level could quickly come into play. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Alibaba (09988:xhkg), surging 7.6%, was the best performing stock within the Hang Seng Index on Monday, following Ant Group announcing a new arrangement in which Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma cedes his indirect control of Ant Group. The new arrangement, which apparently has the blessing of the Chinese authorities, signals that Alibaba and its affiliates may be close to an end of the government-imposed reorganization and return to relative normal business.  Separately, Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said that the rectification of the financial arms of internet platform companies had basically finished. Hang Seng Index surged 1.4% as of writing. China’s CSI300 gained 0.7% with non-ferrous metal, education services, and poultry farming leading. FX: USD sells off on weak ISM Services survey The US dollar sold off after a mixed jobs report delivered not signal, but then a shocking drop in the December ISM Services (more below) took down US treasury yields sharply all along the curve. By this morning’s trade, the move sent EURUSD back above 1.0675 and within reach of the 1.0700+ highs from December, while AUDUSD jumped to new cycle highs above 0.6900 on the weaker greenback together with surging metals prices on China’s policy shift (more below.). Despite the big drop in yields, USDJPY reacted less than other USD pairs as the strong rally in risk sentiment saw flows focusing on more pro-cyclical currencies, like AUD, NZD and NOK. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains volatile amid China’s chaotic reopening The first week of 2023 was tough for crude oil, driven by global growth concerns, a very mild winter across the Northern Hemisphere dampening demand, and a mixed outlook for China. Despite removing most virus-related restrictions, a surge in cases across the country has hit the short-term demand outlook while at the same time setting the economy on a path to recovery. Meanwhile, the IMF warned that a third of the global economy could be in recession in 2023. Supply side concerns are also seen with European sanctions on Russian oil having kicked in, while OPEC has reiterated that it is willing to step in with further production cuts. Short-term resistance being the 21-day moving at $75.65 in WTI and $81.15 in Brent. Gold (XAUUSD) surged higher on weak US ISM Gold’s already positive start to 2023 received a further boost on Friday after the mixed jobs report and very weak ISM services (see below) triggered a plunge in yields and the dollar. Total ETF holdings reached a one-month high while central banks remain active with the PBoC saying that it bought another 30 tonnes of gold in December 2022, following 32 tonnes in November, boosting the country's stash of gold to 2,010 tonnes. Speculators started the new year by boosting their net futures long to a seven-month high, supported by the current strong momentum and a general gold friendly outlook for 2023 driven by recession risks and peak dollar and yields. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with a break above confirming the change in direction that has been under way since November. Copper trades near key $4 level as China stimulus continues Copper jumped to a six-month high in Asia on Monday, driven by a general rebound in base metals as China looked to support its property sector. Beijing may allow some firms to add leverage by easing borrowing caps and push back the grace period for meeting debt targets. These were part of the “three red lines” policy that contributed to the downturn in recent years. Copper has advanced since November after lockdown protests led to an abrupt change in direction towards reopening the economy following months of fruitless lockdowns. The change in direction set by the government has bolstered the outlook for demand beyond the first quarter. Having broken above its 200-day moving average on Friday, now support at $3.8475, HG copper almost touched the key $4 level overnight. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) soared with yields on the 10-year notes 16bps richer to 3.56% Treasuries were bid Friday following the news of slowing average hourly earnings. Yields oscillated for a while as investors weighed the soft wage growth against the solid payrolls and fall in unemployment rates. Decisive declines in yields came after the release of the shockingly wevak December ISM Services Index (more below on the ISM and US jobs report), indicating contracting activities in the service sector. Two-year yields fell 21bps to 4.25% and those on the 10-year notes dropped some 16 bps to 3.56%. What is going on? Asian and EM equities enter bull market The leading MSCI indices tracking these two segments of the global equity market have entered a bull market up 20% since their lows in October fueled a more positive narrative. The market is betting on a shallow recession in some parts of the world, while inflation keeps coming down, and on top of a successful kickstart of the Chinese economy. All three wishes may not be able to be fulfilled simultaneously and our view is that the market is getting too excited about growth too early as a lot of uncertainty persists. Eurozone inflation is cooling off It was largely expected that the eurozone inflation would cool in December. But the first estimate was much lower than forecasted, at 9.2 % versus 10.1 % in November. This is a positive development and goes in the right direction, but this is still a high number. Looking at the main components, energy had (without surprise) the highest annual rate in December at 25.7 %), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (13.8 %), non-energy industrial goods (6.4%) and services (4.4%). What is worrying is that core CPI continues to increase at 5.2 % versus prior 5.0 % and expected 5.1 %. This will push the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep hiking interest rates in the short term. But the peak in interest rates is getting closer (Mario Centeno) and the Eurozone macroeconomic outlook is not as bad as feared (if there is a recession underway, it is at the mild end according to the ECB chief Philip Lane). US macro: big miss in ISM services overshadows NFP gains The ADP report from last week had set up expectations for a stronger NFP print on Friday, and while the headline came in stronger than expected at ´+223k and the unemployment rate dropped back to the cycle low of 3.5%, the market instead focused on significantly slower wage growth than expected. The Average Hourly Earnings in December slowed to 4.6% YoY (0.3% MoM) from a revised 4.8% YoY November, keeping the market reaction to the overall jobs report mixed. Ninety minutes later, the December ISM services survey saw a shocking drop into contraction for the first time since May 2020 at 49.6 vs. expected 55 and 56.5 in November. The forward-looking New Orders sub-index fell over 10 points to 45.2 but details were still mixed with 11 of the 18 services sectors remaining in expansion. AUDUSD jumps to new 4-month high, clears 200-day moving average With the US dollar suffering its longest streak of weekly drops in two months, the Aussie dollar broke above its 200-day moving average for the first time since last April, and traded above 0.6900 for the first time since last August. Also supporting the currency is that China’s reopening is expected to add considerably to Australia’s GDP. There’s a potential 0.5% addition to GDP in a year once Chinese students and tourists return, and an anticipated rise in commodity exports to China, especially coal after a prior ban, could add an extra boost to GDP. JPMorgan thinks that over the next two years, Aussie GDP will grow 1% alone thanks to inbound Chinese students and holiday makers likely returning. The next catalyst for the currency is inflation (CPI) data out on Wednesday Jan 11. Core or trimmed CPI is expected to have risen from 5.3% YoY to 5.5% YoY. Fed speakers continue to highlight inflation concerns A host of Fed speakers were on the wires on Friday, and key message was the need for more rate hikes still despite signs of price pressures cooling. Cook (voter) said inflation is "far too high" and "of great concern" despite recent encouraging signs, while Bostic (non-voter) said the Fed needs a target rate above 5% and he expects Fed to hold at a peak policy rate for an extended period, "well into 2024". Barkin, another non-voter, touched more on inflation saying that that the Fed is still resolute on inflation, and needs to stay on the case until inflation is sustainably back to the 2% goal. Retiring member Evans however called for a slower pace of rate hikes. Read next: Plans To Sell FTX Assets Met With Opposition From US Trustee Andrew Vara| FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? How long will market celebrate any additional signs of a slowing US economy? The market’s primary focus on Friday after a very weak US ISM Services survey was the celebration of lower US treasury yields as weak data drives expectations that the Fed can ease its policy tightening more quickly than previously expected, but typically, a weaker economy would mean falling earnings and a credit crunch, which drives markets lower. Only hopes for a benign “soft landing” can continue to see the market celebrating signs of a weakening economy, if that is indeed what we get. This week includes very little in the way of important US data outside of Thursday’s December CPI (perhaps less focus there than previously, given we have seen a number of softer inflation-related data of late). Q4 Earnings season begins this Friday with the largest US financial institutions reporting and the reports and guidance coming over the following couple of weeks will bear close watching. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off this Friday with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth this year. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Tuesday: Albertsons Thursday: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Unemployment Rate 1200 – Mexico Dec. CPI 1330 – Canada Nov. Building Permits 1530 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1730 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 1730 – US Fed’s Daly (non-voter) to speak 2000 – US Nov. Consumer Credit 2330 – Japan Dec. Tokyo CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The UK Contracts Faster Than Expected in July, Bank of England Still Expected to Hike Rates

    Incorporating Slack And Other Apps Into The Salesforce Platform Can Actually Put Buyers Off

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 09.01.2023 12:22
    Salesforce said about 80 Fortune 100 companies use Slack. The move to combine an ever-widening range of IT software and services into a single platform could backfire. Salesforce acquired Slack Salesforce, which confirmed plans to acquire Slack in December 2020, was a pioneer in selling cloud-based customer relationship management software on a subscription basis. Salesforce.com Inc has agreed to buy Slack Technologies Inc., a $27.7 billion messaging company, shows how the biggest players in cloud computing are racing to get stronger in the face of the remote work boom during the pandemic. It was the biggest move ever made by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, a pioneer in selling software subscriptions that run on remote servers, to transform the company he founded 21 years ago into a broadly established powerhouse in enterprise technology tools. The deal is almost twice the size of Salesforce's largest acquisition to date. It was intended to turn the combined company into a more threatening competitor to Microsoft Corp. The acquisition was aimed at taking over the fast-growing market for communication and collaboration software during the Covid-19 pandemic as employers sent employees home and switched to remote systems. Currently, companies in the market for customer relationship management software - Salesforce's flagship product - do not seem to be thrilled with the addition of messaging and collaboration. Slack can still be purchased as a standalone app, outside of Salesforce CRM tools. Dark side Since the acquisition, Slack's revenue growth has steadily declined. Salesforce reported approximately $402 million in revenue from Slack subscriptions and support in the fiscal third quarter ending Oct. 31. That's an increase of 6.9% quarter-over-quarter, but reflects a slowdown from 9.3% growth in the second quarter and 11.7% growth in the first quarter, based on revenue data from the company's earnings reports. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Salesforce said it would lay off 10% of its workforce as customers take a more cautious approach to spending. What's more, CIOs also take care of uncertain markets by reducing cloud spending and removing unused applications. Wong said that incorporating Slack and other apps into the CRM platform could actually put buyers off. The CIO and other corporate tech leaders will take a closer look at spending. As the number of functions increases, companies are increasingly forced to hire more technical staff to manage an ever-wider range of tools, which can be prohibitively expensive during economic downturns. Read next: After The Correction, Jacek Ma's Share In Shareholder Votes Will Fall To 6.2%| FXMAG.COM Salesforce and Slack vs. Microsoft Salesforce and Slack, both based in San Francisco, have long been competing with Microsoft. In 2016, Salesforce, after losing to a larger rival in the purchase of LinkedIn Corp., urged regulators to investigate the proposed deal for antitrust laws. The transaction eventually passed regulatory scrutiny. This summer, Slack filed a complaint with the European Union over Microsoft's alleged antitrust behavior, which was using its market dominance to pressure Teams. Salesforce share price As with most tech companies, Salesforce's shares also had a downward trend last year. The lowest share price appeared last month. Salesforce ended 2022 with a price of 132.59. The beginning of the new year brings positive signals. Share prices have increased and are now at 140.51 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Unraveling the Resilience: US Growth, Corporate Debt, and Market Surprises in 2023

    DAX Could Make An All-Time High, Euro Stoxx 50 Testing Key Resistance Levels

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.01.2023 13:03
    Summary:  DAX and Euro Stoxx 50 testing key resistance levels. A close above is likely to push Indices higher 3-4% higher short-term DAX is testing resistance at 14,654. RSI is back above 60 indicating higher levels are likely. However, there is still divergence but if RSI closes above its falling trendline will indicate DAX is likely to move higher and test key resistance at 14,901.However, 14,901 is not a strong resistance and if DAX closes above December 20222 peak at 14,676 uptrend has been confirmed both short- and medium-term. 15K is a very psychological level so a close above will give the market the feeling that all crisis talk is over and we are back to the “good old days” of Bull Market. We will most likely see stories about DAX could make an all-time high. But reality can easily return. However, a move above 15K is in the cards and a 1.618 Fibonacci Projection at around 15,222 could be seen before weakness will spread across the market. For DAX to reverse this uptrend a close below 13,791 is needed. First indication of this scenario to play out could be a break back below 14,149   Source all charts and data: Saxo Group sa Incorporating Slack And Other Apps Into The Salesforce Platform Can Actually Put Buyers Off| FXMAG.COM   Euro Stoxx 50 is at the time of writing above key resistance at around 4,025. If closing above and if RSI is closing above its falling trendline further uptrend should be expected. 4,165 is 0.786 retracement of the entire down trend since 2021 peak. However, a move to 1.618 Fibo Projection of the December correction at around 4,200 seems likelyIF Euro Stoxx fails to close above 4,025 the Index is likely to slide lower. But it needs to close below 3,767 to reverse the uptrend.      Source: Technical Update - European Equities higher. DAX and Euro Stoxx 50 testing key resistance | Saxo Group (home.saxo)      
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Only The NASDAQ Composite Index Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 10.01.2023 08:04
    On Thursday this week, investors will be waiting for the publication of data on consumer prices in the US. Analysts believe that annual inflation in the country slowed down to 6.5% in December from 7.1% per annum recorded in November. The statistics may give traders a hint as to what to do next with the US Federal Reserve, whose next two-day meeting will take place on January 31 and February 1. About 77% of analysts expect the regulator's discount rate to increase by 25 basis points to 4.5-4.75%. In addition, as early as this Friday, the largest US banks will report on their financial results for the previous year. At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.34%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.08%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.63%.  Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components today was Salesforce Inc, which gained 6.59 points or 4.69% to close at 147.10. Quotes of Intel Corporation rose by 0.58 points (2.02%), closing trading at 29.31. Goldman Sachs Group Inc rose 4.92 points or 1.41% to close at 353.00. The least gainers were Merck & Company Inc, which shed 4.46 points or 3.88% to end the session at 110.38. Johnson & Johnson rose 2.59% or 4.67 points to close at 175.58 while The Travelers Companies Inc shed 2.45% or 4.75 points to close at 189.12. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Tesla Inc, which rose 5.93% to 119.77, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which gained 5.90% to close at 13.81. as well as shares of NVIDIA Corporation, which rose 5.18% to close the session at 156.28. The least gainers were Baxter International Inc, which shed 7.74% to close at 44.70. Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc shed 7.69% to end the session at 680.49. Quotes of Northrop Grumman Corporation decreased in price by 4.99% to 495.41. NASDAQ  The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were CinCor Pharma Inc, which rose 143.97% to 28.74, Amryt Pharma Holdings Ltd, which gained 107.29% to close at 14.51. as well as Albireo Pharma Inc, which rose 92.16% to end the session at 43.85. The least gainers were shares of Calithera Biosciences Inc, which shed 81.77% to close at 0.66. Shares of Peak Bio Inc shed 27.27% to end the session at 2.56. Quotes of Cerus Corporation decreased in price by 28.04% to 2.72. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1868) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1202), while quotes of 102 shares remained practically unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2192 companies rose in price, 1561 fell, and 172 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 3.98% to 21.97. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.33%, or 6.10, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude futures for February delivery rose 1.42%, or 1.05, to $74.82 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 1.46%, or 1.15, to $79.72 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.82% to 1.07, while USD/JPY shed 0.19% to hit 131.82. Futures on the USD index fell 0.68% to 102.94. Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-11 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/307907
    China: PMI positively surprises the market

    The China Government Considering CNY3.81trn Of Local Government Bond Issuance In 2023

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.01.2023 08:54
    Summary:  While the US markets remained mixed overnight with the post-wage growth and ISM gains cooling off, focus in Asia shifts back to China’s reopening and policy measures. A fresh round of fiscal boost and a likely higher budget deficit target could mean more infrastructure spending, and hence further gains for industrial metals. Copper broke the key $4/lb mark. Furthermore, higher import quotas for crude oil were also announced. Tesla charged ahead, but remains in a technical long-term downtrend. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) consolidated, waiting for the Fed and upcoming earnings U.S. equity benchmark indices pared their over 1% gains in the morning and finished the Monday session mixed. Nasdaq 100 gained 0.6% while S&P 500 was nearly flat. Among S&P 500 sectors, information technology was the top winner and advanced 1.1%, led by the strong performance of Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas). Tesla (TSLA:xnas), rallying 5.9%, was the best-performing stock within S&P 500. The stock however is still in a long-term downtrend. Healthcare was the worst-performing sector. Lululemon Athletica plunged 9.3% after saying the company expected lower profit margins in Q4. Uber gained 3.8% on an analyst upgrade. Apple plans to drop Broadcom chips and Qualcomm modem Apple (AAPL:xnas) plans to drop Broadcom (AVGO:xnas) chips from its devices and use in-house chips. Apply also aims to replace the modems from Qualcomm (QCOM:xnas) with in-house designs. Shares of Broadcom fell nearly 2% and those of Qualcomm shed 0.6%. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) extended gains After a strong session last Friday, Treasuries extended their gains to finish 2 to 4 bps richer across the curve. Yields on the 10-year edged down 3bps to 3.53% and those on the 2-year slid by 4bps to 4.21%. The market is pricing a 77% chance of a 25bp hike at the February FOMC. Comments from Fed’s Bostic and Daly, both non-voter this year, did not offer new insights. Bostic said he was in favor of “raising rates to the 5%-5.25% range”. Fed Chairman Powell will speak in a panel discussion on central bank independence at a Riksbank event today. The New York Fed survey showed U.S. consumers expecting 1-year, 3-year and 5-year inflation expectations at 5%, 3% and 2.4% respectively. What should you be watching today in equities across APAC? The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened slightly lower on Tuesday down 0.2%, while Japan’s market is suggested to outperform in APAC today, with the futures suggesting the Nikkei could rise 0.9%. Keep an eye on coal stocks particularly as China’s National Development and Reform Commission has issued three notices urging parties to secure and speed up the process of locking in medium and long-term supply deals, to ensure China does not run out of power. China banned the imports of Australian coal for over two years, however yesterday, reports suggested BHP struck a deal, and sold two shipments of met coal to China. This highlights that trade relations are improving but also means the price of coal is likely to remain supported as demand is increasing. Keep an eye on Coronado (CRN) Whitehaven Coal (WHC), and New Hope (NHC). In Australia and Asia today, Copper stocks are in focus after the copper price rose 2.4% to over $4, which is a six month high. Copper stocks to potentially watch include BHP, Oz Minerals. It’s also worth watching the Bloomberg Commodity Index which jumped 1.1%. There also affiliated ETFs that are worth watching given China is easing restrictions and likely to ramp up commodity buying after the lunar new year. Iron ore (SCOA) trades flat today, but holds a five month high, as buying of iron ore is expected rise after the new year holidays as it typically does. This notion is also supporting iron ore stocks in the industry like Vale, Champion Iron, Fortescue Metals, BHP and Rio. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) advanced in anticipation of a less uncertain regulatory environment Alibaba (09988:xhkg), surging 8.7%, was the best-performing stock within the Hang Seng Index on Monday, following Ant Group announcing a new arrangement in which Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma cedes his indirect control of Ant Group. The new arrangement, which apparently has the blessing of the Chinese authorities, signals that Alibaba and its affiliates may be close to the end of the government-imposed reorganization and return to relatively normal business. Separately, Guo Shuqing, who is Party Secretary of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, said that the rectification of 14 internet platform companies' financial businesses had basically been completed and China will support platform companies to play a bigger role in job creation and global competition. Hang Seng Index climbed 1.9% and Hang Sang TECH Index surged 3.2%. In A-shares, CSI300 gained 0.8% with non-ferrous metal, non-bank financials, food and beverage, beauty care, education services, and poultry farming being top gainers. FX: Post-ISM dollar selling extended The USD was further lower on Monday continuing the post-NFP and ISM Services decline as risk assets enjoyed a bid on the back of China reopening optimism, seen throughout Asia, Europe, before paring in the US afternoon. The latest NY Fed consumer inflation expectations were mixed, but the cooling in 1yr ahead expectations gained the most attention. Fed speakers failed to add anything new, but clearly opened the door for a 25bps in February resulting in some dovish Fed repricing, and focus is now on Chair Powell and US CPI. EURUSD continues to look stretched as it rose to 7-month highs of 1.0761. AUDUSD capped at 0.6950 for now but China optimism continues to underpin with USDCNH now below 6.8000. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices higher on China hopes Crude oil prices opened the week with gains on continued China optimism as fiscal stimulus measures bode well for the demand outlook in China. China also issued a fresh batch of import quotas, of about 112 million tons in its second allocations for 2023, in a signal that the world’s largest importer is ramping up to meet higher demand. The upcoming Lunar New Year is also keeping the travel demand robust. Meanwhile, Russian oil exports are likely suffering on the back of sanctions (read below). WTI futures traded close to $75/barrel in the Asian morning while Brent was close to $80. Copper breaks the $4/lb mark With the China government considering CNY3.81trn of local government bond issuance in 2023, there is expectations of a further push to infrastructure spending which will continue to bump up industrial metals prices. Beijing may also bump the budget deficit to 3% of GDP, up from 2.8% last year. Meanwhile, copper inventories for immediate withdrawal from LME warehouses fell 2.8%, the most since 8 December. That leaves stockpiles at just above a 17-year low. Having touched the $4.05 level overnight, HG copper prices are now back the $4 mark, and support is seen at $3.8475.  Read next: The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.69$, The Euro Above 1.07, The British Pound Also Benefits From A Weak Dollar| FXMAG.COM What to consider? China likely to add fiscal stimulus China exempts value-added tax (VAT) among small businesses with monthly revenues less than RMB100,000 a month till the end of 2023, according to Bloomberg. China is also considering a record special debt quota and a wider budget deficit with a new special bond quota of up to CNY 3.8tln and a deficit ratio of around 3% for the year. China is on track to spend more on infrastructure and support the real estate sector, both will bump up demand for industrial metals. Japan’s December Tokyo CPI touched the 4% mark Tokyo CPI for December was released this morning, with the headline coming in at 4.0% YoY as expected from a revised 3.7% YoY in November, suggesting price pressures in Japan haven’t started to cool off yet. Tokyo core CPI (ex-food) was higher than expected at 4.0% YoY from 3.6% YoY previously while the core-core measure (ex-food and energy) was also higher at 2.7% YoY from a revised 2.4% YoY in Nov. With Tokyo CPI numbers leading the broader print, there are clear signs that further upside pressures are likely to stay and continue to keep a policy tweak option alive for the BOJ. Asian and EM equities enter bull market The leading MSCI indices tracking these two segments of the global equity market have entered a bull market up 20% since their lows in October fuelled by gains in China and a weaker USD. The market is betting on a shallow recession in some parts of the world, while inflation keeps coming down, and on top of a successful kickstart of the Chinese economy. All three wishes may not be able to be fulfilled simultaneously and our view is that the market is getting too excited about growth too early as a lot of uncertainty persists. The rally has been fast and furious, so it is only natural to expect some profit-taking. There are also some risks to keep a tap on, such as BOJ's hawkish shift and company earnings. But that being said, there is still room for Asian markets to outperform its global peers in 2023. The labour market remains tight in the eurozone There is not much on the eurozone calendar this week. According to the latest Eurostat figures, the labour market remains well-oriented both in the eurozone and in the European Union (EU). The eurozone unemployment was at 6.5 % in November and at 6.0% in the EU. The figures are stable compared to October. Within the EU, Spain scores the highest official unemployment rate (12.4%) and Germany and Poland the lowest one (3.0%). In a working paper published yesterday, ECB economists pointed out the risk of high wage growth in the coming quarters – way above historical patterns. This reflects robust labour markets that so far have not been substantially affected by the slowing of the economy, increases in national minimum wages and some catch-up between wages and high rates of inflation. We tend to disagree with this assessment. Wage growth is of course fuelling inflation in the CEE area. But this is clearly not the case in Western Europe. The likelihood that wages will increase significantly, thus becoming an issue in regard to the fight against inflation, is rather low in our view. The United Kingdom is certainly the only European country (but not belonging to the EU) which may potentially face a wage-price spiral this year.  Russian crude exports coming under pressure Russia’s Urals grade, a far bigger export stream than any other crude that Russia sells, was $37.80 a barrel at the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on Friday, according to data provided by Argus Media. Global benchmark Brent settled at $78.57 on the same day. Combined flows to China, India and Turkey hit the lowest last week since October, suggesting sanctions and EU embargo may be impacting Russia’s key exports.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: China’s fiscal boost charges Copper; Can Tesla gain further? – 10 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Gold Is Showing A Good Sign For Further Drop

    Gold Received Support From A Weaker Dollar And Softer Yields

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.01.2023 09:29
    Summary:  A further squeeze in US equities yesterday, perhaps inspired by the recent drop in US treasury yields, peaked out mid-session and was entirely erased by the end of the day, establishing an important line in the sand on charts ahead of the next important macro event risk on the US economic calendar, the Thursday December CPI release. Interesting session ahead for European equities after yesterday saw major indices in Europe closing at their highest levels since Russia invaded Ukraine.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures erased all of their gains in yesterday’s session, declining 1.5% from the intraday highs. The culprit was Fed member Mary Daly’s comments that she expects the policy rate to move to 5% or a bit above. Despite these comments, the US 10-year yield declined downplaying the comments from Daly suggesting the market keeps betting that the Fed will pivot before reaching the 5% level. S&P 500 futures are trading lower again this morning hovering just above the 3,900 level taking the futures back into the upper part of the trading range established since mid-December. The next important event for US equities is the December CPI report on Thursday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese equities retraced after a strong start in the new year. Hang Seng Index edged down 0.3% and CSI300 was nearly flat as of writing. China is exempting value-added tax (VAT) among small businesses till the end of 2023 and is considering a record special debt quota and a wider budget deficit. The news stirred little excitement among investors as expectations for stimulus measures are already high. Chinese leading EV maker, BYD (01211:xhkg) slid 2% following Berkshire Hathaway reduced its stake to 13.97% from 14.06%. FX: Currencies swing with risk sentiment, USDCNH rejects new lows after huge slide The US dollar found support late yesterday after an extension of its recent sell-off on a squeeze higher in equities. EURUSD spilled over to a new high since last June, posting a 1.0761 high water market before easing back as risk sentiment weakened late in the US yesterday, supporting the greenback. A good portion of the EURUSD upside was on a firmer euro, as other USD pairs remain within recent trading ranges, including USDJPY, trading mid-range this morning just below 132.00. Elsewhere, USDCNH extended its remarkable run lower in the Asian session but was quickly gathered up after hitting new lows since last August at 6.76. Several central bankers are out speaking at a conference in Stockholm, Sweden today, while the market awaits the next major US macro event risk, Thursday’s December CPI release. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) trades steady with Brent hovering around $80 Gains being driven by excitement over a rapid reopening in China with the upcoming Lunar New Year driving a pickup in demand for travel. Near-term weakness in demand will be discussed when the OPEC+ monitoring committee (JMMC) meets on February 1 and despite a drop in Russian exports, due to sanctions, forcing the price of its flagship Urals below $40 per barrel last Friday, the committee could still spring a surprise and recommend another production cut. China meanwhile issued another generous quota for crude imports that will allow 44 non-state-owned refiners to import a total 132 million tons compared with 109 this time last year. Brent trades within a small uptrend with resistance being the 21-day moving average, today at $81.30 and support at $78. Gold (XAUUSD) holds onto its gains Supported by a weaker dollar and softer yields despite comments on Monday from two Fed officials that rates may rise above 5% before pausing and holding for some time. The metal has also been buoyed by the reopening in China with pictures of very crowded gold markets seeing pre-Lunar demand and the PBoC announcing it bought 62 tons of gold during the last two months of the year. However, following two back-to-back weeks of ETF buying, total holdings dropped slightly on Monday as some investors remained cautious. Focus this week on Thursday’s US CPI print with the next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support now at $1830. HG Copper breaks higher on China demand optimism With the China government considering CNY3.81trn of local government bond issuance in 2023, there is expectations of a further push to infrastructure spending which will continue to bump up industrial metals' prices. Beijing may also bump the budget deficit to 3% of GDP, up from 2.8% last year. Meanwhile, copper inventories for immediate withdrawal from LME warehouses fell 2.8%, the most since 8 December. That leaves stockpiles at just above a 17-year low. HG copper reached $4.05 on Monday with the 50% retracement of the 2022 correction now offering resistance at $4.0850, with support being the 200-day moving average at $3.84. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields ease lower, 10-year close to 3.50% Ahead of three days of treasury auctions starting with today’s auction of 3-year notes, US treasury yields dropped a few basis points all along the curve. The two-year yield is nearing the range low since last September just below 4.15%, while the 10-year benchmark yield has another 10 basis points of range to work with into the cycle low near 3.40%. A 10-year auction is up tomorrow and 30-year T-bond auction on Thursday, with prior auctions for those maturities rather weak. Read next: The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.69$, The Euro Above 1.07, The British Pound Also Benefits From A Weak Dollar| FXMAG.COM What is going on? The labour market remains tight in the Eurozone The Eurostat figures for Eurozone unemployment were out at 6.5 % in November and at 6.0 % for the EU. The figures are stable compared to October. Within the EU, Spain scores the highest official unemployment rate (12.4 %) and Germany and Poland the lowest one (3.0 %). In a working paper published yesterday, ECB economists pointed out the risk of high wage growth in the coming quarters – way above historical patterns.  “This reflects robust labour markets that so far have not been substantially affected by the slowing of the economy, increases in national minimum wages and some catch-up between wages and high rates of inflation”. We tend to disagree with this assessment. Wage growth is of course fuelling inflation in the CEE area. But this is clearly not the case in Western Europe. The likelihood that wages will increase significantly, thus becoming an issue regarding the fight against inflation, is rather low in our view. The United Kingdom is certainly the only European country which may potentially face a wage-price spiral this year.  Commodities supported on optimism over a speedy reopening in China  China will return to “normal” growth soon as Beijing steps up support for households and businesses, according to party secretary of the China’s central bank. That adds to hopes that the government will expand measures to steady the economy and potentially roll out more infrastructure spending that could support industrial metals prices. The HG copper price rose over $4 at on one point, for the first time in six months, with demand likely to rise while inventory stockpiles remain near 17-year lows while the Iron ore (SCOA) price surged 2.4% to a new six month high, $119.80 on expectations for a seasonal post-Lunar new year ramp up in demand.  China reopening, authorities are anxious the nation could run out of power China’s National Development and Reform Commission has issued three notices urging parties to secure and speed up the process of locking in medium and long-term supply deals, to ensure China does not run out of power. China had banned imports of Australian coal for over two years, however, yesterday reports suggested BHP struck a deal and sold two shipments of met coal to China. This highlights that trade relations are improving but also means the price of coal is likely to remain supported as demand is increasing. Japan’s December Tokyo CPI touched the 4% mark Tokyo CPI for December was released this morning, with the headline coming in at 4.0% YoY as expected from a revised 3.7% YoY in November, suggesting price pressures in Japan haven’t started to cool off yet. Tokyo core CPI (ex-food) was higher than expected at 4.0% YoY from 3.6% YoY previously while the core-core measure (ex-food and energy) was also higher at 2.7% YoY from a revised 2.4% YoY in Nov. With Tokyo CPI numbers leading the broader print, there are clear signs that further upside pressures are likely to stay and continue to keep a policy tweak option alive for the BOJ. Russian crude exports coming under pressure Russia’s Urals grade, a far bigger export stream than any other crude that Russia sells, was $37.80 a barrel at the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on Friday, according to data provided by Argus Media. Global benchmark Brent settled at $78.57 on the same day. Combined flows to China, India and Turkey hit the lowest last week since October, suggesting sanctions and EU embargo may be impacting Russia’s key exports. Microsoft considers $10bn investment into OpenAI The recently published ChatGPT has surprised the world by being quite good at answering all sorts of questions whether they are simple or complex. ChatGPT reached a 1mn users in just one week of beta testing. There have been serious talks about that ChatGPT might be something that could one day upend Google’s classic and very profitable search engine business. This might be the exact opportunity Microsoft is pursuing. What are we watching next? US December CPI up on Thursday The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which have grown perhaps over-confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening, but will be signalling rate cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, particularly in equity markets on aggressive trading in very short-dated options. The market expects that inflation will actually fall month on month by –0.1% and only rise 6.5% year-on-year versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% in September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off this Friday with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth this year. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Today: Albertsons Thursday: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Sweden Riskbank Governor Thedeen to speak 1010 – Bank of England Governor Bailey, Bank of Canada Governor Macklem, ECB’s Schnabel speak Stockholm 1100 – US Dec. NFIB Small Business Optimism 1400 – US Fed Chair Powell to speak at Riksbank even in Stockholm 1535 – ECB's de Cos, Knot to speak in Stockholm 1700 – EIA's Short-term Energy Outlook (STEO) 1800 – US 3-year Treasury Auction 2130 – API's Weekly US Oil and Fuel Inventory Report 0030 – Australia Nov. Retail Sales 0030 – Australia Nov. CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 10, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Key Economic Events and Corporate Earnings Reports for the Week Ahead – September 5-9, 2023

    The Weather-Driven Crash Showed The Southwest Airline's Bigger Problems

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 10.01.2023 11:04
    Southwest said it canceled more than 16,700 flights from December 21 to 31. Poor weather conditions showed Southwest's major problems. Background of events Southwest Airlines Co. canceled nearly two-thirds of its flights over the Christmas period and planned to cut schedules. Southwest planned to operate just over a third of its typical schedule on consecutive days to give the crews leeway to get into the right positions. Southwest's more than 2,800 scrapped flights he highest of any major U.S. airline, came as the Dallas-based airline proved unable to stabilize its operations amid the past week's storm. Southwest's chief commercial officer said in an interview that the airline is taking steps such as covering customers' reasonable travel costs - including hotels, rental cars and tickets with other airlines, and will keep customers informed of the reimbursement process. He also said customers whose flights are canceled while the airline is recovering are entitled to a refund if they choose not to travel. Read next: The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.69$, The Euro Above 1.07, The British Pound Also Benefits From A Weak Dollar| FXMAG.COM Cause The airline said the severity and extent of the severe winter storm that swept across much of the country before Christmas overwhelmed the crew planning system it uses to reassign pilots and stewards after the disruption, pointing to inadequate technology systems, most notably SkySolver. SkySolver was overwhelmed by the scale of the task of figuring out which pilots and flight attendants could operate which flights, Southwest executives said. Crew planners had to manually comb records instead. This is one reason the airline was taken off track for over a week. The crews and planes were out of place. Telephone lines jammed, and Southwest pilots and flight attendants trying to get assignments could not reach the planning department. This isn't the first time disruption has been mounting in Southwest, and the carrier's struggle to reconnect operations shows how its increasingly complex network needs a better technological foundation. Union leaders criticized the airline for being too slow to make changes, and Southwest executives said their systems were being updated. The Southwest Pilots Union has complained over the years that SkySolver often spits out fixes that don't make much sense, sending crews on round trips around the country. This Christmas, SkySolver not only solved little, but also helped trigger the worst industry crash in recent memory. Current developments The airline has taken immediate action to mitigate the risk of another disruption and is re-prioritizing work already underway to improve crew planning platforms. The Southwest has taken steps to prevent further similar incidents as it works to investigate the root causes and explores long-term solutions. Jordan told employees in a Monday announcement that the airline was working to understand what went wrong and prevent similar situations from happening in the future. Jordan told staff on Monday that about 98% of bags caught in the disruption had been returned to customers or were on their way, and the airline had processed more than 75% of refund requests, with an average turnaround time of around three days. Read next: Incorporating Slack And Other Apps Into The Salesforce Platform Can Actually Put Buyers Off| FXMAG.COM Southwest share price Not only the carrier's image suffered, but also its share price. As a result of these events, the stock fell sharply from 36.09 to 32.19. By the end of 2022, it managed to make up for some losses and increase to 32.60, and Southwest stocks ended the year at this level. this year the LUV is increasing and the stock is currently at 35.61. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Pound Slides as Market Reacts Dovishly to Wage Developments

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Major European Equity Markets, The Future Of Internet Search And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.01.2023 11:17
    Summary:  Today we note that the major European equity markets have come full circle since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February, in part driven by a near freefall in natural gas prices over the last few weeks on mild weather. How much more can the market wring out of this development? We also note the reversal in the US equity market rally yesterday ahead of the important CPI data on Thursday. In equities, focus toward the end of the week on the major US banks reporting, but in the meantime, we have the important news for Google of a $10 billion investment in OpenAI as the future of internet search is heating up for the first time in many years. This and more on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Read next: The Weather-Driven Crash Showed The Southwest Airline's Bigger Problems| FXMAG.COM Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next:The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.69$, The Euro Above 1.07, The British Pound Also Benefits From A Weak Dollar| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com   Source: Podcast: European equities have come full circle since Russian invasion | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Warsaw Stock Exchange SA Approves Dividend Payout: Neutral Impact Expected

    US Dollar Is Under Pressure, Russian Crude Shipments On Falling Trend

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 10.01.2023 11:25
    Good news is that Asian stocks entered bull market. Bad news is that the Federal Reserve (Fed) President Jerome Powell could hammer the post-NFP stock rally in US stocks. Sentiment is mixed and investors are tense before Powell’s speech, and Thursday’s US inflation data. S&P500 The S&P500 was unable to extend gains above the 3900, rapidly started erasing early-session gains and ended the session 0.08% lower. Nasdaq also gave back early-session gains, though closed the session 0.60% higher. US makret US equity futures are in the negative this morning, as the King of market disappointment, the Fed Chair Jerome Powell, will be speaking at an event in Stockholm today, and he will probably not pop the champagne just because the wages grew less than expected last month, especially when you think that the US economy added a near record 4.5 million jobs last year, and that the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%. Forex In the FX, the US dollar index remains under a decent selling pressure, as a result of the dovish Fed expectations since last Friday’s US jobs data. The EURUSD advanced to 1.0760 yesterday, Cable flirted with 1.22 this morning, and gold consolidates gains. Energy market In energy, crude oil remains under pressure despite the Chinese reopening talk, and the falling Russian supply. We see that the European sanctions weigh on Russian oil supply, as the 4-week average shipments decline despite a small gain posted last week. That means that the lower Russian supply will be another supportive factor of oil prices. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 Asian stocks enter null market 1:25 Powell could shoot Fed doves down 5:18 Another big S&P500 is possible 7:11 US dollar under pressure 8:32 Russian crude shipments on falling trend 9:32 Copper futures rally, but risks prevail Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #Powell #speech #Fed #expectations #USD #EUR #GBP #XAU #earnings #season #Lululemon #banks #MSCI #AsiaPacific #bull #market #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    US Inflation Rises but Core Inflation Falls to Two-Year Low, All Eyes on ECB Rate Decision on Thursday

    The World Bank Cut Its Global Growth Forecast To 1.7%, Copper Continues To Get Support From China’s Reopening

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.01.2023 09:05
    Summary:  Despite Powell’s relative silence on policy outlook, there were other Fed and non-Fed speakers that continued to sound hawkish and raising alarms on inflation. Bonds slumped although equities and USD struggled to find direction in pre-US CPI positioning moves. Some optimism seen on European growth outlook while the World Bank still cautious about a global recession. Australia’s November CPI was hotter-than-expected, aiding further gains for the AUD which is underpinned by China’s reopening and policy stimulus.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rise and trade near key technical levels After two Fed speakers reminding markets US rates could rise to over 5%, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon joined the party, saying there’s 50% chance rates could go to 6%, while money managers BlackRock and Fidelity (among others) warned that markets are underestimating the ultimate rate peak. The World Bank slashed growth forecasts in half, saying new adverse shocks could tip the global economy into a recession. It estimates GDP will rise 1.7% this year, (that’s almost half the pace forecast in June). So this sets the stormy tone for the major indices in 2023. That said, JPMorgan's trading desk says there a two-in-three chance Thursday’s inflation data for December (released on US Thursday), could be on the soft side and spark a 1.5-2% S&P500 rally. On Tuesday the major US indices rose in choppy conditions; the Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) rose for the third day, adding 0.9%, edging closer toward its 50 day moving average, the S&P 500 (US500.I) fluctuated around 3,900, which is a possible technical key resistance level. Others signs of caution were see in bonds, as the two-year US Treasury yield rose to 4.25%, the 10-year jumped 9 bps to 3.62%, while gold nudged up, to 8-month highs, $1,881, while the US dollar advanced modestly. Ten of the 11 sectors within the S&P 500 gained on Tuesday, led by communication services, consumer discretionary, and materials. The only sector that declined was consumer staples. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off on supply Fed Chair Powell’s speech did not have much impact on Treasuries as he did not discuss U.S. monetary policy specifically and only noted generally “restoring price stability when inflation is high can require measures that are not popular in the short term”. Yields on Treasuries rose as European government bonds sold off on supply from Italy and Belgium and ahead of today’s supply from Germany. Yields on 10-year bunds rose 8bps. Traders also sold Treasuries going into the auction of USD40 billion 3-year Treasury notes, bringing yields to the intraday high right before the auction. The 3-year auction went well with strong demand and saw Treasury yields off their intraday highs afterward. Yields on the 2-year finished the session 4bps higher at 4.25% and those on the 10-year were 9bps cheaper at 3.62%. What should you be watching in equities across APAC? As in what's the big picture with China's reopening and what does it mean to investors? The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened 0.7% higher, with other APAC markets expected to also open most higher. Japan’s futures suggest the Nikkei could rise the most across APAC today. But big picture, we think the most important thing for investor right now, is to consider, that… China’s economic recovery could be the dictator for the course of commodity assets, travel, and property. Not just China tech and consumer spending. China’s pivot away from its Covid Zero stance, led by a sooner-than-expected January 8 lifting of quarantines for cross-border travel, is poised to fast track its international air-transport recovery in 2023. But China’s recovery is not just about travel reviving. Chinese developers have also been seen kicking off recoveries in early 2023, having hit a bottom for contracted sales last year. As China’s economic recovery surges, stocks remain supported and are indeed rallying. A similar trend occurred in 2020 when mainland China reopened after a series of lockdowns following a breakout in Wuhan. But, reflecting on global trends, you’d think China has a better chance of putting Covid behind it this time around… which could support commodities and travel in particular. But, let’s see. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) trod water After a strong first week in the new year, Hong Kong and China stocks trod water on Tuesday. Hang Seng Index edged down 0.3% and CSI300 was nearly flat. Bilibili (09626) fell 4.3% after the company issued ADSs at a 7% discount to buy back convertible bonds. Chinese automakers rallied, especially EV names. Li Auto (02015:xhkg), Nio (09866:xhkg), and XPeng (09868:xhkg) surged each surged over 6%. BYD (01211:xhkg) pared all its initial weaknesses following the news that Berkshire Hathaway had reduced its stake to 13.97% from 14.06% and gained 2.9%. According to its CEO, Li Auto’s Model L7 is gaining market shares from Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y. BYD reportedly will raise the prices of its EVs, as opposed to Tesla’s price cuts in China. Social media stories speculate that some Chinese cities are going to relax passenger car licensing restrictions in order to boost consumption. Shares of Geely (00175:xhkg) were up 6%, GAC (02238:xhkg) +3.1%, and BAIC (01958:xhkg) up 2.2%. Macao casino operators outperformed with Sands (01928:xhkg) rising 4.8%, MGM (02282:xhkg) up 3.6%, and SJM (00880:xhkg) up 3.1%. In A-shares, automakers, retailing, electric equipment, and beauty care names gained while financial, petrochemical, and steeling makers were among the biggest losers. FX: Dollar range-bound as it eyes the US CPI Lack of data and anu relevant commentary from Fed Chair Powell left the USD struggling to find direction in the pre-CPI trade. EURUSD was the outperformer, with better growth outlook underpinning, but it continued to find resistance at 1.0760. USDJPY is back above 132 amid higher yields, while AUDUSD rose back above 0.69 following the higher-than-expected November CPI. USDCNH also still below 6.7900. The Aussie dollar rallies after hotter than expected CPI and retail data The Aussie dollar rose 0.3% to 0.6911 US, with inflation and retail sales coming in hotter than expected, which shows the RBA has room to keep rising rates, and as such this theoretically supports the AUD. Core or trimmed CPI (which the RBA looks at) rose from 5.3% YoY to 5.6% YoY in November - hotter than 5.5% YoY expected. Retail sales rose 1.4% in November, beating the 0.6% expected, while also importantly showing Aussie retail sales strongly recovered from the October drop in sales. Some traders have a view the Aussie dollar will push up over the medium term, in lieu of China’s reopening notion which is likely to add to Australia’s GDP, with hot sauce coming from China buying Australian coal for the first time in two years. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) choppy amid China optimism and inventory build Crude oil prices wobbled on Tuesday as the market remained buoyed by optimism of China demand recovery. European session was supported by upbeat Eurozone outlook. Meanwhile, EIA raised its forecast for demand growth in 2023 to 1.05mb/d. However, it also expects US output to rise to meet this demand, with US shale oil providing the bulk of the gains. The API report showed a strong inventory build of 14.9mn barrels in crude as against expectations of a 2.2mn draw, and focus now turns to EIA figures today. WTI futures touched $76/barrel before sliding back below $75, while Brent reversed from $81. Copper continues to march higher Copper continues to get support from China’s reopening and policy support to fuel economic recovery. Gains were further boosted by Chair Powell staying away from a pushback on easing financial conditions, and the weaker USD as a result. Having retraced close to 50% of the 2022 sell off, HG copper is now seeing resistance ahead of $4.08 (LME $8900), potentially opening up some scope for a correction to check the strength of support. Focus in that regard being $3.84, the 200 DMA, the break above which started this latest runup.  Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Is Still Above 1.0700$, The USD/JPY Pair Was Little Changed| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Powell stays away from policy guidance With some expectations that Powell would likely pushback on the easing financial conditions, equity markets celebrated the lack of any clear guidance on policy direction. Fed Chair Powell did not comment on the current US economic or monetary policy outlook in his prepared remarks, only stating that restoring price stability when inflation is high can require measures not popular in the short term. The pushback on market’s rate cut expectations from Kashkari (voter) was more direct, saying that "They are going to lose the game of chicken." Bowman, also a voter, was also relatively hawkish with comments hinting at more work to do on inflation. When a sufficiently restrictive rate level is reached, the Fed needs to hold the policy rate there "for some time". The story is shifting on Europe Softer energy prices, the lack of black-out and resilient hard data (notably in Germany) are pushing forecasters to review their 2023 recession calls. Goldman Sachs is the first international bank to drastically revised upward its growth forecasts, from minus 0.1 % in 2023 to 0.6 %. Said differently, the U.S. based bank does not expect a recession in the eurozone this year anymore. Early Q4 indications are out this Friday with the preliminary 2022 FY growth estimate. This should certainly confirm a milder-then-expected economic downturn. A mild recession (meaning drop in GDP of 0.1 or 0.2 %) is still our baseline this year. But we agree that the economy is surprisingly resilient. We also believe there will be no extreme macro and market events in 2023 – which could be positive from a growth perspective. If the economy performs much better, this will however give ECB policymakers more confidence in hiking rates as laid out in December by Christine Lagarde. World Bank warns of a global recession The World Bank cut its global growth forecast to 1.7% this year, down from an estimate of 3.0% in June. This marks the third weakest pace of global growth in nearly 30 years, overshadowed by only the 2009 and 2020 downturns. Growth estimate for 2024 was also slashed, down to 2.7%, as persistent inflation and high interest rates weigh. Meanwhile, the agency urged for global action to mitigate the risks of a global recession and debt distress. Growth of aggregate financing slowed to 9.6% Y/Y in China while loans to corporate picked up In December, the growth of outstanding aggregate financing, the broad measure of credit in China, decelerated to 9.6% Y/Y from 10.0% Y/Y in November. New aggregate financing declined to RMB1,310 billion in December (below consensus RMB1,850 billion) from RMB1,987 billion in November, dragged by a decline in new bond issuance from local governments and a net bond redemption by corporate. New RMB loans rose to RMB1,400 billion (above consensus RMB1,200 billion) from RMB1,214 billion in November and were also above RMB1,130 billion in December 2021. The growth of RMB loans picked up to 11.1% Y/Y in December from 11.0% in November. The better-than-expected growth in RMB loans was driven by new loans to the corporate sector which rose to RMB1,264 billion in December from RMB884 billion in November and above RMB 662 billion a year ago, as the Chinese authorities had asked banks to extend credits to support the housing market and other key industries. New loans to households came in weak, falling to RMB175 billion in December from RMB263 billion in November and RMB372 billion in December a year ago. The daily number of domestic flights in China rose to over 10,000, the first time since August China’s Lunar New Year travel season started last Saturday 7 January with 9,454 flights or a 2.26% growth from the first day of the same travel season last year. The number of daily flights increased to 10,123 on 8 January, an 13.65% increase from the same period last year and above 10,000 for the first time since August 2022. China suspends short-term visas for visitors from Japan and South Korea In retaliation to travel restrictions imposed on visitors from China, China stops issuing short-term visas for visitors from Japan and South Korea. Restrictions from both sides could be a temporary setback to the trend of the reopening of the Chinese economy but it is likely to be resolved in the near term. Microsoft may invest USD10 billion in OpenAI Microsoft is reportedly in discussion to make an investment of USD 10 billion in Open AI, the creator of AI bot ChatGPT. This would be Microsoft’s second investment, after acquiring a USD1 billion stake in 2019. Microsoft is expected to integrate ChatGPT into the software giant’s search engine.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: Powell’s silence on policy puts the focus back on US CPI – 11 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    UK Manufacturing Surge Lifts Q2 Growth: Insights and Outlook

    Apple Is Aiming To Replace Screens From Samsung By 2024

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.01.2023 09:11
    Summary:  Risk sentiment found its feet yesterday after the prior day’s reversal ahead of the important December US CPI release tomorrow, though markets seem confident that the trajectory of inflation is not a threat in the near term. The US dollar hovers near multi-month lows in many USD pairs ahead of that data and gold has notched new eight-month highs overnight, while copper is cementing its move higher above four dollars per pound.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 0.7% after a weak Tuesday’s session in a strong signal that the market remains upbeat about growth prospects and inflation cooling. US equities are still stuck in an odd range with moving averages of different lengths pointing in all directions. The key trading focus is tomorrow’s CPI report and whether the market dares to extend momentum into the report. Tuesday’s intraday high in S&P 500 futures at 3,973 is naturally the hard resistance level on the upside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The Hang Seng Index resumed its uptrend to make a new recent high to trade above 21600, up more than 1% from yesterday and a level last seen in July last year. China’s Lunar New Year travel season started last Saturday 7 January with 9,454 flights or a 2.3% growth from the first day of the same travel season last year. The number of daily flights increased to 10,123 on 8 January, a 13.7% increase from the same period last year and above 10,000 for the first time since August 2022. Other high frequency data also showing increases in inter-city travelling. Chinese mega cap internet names led the charge higher, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Tencent (00700:xhkg) gaining over 3%. Coal miner, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), rising by 5.6%, was the top winner within the Hang Seng Index. Mainland China’s CSI300 was flat. Coal mining, oil and gas exploration and development, and property management services stocks gained. FX: USD dips on rebounding risk sentiment ahead of December CPI data Thursday Lack of data and any relevant commentary in Fed Chair Powell’s short comments at a conference of central bankers yesterday saw the USD easing lower by this morning as risk sentiment rebounded. EURUSD was the outperformer, with better growth outlook underpinning, but it continued to find resistance at 1.0760. USDJPY is back above 132 amid higher yields, while AUDUSD rose back above 0.69 following the higher-than-expected Australian November CPI print released overnight. USDCNH also still below 6.7900. Tomorrow’s US December CPI release will prove important in confirming or rejecting the recent USD weakening move. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) choppy amid China optimism and inventory build Crude oil prices continue to pivot around $80 per barrel in Brent and $75 in WTI as the market remained buoyed by optimism of China demand recovery while yesterday’s European session was supported by upbeat Eurozone outlook. Meanwhile, EIA raised its forecast for demand growth in 2023 to 1.05mb/d. However, it also expects US output to rise to meet this demand, with US shale oil providing the bulk of the gains. The API report showed a strong inventory build of 14.9mn barrels in crude as against expectations of a 2.2mn draw and focus now turns to EIA figures today. Near-term futures spreads meanwhile are holding in a bearish contango structure, signalling ample supply. Resistance around the 21-day moving average in Brent at $81.50 and $76 in WTI Gold (XAUUSD) pushed higher overnight ... supported by general metal strength amid the current focus on the reopening of the Chinese economy and pent-up seasonal demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Developments that are being supported by a softer dollar and a drop in US bond yields ahead of tomorrow’s US CPI print, which is expected to show further softening, leading to speculation the FOMC may slow the pace of future rate hikes. While momentum supports technical and speculative buying, for now primarily through short covering, activity in ETF market from longer-term investors remain tepid, raising the short-term risk of a correction. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support now at $1865 and $1830. Copper continues to march higher Copper continues to gain momentum as it remains buoyed by the reopening of Chinas economy and increased policy support to fuel an economic recovery to offset the economic fallout from President Xi’s failed and now abruptly abandoned covid-zero policies. Gains were further boosted by Chair Powell staying away from a pushback on easing financial conditions, and the weaker USD as a result. While the metal increasingly looks ripe for a correction, the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may drive it higher in the short term. Overnight futures prices in London and New York managed to retrace 50% of the 2022 sell off, in HG copper at $4.0850 and LME at $8900. Support at $3.96 followed by the 200 DMA at $3.84 US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edge higher, 10-year auction up today After nearly touching 3.50% at the start of the week, the US 10-year benchmark yield rebounded above 3.60% yesterday before settling slightly lower as risk sentiment improved. An auction of 3-year treasuries saw strong demand yesterday, with a 10-year auction up later today after a string of weak auctions for longer maturity US paper in late 2022. Read next:According To Analysts, Russia May Collapse Within A Decade, Guaranty Trust Bank Has Fined| FXMAG.COM What is going on? The Aussie dollar rallies after hotter than expected Australian CPI and retail data The Aussie dollar nudged up 0.3% to 0.6906 US, with local inflation and retail sales coming in hotter than expected, reflect that the RBA can continue to tighten, as inflation remains above the RBA target. Today's data also reflects stagflation could hit the nation in 2023; with unemployment likely to rise, and real GDP to fall to 2% (consensus). The biggest contributors to inflation (housing price rises, food and transport (petrol costs)) are also sticky and are not expected to subside in the near term. (Core CPI rose from 5.3% YoY to 5.6% YoY in Nov (beating 5.5% expected). Moving to retail sales in November, which jumped 1.4%, boosted by Black Friday, also reflect Australian's are not perturbed by rate hikes. Over the medium term, the Aussie could remain supported amid China’s reopening, with GDP to also benefit from China buying Australian coal for the first time in two years.    The story is shifting on Europe Softer energy prices, the lack of black-out and resilient hard data (notably in Germany) is pushing forecasters to review their 2023 recession calls. Goldman Sachs is the first international bank to drastically revise its growth forecasts upward, from minus 0.1 % in 2023 to 0.6 %. Said differently, the U.S. based bank does not expect a recession in the eurozone this year anymore. Early Q4 indications are out this Friday with the preliminary 2022 FY growth estimate. This should certainly confirm a milder-then-expected economic downturn. A mild recession (meaning drop in GDP of 0.1 or 0.2 %) is still our baseline this year. But we agree that the economy is surprisingly resilient. We also believe there will be no extreme macro and market events in 2023 – which could be positive from a growth perspective. If the economy performs much better, this will however give ECB policymakers more confidence in hiking rates as laid out in December by Christine Lagarde. China’s aggregate financing slowed to 9.6% y/y while loans to corporate picked up In December, the growth of outstanding aggregate financing, the broad measure of credit in China, decelerated to 9.6% y/y from 10.0% y/y in November. New aggregate financing declined to RMB1,310bn in December (below consensus RMB1,850bn) from RMB1,987bn in November, dragged by a decline in new bond issuance from local governments and a net bond redemption by corporate. New RMB loans rose to RMB1,400bn (above consensus RMB1,200 billion) from RMB 1,214bn in November and were also above RMB1,130bn in December 2021. The growth of RMB loans picked up to 11.1% y/y in December from 11.0% in November. The better-than-expected growth in RMB loans was driven by new loans to the corporate sector which rose to RMB1,264bn in December from RMB884bn in November and above RMB 662bn a year ago, as the Chinese authorities had asked banks to extend credits to support the housing market and other key industries. New loans to households came in weak, falling to RMB175bn in December from RMB263bn in November and RMB372bn in December a year ago. Apple aims to start using own screens by 2024 replacing Samsung Apple is accelerating its vertical integration with the news yesterday that it plans to replace Broadcom chips by 2025 and today it is aiming to replace screens from Samsung by 2024. It is a classic move for a big company increase profit margins by insourcing parts of the value chain, but the key risk long-term is the potential loss of innovation and lower prices. The alternative to integrating components is to let a competitive market supplying what you need as Samsung and LG do today in fierce competition. French labor unions call for strike to start Jan 19 on Macron pension plan French president Macron unveiled a plan to raise France’s minimum retirement age to 64 by 2030 from the current level of 62. France has one of the highest pension costs as a percentage of GDP in the EU (nearly 14%) and the ranks of the retired are set to grow for at least another 15 years if no changes are made. Iron ore price above $120 The iron ore futures traded in Singapore reached a 5-month high overnight, underpinned by China reopening and stimulus for the property sector. Look for a reversal as China had warned of tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Supply outlook is also relatively better, with an estimated 40 million tons of additional supply in 2023, while demand will likely be suppressed due to constraints on crude steel production in China. Wages set to rise in Japan? The fast-fashion Japanese retailer Uniqlo is set to hike pay for many full-time staff in Japan by as much as 40% and will raise the salary for newly hired graduates by over 17%. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda has long stated that inflation is only rising sustainably if Japanese wages also begin to rise in line with commodity- and other input costs. What are we watching next? US December CPI up on Thursday The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which seem confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening but will even be signalling rate cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, particularly in equity markets on aggressive trading in very short-dated options. The market expects that inflation will actually fall month on month by –0.1% and only rise 6.5% year-on-year versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% in September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off this Friday with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth this year. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Thursday: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Czech Dec. CPI 1530 – EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2350 – Japan Nov. Current Account data 0030 – Australia Nov. Trade Balance 0130 – China Dec. PPI, CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 11, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Conflicting Signals From Expanding US Credit, Apple's Deepening Vertical Integration Moves, Strong Metals Markets And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 11.01.2023 10:22
    Summary:  Today we discuss the bounce-back in US equity markets as we are all supposedly holding our breath for a CPI release tomorrow when the last soft CPI release in December drove zany intraday volatility and a rally that was quickly erased - etching out a market top at the time. Elsewhere, we discuss the conflicting signals from expanding US credit while another sentiment survey disappoints, look at strong metals markets as a clear expression of hopes for a China-driven recovery, Apple's deepening vertical integration moves as it looks to ditch Samsung screens, and much more. Today's podcast features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next:The EUR/USD Pair Is Still Above 1.0700$, The USD/JPY Pair Was Little Changed| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Metals are sending loud signals as US equities in limbo | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    EUR/USD: Looking beyond the market’s trust issues with the Fed and ECB

    The Euro, The Aussie Gain On Hawkish Central Bank Expectations, Crude Oil Under Pressure

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 11.01.2023 12:29
    US equities first struggled to find direction, as the Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell kept mum on monetary policy in Stockholm yesterday, worried about the World Bank’s morose growth projections, but then turned north on hope that a softer US inflation print tomorrow could boost the Fed doves and enhance appetite in US equities. Gold Gold benefits from softer US yields, and softer dollar on expectation that a softer inflation could soften the Fed’s policy stance. World Bank The World Bank predicts a global growth of about 1.7% this year, about half the pace it predicted last summer. Although the slowing economic growth softens the rate expectations – and boost equities, a weaker global economy should weigh on corporate profits and should not let the rally run too far. Forex In the FX, European Central Bank (ECB) officials stand behind their hawkish view despite the latest softening in inflation. The EURUSD pushes higher as the positive pressure is the fruit of the divergence between softening Fed expectations and hawkish ECB bets. Australia In Australia, inflation advanced more than expected to 7.3% in Q4 fueling the expectation that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) could opt for another 25bp hike in its February meeting. Energy Finally, in energy, crude oil is dragging its feet below the $75 this morning and will likely remain under pressure as yesterday’s API data showed that the US oil inventories rose by a little less than 15 mio barrels last week as the refining activity returned to normal following weather-related shutdowns. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:23 Stocks rallied on softer US inflation bets 1:58 ‘Be careful what you wish for!’ 3:20 World Bank cuts growth forecasts… 3:53 … but Goldman calls off the Euro recession!? 5:48 Euro, Aussie gain on hawkish central bank expectations 6:55 Crude oil under pressure on 15-mio US stockpile build 7:34 Gold benefits from softer dollar, yields 7:56 Microsoft could be on a good path with ChatGPT! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #inflation #expectations #USD #EUR #GBP #XAU #earnings #season #Microsoft #ChatGPT #tech #stocks #World #Bank #Goldman #Sachs #growth #forecast #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH        
    Rates Spark: Italy's Retail Bonds and Their Impact on Government Funding

    Pietro Beccari Will Be The Louis Vuitton’s CEO, Departures Several Top Executives At Rivian

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 11.01.2023 11:30
    Pietro Beccari will replace Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton’s CEO of 10 years, and Delphine Arnault has been named CEO and chairman of Dior. Also known to occur in Rivian. Top executives leave the start-up. Louis Vuitton and reshuffling of top management positions Louis Vuitton starts 2023 with one of the biggest personnel changes in years. Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has announced a major reshuffling of top management positions. Beccari, who took over as president and CEO of Dior Couture in 2018, could replace Michael Burke, the current CEO. Beccari will return to the brand he previously worked for, joining the leather goods giant in 2006. In recent years, the Italian managing director has overseen Dior's remarkable growth, where analysts estimate revenue has more than tripled in the past five years. At Dior, Beccari's achievements include the opening of a massive new flagship store in Paris' luxury shopping district, which spans five levels. Revenue rose from €2.2 billion in 2017 to €8.8 billion in 2022, according to HSBC estimates. Sales grew 35 percent in 2022, beating the industry average. Meanwhile, Michael Burke, who has led the fashion brand for a decade and is one of Arnault's most trusted lieutenants - LVMH's CEO and majority shareholder - who has worked with him since the 1980s, will now take on new responsibilities reporting directly to Arnault. During his 10-year tenure at Louis Vuitton, Burke, who had worked with Arnault for decades, managed to nearly triple the size of the brand. In 2013, sales amounted to EUR 7.1 billion. According to HSBC estimates, in 2022 they amounted to EUR 20.6 billion. Beccari currently heads Dior and will be succeeded by Delphine Arnault, the eldest of Mr Arnault's five children. The management changes mark a sort of homecoming for Arnault, who worked at Dior for 12 years before joining Louis Vuitton as No. 2 in 2013. It is also the first time that he takes up the position of CEO of one of the LVMH brands. Delphine Arnault, the executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, who oversees all of its product-related activities, has been named chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, while Charles Delapalme, currently Dior’s executive vice president in charge of commercial activities, will become managing director. Changes are effective 1 February. Since the beginning of the year, LVMH's share price has skyrocketed after it closed 2022 at 679.90. Currently, LVMHs are above 750 and have been at an all-time high for over 5 years. Rivian’s problems The electric car market has been having a difficult time lately. Especially startups suffer from this. Rivian Automotive Inc is a perfect example of this. Start-up EV will end a year in which it failed to meet its production targets. Last year, Rivian failed to produce 25,000 vehicles. The company said it missed its target by about 700 vehicles, partly due to difficulties obtaining parts. This is not the end of the problems of the star-up. Several top executives have left Rivian. The departing directors are some of Rivian's long-time employees. These include Randy Frank, VP of Exterior and Interior Engineering and Steve Gawronski, VP of Parts Procurement. They both left around the beginning of this year. Another employee, Patrick Hunt, a senior director on the strategy team, left the company late last year. Mr Hunt joined Rivian in 2015.Rivian's general counsel, Neil Sitron, left in September after 4.5 years with the firm, which was founded in 2009. Changes at the top of Rivian come as the company tries to transform itself from a start-up looking to raise capital to a mass-producer with ambitions to become one of the world's largest carmakers. RIVIN shares are at their lowest level. The company ended 2022 with a price of 18 430, but the new year did not bring an increase, but a decrease, as shown by its current price of 16 590. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange 728 Securities Closed In The Red

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 12.01.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was up 0.80%, the S&P 500 was up 1.28% and the NASDAQ Composite was up 1.76%. According to forecasts, annual inflation in the US slowed to 6.5% from 7.1% in November. Analysts note that the expected slowdown in inflation, coupled with an improvement in the situation in supply chains and an easing of covid restrictions in China, creates the basis for optimism in the markets. The publication of the consumer price index is expected on Thursday. Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Microsoft Corporation, which gained 6.92 points or 3.02% to close at 235.77. Quotes of Home Depot Inc rose by 8.37 points (2.61%), closing the auction at 329.00. Apple Inc rose 2.76 points or 2.11% to close at 133.49. The least gainers were shares of Verizon Communications Inc, which shed 0.77 points or 1.84% to end the session at 41.18. Salesforce Inc was up 1.72% or 2.54 points to close at 144.90, while Procter & Gamble Company was down 0.81% or 1.23 points to close at 150. .66.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, which rose 6.53% to 461.17, Etsy Inc, which gained 6.11% to close at 134.69. as well as SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which rose 5.84% to close the session at 302.15. The least gainer was Teleflex Incorporated, which shed 7.60% to close at 239.77. Shares of DexCom Inc lost 4.26% and ended the session at 106.16. Quotes of Intuitive Surgical Inc decreased in price by 4.20% to 259.96. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc, which rose 276.12% to 10.08, Broadwind Energy Inc, which gained 96.90% to close at 4.45. as well as shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc, which rose 68.60% to close the session at 3.49. The least gainers were Tantech Holdings Ltd, which shed 28.10% to close at 2.20. Shares of American Virtual Cloud Technologies Inc lost 24.65% to end the session at 1.07. Quotes of Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc decreased in price by 20.27% to 21.00. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2,342) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (728), while quotes of 101 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2499 companies rose in price, 1223 fell, and 181 remained at the level of the previous close. Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ:BWEN) rose to a 52-week high, up 96.90% or 2.19 points to end at 4.45. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.48% to 9/21. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.23%, or 4.35, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 3.30%, or 2.48, to $77.60 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 3.47%, or 2.78, to $82.88 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.21% to 1.08, while USD/JPY rose 0.14% to hit 132.43. Futures on the USD index fell 0.01% to 102.97.     Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-13 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/308278
    Commodity: The World's Two Biggest Commodity Consuming Nations, Both Delivered Price Softening News

    Aluminium, Copper And Iron Ore Rose To New Highs, The EUR/USD Pair Broke Above 1.0760

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.01.2023 09:32
    Summary:  US stocks rallied as yields fell ahead of the CPI release later today where a softer reading is widely expected. Key to watch in the inflation release will be the services ex-housing print, and significant volatility can be expected due to large hedging flows. Oil prices higher despite inventory builds. Meanwhile, the metals space continues to run hot amid positive sentiment from China’s reopening and policy stimulus, with Aluminum, Iron Ore and Copper all rising to fresh highs. Gold also held onto its recent gains, but could be ripe for a temporary correction with CPI on the radar.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rallied on lower bond yields, short covering, and optimism of upcoming CPI data potentially soft With relatively quiet corporate headlines, S&P 500 gained 1.3% and Nasdaq 100 advanced 1.8% as bond yields slid. The interest rate-sensitive real estate sector, up 3.6%, was the top winner within the S&P 500 Index, followed by consumer discretionary and information technology. Traders notably covered some of their shorts ahead of today’s CPI as the most-shorted names were among the best performers on Wednesday. The Nasdaq 100 closed above its 50 day moving average. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (US500.I) rose for the second day and closed at the high of the day. Tesla and Amazon shares trade at key levels; but caution is thick in the air Indeed these were some of the standouts share on Wednesday with Tesla shares up 3.7% after failing to move above a key resistance level. It appears there is some skepticism about the rally as Tesla is selling less EVs than its making and is cutting prices in China. Amazon meanwhile, gained 5.8%, closing near its high of the day and around 15% up from its low last Friday, and moved further above its 50-day moving average. These are positive signs. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied on dovish ECB comments, strong 10-year auction U.S. Treasuries were well bid through European hours in tandem with German bunds which rallied on dovish remarks from a typically hawkish Holzmann, an ECB Governing Council member. Treasuries held on to their gains and traded sideways for the most part of the New York session before rallying further with yields on the long-end falling further on a strong 10-year note auction. Yields on the 10-year were 8bps richer to 3.54%. Yields on the 2-year were off by 3bps to 4.22, bringing the 2-10-year curve 5bps more inverted to -68. Boston Fed’s Collins (non-voter) said she would “lean at this stage to 25 [basis point hike], but it’s very data-dependent.” Traders’ focus is now on the CPI data scheduled to release today. What to watch in Australia and Asia: Oil rises for 5th day, Iron ore clears $120, copper rises to six month high entering a bull market The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) rose 1% in early trade, with Hong Kong’s market futures in the positive, as well as Japan’s futures. A major focus will be on resources, with the oil price jumping 3% to $77.41, as well as focus on industrial metal equites, that will likely rally again on optimism of China’s reopening, which has pushed some commodities into bull markets. The Copper price rose to $4.18 on the Comex market, rising 2.5% in New York, taking its rally of its July 2022 low to 29%. With copper at $9000 per tonne for the first time since June, Goldman thinks it could hit $11,500 by year-end. Copper remains Saxo’s preferred metal for its use in electrification and urbanisation (for more click here). Popular copper equities include BHP, Oz Minerals, Rio Tinto. Meanwhile, iron ore (SCOA) cleared $120 for the first time in 6-months, with the iron ore price up 54% from its October low. BHP is trading at its highest level in history. It makes 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper and the remainder from coal. It has a PE of 8 times earnings, and a dividend yield of 13.8%. Rio Tinto also trades near its all-time high and it’s also involved in the key metals mention too; making 58% of its revenue from iron ore, 11% from copper, and the rest from aluminum and others. Rio’s PE is 6.8 times earnings, its dividend yield is 8.6%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) pared gains after making a 6-month high After having taken out the top of trading range resistance and making a six-month new high, Hang Seng Index pared most of the gains to finish the Wednesday session up only 0.5%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) gained 3.1% on the news report that the eCommerce platform giant entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the municipal government of Hangzhou and a People’s Daily article sounded complimentary to the Ant Group. Air China (00753:xhkg) dropped by 1.2% and China Southern Airlines (01055:xhkg) shed 1.5% following China suspended issuing visas to visitors from South Korea and Japan. EV names gained even though the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) dismissed the speculation on the relaxation of licensing restrictions in Beijing. EV maker BYD (01211:xhkg) and coal miner China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), each rising around 4.7%, were the two top winners within the Hang Seng Index. Mainland China’s CSI300 was down 0.2%. Stocks in coal mining, oil and gas exploration, and development industries gained. FX: USDJPY drops below 132 on possible BOJ action next week The USD was range-bound on Wednesday as it awaited the key US CPI release, despite a drop in yields taking the 10-year yields closer to 3.50% support once again. Fed member Susan Collins, although a non-voter, she is leaning towards a 25bps hike at the February 1st meeting although the data will help guide her decision, adding further dovish hints in the day. However she still favoured rates above 5% and a pause thereafter throughout 2023. EURUSD broke above 1.0760 and EURCHF rose above parity for the first time since July. ECB’s De Cos said he sees “significant” rate hikes at the upcoming meetings. USDJPY saw a big move lower in the Asian morning to drop below 132 from highs of 132.88 yesterday with expectations of BOJ likely considering further tweaks to its YCC policy (read below). FX watch: Australian trade data surged beyond expectations. US CPI next catalyst for AUDUSD Australia’s trade balance data released today, rose well beyond expectations, with the trade balance surging to $13.2 billion, when consensus expected exports and imports to have fallen considerably in November, with the market expecting the surplus would fall from $12.2 billion to $11.3 billion. This data shows that trade has been improving, well ahead of China’s easing of restrictions – which is a positive sign. The AUD rallied to 69.18 US, which is the level it hit yesterday after Australian inflation and retail data came out hotter than expected. The next resistance level is a psychological one, 0.700 for the AUD vs the USD. However, if core US CPI comes out hotter than expected (5.7% YoY), then a hotter USD may pressure the AUD back down. Our Head of FX Strategy suggests if that happens the AUD could drop back to another support level. However the next few days are pivotal. Click for more on FX. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices continue higher on China story Crude oil prices rallied again overnight as signs of improving Chinese demand boosted sentiment. Chinese buyers have become active in the physical market, with Unipec snapping up about 3-4mbbl of US crude for March and April in recent days. This comes following news that China had issued a fresh batch of import quotas as it reopens following years of COVID-19 restrictions. Supply was supported by a huge build in US inventories, but could not dampen the price sentiment as higher inventories was expected. US crude oil stocks jumped 19m barrels last week, the biggest since Feb 2021, driven by a 2m b/d drop in exports to 2.1m b/d. WTI futures rose above $77.50/barrel while Brent got in close sight of $83. No stopping the gains in metals space, yet Industrial metals continued to march higher on positive signals from China on Zero Covid and policy stimulus. An apparent peak in infections follow the sudden dropping of COVID-19 restrictions has raised the prospect of an earlier than expected jump in industrial activity. Pent up consumer demand is likely to add to the clamour for metals. Aluminium, copper and iron ore, all rose to new highs. Iron ore (SCOF3) could be potentially ripe for a reversal, given China’s warning on tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Meanwhile, Copper’s gains to $4.16 have also been fast and could see scope for a correction, but the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may drive it higher still in the short term. Gold (XAUUSD) sees correction risks ahead of CPI Gold prices are hovering around an 8-month high, but our Head of Commodity Strategy sees risk of correction even if ‘lower-than-expected’ CPI print sends gold higher to test the resistance level around $1900. He sees potential of profit taking emerge. He says, “Gold’s price action during the past week has in my opinion showed us the correct direction for 2023, but while the direction is correct, I believe the timing could be wrong.”  Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Maintains A Steady Upward Trend, The Aussie Pair Keeps Close To 0.69| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US CPI remains the most key data point to watch There is enough reason to believe that we can get some further disinflationary pressures in the coming weeks. Economic momentum has been weakening, as highlighted by the plunge in ISM services last week into contraction territory, particularly with the forward-looking new orders subcomponent. An unusually warm winter has also helped to provide some reprieve from inflation pains. Bloomberg consensus forecasts are pointing to a softening in headline inflation to 6.5% YoY, 0.0% MoM (from 7.1% YoY, 0.1% MoM prev) while core inflation remains firmer at 5.7% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 6.0% YoY, 0.2% MoM). Still, these inflation prints remain more than three times faster than the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Fed officials have made it clear they expect goods price inflation to continue to ease, expecting another big drop in used car prices. But officials are seemingly focused on services ex-housing which remains high. So even a softer inflation print is unlikely to provide enough ammunition for the Fed to further slow down its pace of rate hikes. Volatility on watch if US CPI sees a big surprise The last two months have shown that big swings in US CPI can spark significant volatility in the equity markets, given the large amounts of hedging flows and short-term options covering. With a big focus on CPI numbers again this week, similar volatility cannot be ruled out. Volume might be thin still this week as many are still on holidays, so moves in equities could be amplified in either direction. Meanwhile, FX reaction to CPI has been far more muted, but some key levels remain on watch this week. A higher-than-expected CPI print could keep expectations tilted towards a 50bps rate hike again in February, while a miss could mean expectations of further slowdown in Fed’s tightening pace to 25bps in February could pick up which can be yield and dollar negative. Apple plans to use its own displays in mobile devices Apple (AAPL:xnas) aims to its own custom displays in the consumer electronic giant’s mobile devices starting in 2024, as opposed to procuring from Samsung and LG. It is the latest move in a series of initiatives from Apple to reduce reliance on sourcing components from partners, including chips from Broadcom and modems from Qualcomm. China’s CPI expected modestly higher, PPI less negative Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had a median forecast of China’s December CPI at an increase of 1.8% Y/Y, edging up from 1.6% in November, mainly due to base effects, as food prices are likely to be stable and higher outprices in the manufacturing sector might be offset by a fall in services prices. PPI in December is expected to be -0.1% Y/Y, a smaller decline from -1.3% Y/Y in November, benefiting from base effects. The decline in coal prices was likely to be offset by an increase in steel prices. Signs of wage growth in Japan; could we see more action from BOJ next week? The fast-fashion Japanese retailer Uniqlo (owned by Fast Retailing) is set to hike pay for many full-time staff in Japan by as much as 40% and will raise the salary for newly hired graduates by over 17%. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda has long stated that inflation is only rising sustainably if Japanese wages also begin to rise in line with commodity and other input costs. Meanwhile, Yomuiri reported that BOJ officials will review the side effects of the ultra-easy monetary policy at their policy meeting next week, opening the door for further adjusting the yield curve control policy or the bond-buying as the central bank continues to see 10-year yields testing the new upper limit of 0.5%. Fast Retailing (9983:xtks) reports earnings today and a 10th straight quarter of operating profit growth is seen, although the pace of growth is likely to slow amid China’s lockdowns in the November-ended quarter and fading FX benefits. TSMC (TSM:xnys) reporting Q4 results, 1H23 outlook and overseas expansion plans key to watch Given the industry-wide inventory overhang, investors will be closing monitoring the world’s largest foundry’s 1H2023 revenue outlook when TSMC reports Q4 2022 results today. Investors will also pay much attention to the management’s comments on TSMC’s plans for building manufacturing capacities outside of Taiwan and mainland China which have implications on margins and capex spending. For Q4 results, analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, on average, are forecasting revenues coming at TWD636 billion and adjusted earnings at TWD11.087 per share. For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: US CPI day, Bank of Japan policy tweak speculation – 12 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Czech National Bank Prepares for Possible Rate Cut in November

    CPI In China Rose, US CPI Print Are For A Rise For The Year-On-Year At 6.5%

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.01.2023 09:40
    Summary:  Markets have charged higher again, seemingly confident that today’s US December CPI data won’t provide any pushback against this rally, which is pulling up into the psychologically important 4,000 area in the US S&P 500 Index. Elsewhere, the USD remains on its back foot on hopes for a soft CPI print, while EURCHF has suddenly pulled above parity for the first time in over six months in a delayed reaction to ECB hawkishness. Oil jumped.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended momentum all the way up to the falling 200-day moving average closing at 3,990 and in early trading this morning the index futures are hovering around the 200-day moving average. This average was hit back in mid-December before US equities were weighed down by hawkish central bank comments and sold off into New Year. Today’s US December CPI report is naturally the key report to watch today as the previous three inflation reports have caused significant volatility over the release. If the market gets it lower inflation print then S&P 500 futures might push above 4,000 and even all the way up to 4,050. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After making a new six-month high this morning, Hang Seng Index reversed and pared gains. Profit-taking weighed on recent policy beneficiaries, such as mainland Chinese property developers, domestic consumption names, mega-cap internet stocks, and Macao casino operators. Shares of EV makers bucked the market trend of retracement to advance, led by BYD (01211:xhkg) up 5.7%. FIT Hong Teng (06088:xhkg), a subsidiary of Foxconn, soared 23% on speculation that the company might replace GoerTek (002241:xsec) to assemble AirPods for Apple. In A-shares, defense, aerospace, auto industrial equipment and wind power outperformed as the domestic consumption space retraced. As of writing, Hang Seng Index and CSI300 edged up around 0.3%. FX: USD still low, JPY resurgent. EURCHF blasts higher The greenback remains on its back foot coming into today’s US December CPI release, with market players likely very unclear around the reaction function (more on that below in What’s Next?) to in-line or even soft data today. EURUSD etched marginal new highs above 1.0760 yesterday, but clearly faces a test over today’s data and may have been driven yesterday by flows in EURCHF, which suddenly bursts out of its range and traded well above parity – likely on the hawkish ECB outlook finally sending the pair over the edge. ECB’s De Cos said he sees “significant” rate hikes at the upcoming meetings, while ECB’s Holzmann soft-pedaled the message on QT, saying he was very cautious on moving too fast.  USDJPY dipped on the news flow overnight as described below, and many other USD pairs are still within recent ranges, if toward important USD support in places, especially AUDUSD. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains supported by China recovery story Crude oil prices rallied strongly on Wednesday with the improved outlook for Chinese demand and the softer dollar driving a fifth day of gains. Chinese buyers have become active in the physical market, with Unipec snapping up about 3-4mbbl of US crude for March and April in recent days. This comes following news that China had issued a fresh batch of import quotas as it reopens following years of COVID-19 restrictions. Supply was supported by a huge 19m barrels build in US inventories, the biggest since Feb 2021, but it could not dampen the positive price sentiment as higher inventories was expected after the late December cold blast reduced exports while temporarily shutting down some refineries. Fresh momentum was seen in both WTI and Brent after breaking their 21-day moving averages, now offering support at $76.35 and $81.65 respectively. Gold sees raised correction risk as US CPI looms Gold’s price action and gains during the past week has in our opinion showed us the correct direction for 2023, but while the direction is correct, we believe the timing could be wrong, and with momentum showing signs of slowing ahead of key resistance around $1900, and a potential weaker-than-forecast US CPI print today having been priced in, the risk of correction has risen. Pent-up demand in China ahead of the Lunar New Year may soon fade, while India’s demand may slow as traders adapt to the higher price level. In addition, we have yet to see demand for ETF’s, often used by long-term focused investors, spring back to life with total holdings still hovering around a near two-year low at 2923 tons. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support around $1865 followed by $1826, the 21-day moving average. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields drop, strong 10-year auction supports The US 10-year yield dropped back toward 3.50% support overnight after falling some 7-basis point yesterday, supported in part by a solid US 10-year auction, with bidding metrics sharply improving relative to the prior couple of weak auctions. The 2-10 year yield slope inverted back toward –70 basis points. Treasuries may find additional support if today’s December US CPI report proves softer than expected. Read next: Discussion Of Bank Representatives On Financing The Ecological Transformation | FXMAG.COM What is going on? The Eurozone economy is more resilient than forecasted Economic surprises are improving significantly in the eurozone. The consensus forecasts a drop in GDP of minus 0.1% this year. Based on hard data, this seems excessively conservative. It is bound to be revised up, in our view. The German economy is especially very resilient. While gas consumption has collapsed by double digits, industry output has remained largely flat. This is a remarkable achievement. Based on the latest data on industrial production (for the month of November), it looks like there will be no recession in German industry in Q4. However, the year 2023 will be challenging in the eurozone: credit stress is on the rise (this is the first time in a decade we start the year with European IG credit yield above the 4 % level), and the market will need to absorb about 700bn euros of liquidity due to the ECB quantitative tightening. Metals pause after powering higher on China optimism Industrial metals are pausing ahead of today’s CPI print and after having marched higher on positive signals from China on Zero Covid and policy stimulus. An apparent peak in infections follow the sudden dropping of COVID-19 restrictions has raised the prospect of an earlier than expected jump in industrial activity. Pent up consumer demand is likely to add to the clamour for metals. Aluminium, copper and iron ore, all rose to new highs on Wednesday. Iron ore (SCOF3) could be potentially ripe for a reversal, given China’s warning on tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Meanwhile, Copper’s year-to-date gain of 9% to near $4.20 has also been fast and could see scope for a correction, but the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may continue to provide some support in the short term. USDJPY drops below 132 on possible BOJ action next week The Bank of Japan meets next Wednesday and may be set to guide for further policy tweaks after a regional Bank of Japan report released overnight . In other news in Japan, the Yomiuri newspaper reported that the BoJ will review the side effects of its policy at next week’s meeting and a quarterly Bank of Japan report raised its assessment of the economy in four of Japan’s nine regions, noting that in “there were many cases where companies were increasing winter bonus payments, or plan to hike wages.” Also JPY-supportive, preliminary data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance suggest that Japan’s life insurers sold a record amount of foreign bonds last month. CPI and PPI inflation remained low in China CPI in China rose to 1.8% y/y in December from 1.6% in November, in line with expectations. The rise was due to a low base and on CPI was unchanged m/m. Excluding food and energy, core CPI came in at 0.7% y/y in December, edging up slightly from 0.6% y/y in November. The change in PPI however rebounded less than expected to -0.7% y/y versus -0.1% expected and -1.3% y/y in November. TSMC Q4 earnings beat estimates The world’s largest foundry of semiconductors beat on net income in Q4 driven by gross margin at 62.2% vs est. 60.1%. TSMC says company to face margin headwinds in 2023 with revenue growth slowing down. CAPEX in 2023 is expected at $32-36bn vs est. $35bn against $36bn in 2022. The company is considering a second manufacturing plant in Japan and a new automotive chips plant in Europe. It has also expanded its 28nm production in China and is planning to mass produce its new 2nm in 2025 in its facilities in Taiwan. Fast Retailing sees big miss in Q1 operating income The parent company behind the Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo reports Q1 operating income of JPY 117bn vs est. JPY140bn but maintains its outlook for profit and revenue growth amid its commitment from yesterday to raise wages up to 40% for its Japanese retail workers. KB Home outlook hit by interest rates When the price of capital goes up the demand on homes often goes down, and this is exactly what KB Home is experiencing. The US homebuilder reported Q4 EPS of $2.47 vs est. $2.86, but it was the FY23 outlook of revenue between $5bn and $6bn missing the consensus of $6bn in revenue, but with new orders down 80% more profit warnings could come during the year. What are we watching next? WASDE report on tap with grain traders watching stock levels The Bloomberg Grains Index, rangebound for the past six month has opened a new trading year with a loss of 3.5% primarily driven by lower wheat prices on ample supply from the Black Sea region, will receive some fundamental input later today when the US Department of Agriculture releases its monthly supply and demand report. Market estimates point to a trimming of the global corn and soybeans inventories, while wheat is expected to show a small rise. US inventories, meanwhile, is expected to rise across the board driven by weakness in Chinese demand and strong competition from overseas supplies, in part due to the dollar. Also focus on Argentina where an ongoing drought may drive a 6% reduction in the country's soy and corn output. US December CPI up today – what is the reaction function? The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which seem confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening but will even cut rates cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, and the November CPI release on December 13 ullustrates the potentially treacherous reaction pattern to this data points, as softer than expected inflation levels reported saw risk asset jump aggressively as US treasury yields eased, only for the equity market move to get erased within hours and the US yields to bottom out on the following day. Consensus expectations for today’s CPI print are for a fall in the month-on-month headline data of –0.1% and a rise for the year-on-year at 6.5% versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% last September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off tomorrow with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth in 2023. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. In addition, US banks have extended credit at the fastest pace in 2022 since the year leading up to the Great Financial Crisis. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Today: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US December CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1345 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) to discuss economic outlook 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1630 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 1700 – UK Bank of England’s Mann to speak 1700 – USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher
    EUR/USD: Looking beyond the market’s trust issues with the Fed and ECB

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Why The Euro Is Strong, Weak Housing News And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.01.2023 10:40
    Summary:  Today we look at global equity markets gunning for more to the upside, apparently expecting a benign US CPI release today and pricing in a soft landing scenario as long treasury yields settled back lower after a strong US 10-year treasury auction yesterday. We also look at a resurgent JPY, why the euro is strong, but some thoughts on longer term caution, coffee and grains in commodities, the latest expansion plans abroad from TSMC, weak housing news but strong housing stocks & more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next: Pietro Beccari Will Be The Louis Vuitton’s CEO, Departures Several Top Executives At Rivian| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Market showing no fear ahead of US CPI | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Persistent Stagnation: German Economy Confirms Second Quarter Contraction

    The New Disney Drama: Disney Is Opposing Activist-Investor Nelson Peltz

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 12.01.2023 11:42
    Nelson Peltz plans to stage a fight for a spot at Walt Disney Co. Activist investor Nelson Peltz is pushing for a seat on Disney's board, the company confirmed Wednesday, saying it had recommended shareholders vote against his efforts. Disney Drama The company's board of directors is asking shareholders to vote against it at its upcoming annual meeting. Disney said that while members of its senior management team have contacted Peltz on numerous occasions over the past few months. Peltz's Trian Fund Management executives met in California on Tuesday with top Disney executives, including Iger and CFO Christine McCarthy, in an attempt to reach an agreement with the company and avoid a proxy battle, but the talks were fruitless. Arnold called Peltz on Wednesday morning to offer him the role of board observer and ask him to sign a cease and desist agreement. The proposal was met with Peltz's refusal. Mark Parker would become president Disney revealed the activist's intentions Wednesday afternoon in a statement saying it was opposed to him being added to the board. It was also stated that current director Mark Parker would become president, succeeding Susan Arnold. Disney said its new CEO, Parker, will lead a newly formed succession planning committee that will advise the board on a new CEO and look at internal and external candidates. The company added that it was constantly refreshing its board of directors, focusing on directors with industry experience. Iger's mandate is to serve a full two-year term with the company. Read next: Pietro Beccari Will Be The Louis Vuitton’s CEO, Departures Several Top Executives At Rivian| FXMAG.COM Trian's intentions Almost two months ago, Trian bought a stake in the company worth about $800 million and began looking for a place on the board. Trian is looking to make operational improvements and cut costs, according to the company's announcement on Wednesday. Trian believes Disney has excessive compensatory practices and lacks cost discipline. Peltz has repeatedly criticized Iger for orchestrating Disney's $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox's assets in 2019. This acquisition, along with the pandemic, left Disney with approximately $45 billion in debt. According to Peltz, Disney drastically overpaid. Trian also said he did not want to replace Bob Iger as CEO. Instead, Trian said, he wants to work with Iger to ensure a successful CEO change over the next two years. Iger's stunning comeback in November brought the promise of a two-year apprenticeship that would spark a renewed growth. The CEO also plans to help find another successor after the term of his previously elected successor, Bob Chapek, fell apart Disney share price The new Disney drama comes after a difficult year for the entertainment giant's stock as soaring streaming costs and a small number of theatrical releases have eaten away at profits. Disney has a market capitalization of over $175 billion. The stock plummeted from a high of around $200 in early 2021 to a 52-week low of $84.07 on December 28. The stock closed at $96.33 on Wednesday. Which shows that in the new year the shares have improved. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange The Dow Jones Rose 0.64% To Hit A Monthly High

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.01.2023 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.64% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 index rose 0.34%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.64%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Walt Disney Company, which gained 3.48 points or 3.61% to close at 99.81. Salesforce Inc rose 4.70 points or 3.24% to close at 149.60. Boeing Co rose 6.29 points or 3.02% to close at 214.32. Shares of Coca-Cola Co were the leaders of the fall, the price of which fell by 0.80 points (1.29%), ending the session at 61.21. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was up 1.24% or 0.46 points to close at 36.66, while Walmart Inc was down 0.90% or 1.32 points to close at 144. 81. S&P 500 The top gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were American Airlines Group, which gained 9.71% to 16.83, United Airlines Holdings Inc, which gained 7.52% to close at 51.30, and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp Class A shares, which gained 5.85% to close the session at 65.10. The least gainers were Charles River Laboratories, which shed 5.95% to close at 232.25. Bio-Techne Corp lost 5.14% to end the session at 82.17. Quotes of Illumina Inc decreased in price by 5.05% to 193.75. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Arrival Vault USA Inc, which rose 100.00% to hit 0.54, Akerna Corp, which gained 66.67% to close at 1.65, and also shares of Moxian Inc, which rose by 73.32%, ending the session at around 1.04. The leading gainers were Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc, which shed 76.46% to close at 2.54. Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc lost 35.32% to end the session at 6.52. Quotes of Universe Pharmaceuticals Inc decreased in price by 25.30% to 0.90. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2353) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (733), while quotes of 91 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2633 companies rose in price, 1063 fell, and 181 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 10.72% to 18.83, hitting a new 6-month low. Read next: The USD/JPY Pair Drop To 130, The Aussie Pair Keeps Trading Above 0.69$| FXMAG.COM  Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.17%, or 22.05, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 1.20%, or 0.93, to $78.34 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 1.50%, or 1.24, to $83.91 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.91% to 1.09, while USD/JPY shed 2.43% to hit 129.24. Futures on the USD index fell 0.94% to 101.96.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-14 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/308486
    Gold Traded Softer In Response To Dollar Strength, The Bank Of Japan Left Its Policy Levers Unchanged

    A Softer US Inflation Data Helps Gold, The Japanese Yen Was The Biggest Gainer

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.01.2023 09:03
    Summary:  A Fed downshift to 25bp hikes may be firmer in the cards with the in-line 0.3% M/M increase in the core CPI bringing the measure to 3.1% on a three-month annualized basis. Yields on the 10-year Treasury notes plunged 10bps to 3.44% and the S&P 500 closed just below its 200-DMA. The Japanese Yen was the biggest winner in the currency space on speculation for further policy shifts by the BOJ next week. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup report Q4 earnings today.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) advanced on CPI prints supporting a Fed downshift U.S. stocks climbed, following CPI data that support the Fed to slow the pace of rate hike to 25bps in February. Nasdaq 100 gained 0.5% and S&P 500 edged up 0.3%. Closing at 3983.17, the S&P 500 has its 200-day moving average of 3,984.39 within reach. Energy, rising 1.9, was the best-performing sector within the S&P 500 as WTI crude oil climbed over 1% to USD78.29. Interest rate-sensitive REITS was the other top winning sector. American Airlines (AAL:xnys) surged 9.7% on upbeat revenue growth and earnings guidance and a debt reduction plan.   US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied, yields on the 10-year sliding to 3.44% After choppy initial reactions when traders digested the CPI prints, U.S. Treasuries advanced and their yields slid decisively. The headline and core CPIs in December were in line with expectations. Investors noted the decline of the core inflation on a three-month annualised basis to 3.1% and the softness in core services excluding shelter and concluded that the Fed is on track to downshift to a 25bp hike in February. Comments from Fed’s Harker (voter) that “hikes of 25bps will be appropriate going forward” added conviction to the notion. The strong results from the USD18 billion 30-year auction saw yields on the long end richer further. Yields on the 10-year finished the session 10bps lower to 3.44% and those on the 2-year were 4bps lower to 4.12%. In Australia and Asia today focus is on; risk-on assets, Oil, Iron Ore and Copper charging The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened 0.8% higher, with most other Asian markets are set to open in the positive. Ahead of Australia’s company reporting season kicking off next month, we’re thinking we could likely see many commodities companies upgrade their outlooks for 2023, expecting higher earnings as many resources prices have quickly entered bull markets amid China easing restrictions sooner than expected. However today, eyes will once again be on commodities and affiliated equites; as the oil price jumped for the 6th day, moving up to $78.30, after rising 1.1%, The copper price rose 0.1% to $4.17 on the COMEX market in New York. Iron ore (SCOA) is 0.6% higher at $123, a new 6-month high. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) traded sideways on profit taking After making a new six-month high, Hang Seng Index reversed and pared gains to finish Thursday only 0.4% higher. Profit-taking weighed on recent policy beneficiaries, such as mainland Chinese property developers, domestic consumption names, mega-cap internet stocks, and Macao casino operators. Country Garden, down 6.3%, was the biggest loser within the Hang Seng Index. Shares of EV makers bucked the market trend of retracement to advance, led by BYD (01211:xhkg) which was up 5.3% and was the top winner among Hang Seng Index constituents. NetEase (09999:xhkg) outperformed other China internet names with a 3.7% gain on collaborating with the state-owned CCTV to broadcast the Lunar New Year gala on the company’s metaverse platform. FIT Hong Teng (06088:xhkg), a subsidiary of Foxconn, soared 17.2% on speculation that the company might replace GoerTek (002241:xsec) to assemble AirPods for Apple. In A-shares, telecommunication, electric equipment, EV, non-bank financials, and new energy outperformed as the domestic consumption space retraced. CSI300 climbed 0.2%. FX watch; Australian dollar is on the heels of 0.70 US After US CPI data showed US prices have continued to fall, the US dollar vs the AUD continued to fall, taking its fall from its peak to 10%. Inversely, Australia's trade balance data released yesterday, as well as Aussie retail and Aussie CPI earlier in the week, plus the all-important easing of China’s restrictions sooner than expected, all support upside in the AUD. As such the Aussie versus the US rallied to new four-month highs, 69.67 US. The next resistance level, the psychological 70.00 US is the next hurdle to get over. Aussie home loan data released today is the next catalyst to watch. If it’s stronger than expected, the AUDUSD could march on up. FX: USDJPY crumbles on weaker USD and BOJ speculation The Japanese yen was the biggest gainer on Thursday, boosted both by lower US yields as well as speculation around a policy tweak by the Bank of Japan at the next week’s meeting. USDJPY slid from 132.50 to 129 handle. Japanese 10-year bonds continued to test the upper limit of the permitted trading band, and rose higher to 0.53% in early Asian hours testing the central bank’s resolve on a dovish policy. EURUSD broke above 1.08 to fresh highs of 1.0867 with expectations of Fed-ECB divergence setting a bullish tone. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) rounding in at about 6% gains for the week Crude oil prices gained further on Thursday amid the risk on tone set by further softening in inflation pressures. China’s steady commitment to reopen the economy and provide a stimulus to the economy continued to support sentiment this week, along with Chinese buyers become more active in the physical market as import quotas were increased. WTI futures rose to $79/barrel while Brent moved above $84/barrel. Gold (XAUUSD) reached $1900 on expectations of Fed downshift Gold saw another rally with a softer inflation print in the US bolstering the case for a further downshift in the Fed’s rate hike trajectory. A broadly dovish tone from the Fed members also saw a plunge in US yields and weighed on the USD, helping support gains in Gold as well. Silver outperformed gold, and platinum and palladium gained as well.    Read next: GM, Ford, Google And Solar Producers Would Work Together To Set Standards For Increasing The Use Of VPPs| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US CPI boosts the case for a Fed downshift A further slowdown was seen in US CPI last night, with the headline sliding to 6.5% YoY as expected from 7.1% YoY in November, stepping into the disinflationary territory on a m/m basis with a negative 0.1% print from +0.1% previously. Core inflation also eased in-line with expectations to 5.7% YoY in December from 6.0% YoY previously but still higher on m/m basis at 0.3% from 0.2% in November. Services inflation was still higher, being the more sticky component of inflation, but with six consecutive months of softening in inflation, the Fed could take some comfort that its tightening moves are working. Market is pricing in another step down at the Fed’s next decision on Feb 1 to 25bps rate hike, but the terminal rate pricing still stands at sub-5% levels compared to a unanimous voice from the FOMC members calling for rates over 5%. Meanwhile, US jobless claims unexpectedly fell to 205,000 from a revised 206,000 the previous week, suggesting labor market is still tight. Continuing claims also surprisingly improved, dropping to 1.63 million from 1.7 million. Fed members also signal a further downshift Patrick Harker (voter) said 25-bp increases "will be appropriate going forward" after data showed inflation moderating. Thomas Barkin (non-voter) also emphasised that Fed has more work to do, although he signalled that "it makes sense to steer more deliberately." Bullard was relatively more hawkish, but he also doesn’t vote this year. He said that he favors getting the benchmark above 5% as soon as possible before holding. US Bank earnings kickstart today US banking earnings kick off the Q4 earnings season today, most notably from Bank of Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup. Analysts remain muted on US banks with earnings expected to show another quarter of negative growth compared to a year ago. Peter Garnry, Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, wrote in his recent article that the interest rate shock had been bad for banking earnings and activity levels across the investment banking division. As credit portfolios have an average maturity of around seven years banks will slowly begin rolling their assets into higher interest rate levels which will begin to accelerate their net revenue figures improving profitability over time. If the US economy just experience a shallow recession in real terms and strong nominal growth then US banks should be considered as a good tactical trade over the coming years. CPI and PPI inflation remained low in China CPI in China rose to 1.8% y/y in December from 1.6% in November, in line with expectations. The year-on-year growth was due to a low base. On a month-on-month basis, CPI was unchanged in December. Excluding food and energy, core CPI came in at 0.7% y/y in December, edging up slightly from 0.6% y/y in November but remaining subdued. The change in PPI rebounded less than expected to -0.7% y/y versus -0.1% expected and -1.3% y/y in November. Deflation in the processing sector narrowed to -2.7% Y/Y in December from -3.2% Y/Y in November. The mining component in the PPI swung to 1.7% Y/Y in December from -3.9% Y/Y in November. TSMC (TSM:xnys) Q4 earnings beating estimates, expecting revenue decline and CAPEX cuts in 2023 The world’s largest foundry of semiconductors beats on net income in Q4 driven by a gross margin of 62.2% versus the 60.1% expected. TSMC says the company is to face margin headwinds in 2023 with revenue growth slowing down. For Q1 2023, the management expects revenues to fall to between USD16.7 billion and USD17.5 billion from USD17.57 billion in Q1 2022. CAPEX in 2023 is expected to be between USD32 billion and USD36 billion, against $36bn in 2022. The company is considering a second manufacturing plant in Japan and a new automotive chips plant in Europe. It has also expanded its 28nm production in China and is planning to mass produce its new 2nm in 2025 in its facilities in Taiwan. TSMC expects that revenues of the global semiconductor industry, excluding memory chips, to fall 4% in 2023. UK November GDP to signal an incoming recession UK’s monthly GDP numbers are due this week, and consensus expects a contraction of 0.3% MoM in November from +0.5% MoM previously which was boosted by the favourable M/M comparison vs. September, which was impacted by the extra bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral. The economy is clearly weakening, and another quarter of negative GDP print remains likely which will mark the official start of a recession in the UK.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Softer US CPI supports Fed downshift, Bank earnings ahead - 13 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Digest: US Crude Oil Inventories Decline Amidst Growing Supply Risks

    CPI In The US Slowed Down Further, Falling To 6.5% y/y With Expectations

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.01.2023 09:13
    Summary:  The market churned wildly in the wake of perfectly in-line US CPI data yesterday after perhaps hoping for even stronger signs of decelerating inflationary pressures than the data delivered. Alas, in the end the market celebrated the data, sending US treasury yields and the USD lower and risk sentiment higher, with the S&P 500 testing its 200-day moving average. Gold touched $1,900 per ounce.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities chopped around after the in-line December CPI data release, with the S&P 500 index taking a stab at trading above the 4,000 level and the 200-day moving average just above that level for the March future (and at 3,984 for the cash index – the cash index never traded north of 4,000 yesterday, peaking at 3997). For its part, the Nasdaq 100 has been interacting with the prior support areas now resistance around 11,550. Interesting days and weeks ahead as we trade up into pivotal technical levels just ahead of earnings season. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index had a lackluster session on Friday trading sideways around yesterday’s close. Mainland’s CSI300 advanced 0.8% led by a bounce in domestic consumption, brokerage, and insurance names. China’s exports in December fell 9.9% in U.S. dollar terms from a year ago and imports declined 7.5%. The Chinese authorities have reportedly drafted an action plan to help “quality” property developers to strengthen their balance sheets. Shares of Chinese developers however have generally retraced and registered modest losses. The three Chinese state-own oil companies traded in Hong Kong advanced between 1% and 3% on higher oil prices. NetEase, rising 3%, stood out among China internet names. FX: USD drops on in-line CPI data. JPY strongest on BoJ expectations, falling yields The US dollar fell after a chaotic knee-jerk reaction to in-line CPI data, as the market may have been leaning for a softer-than-expected surprise. In the end, US yields dropped and risk sentiment rallied anew, the ideal combination for USD bears. The selling was most intense for the balance of the day in USDJPY, which probed new cycle lows below 129.00 and much of the move coming ahead of the US data as the market was busy absorbing the news flow from earlier in the day on the potential for a shift in BoJ policy at next Wednesday’s BoJ meeting. Japanese 10-year bonds continued to test the 0.50% upper limit of the permitted trading band, rising to above 0.57% by late Asian hours hours and testing the central bank’s resolve. EURUSD broke above 1.08 to fresh highs of 1.0867 with expectations of Fed-ECB divergence setting a bullish tone. EURUSD also cleared the prior highs and traded as high as 1.0868, while AUDUSD touched a new high of 0.6983, just ahead of the key 0.7000 level. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) seen heading for a 6% weekly gain Crude oil has rallied strongly this past week on China’s improving outlook and after US inflation continued to cool, thereby supporting the general level of risk appetite, not least through a weaker dollar. China, the world's biggest importer is expected to hit record consumption this year, a development already gathering pace with Chinese buyers becoming more active in the physical market as import quotas are increased. Gains in the energy sector being led by gasoline after its premium over WTI rose to the highest since August. In the short-term WTI may now find some resistance at $80, where the 50-day moving average is lurking while in Brent that level can be found at $84.75. Gold trades near $1900 as cooling inflation softens up the dollar Gold is heading for a fourth weekly gain as US inflation continues to ease thereby supporting a further downshift in the Fed’s rate hike trajectory. A broadly dovish tone from Fed members also supported gold as the dollar and bond yields softened. Trading just below $1900 and within an area of resistance, today’s price action ahead of the weekend will be important in order to gauge the underlying strength. Physical demand may struggle in the short term as traders warm to higher prices, not least in India where demand according to Reuters plunged by 79% in December from a year earlier. In addition, we have yet to see demand for ETF’s, often used by long-term focused investors, spring back to life with total holdings still hovering near a two-year low at 2923 tons. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) drop, long yields perched near cycle lows The in-line US CPI data release yesterday saw a choppy market but eventually saw treasuries strongly bid later in the session, sending the 2-year to a test just below the prior 4.13% low at one point and the US 10-year yield toward the 3.40% pivot low from back in early December. A 30-year T-bond auction saw the strongest bidding metrices since last March. Read next: GM, Ford, Google And Solar Producers Would Work Together To Set Standards For Increasing The Use Of VPPs| FXMAG.COM What is going on? US December CPI in-line with expectation, boosts the case for a Fed downshift A further slowdown in US CPI as expected yesterday, as the headline slid to 6.5% YoY as expected from 7.1% YoY in November, stepping into the disinflationary territory on a m/m basis with a negative 0.1% print from +0.1% previously. Core inflation also eased in-line with expectations to 5.7% YoY in December from 6.0% YoY previously but still higher on m/m basis at 0.3% from 0.2% in November. Services inflation was still higher, being the stickier component of inflation, but with six consecutive months of softening in inflation, the Fed could take some comfort that its tightening moves are working. The market is pricing in another step down at the Fed’s next decision on Feb 1 to 25bps rate hike, but the terminal rate pricing still stands at sub-5% levels compared to a unanimous voice from the FOMC members calling for rates over 5%. Meanwhile, US jobless claims point to a tight labour market, unexpectedly falling to 205,000 from a revised 206,000 the previous week. Continuing claims also surprisingly improved, dropping to 1.63 million from 1.7 million. Resources companies: earnings upgrades could be on the cards Commodities companies are likely to start to upgrade their outlooks for 2023, ahead of reporting full year results in February. Iron ore, copper and aluminium companies in particularly are likely to upgrade their 2023 earnings as these respective commodity prices quickly entered bull markets +64%, +30%, and +20% respectively from their lows as China eased restrictions sooner than expected. The Iron ore (SCOA) price as an example, rose 2% alone in Asia today, hitting a new 6-month high. BHP shares in Australia hit a new record high of A$49.64 while Rio Tinto trades about 3% shy of its record, with both iron ore, and copper giants trading higher in anticipation of higher free cashflow in 2023. WASDE report sees corn prices jump the most since September The USDA on Thursday unexpectedly cut its outlook for US domestic production and available stocks of both corn and soybeans, a sign that an ongoing drought from last year may continue to underpin prices. The worst Argentinian drought in 60 years also led to a downgrade in the outlook for soybeans and corn production, some of that being partly offset by an expected bumper harvest in Brazil. One bright spot was wheat where the USDA raised its outlook for global production. Following the WASDE report corn (ZCH3) rose 2.5%, soybeans (ZSH3) 1.8% while wheat (ZWH3) was up by less than 1%. Sweden December CPI hits new cycle highs as weak krona aggravates inflation The December headline number came in at +2.1% MoM and +12.3% YoY vs. 1.8%/12.0% expected, respectively and vs. 11.5% YoY in Nov. The core data was +1.9% MoM and +10.2% YoY vs. +1.6%/+9.8% expected, respectively and vs. +9.5% YoY in Nov. What are we watching next? Bank of Japan meeting next Wednesday shaping up as major event risk The recent news flow and rumor mill sees the Bank of Japan announcing further tweaks to its policy next Wednesday at its meeting. Ironically, the anticipated further widening of its yield curve control “band” (de facto more of a “cap”) on 10-year JGB’s comes as long yields are dropping sharply elsewhere, accentuating the tightening of spreads between Japanese yields and those in, for example, Europe and the US. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off today with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth in 2023. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. In addition, US banks have extended credit at the fastest pace in 2022 since the year leading up to the Great Financial Crisis. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Today: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Trade Balance 1000 – Euro zone Nov. Industrial Production 1330 – US Dec. Import Price Index 1500 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Voter 2023) to speak 1500 – US Jan. Preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment 1520 – US Fed’s Harker (Voter 2023) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 13, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Energy Companies Will Likely Reveal Another Excellent Quarter

    Energy Companies Will Likely Reveal Another Excellent Quarter

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 13.01.2023 10:44
    US inflation came in line with expectations. The kneejerk market reaction to the data was surprisingly negative, but the major US stock indices extended rally, while the US dollar dropped sharply. S&P500  The S&P500 ended the session at a very important technical level – the index is now testing the ceiling of the 2022 bearish trend and the 200-DMA to the upside. The 200-DMA has not been broken since April 2022, and has, so far, acted as a sign to sell the top. It could take more (…better-than-expected earnings) to clear resistance around 3990-4000 range. Tech stocks will likely deliver their second straight quarter of negative growth From now, investors’ focus will shift to earnings. According to FactSet, the S&P500 companies could post earnings growth of -4.1% for the Q4. Energy companies and tech stocks are an exception to this, of course. Energy companies will likely reveal another excellent quarter due to high energy prices, while tech stocks will likely deliver their second straight quarter of negative growth, with a decent 9.5% contraction expected across the sector. But don’t forget that high expectations are difficult to beat, while low expectations are easier to beat, and the prices move regarding where the results fall compared to expectations. Read next: The USD/JPY Pair Drop To 130, The Aussie Pair Keeps Trading Above 0.69$| FXMAG.COM Q4 results Today, big US banks including JP Morgan, Citigroup, Bank of New York, Bank of America and Wells Fargo will reveal their Q4 results. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 US inflation in line with expectations… 3:47 … boost expectation of slower Fed rate hikes 4:34 USD depreciates 6:29 S&P500 tests key resistance, but needs more to extend gains 8:07 S&P500 earnings are expected to fall in Q4 Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #CPI #inflation #Fed #expectations #USD #EUR #GBP #JPY #XAU #crude #oil #earnings #season #US #big #banks #TSM #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH        
    Belgian housing market to see weaker demand and price correction

    The Swedish Real Estate Market Will See Significant Price Drops

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 15.01.2023 18:13
    The year 2022 hit the economy significantly. The real estate and equity markets suffered as a result of the fight against inflation and the real estate crisis. In this article: Banco BTG Pactual SA The real estate market IMF and the Minister of Finance in Bangladesh The 11 most undervalued stocks in the Morningstar Defensive Super Sector Index Banco BTG Pactual SA Brazilian bank Banco BTG Pactual SA appealed the court order on Friday. The bank protected Americanas retailer.In an appeal filed on Saturday, BTG's lawyers argue that the court order unlawfully orders the reversal of a payment made by Americanas to BTG. Brazil's BTG Pactual appeals decision protecting billionaire-backed Americanas from creditors https://t.co/eJ9Ej81qmE pic.twitter.com/Kddyoc9GRQ — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) January 15, 2023 The real estate market  The real estate market remains tense. The situation in Sweden shows this. House prices in Sweden have grown quite solidly over the last decade, but are now falling.House prices in Sweden have risen quite reliably over the last decade. This has been reinforced by very low interest rates in a system where about half of mortgages are financed using variable interest rates and many of the rest are based on short-term fixed interest rates. House prices across Europe continued to rise during the Covid-19 pandemic, and Sweden was no exception. The demand for real estate has skyrocketed as working from home and preferring vacations at home have driven people to expand their spaces. In 2022, the Swedish central bank launched an aggressive cycle of interest rate increases, which backfired on the real estate market. Currently, property prices in Sweden are facing a serious decline as the former governor of the country's central bank warns of high levels of household debt.Some economists predict a 20% drop in house prices from peak to trough. House prices in Sweden have risen fairly reliably over the last decade, but now they are tumbling. https://t.co/8xXlMfr7Cc — CNBC (@CNBC) January 15, 2023 IMF and the Minister of Finance in Bangladesh After World War II, there was a need for action aimed at leveling the changes that had taken place in many war-torn countries, through e.g. creation of an international organization counteracting perturbations on the international currency market. So today we see how the IMF, created for this purpose, works all over the world. Trying to mix the roses. Currently, the IMF on its twitter informed about a fruitful meeting with the Minister of Finance in Bangladesh. the IMF and Minister of Finance discuss can support Bangladesh's efforts to foster strong, inclusive and green growth. Joint actions can contribute to the development of this country. DMD Sayeh: Enjoyed meeting with #Bangladesh's Minister of Finance and @Bangladesh_Bank governor to discuss how the IMF can support Bangladesh’s efforts to foster strong, inclusive and green growth. Learn more at: https://t.co/AeUnrJTm5S pic.twitter.com/04mjrlkcGQ — IMF (@IMFNews) January 15, 2023 The 11 most undervalued stocks in the Morningstar Defensive Super Sector Index Last year was tough for the stock market, but 2022 was a good year for defensive stocks. Defensive stocks tend to be resilient to economic cycles because their products are essential in good times and bad.Morningstar analysts are looking at several such stocks. The most underrated defensive company is Veeva Systems, trading at a 39% discount to its estimated fair value as determined by Morningstar analysts. Veeva, Clorox, and Kellogg are among the defensive stocks trading below our analysts’ fair value estimates. These were the 11 most undervalued stocks in the Morningstar Defensive Super Sector Index as of Jan. 2: https://t.co/QQICMS3TvA — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) January 15, 2023
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    The Positive Close In The New York Stock Exchange, All Indices Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 16.01.2023 08:00
    Also on Friday, the largest US banks published their financial results for the fourth quarter and all of last year. The net profit of all four banking giants decreased in 2022. In this regard, shares of Wells Fargo are depreciating by 3.8%, Bank of America - by 2.8%, JP Morgan - by 1.3%, Citigroup - by 0.8%. At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.33% to hit a monthly high, the S&P 500 index rose 0.40%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.71%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was JPMorgan Chase & Co, which gained 3.52 points or 2.52% to close at 143.01. Quotes of Caterpillar Inc rose by 3.39 points (1.33%), closing the session at 258.46. Apple Inc rose 1.33 points or 1.00% to close at 134.74. The least gainers were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH), which shed 6.10 points or 1.23% to end the session at 489.57. Shares of Intel Corporation rose 0.18 points (0.59%) to close at 30.11, while Walt Disney Company shed 0.41 points (0.41%) to close at 99. 40. S&P 500  Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Illumina Inc, which rose 3.80% to 201.11, Wells Fargo & Company, which gained 3.25% to close at 44.22, and also shares of Stanley Black & Decker Inc, which rose 3.06% to end the session at 88.91. The least gainers were Northrop Grumman Corporation, which shed 5.44% to close at 461.43. Shares of Ford Motor Company lost 5.29% to end the session at 12.72. Quotes of General Motors Company decreased in price by 4.75% to 36.51. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were iPower Inc, which rose 50.42% to hit 0.77, Moxian Inc, which gained 45.21% to close at 1.51, and shares SmileDirectClub Inc, which rose 46.77% to end the session at 0.70. The least gainers were Catalyst Biosciences Inc, which shed 32.69% to close at 0.26. Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc shed 30.15% to end the session at 3.66. Quotes of AGBA Acquisition Ltd decreased in price by 21.52% to 4.12. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1848) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1178), while quotes of 117 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2343 companies rose in price, 1320 fell, and 185 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.55% to 18.35, hitting a new 52-week low. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.25%, or 23.75, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for February delivery rose 2.03%, or 1.59, to $79.98 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 1.64%, or 1.38, to $85.41 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.12% to 1.08, while USD/JPY fell 1.06% to hit 127.85. Futures on the USD index fell 0.10% to 101.89.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-17 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/308651
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Tesla Cut Prices Across Models In The U.S., The BOJ Bought Roughly 10 trillion yen In JGBs Over The Past Two Days

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.01.2023 09:09
    Summary:  U.S. equities charged higher with the S&P 500 rising above its 200-day moving average despite bond yields surging higher on profit-taking. The four biggest U.S. banks reported Q4 earnings, beating expectations but the weaker outlook for net interest income and higher provision for credit losses weighed on share prices initially before reversing and finishing the session higher. Stocks in Hong Kong and mainland China gained as the Chinese Government took up “special management shares” in local units of Alibaba and Tencent. The Japanese Yen strengthened to 127.87 against the dollar on mounting speculation on BOJ policy adjustment at this week’s meeting.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) gained as bank stocks bounced U.S. equities opened lower as shares of banking stocks initially got hit by disappointing guidance on net interest income and credit loss provision, despite reporting Q4 earnings beating expectations. Shares of JP Morgan, (JPM:xnys), Bank of America (BAC:xnyg), Citigroup (C:xnys), and Wells Fargo (WFC:xnys) recovered fully from early losses and more, having finished Friday between 1.7% and 3.3% higher. Consumer discretionary names gained, with Target (TGT:xnys) and Amazon.com (AMZN:xnas) each rising around 3%. The S&P 500 Index edged up 0.4% to close at 3999.09, breaking to the upside its 200-day moving average (currently at 3981.22). The Nasdaq 100 Index rose 0.7% to 11,541.48, above its 100-day moving average (currently at 11523.33). Tesla (TSLA:xnas) fell 0.9% after the EV giant cut prices in the U.S. and Europe. Share of General Motors (GM:xnys) slipped 4.8% and Ford (F:xnys) plunged 5.3%. Delta Airlines (DAL:xnys) declined 3.5% on Q1 guidance which was below analyst estimates. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) jumped on profit-taking Yields on Treasuries bounced from their lows and finished the Friday session cheaper on profit-taking. Selling concentrated in the front end and saw the yields on the 2-year jump 9bps to 4.23%. Yields on the 10-year rose 6pbs to 3.50%. The 2-10 year curve went more inverted at -73bps. The University of Michigan survey’s inflation expectations came in mixed. A softer print in the 1-year inflation expectation, falling to 4.0% Y/Y in January from 4.4% Y/Y in December was offset by the ticking of 5-year inflation expectation to 3.0% Y/Y from 2.9% Y/Y a month ago. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) continued to rally Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks rallied last Friday afternoon. Hang Seng Index gained 1%, bringing its advance to nearly 10% since the beginning of the year. China’s CSI 300 climbed 1.4% last Friday and gained 5.2% so far in 2023. Within the Hang Seng Index, healthcare and consumer stocks gained the most. Wuxi Biologics (02269:xhkg), up 6.4%, was the best performer, followed by Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg), up 4.8%. Hang Seng TECH Index gained 1.5% on further signs that the regulatory crackdown against Chinese internet platform companies is being replaced by institutionalized and hopefully more predictable supervision and regulation. The Chinese authorities have taken up “special management shares” in local units of Alibaba (09988:xhkg), up 1.7%, and Tencent (00700.xhkg), up 2%. Didi is reportedly to gain approval for relaunching its ride-hailing app at app stores. The People’s Bank of China has reportedly drafted an action plan to help “quality” property developers to strengthen their balance sheets. Trade in shares of Chinese developers was mixed. The three Chinese state-own oil companies traded in Hong Kong advanced between 1% and 2% on higher oil prices. NetEase, rising 4.7%, stood out among China internet names. Australia’s share market is a touch away from a record high; gold stocks charge in 2023 The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened 0.5% higher on Monday with interest rates sensitive stocks charting the most, in anticipation of the Fed’s likely downshift in policy following on from last week's roll over in monthly CPI. The Aussie share market is trading at a two week highs, just a puff or 2.6% from its record high. The most momentum in 2023 is from the Mining sector, up 9%, in anticipation of higher earnings from China’s reopening. Gold stocks are the biggest shiners this with the most momentum, in anticipation of a higher gold price as global growth moderates, while the US dollar and bond yields retreat. At Saxo, we believe Gold may be likely to have a correction in the shorter term, but in 2023 gold should see a strong year of buying amid appetite from global central banks, as our head of Commodity Strategy mentioned.  Silver Lake Resources, De Grey Mining , Remelius Resources, up 18-23% so far in 2023. FX: JPY takes centre stage this week The Japanese yen gained by over 3% against the USD last week, moving from highs o f132.87 to lows of 127.46 on Friday. The yen was also stronger on all the crosses amid Bank of Japan’s unscheduled bond buying operations as the markets continued to test the policy yield cap of 0.5%. USDJPY and yen crosses will remain key this week as well as BOJ meets for the first time this year and speculation about a further policy tweak is rife. EURUSD gained to 1.080+ levels amid better growth prospects for Eurozone and a dovish bent in US CPI and Fed communications that has shifted the February rate hike pricing towards 25bps. AUDUSD has been basking in China’s reopening glory, testing 0.7000, but Australia’s employment data will be key this week. GBPUSD also has a host of UK data from CPI to retail sales to labor market to consider which could bring the 200DMA of 1.2000 in focus. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) opens steady after last week’s gains Crude oil prices were steady in the Asian morning hours after recording over 8% gains last week on China’s reopening optimism. WTI traded near $80/barrel while Brent was close to $85.50. China’s road traffic levels are continuing to rebound from record low levels following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. A congestion index comprising the 15 cities with the most vehicles registrations has risen by 31.3% vs a week earlier. China’s crude oil imports rose to 48mt in December, up by 2.8% m/m. Meanwhile, increased import quotas by China saw oil demand pick up in the physical market. Sentiment was also bolstered by expectations of the Federal Reserve slowing its interest rate hikes, following lower than expected inflation. Higher inventory levels were to be expected, driven by the late December cold blast reducing exports while temporarily shutting down some refineries. Iron ore (SCOA) reverses amid China pledging crackdown Iron ore fell in Singapore back to $120.90 a ton from highs of $126 last week after China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner, said in a statement on Sunday that it would crack down on illegal activities including spreading false information, hoarding and price gouging to keep the iron ore market stable. Corn (ZCH3) closes the week with strong gains following the US crop output report Corn prices recorded their biggest weekly gain since August as droughts curb the world’s supply buffer. The US Department of Agriculture unexpectedly cut its outlook for US domestic production and available stocks of both corn and soybeans, a sign that an ongoing drought from last year may continue to underpin prices. The worst Argentinian drought in 60 years also led to a downgrade in the outlook for soybeans and corn production, some of that being partly offset by an expected bumper harvest in Brazil. Corn prices were up over 3% in the week and Soybeans up over 2%. Read next: The UK Economy Expects A Slightly Fall In Inflation, Expected To Fall By 0.1%| FXMAG.COM What to consider? U.S. bank Q4 earnings beat but guidance on interest income and credit loss provision disappoint The four largest commercial banks in the U.S., JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo reported Q4 earnings beating analyst expectations. Q4 profits grew 6% at JPMorgan and 2% at Bank of America and fell 21% at Citigroup and 50% at Wells Fargo from a year ago. Revenues at JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup in Q4 came in above analyst estimates while those at Well Fargo missed. Despite the overall solid earnings and revenues, provisions for credit losses were higher than expected and the outlooks guided by the management of these large banks on net interest income were weaker than analyst estimates. JPMorgan Chase made a provision for credit losses at USD 2.3 billion, above the street estimate of USD 2.1 billion.  JPM is guiding net interest income of $73bn in 2023, below the USD74.4 billion analyst estimate. CEO Jamie Dimon says there is still a lot of uncertainty around the impact of the macro headwinds and that the bank’s macroeconomic outlook has deteriorated modestly. Bank of America guided below expectations net interest income at USD 14.4 billion in Q1 2023. Wells Fargo reported a negative surprise on credit provisions ($57mn vs est. $860mn). Wells Fargo’s CFO is also saying that the bank is preparing for the economy to worsen. Bank of Japan prepares to buy more Japanese Government Bonds The Bank of Japan again broke its daily record for Japanese government bond purchases Friday as yields defied its 0.5% cap, in a sign of the rising market pressure for another policy tweak by the central bank as it meets this week in its first meeting of 2023. The BOJ bought roughly 10 trillion yen ($78 billion) in JGBs over the past two days, with a 5 trillion yen purchase on Friday topping the high it had just set Thursday and is preparing to purchase more Japanese government bonds on Monday, according to the Nikkei. China’s exports declined 9.9% Y/Y in December; the import volume of iron ore grew while copper shrank In U.S. dollar terms, China’s exports in December fell 9.9% Y/Y in December, further decelerating from the -8.9% in November but slightly better than the -11.1% feared as per the survey by Bloomberg. In real terms, that is, after adjusting for inflation in export prices, the decline in exports was deeper. The fall in exports was most notable to the European Union, which fell 17.9% Y/Y in December versus -9.3% in November. Export to the US shrank 18.4% Y/Y in December, negative but having improved from -24.7% Y/Y in November. On the other hand, exports to ASEAN grew by 6.6% Y/Y in December, accelerating from 5.9% in November. Imports shrank 7.5% Y/Y in December, less negative than -10.6% Y/Y in November and above the consensus estimate of -10.0%. The improvement however was largely a result of the base effect. In volume terms, the import of crude oil slowed to 4.2% Y/Y in December from 11.8% in November. Coal imports rebounded to almost flat in December from a fall of 7.8% Y/Y in November. Iron ore imports grew 5.6% Y/Y in December, reversing from a 5.8% decline in November. Copper import shrank 12.7% Y/Y versus a rise of 5.8% a month ago. Tesla cut prices in the US and Europe Tesla cut prices across models in the U.S., including shedding the price of its baseline Model Y lower by almost 20% and its high-performance Model 3 by 14%. The price reduction may allow buyers to entitle to federal tax credits. Telsa is also cutting prices in Germany, France, and other European countries by about 13%. Recently, Telsa has cut prices in China. China took up “special management shares” in Alibaba and Tencent The Chinese authorities have taken up “special management shares” also known as “golden shares” in local units of Alibaba and Tencent (00700.xhkg) apparently to exert influence over business decisions far beyond the around 1% equity stake that otherwise represents under normal situations. Investors generally welcome the move as it tends to signal that the Chinese authorities are shifting from a less predictable and heavy-handed crackdown on internet platform companies to more institutionalized, consistent, and predictable regulation and supervision of the industry.  Comments from the Davos forum on watch The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting kicks off in Davos, Switzerland this week. The theme this year is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World’, suggesting deglobalisation trends remain key to watch as has been a regular theme at Saxo. The meeting brings together heads of nineteen central banks and 56 finance ministers. Comments on key global issues, ranging from inflation to recession, as well as energy and food crisis will remain on watch. Geopolitical crisis will also constitute a key discussion as the war in Ukraine rages on and US-China tensions may come back in focus.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: U.S. bank Q4 earnings beat but weaker outlook; Yen surged on BOJ policy adjustment speculation; US holiday - 16 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

    Lowering The Price Of Electric Vehicles Is Supposed To Be Tesla's Unusual Strategy To Generate Demand In The US Market

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.01.2023 10:40
    Tesla has slashed the prices of some of its vehicles sold in the US by nearly 20% to lure in new buyers. The cuts, which include Tesla's deal, are likely to allow some buyers to qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit. Tesla cut prices Tesla's decision to lower the price of several of its models will allow more buyers to qualify for the $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit. Tesla has lowered the price of its entry-level Model Y crossover to $52,990 and lowered the price of the high-performance version of the Model 3 sedan to $53,990. The car company has slashed the price of its entry-level Model Y crossover by almost 20% to $52,990, excluding some fees. This allows buyers to qualify for the tax incentive by placing the vehicle below the $55,000 ceiling. Tesla's 14% cut to the price of the high-performance version of the Model 3 sedan, which currently sells for $53,990. The Model 3 and Model Y are Tesla's best-selling vehicles and account for the bulk of the company's production. The company also lowered the prices of its Model S luxury sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles. The price cuts come a week after Tesla slashed prices in China by as much as about 13% after shipments of cars made in Shanghai fell in December. The company has also lowered prices in Europe. A tax credit reduces your income tax dollar for dollar, so the EV credit is like getting up to $7,500 off the purchase price of your car. The credit is nonrefundable, meaning you won't get a tax refund for any unused portion of the credit, and you can't carry it over to use on a future tax return. The credits are meant to be an incentive for car buyers to switch to electric, but the changes are confusing for buyers to navigate, especially as they keep changing. Read next: The Swedish Real Estate Market Will See Significant Price Drops| FXMAG.COM Tax credits for electric vehicles Tax credits for electric vehicles were created in 2009, but late last year the government changed many of the rules. Removed the limit on the number of vehicles sold per manufacturer and added limits based on vehicle price, manufacturer location, and taxpayer income. Vehicles must be assembled in North America and must have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $80,000 for vans, SUVs, and pick-ups, or $55,000 for all other vehicles. Taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income of $150,000 for individuals or $300,000 for joint filers are no longer eligible for the tax credit. Revenue limits apply to vehicles that are "put on the road" from January 1, which is the date of commencement of use. So if you buy an EV this year, income limits apply. If you bought an electric car last year but haven't picked it up by this year, income limits also apply. Tesla share prices Tesla's share price this year rose from 108.10 to 123.22. The first drop occurred on Friday. Tesla shares fell 0.9% on Friday. The stock fell about 65% last year, its worst annual performance. The stock sell-off came amid the temporary closure of Tesla's Chinese car factory, recession fears and Musk's focus on running Twitter, which he bought in October last year.The current price is at 122.40. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Wage agreement may be game-changing in a way. First meeting of the new BoJ Governor Ueda takes place on April 28th

    All Eyes Are On The Japanese Yields, US Crude Oil Rallies

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 16.01.2023 11:00
    Earnings season kicked off last Friday when the big US banks reported their Q4 results. The results were mixed. But overall, despite the skyrocketing inflation, and slowing economy, the banks continued raking in the dough… US banks Further good news is that, the major US banks said that they all expect ‘mild recession’, and that unemployment in the US would rise to between 4.9 and 5.5% depending on who is talking- fueling dovish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations and the equity bulls. Forex In the FX, all eyes are on the Japanese yields, and the yen, as last week saw the 10-year JGB yield go past the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) 0.50% ceiling, boosting rumours that the BoJ could abandon the YCC policy. In Europe, the euro shines brighter with every ray of sunlight that pushes away the risk of energy shortage and recession. In the US, a warning from Treasury Department that the US will reach the debt limit on January 19th and will need extraordinary measures from Congress to avoid a government default, is weighing on the US dollar, while boosting appetite in gold. Energy And, in energy, US crude cleared the 50-DMA to the upside last Friday. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:48 Mixed US bank earnings support stock rally 4:03 Japanese yen bid on hawkish BoJ expectations 6:14 Fed doves, warnings of US default weigh on USD, boost gold 8:12 US crude rallies past 50-DMA 8:43 Euro shines brighter with every ray of sunlight Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #bank #earnings #BoJ #policy #decision #YCC #Europe #mild #winter #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #crude #oil #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    Saxo Bank Podcast: US Equities Continue To Trade Up, Natural Gas In Europe, Bank of Japan Meeting Ahead And More

    Saxo Bank Podcast: US Equities Continue To Trade Up, Natural Gas In Europe, Bank of Japan Meeting Ahead And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.01.2023 11:13
    Summary:  Today, we look at an interesting week ahead as US equities continue to trade up against a pivotal resistance area (just above the 200-day moving average and just below the 4,000 level for the US SP& 500 index) as earnings season set for a big blast next week. Today US markets are closed. The event risk of the week, meanwhile, is the hotly anticipated Bank of Japan meeting on Wednesday, with markets unsure on whether Governor Kuroda and company are set to deliver further policy tweaks. Futures positioning in commodities, especially metals and the latest on natural gas in Europe and more on today's pod, which features Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next: The Swedish Real Estate Market Will See Significant Price Drops| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Market bracing for BoJ impact Wednesday | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Technical Analysis: Gold/Silver Ratio Still On The Rise

    Optimism Forced Investors To Actively Buy U.S. Stocks, Gold And Silver

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 16.01.2023 14:17
    Market participants continue to react to the bullish market sentiment created by the CPI report, which was released on Thursday last week. Inflation was 6.5% year-over-year, marking the sixth consecutive month that inflation has declined from a peak of 9.1% in June. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, after a 0.1% increase in November, consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) fell by 0.1% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis. And the all items index, before seasonal adjustment, increased by 6.5% for the year. Core CPI inflation (excluding food and energy costs) rose 5.7% YoY, up 0.3% from the previous month. Although inflationary pressures have eased, the core consumer price index is still about three times the Federal Reserve's target of 2%. At the same time, optimism forced investors to actively buy U.S. stocks, gold, and silver. However, they did not base market sentiment on recent Fed statements. The caveat is that the Federal Reserve has repeatedly reaffirmed its unwavering determination to keep interest rates high throughout 2023. Many analysts believe that the Fed is bluffing because current rates are not sustainable throughout the year. Others feel that their vows to be transparent simply no longer exists. U.S. equities, gold, and silver have benefited from this sentiment, leading to a strong rally in gold and silver, as well as moderate gains in major stock indices. Dow added 0.33%: S&P 500 added 0.40%: and the NASDAQ Composite Index added 0.70%: Gold up $24.20: Silver up $0.41: If the Fed continues on its course of tightening, it could lead to one of the biggest Fed blunders in recent history. The Fed's days of data dependency only seem to matter when the data supports their assumptions   Relevance up to 10:00 2023-01-19 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/332378
    The Results Of The March Meeting Of The Bank Of Japan Are Rather Symbolic

    Japan Is Looking To Boost Its 2023 Defence Budget, Copper Fell As Signs Of Weak Demand Persist

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.01.2023 08:19
    Summary:  US equity and bond markets were closed on Monday for a holiday. Mainland China stocks surged 1.6% as northbound flows reached over RMB15 billion and were in net buying for the 9th day in a row. Ryan Cohen is building a stake in Alibaba. USD saw a rebound but will likely be driven by the Japanese yen in the next few days as the Bank of Japan meeting kicks off today. While China’s Q4 GDP scheduled to release today was expected to slip to 1.6% Y/Y, more than half of Chinese provinces are setting 2023 GDP growth targets at above 5.5%. The rally in industrial metals paused amid profit-taking ahead of the Lunar New Year.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Closed for U.S. holiday US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Closed for U.S. holiday China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) gained 1.6%; Northbound net buying for the 9th day CSI300 rose 1.6%, led by brokerage, household appliances, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductor names. Northbound net buying through Stock Connect was RMB15.8 billion on Monday, the 9th day in a row of net buying for a total of around RMB80 billion. Coal miners, autos, and media stocks retraced. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index had a choppy session, rising initially to make a new recent high but failing to hold and sliding to losses in the afternoon before closing nearly flat. The news that the Chinese regulators allowed Didi to resume registration of new users failed to boost the sentiment for internet stocks. On the other hand, Meituan (03690:xhkg) slipped 3.3% as investors feared that the company’s ride-hailing business might lose market share as Didi returns. Hardware names, AAC (02018:xhkg) up 11.4%, Techtronic (00669:xhkg) up 6.2%, and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) up 4.0%, stood out as top performers. The automaker, Brilliance (01114:xhkg) tumbled 8.2% after announcing a special dividend of HKD0.96 per share from the disposal of its stake in Brilliance BMW below the street estimate of HK$1.5 per share. FX: USDJPY seeing a barrier at 129 USDJPY was seen fluctuating around 128.50 in the Asian morning session as Bank of Japan meeting kicks off with speculations of a further policy tweak continuing to build. GBPUSD also failed at another attempt on 1.2300 while AUDUSD returned below 0.7000 ahead of the key China activity data due today, despite January consumer confidence coming in higher at 84.3 from 80.3 previously. A break above 0.7000 could bring the tough resistance of 0.7125 in focus. NZDUSD testing a break above 0.6400. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices soften Crude oil prices eased on Monday with WTI falling below $79/barrel and Brent back towards $84/barrel as profit-taking emerged after the 8% rally last week. The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting began with warnings of global recession. This was aided by signs of stronger Russian supply. Seaborne crude exports soared by 30% to 3.8mb/d last week, the highest level since April. India was the biggest buyer, snapping up 33 times more crude than a year earlier. There is a lot to digest in the oil markets, with demand concerns and sanctions on Russian supply and risks of OPEC production cuts. Meanwhile, volatility in gas prices also underpins, suggesting crude oil prices can continue to see two-way price action in this quarter. US natural gas higher but European gas prices fall US natural gas settled back above $3.50, higher about 7% on Monday with risks of cold weather at the end of the month. European gas however fell sharply on a strong supply outlook. Dutch front month futures were down more than 15% as full stockpiles in China eased concerns of supply tightness in the LNG market. Chinese importers are trying to divert February and March shipments to Europe amid weak prices at home and high inventories. This is despite a cold snap expected this week. Iron ore selling eases; and respective equities hold record highs shaking off China’s accusations The key steel making ingredient, iron ore (SCOA) has fallen 5.3% from its high, including Tuesday’s 0.4% slide, which takes the price to $118.90. Still the iron ore price holds six months highs and is up 56% from its low. The pullback was triggered by China’s top economic planner, the NDRC accusing market participants of hoarding and price gouging after the iron ore price strongly rallied from October’s low in anticipation of demand picking up from China easing restrictions. Iron ore inventory levels are still lower than they were a year ago, which fundamentally supports iron ore price. And the technical indicators indicate the longer term rally could continue. The 50 day moving average is approaching the 200 day moving average. Historically when the 50DMA cross the 200 DMA buying has picked up. Also consider iron ore majors shares, BHP, Rio Tinto Fortescue are holding in record high territory, as investors remember China has made such accusations in the past of price gouging, and the iron ore price previously recovered over the medium to longer term. Brakes on Copper rally; Aluminium continues to surge higher A slight recovery in the US dollar on Monday paused the strong rally that has been seen in industrial metals so far this year. Copper fell as signs of weak demand persist. The Yangshan copper cathode premium over LME has declined to USD31.50/t, compared with the 10y average of USD72/t. Stockpiles of copper in Shanghai Futures Exchange warehouses are also higher. HG copper dipped back to $4.14 from highs of over $4.20 last week. Aluminium bucked the trend to push higher as inventories continue to fall. Expectations of stronger demand as China reopens also boosted sentiment. Rio Tinto (RIO) reported 4Q iron ore shipments of 87.3mt, +3.8% YoY vs est 86.2mt and still sees 2023 shipments of 320-335mt while mined copper output guidance raised to 650-710kt from 500-575kt previously.   What to consider? China GDP and activity data While the reopening of China from Covid containment is a highly positive development for the Chinese economy, the initial shockwave of infections could be significantly disruptive to economic activities in the near term. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg on China’s Q4 GDP growth is 1.6% Y/Y decelerated from 3.9% Y/Y in Q3. Disruption in production activities resulting from infection-induced absence from work is expected to drag the growth of industrial production to 0.1% Y/Y in December from 2.2% in November. Retail sales are expected to shrink 9% Y/Y in December, decelerating further from -5.9% Y/Y in November as dining, retailing, and deliveries were slowed by inflection. Full-year fixed asset investment is expected to come at 5%, down from 5.3% in the first 11 months of the year. More than half of provinces and municipalities in China are targeting above 5.5% GDP growth for 2023 According to China’s Securities Daily, the 28 provinces and municipalities that have released their 2023 GDP targets set them at 6% on average. Hainan is the most aggressive with a 9.5% target. According to data from the Shanghai Securities News, more than half of the 31 provinces and municipalities that have released 2023 work reports, are setting their GDP growth targets above 5.5% for 2023. Economically important provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong set their targets at above 5%. BOE’s Bailey comments hint at relief from energy and inflation but worries about labor market The rally in cable has cooled off recently even as the decline in USD has continued. The pair is looking for direction and there may be some key catalysts to watch this week. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey spoke on Monday at the Treasury Select Committee hearing, saying that the risk premium on UK assets after the Truss government’s policy shock in September has gone. Still, confidence remains fragile, and risks also remain from China’s chaotic exit from Zero Covid, the continued fallout from the war in Ukraine and the shrinking of Britain’s labor force. Focus will now turn to economic data, with labor market data due today, CPI on Wednesday and retail sales on Friday. Any signs that labor market is cooling or CPI has topped out could mean the BOE could start to consider a slower pace of rate hikes going forward, and that could see the 200DMA in GBPUSD at 1.2000 get threatened. Japan’s military focus supports our optimistic view on the Defence equity basket Japan is looking to overhaul its security policy as geopolitical threats in the region and globally grow. PM Kishida’s G7 tour last week saw multiple deals not just with the US, but focus was also seen on enhancing military ties with Germany, Canada and France, including mutual troop access with the UK and upgrading of defence ties with Italy. The plan to build more nuclear reactors is also a step in that direction. Japan and India also held their first joint air drills as they step up military exercises with other countries amid concerns about China's assertiveness. Japan is looking to boost its 2023 defence budget substantially to a record 6.8 trillion yen, an increase of 20%. This further supports our optimistic view on our Defence equity theme basket as further deglobalization continues to suggest defence spending will remain a key focus. Activist investor Ryan Cohen built a stake in Alibaba According to the Wall Street Journal, Ryan Cohen has built a stake in Alibaba. Cohen is a Canadian investor who is know for investing and attracting a large crowd of retail investors to invest in meme-stocks such as GameStop. His buying into Alibaba may attract retail investors from North America to follow. For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: - China A shares see large Northbound buying, Ryan Cohen building a stake in Alibaba - 17 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Wage agreement may be game-changing in a way. First meeting of the new BoJ Governor Ueda takes place on April 28th

    The Market Is Convinced That Further Tightening Of The Policy Will Take Place At The Latest With The Appearance Of The New President Of The Bank Of Japan

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.01.2023 09:18
    Summary:  The US equity market is back on-line today after trading into the pivotal 4,000 area for the S&P 500 Index, as traders wonder whether the recent rally can extend on hopes for a soft landing scenario or whether the bear market will return on downbeat news from the incoming earnings season. But the big event risk of the week is the Bank of Japan meeting up tomorrow, as markets brace for possible further policy tweaks from the Bank of Japan.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities are back on-line today after closing Friday into the key resistance/pivot area around 4,000 in the S&P 500 index (the cash index closed 1 point shy of 4,000 on Friday, the future has traded well above that level), which is also just above the 200-day moving average and near other technical levels. Through next week’s heavy calendar of megacap earnings reports, traders will watch whether the market can clear this key resistance area and make a bid to surpass the December pivot highs near 4,100 for the cash index. The Nasdaq 100 index has more work to do, still trading almost 600 points below its 200-day moving average and the December pivot highs above 12,100. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The Hang Seng Index pulled back 1.2% and the CSI300 Index retreated by 0.4% as of writing despite China’s Q4 GDP, industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investment coming in better than feared. Q4 GDP grew 2.9% Y/Y (consensus 1.9%; Q3: 3.9%). Separately, according to data from the Shanghai Securities News, more than half of the 31 provinces and municipalities that have released 2023 work reports, are setting their GDP growth targets above 5.5% for 2023. Economically important provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong set their targets at above 5%. The recent rallies are looking exhausted facing profit-taking pressure. FX: JPY takes centre stage this week as BoJ to meet Wednesday The FX market is bracing for the Bank of Japan meeting up in Asia’s Wednesday session (see preview below) with JPY crosses generally backing up, led by USDJPY pulling all the way above 129.00 at one point overnight after its Friday low just below 127.50. Worth remembering that a BoJ surprise that brings JPY volatility is more of a broad JPY story than a USDJPY story and aggravated volatility that triggers a generalized risk off could support both the yen and the US dollar. Action has generally been sluggish elsewhere, with AUDNZD rolling over a bit and the US dollar finding a some support as the US is back online today. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) take stock following last week's 8% rally Crude oil trades steady near the top of its current range, after data showed China growing by more than expected in the fourth quarter. Overall, the market has seen a bid this month on China’s reopening optimism. Exports of deeply discounted Russian crude oil soared last week as it continues to circumvent sanctions Later today OPEC will publish its monthly oil market report with the IEA to follow on Wednesday. For now, further upside seems limited with China and parts of Asias about to go dark next week as the Lunar New Year holiday begins. EU gas slumps to 16-month low as supply keeps coming Natural gas prices in Europe slumped on Monday to levels not seen since 2021 as already elevated stock levels look set to get a boost from the resale of LNG previously destined for China. Just like Europe, China has seen mild winter weather and together with increased consumption of coal stockpiles of gas are elevated forcing buyers to send LNG cargoes to Europe instead. The Dutch TTF benchmark future (TTFMc1) closed at €55.5 on Monday, down more than 60% during the past month. EU gas stocks are currently 81.5% compared with a long term average around 62%. Copper rally pauses while aluminum continues higher A slight recovery in the dollar on Monday was all it took to trigger an overdue correction in copper which has surged higher during the past couple of weeks on raised expectations for a pickup in demand as China reopens. However, as we have warned recently, the recovery in demand is unlikely to be felt until well after the Lunar New Year holiday, and following a recent surge in speculative buying, the contract has increasingly been left exposed to profit taking, potentially taking it lower to test key support in the $4 area. Aluminium meanwhile hit its highest since June, up 9% on the month, and with visible inventories being at their lowest since 2002 Goldman Sachs warns about further strong gains in the months ahead. Gold consolidating with the dollar finding a bid Gold trades softer ahead of Wednesday’s BoJ meeting which may trigger an outsizes reaction in the dollar. Following weeks of mostly short covering speculators have now moved to mostly long accumulation, and it's during the early stages of this phase the market remains most vulnerable to a setback as recently established longs are less sticky than long held ones. Given the length gold has travelled in recent weeks a correction all the way back down to $1852 would not alter the overall bullish technical picture. US Treasury yields rebounded slightly Friday (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) After trading near the cycle lows of late last year into 3.40% for the 10-year benchmark on benign inflation data last week and a series of very strong auctions for especially longer-dated US Treasuries, the 10-year yield rebounded toward 3.50% on Friday and traded slightly higher overnight after coming back from the long holiday weekend. The next US macro data point of note is perhaps tomorrow’s December Retail Sales release. What is going on? Nationwide strike in France on 19 January France is going into a nationwide strike on 19 January as trade unions are protesting the government’s plan to push back the minimum retirement age to 64 and to accelerate a previous reform, called the Touraine reform, which provides for the extension of the required contribution period to 43 years by 2035. Before Covid, the government also tried to implement a pension reform which caused a massive wave of demonstrations across the countries – there was basically almost no public transport in main cities for weeks. This is still uncertain how long the strike will last. But the trade unions are planning to keep fighting as long as needed. Expect a blockage in several sectors (refineries, metro, rail transport, education). At the moment, we don’t think the strike will have a noticeable negative impact on GDP growth this quarter. However, should the strike go beyond Thursday, this could reduce GDP growth by 0.1 or maximum 0.2 point in Q1, in our view. BOE’s Bailey comments hint at relief from energy and inflation but worries about labour market The rally in cable has cooled off recently even as the decline in USD has continued. The pair is looking for direction and there may be some key catalysts to watch this week. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey spoke on Monday at the Treasury Select Committee hearing, saying that the risk premium on UK assets after the Truss government’s policy shock in September has gone. Still, confidence remains fragile, and risks also remain from China’s chaotic exit from Zero Covid, the continued fallout from the war in Ukraine and the shrinking of Britain’s labour force. Focus will now turn to economic data, with labour market data due today, CPI on Wednesday and retail sales on Friday. Any signs that labour market is cooling or that CPI has topped out could mean the BOE could start to consider a slower pace of rate hikes going forward, and that could see the 200DMA in GBPUSD at 1.2000 get threatened. China’s population officially shrinking Official Chinese data released today showed an 850,000 drop in the Chinese population to 1.41 billion at the end of last year, the first official population drop since 1961. Births numbered 9.56 million in 2022, down just over a million from the prior year and at the lowest level since 1950, while deaths totalled 10.41 million. UK December claims data improves, November earnings data rises again The UK reported November Employment and earnings data today, with the Unemployment Rate steady for the month at 3.7%, while Employment Change rose 27k vs. 0k expected. Average Weekly Earnings rose more sharply than expected at 6.4% YoY ex Bonus vs. 6.3% expected and 6.1% in Oct. Alsot out this morning were December Jobless Claims data, which rose 19.7k vs. 16.1k in November (revised down from 30.5k, while the Payrolled Employees Monthly Change rose +28k vs. +60k expected and the November number was revised down to +70k from +107k. What are we watching next? Bank of Japan meeting tomorrow shaping up as major event risk The JPY has traded cautiously this week, ahead of the Bank of Japan meeting that has traders bracing for new policy tweaks after the Bank of Japan surprised in December with a widening of its trading “band” (de facto a “cap”) to 0.50% from 0.25%. The market has violated the band several times in recent days, requiring a heroic scale of intervention from the BoJ to enforce it. In question is whether the BoJ is willing to signal a further widening of the band and even an end to the last negative policy rate in the world of –0.10% before Governor Kuroda exits the scene in April after 10 years at the helm of the BoJ. Even if the BoJ fails to unveil new measures, the market may remain convinced that a further tightening shift is slowly under way and will arrive at latest with the arrival of a new BoJ Governor. The market is pricing a policy rate of more than +0.25% by the end of this year. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season continues this week, with a relatively light schedule before next week’s mother lode of mega-cap earnings reports. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession, or even whether there will be a recession at all in the US economy. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. The two large US investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are up today, not particularly good bellwethers for the US economy. On the other hand, Procter & Gamble, the consumer products giant, releases its earnings on Thursday and may offer interesting colour on the US consumer. The fast-growing French biotech lab equipment maker Sartorius Stedim reports today as well. Today: Sartorius Stedim, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Interactive Brokers Wednesday: EQT, Charles Schwab, PNC Financial Services, Kinder Morgan Thursday: Procter & Gamble, Netflix Friday: Investor, Sandvik, Ericsson, Schlumberger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report 1000 – Germany Jan. ZEW Survey 1315 – Canada Dec. Housing Starts 1330 – US Jan. Empire Manufacturing 1330 – Canada Dec. CPI 2000 – New Zealand Dec. REINZ House Sales   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 17, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Bank Of Japan Meeting And More

    Rates Daily: The Bank Of Japan Is Increasingly Expected To Lift The 10Y Japanese Government Bond (JGB) Yield Target Once More

    ING Economics ING Economics 17.01.2023 09:56
    Bond markets face a number of bearish risks today, which have to be weighed against the underlying bullish tone. Look out for a strong ZEW, bond supply, and pre-BoJ positioning Source: Shutterstock Bearish risks for a strong bond market Germany’s ZEW survey is the first potential banana skin in the European morning. As a survey of investor confidence, calling its direction is relatively straightforward: it should improve. The warmer-than-usual winter weather, reductions in gas prices, and surprising resilience of hard economic data all point in that direction. This is particularly true when compared to the gloom prevailing in the last months of 2022. Bond supply so far this year has been well absorbed Bond supply so far this year has been well absorbed by investors betting on declining inflation, and despite record-breaking volumes in the first two weeks of January (see chart below). However, occasional sovereign and corporate deals, especially the unswapped types, have tended to lead to temporary bond market weakness. Usually, these seem to have been bought into, like the morning sell-off in yesterday’s session, but there is no guarantee that investors would do so today, especially given the event risks later in the week. High bond supply so far this year hasn't caused yields to rise Source: Bond Radar, ING Last chance to position for higher JGB yields This is particularly true due to the proximity of the January Bank of Japan meeting. Today is the last European and US trading session before a meeting where the Bank is increasingly expected to lift the 10Y Japanese Government Bond (JGB) yield target once more. Back in December, when that cap was lifted from 0.25% to 0.50%, 10Y Bund and Treasuries rose by roughly 50% of the sell-off in JGBs. Assuming a 25bp sell-off, one would expect European and US yields to jump by 13bp. Consensus is increasingly shifting to a higher yen With consensus increasingly shifting to higher yen rates - see for example 10Y swap rates hovering around 1% - this means the risk around the meeting is likely two-way, however. Shorting 10Y JGBs comes with a hefty carry and roll cost so a delay in shifting the cap higher may well result in short-covering. Note also that the steady selling of US and European bonds by Japanese investors in 2022 should reduce the foreign impact of higher JGB yields. Japanese investors have sold foreign bonds over the whole of 2022 Source: Japanese Ministry of Finance, ING Economic optimism isn't always good for bonds All this has to be weighed against the underlying strength in bond (and other) markets evident since the start of the year (in fact since late October if one excludes the late December sell-off). At its heart, the ‘everything rally’ is driven by an improvement in macro conditions, especially by the belief that inflation is getting under control. There is no obvious catalyst for a change of tone on today’s calendar but note that investors could at any point wake up to the potentially inflationary consequences of some of the drivers of their economic optimism, for instance better European growth, resilient job markets, or China reopening. Two of these risks were highlighted by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey yesterday. Today's events and market view Germany’s ZEW survey should be a good gauge of how much investor sentiment has improved. Based on the market reaction to lower gas prices and inflation, we would guess a lot. In the US session, the Empire Manufacturing Survey is the main release. Germany is scheduled to sell €5bn 5Y bonds. Greece has mandated banks for the sale of a new 10Y benchmark, John Williams, of the Fed, is the only central banker listed on today’s calendar but the World Economic Forum, known informally as Davos after the Swiss mountain resort, is sure to produce a flurry of quotes from economic leaders. Read this article on THINK TagsRates Daily Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
    Why India Leads the Way in Economic Growth Amid Global Slowdown

    Alibaba And Its Share Buyback Program Which Is Supported By Ryan Cohen, Microsoft Corp. Plans To Incorporate AI Tools

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 17.01.2023 11:44
    Activist investor Ryan Cohen Activist investor Ryan Cohen is pushing the Chinese e-commerce giant to accelerate and further strengthen its share buyback program. Microsoft Corp. plans to incorporate AI tools such as ChatGPT into all its products and make them available as platforms for other companies. Alibaba Share buybacks Share buybacks can support equities by reducing the supply of traded shares and increasing earnings per share. Investors often treat them as a bullish signal because they suggest that executives are optimistic about their company's prospects and confident about its financial situation. Cohen, with a net worth of over $2.5 billion and a stock portfolio that includes Apple Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc., first contacted Alibaba's management in August to voice his opinion that the company's stock is deeply undervalued based on his belief that he could achieve double-digit sales and nearly 20% free cash flow growth over the next five years. Cohen also expressed confidence that Apple, in which he owns more than $800 million, could provide a roadmap for Alibaba. The Active Investor also expressed admiration for management's ability to drive earnings growth while accumulating high-quality assets. While the stakes are small compared to Alibaba's market capitalization of nearly $300 billion, Cohen has a large following among individual investors who often follow in his footsteps. Following Cohen's initial announcement, Alibaba announced in November that its board of directors had approved expanding the company's share buyback program by $15 billion to $40 billion. Cohen told Alibaba's board of directors that the share buyback plan could be increased by another $20 billion to about $60 billion. Alibaba shares rose about 67% from a multi-year low in October. At that time, the share price was 63.22. After that, they increased from November, and the new year brought positive signals and the BABA price reached 117.01. OpenAI and Microsoft OpenAI has been at the center of a recent spike in artificial intelligence in the tech industry, and Microsoft is in advanced talks to increase investment in the startup. Speaking on Tuesday at the Wall Street Journal panel at the World Economic Forum's annual event in the Swiss mountains, Nadella said his company will quickly move to commercialize OpenAI tools, the research lab behind the ChatGPT chatbot, as well as the Dall-E 2 image generator. Nadella said in in an interview that the new excitement about tools is due to the rapid growth in their capabilities last year, which he said he expects to continue. Those in office jobs engaged in so-called knowledge-based work should embrace the new tools rather than assume they'll steal their jobs, Nadella said, citing the example of computer software developers now using tools to help them generate some of the code they write. Microsoft's CEO was also optimistic about the wider economic potential of tools like ChatGPT that can quickly generate fluent-sounding text based on short queries or prompts. Microsoft recently said it was giving more customers access to the software behind these tools through its Azure cloud computing platform. After falling to the level of 222.31, Microsoft stock prices are rising and recently reached the level of 239.18. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Closed Mixed

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 18.01.2023 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.14%, the S&P 500 fell 0.20%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.14%. Dow Jones McDonald's Corporation was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 5.22 points or 1.94% to close at 274.11. Chevron Corp rose 2.93 points or 1.65% to close at 180.49. Apple Inc rose 1.18 points or 0.88% to close at 135.94. The least gainers were Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which shed 24.08 points or 6.44% to end the session at 349.92. The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) was up 4.60% or 8.92 points to close at 185.00 while Verizon Communications Inc was down 2.41% or 1.01 points. and finished trading at 40.85. S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components in today's trading were Tesla Inc, which rose 7.43% to 131.49, Morgan Stanley, which gained 5.91% to close at 97.08, and NVIDIA Corporation, which rose 4.75% to end the session at 177.02. The least gainers were Emerson Electric Company, which shed 6.82% to close at 91.24. Shares of Goldman Sachs Group Inc lost 6.44% to end the session at 349.92. Mohawk Industries Inc lost 6.30% to 111.18. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Celyad SA, which rose 137.80% to hit 1.90, Calyxt Inc, which gained 90.25% to close at 0.35, and Avenue Therapeutics Inc, which rose 63.11% to end the session at 1.99. Shares of Viveve Medical Inc were the least gainers, losing 70.54% to close at 0.26. Shares of Edesa Biotech Inc lost 42.06% to end the session at 1.46. Quotes of Angion Biomedica Corp fell in price by 30.88% to 0.70. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,579) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,484), while quotes of 99 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1960 companies rose in price, 1775 fell, and 168 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.67% to 19.36. Gold Gold futures for February delivery lost 0.53%, or 10.25, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 1.42%, or 1.14, to $81.25 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 2.56%, or 2.16, to $86.62 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.23% to 1.08, while USD/JPY fell 0.28% to hit 128.18. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.18% to 102.13 Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-19 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/309013
    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

    Sharp Drop In Natural Gas Prices Suggest That Eurozone Can Continue To Expect Lower Inflation, The Bank Of Japan Policy Decision Ahead

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 18.01.2023 10:13
    Summary:  The focus is squarely on the Bank of Japan decision today and significant volatility may be on the cards. Mixed earnings, ranging from a weaker Goldman Sachs report but better-than-expected Morgan Stanley results, kept the US equity markets broadly range-bound. China’s activity data surprised to the upside, but population decline is a concern. Stage is being set for a dovish turn in the ECB, and UK’s CPI will be on the radar today. Industrial metals regained momentum, while Gold continues to face correction risk.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) finished nearly unchanged while the Dow Jones Industrial slipped 1.1% on Goldman’s miss in earnings Nasdaq 100, up 0.1% and S&P 500, down 0.2% were little changed in a choppy session, supported by a 7.4% gain in Tesla (TSLA:xnas) and an increase of 4.8% in Nvidia (NVDA:xnas).  The Dow Jones Industrial however fell 1.1%, dragged by the declines of 6.4% in Goldman Sachs (GS:xnys) and 4.6% in Travellers (TRV:xnys). Goldman Sachs reported a 66% Y/Y fall in Q4 earnings to USD3.32 per share, much below the USD5.56 consensus estimate. On the other hand, Morgan Stanley (MS:xnys) rose 5.9%, after reporting a 40% fall in earnings to USD1.26 per share, beating the USD1.25 expected by street analysts. Among sectors in the S&P, the material sector, falling 1.1%, was the biggest laggard. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) ended mixed as curve steepened A much weaker-than-expected print of the Empire Manufacturing Index, shrinking to -32.9 vs consensus of -8.7, and a Bloomberg report suggesting that the ECB may slow its next rate hike to 25bps in March from 50bps, saw the yields on the Treasury front ends lower. Yields on the 2-year fell 3bps to 4.20%. Yields on the longer ends however rose. The 10-year notes finished 4bps cheaper at 3.55%. On Wednesday, traders are eyeing the outcome from the Bank of Japan. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) retreated and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) was flat despite Q4 GDP better than feared The Hang Seng Index pulled back 0.8% and the CSI300 Index was flat despite China’s Q4 GDP, industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investment coming in better than feared. Q4 GDP grew 2.9% Y/Y (consensus 1.6%; Q3: 3.9%). Healthcare names were the biggest drag to the Hang Seng Index as Wuxi Biologics (02269:xhkg) tumbled 6.1% on placement by its majority shareholder. XPeng (09868:xhkg) slipped 2.3% after cutting the prices of its EVs by around 12% and dragged down the share prices of other EV makers. Chinese property names finished the session mixed in a tug-of-war between optimism from supportive policies and continuously sluggish sales data. China’s residential property sales fell 26.7% Y/Y in December. Infant and toddler product stocks fell on the record low 0.677% birth rate released in China. In A-shares, baijiu (Chinese white liquor), food and beverage, bank, media, and pharmaceutical names retreated while electronics, defense, and machinery stocks gained. FX: All eyes on JPY GBPUSD was the best performer in the G10 FX space on Tuesday, rising to test the 1.23 handle, as labor market data came in better than expected. Focus shifts to the UK CPI release today where a further deceleration in price pressures remains likely. NZD and AUD also gained further, bumped higher more so in the US session rather than China’s better-than-expected activity data in the Asian hours. AUDUSD may be looking at another break above 0.7000. EURUSD plummeted from 1.0869 to 1.0775 on dovish ECB expectations (read below). The key focus today however will be on USDJPY and yen crosses with BOJ decision due today. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) pushes higher Crude oil edged higher as OPEC set a more optimistic tone on demand. Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said he’s optimistic about the outlook for the global economy. The oil producer group said that a potential slowdown in advanced economies is countered by accelerating growth in Asia. The market is expected to tighten as Russia’s supply suffers from G7 price caps and China’s demand recovery underpins. Meanwhile, the growing case of a soft-landing this year has cooled off global demand slowdown concerns, while reports of ECB’s slowing the path of its rate hikes (read below) also underpinned. WTI futures rose to $81/barrel while Brent was at $86. IEA’s monthly market outlook will be released today. Metals boosted by upbeat China data Better than expected economic data from China helped boost sentiment in the base metal sector. China’s December activity data came in better-than-expected, while protests in Peru continued to cloud the supply outlook for Copper. HG Copper was back above $4.20. Prices for Iron ore also rose in Singapore to back above $120, locking in gains of over 1%. Gold, however, continues to face correction risk as ETF flows and risk reversals have remained flat for weeks with no sign of demand despite the recent rally. We believe the direction in gold is correct but the timing is wrong, raising the risk of a short-term correction driven by recently established speculative longs.  Read next:GBP/USD Is Strengthening And Trading Above 1.2260, Investors Took A Breather Ahead Of The Bank Of Japan Meeting| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Bank of Japan meeting playbook – bracing for volatility The highly-watched Bank of Japan policy decision due Wednesday has spooked tremendous volatility and warrants a cautious stance. But whether we see further policy tweaks this week or not, speculation for BOJ to remove its yield curve control will likely to build into BOJ chief nominations due February 10, spring wage negotiation in March and a change of hands at the helm in April. Read our full preview here or listen to yesterday’s podcast. China GDP and activity data came in better than expected At 2.9% Y/Y, China’s Q4 GDP print was well above the consensus forecast of 1.6% while decelerating from 3.9% Y/Y in Q3. Full-year GDP growth came in at 3% in 2022, higher than the consensus forecast of 2.7%. Retail sales, shrinking 1.8% Y/Y in December (vs consensus: -9.0%, Nov: -5.9%), were better than feared. Nonetheless, the positive surprise largely came from a surge of 39.8% Y/Y in medicine sales and a rise of 10.5% Y/Y in food sales on stockpiling in December when China abandoned Covid-19 containment measures. Industrial production growth slowed to 1.3% in December, above the median forecast of 0.1%, from 2.2% in November. Fixed asset investment growth picked up to 3.1% Y/Y in December from 0.8% Y/Y in November, with infrastructure investment slower to 10.4% Y/Y in December from 13.9% Y/Y in November and manufacturing investment improved to 7.4% Y/Y in December from 6.2% in November. China’s population declined for the first time in six decades According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s population fell to 1.4118 billion in 2022, a decline of 0.85 million, from 1.4126 billion in 2021. The birth rate slipped to 0.677%, the lowest since records began in 1949. China is planning new restrictions on live streaming According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese regulators are planning to impose new regulations to cap internet users’ digital tipping as well as tighter censorship of the content. ECB’s dovish surprise likely as inflation slows The ECB is considering a slower pace of rate hikes than Christine Lagarde indicated in December. While a 50bps increase next month remains the most likely outcome, a 25bps move in March is gaining support. Inflation in the Eurozone is slowing, and a sharp drop in natural gas prices suggest that we can continue to expect lower inflation in the months to come atleast until the 2023 winter risks emerge. The final CPI print for December for the Euro-are will be released today and ECB’s minutes of the December meeting are due tomorrow. Gloomy US survey data – NY Fed manufacturing The NY Fed's Empire manufacturing survey tumbled to -32.9 in January from -11.2 in December, well beneath the consensus -9 and marking the lowest level since mid-2020 and the fifth worst reading in the survey’s history. Both new orders and shipments plummeted sharply, and moderation in input and selling price growth was seen. Fed member Barkin (non-voter) repeated that median CPI is still too high, saying that he needs to see inflation convincingly back to target before Fed pauses rate hikes and that he is not in favour of backing off too soon. UK December claims data improves, November earnings data rises again, CPI up next The UK reported November Employment and earnings data yesterday, with the Unemployment Rate steady for the month at 3.7%, while Employment Change rose 27k vs. 0k expected. Average Weekly Earnings rose more sharply than expected at 6.4% YoY ex Bonus vs. 6.3% expected and 6.1% in Oct. Also out this morning were December Jobless Claims data, which rose 19.7k vs. 16.1k in November (revised down from 30.5k, while the Payrolled Employees Monthly Change rose +28k vs. +60k expected and the November number was revised down to +70k from +107k. UK CPI is due to be released today. Vietnam’s political shakeup The latest political shakeup in Vietnam highlights the stability risks that emerging markets generally face. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has announced he is stepping down, sparking a potential power shift among the communist-ruled country's leaders. The news that he is quitting comes during an anti-corruption drive led by hard-liners. The shift in power could potentially have repercussions on the ability of Vietnam to continue to capture manufacturing moving out of China.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: D-day for Bank of Japan; ECB’s dovishness; China’s growth is a positive surprise but population falls - 18 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Bank of Japan to welcome Kazuo Ueda as its new governor

    The Bank Of Japan Kept Its Below-Zero Interest Rate, S&P 500 Failed To Extend Gains

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 18.01.2023 10:47
    The Bank of Japan (BoJ) kept its below-zero interest rate and its faltering yield curve control policy unchanged. No-action sent the Japanese 10-year yield tumbling by up to 14 bp – that’s almost a 30% plunge. The dollar-yen spiked above the 131.50 level, losing more than 2.50% against the greenback. Equities In equities, confusion and lack of direction best described yesterday’s sentiment in the US. US futures US futures were pointing at a negative start, then turned higher in early trading as we heard a lot of talk about "green shoots" and "bright spots" in the economy when Chinese Vice Premier talked in Davos yesterday saying that he expects China's economy to return to normal this year. S&P 500  The S&P 500 shortly traded above the 4000 level, but reality soon hit the fan with mixed earnings from Goldman and Morgan Stanley, and brought the top sellers in. earnings And the top sellers kept selling into the 4000 level to the end of the session. Finally, the index closed the session 0.20% lower, spot on the 2022’s down-trending channel top and above the critical 200-DMA. The first set of earnings doesn’t support a sustainable move above that 200-DMA level. Read next: Alibaba And Its Share Buyback Program Which Is Supported By Ryan Cohen, Microsoft Corp. Plans To Incorporate AI Tools| FXMAG.COM Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:45 BoJ fights the hawks 3:00 FX update 5:29 S&P500 offered at 4000… 6:59 …as mixed earnings hammer optimism 7:59 Tesla better bid despite Jefferies PT cut 8:36 Meme traders refuse to buy Alibaba Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #BoJ #YCC #JPY #JGB #USD #EUR #GBP #inflation #bank #earnings #Alibaba #Tesla #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    Not much relief, after all: Markets React to Political Uncertainties and Hawkish Fed Rhetoric - 05.10.2023

    Whirlpool Decided To Transfer Part Of Its Operations In The Europe To Turkish Arcelik AS, Layoffs In Microsoft Will Be Continue

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 18.01.2023 11:52
    The war in Ukraine is hindering the operation of many companies in the European region. As a result, Whirlpool decided to transfer a significant part of its operations in the region to a new entity controlled by a Turkish equipment manufacturer. Since the beginning of the new year, many tech companies have narrowed their ranks as the pandemic, which has caused an increase in the number of employees, has died down. Concerns about inflation and a slowdown in the global economy have encouraged leaders in the tech sector to prepare for worse times by reducing costs through layoffs. Whirlpool Whirlpool Corp is transferring a significant portion of its regional operations to a new entity controlled by a Turkish equipment manufacturer. The new company, whose majority shareholder will be the Turkish company Arcelik AS, is expected to have total sales of USD 6.5 billion. Benton Harbor, Michigan, equipment maker will own 25% of the new entity after the transaction closes Whirlpool executives said in April they were beginning a strategic review of the company's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which accounted for 23% of the company's total revenue in 2021. The Russian invasion of Ukraine hurt demand and drove up costs in the region. Whirlpool, like other manufacturers, struggled more broadly with weakening consumer demand and rising material, energy and other costs. The company cut production by 35% in the third quarter of 2022 to reduce inventory, and said its North American operations faced an unspecified fourth-quarter supply chain disruption that has since been resolved. In an announcement of its 2022 financial results, due to be released on January 30, the company said on Tuesday that it expects full-year net sales to fall by 10% from 2021. The deal left Whirlpool with a loss of $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022, including a $1.1 billion write-down for the company's operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa and $400 million for currency adjustments. The company is expected to hurt its full-year earnings per share in 2022 by $26 to $28. WHR shares in the new year soared until they reached 154. For the last few days, Whirlpool Corp shares have been trading above 154, close to 155, and 154.90 to be exact. Microsoft and layoffs Microsoft had more than one round of layoffs last year, but didn't announce how many jobs it cut. The round, which began in July, affected less than 1% of the total workforce of the company of more than 200,000 people. Sky News previously reported plans to announce layoffs this week. Microsoft's expected move comes a week ahead of the scheduled listing of its latest quarterly earnings. The layoffs affected companies across the industry. Amazon.com Inc. announced it was laying off 18,000 people. This month, business software provider Salesforce Inc. announced plans to cut 8,000 employees, or 10% of the global workforce, marking the largest job cut in the company's history. On Tuesday, Unity Software Inc. said it was laying off 284 employees. The provider of video game and other application development tools had previously announced layoffs in June, when it cut around 225 jobs. Microsoft is seeing positive interest this year as it negotiates to increase investment in its vibrant AI startup OpenAI. Microsoft shares continue to climb this year, reaching 240.35. Today, for the first time this year, they fell to 239.85 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.cm
    Bank of England: Falling Corporate Price Expectations May Signal Peak in Rate Hike Cycle

    Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres Encouraged The Transition To Green Energy At The World Economic Forum In Davos, The Chinese Economy May Surprise You Positively

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 18.01.2023 12:53
    Attention has recently focused on the World Economic Forum. Many statements were closely followed from economic to political information. Representatives of the United Nations also spoke. Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for a focus on transforming into green energy. The reopening of the Chinese economy is also attracting attention, with speculation on what to expect from the reopening of the world's second largest economy. In this article: China's economy may improve The transformation of world powers into green energy Jim Cramer’s opinion China's economy may improve The reopening of the Chinese economy after several years of strict "zero-Covid" measures has lifted the mood among economists. China's GDP grew by just 3% in 2022, official figures revealed earlier this week, the second slowest growth rate since 1976 and well below the government's target of around 5.5%. However, short-term data point to a faster-than-expected recovery as pandemic measures have been phased out. Reopening has proven difficult as China has reported a massive spike in Covid cases and deaths in recent weeks. Nevertheless, how many economists are positive about the situation in the Chinese economy in the second half of the year. The situation of the Chinese economy is of particular importance for the rest of the economies. China as the second largest in the world is important for many other economies, for example for Australia with which it is related in trade. China's economy will be 'on fire' in the second half of 2023, StanChart chairman says https://t.co/fKyQs1kQpb — CNBC (@CNBC) January 18, 2023 The transformation of world powers into green energy The transformation of world powers into green energy was one of the main topics at the Davos forum. Investments in renewable energy sources may turn out to be crucial for the climate in the coming years. International constraints are increasingly putting pressure on companies to focus on policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Concern for the planet has increased in recent years, but not all countries or companies are so quick to implement ecological changes. While companies are increasingly committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible, the metrics and criteria they use are often questionable or unclear. That's why UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on business leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday to follow the rules outlined by a group of experts. The economic situation may make it difficult for companies or countries to implement these principles, but everyone must realize that it is extremely important now to take care of the climate for future generations. Davos 2023: UN chief urges 'credible' net-zero pledges or risk greenwashing https://t.co/ZF1ipes21P pic.twitter.com/U8SAGzai1z — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) January 18, 2023 Jim Cramer’s opinion Investors often take into account the opinion of experts about assets in the stock market. Jim Cramer, like an expert, gives valuable tips. This time he expressed opinions on Boeing Co, Biohaven, Flex and more. .@JimCramer also weighed in on Biohaven, Flex and more. https://t.co/fyzGTNUd2U — Mad Money On CNBC (@MadMoneyOnCNBC) January 18, 2023
    Rates Spark: Riding the hawkish wave while it lasts

    The Fed Is On A More Hawkish Path Than Before

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 18.01.2023 13:49
    Investors are used to following the changes in interest rates and perceive it as one of the key macro indicators affecting stock market returns and general sentiment. Meanwhile, another less discussed indicator may have an even stronger influence on the stock market returns, especially in the long term. This indicator has a substantial impact on the said interest rates, among other factors. Summary The country’s central bank regulates the money supply in the economy by purchasing or selling debt securities. Higher money supply leads to lower interest rates, higher business activity, and higher sales, positively affecting the stock market. Historically, the US money supply grew at a steady rate of nearly +0.50% per month, which was accelerated to support the economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic – the Fed added about 5 trillion USD to its balance sheet until April 2022. Recently, the Federal Reserve has obtained a money supply reduction policy to remove from its balance sheet value that was amassed during the pandemic and to combat the high inflation while slowing down the economy. The stock market may not be able to change its course as long as the Fed continues to decrease the money supply. Money supply The money supply in the economy is regulated by the country’s central bank (or Federal Reserve in the United States). To increase the money supply, the central bank would purchase government debt securities. For decreasing the money supply – the opposite would happen – the central bank would sell the government debt securities. Higher money supply in the market leads to lower interest rates (cheaper money), higher spending, and higher inflation – all of which typically boost stock returns. M2 money supply appreciated almost linearly until February 2020 at a steady rate of nearly 0.50% per month. As the US Federal Reserve accelerated quantitative easing in order to support the economy due to Covid-19 pressure, the money supply growth rate surged to an average of 1.38% per month and continued until March 2022. Starting from April 2022, the US M2 money supply has been decreasing at an average rate of -0.21% per month.  Source: FRED, graph: Author  Reductions in money supply have taken place in history, although smaller and less consistent. Since January 1959, reductions in money supply have occurred 34 times (4.44% of the 776 readings), with an average decrease of -0.16% (-0.13% if excluding the recent outliers) and a median decline of -0.072%. Meanwhile, four out of the ten most significant reductions within this period occurred this year, with an average decrease of -0.41%. If the Fed aims to return to the money supply level corresponding to the linear growth path characteristic of the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, it would have to reduce the money supply by -0.50% monthly until February 2024, when it would reach 19,764 billion USD. Fed’s balance sheet As the Fed engaged in growing the money supply to support the US economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, its balance sheet blew up more than twice to nearly 9 trillion USD. The Fed’s balance sheet doubled during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and again in its aftermath by the end of 2014. Now, the same as previously, the Fed wants to reduce its balance sheet to a more stable level. Although, this time, the Fed has chosen a considerably more aggressive strategy. In June 2022, the Fed started its balance sheet normalization process by letting 47.5 billion USD worth of assets mature and roll from its balance sheet. The same happened in July and August. However, in September, the Fed decided to speed up the process and doubled the value of assets to be rolled from its balance sheet to 95 billion USD. Source: https://www.federalreserve.gov/ Total assets of the Federal Reserve, 01.01.2020.-20.12.2022. Based on the data available until December 20, 2022, the Fed kept the pace of removing assets off its balance sheet in October and November. Since its peak on April 12, 2022, the Fed balance sheet has been reduced by 401 billion USD. Jerome Powell and other Federal Bank officials have not stated how far they are planning to extend the balance sheet reduction. However, they have indicated that they don’t see any reason for the reduction slowdown. On November 30, Jerome Powell suggested that the Fed doesn’t want to repeat 2019 when the reserves were drawn down too much, but also that “we are not close to reserve scarcity”. For comparison, let us review the Fed's activities the last time it entered the path of reducing its balance sheet. Last time, the Fed waited almost two years since the first interest rate hike to start reducing its balance sheet – compared to just 3 months this time. Furthermore, previously the Fed chose to gradually increase the assets’ value to be rolled off its balance sheet within 12 months until it reached a 50 billion USD per month peak. This time, the Fed started with almost the same value – 47.5 billion USD – and just after two months, doubled it. Based on the data above, it may be concluded that the Fed is on a more hawkish path than before. Why is this important? As discussed previously, the stock market generally enjoys an elevated money supply and generates corresponding returns to investors. Still, how strongly does the money supply impact the stock market? Based on the end-of-month data for M2 money supply and S&P 500 closing price since the beginning of 2013, the correlation between the two measures is impressive: 97%. Meaning that almost every time the money supply grows, so does the S&P 500. Based on the historical changes of both measures, we see that the S&P 500 index is more volatile – on average, for every 1-point move in money supply, S&P 500 moves 1.47 points. If the money supply were to be reduced by another -7.71% to reach the level corresponding to the linear growth path characteristic of the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, the S&P 500 might follow with a -11.33% drop by the end of 2023. It is crucial to note that the above-described scenario considers only one measure and its impact on the S&P 500 based on historical data to reflect the money supply’s significance in the stock market’s movements. In reality, other predictable and unpredictable events may significantly impact the stock market’s movements this year. Furthermore, the Fed may change its stance at any point based on the prevailing market conditions. Stay safe, stay informed, and be well-diversified. Santa Zvaigzne-Sproge, CFA, Head of Investment Advice Department at Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service)
    US Retail Sales Boost Prospects for 3% GDP Growth, but Challenges Loom Ahead

    Results From Procter & Gamble And Netflix Will Shed Some Light On Global Consumer Strength

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.01.2023 09:28
    Summary:  The deteriorating US retail sales and industrial production data hurt risk sentiment, and US equity markets tumbled despite lower yields. The US dollar was choppy after BOJ’s pushback on market speculation and the announcement to keep policy unchanged, but hotter core CPI in UK supported the sterling. Weaker Australia employment data sent AUDUSD lower to test 0.6900. Crude oil prices plummeted on deteriorating economic outlook and a weaker API inventory build. Focus turns to earnings today with Proctor & Gamble and Netflix due to report.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) reversed and fell over 1% on recession fears U.S. equities opened higher initially as bond yields tumbled on a dovish Bank of Japan and much weaker than expected prints on U.S. retail sales, industrial production, and producer prices. Comments from the Fed’s Bullard in a Wall Street Journal interview about his preference of keeping the pace of rate hike at 50bps at the February FOMC triggered a reversal around mid-day and saw U.S. stocks plunge in the New York afternoon session. The weak economic data and the risk of the Fed overdoing it in rate hikes troubled equity investors. At the close of Wednesday, Nasdaq 100 fell 1.3% and S&P 500 slipped 1.6%. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined, with the consumer staples sector falling the most to finish the session 2.7% lower. In the Fed’s Beige Book released on Wednesday, U.S. retailers said they were having difficulties in passing through costs increases to consumers. On individual stocks, PNC Financial Services (PNC:xnys) fell 6% on a larger-than-expected credit losses provision. Moderna (MRNA:xnas) gained 3.3% following release of positive trial results for a RSV virus vaccine. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) surged on dovish BoJ and weak economic data; the 10-year yield slid to 3.37% Treasuries surged in price and yields collapsed on dovish outcomes from the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting. The BoJ doubled down on monetary easing with an adjustment to its Funds-Supplying Operations against Pooled Collateral which enables it to lend cheaply to banks up to 10 years in maturity from only up to two years previously. Apparently, the BoJ aims at bringing down the elevated swap rates closer to the yields of JGBs. Treasury yields took a further dive in New York morning hours following the release of larger-than-expected declines in retail sales and industrial production as well as a bigger-than-expected 0.5% month-on-month fall in the Producer Price Index in December. The hawkish comments from Fed’s Bullard about keeping the February hike at 50bps did not have much of an impact on Treasuries despite being picked up as a reason to fade the rally in equities by traders. The result from the USD12 billion 20-year Treasury bond auction was strong. Treasury yields finished the Wednesday session with the 2-year 12bps richer at 4.08% and the 10-year 18bps richer at 3.37%, bringing the 2-10 curve more invested to -71bps. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) ticked up and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) traded sideways Hang Seng Index ticked up by 0.5% and CSI300 edged down by 0.2%. Online and mobile gaming names led in both the Hong Kong and mainland bourses. China released 88 new licenses of online/mobile games, including one title from Tencent (00700:xhkg), up 1.7%. and one title from NetEase (09999:xhkg), up 6.5%. Trading in other internet names, however, was mixed. Auto dealers were led lower by an 8.3% decline in Zhongseng (00881:xhkg). EV makers traded weakly, XPeng (09868”:xhkg) down 2.9%. In A-shares, food and beverage, beauty care, and construction materials led the decline while online gaming, computing, media, communication, and non-ferrous metal gained. Northbound net buying was over RMB4 billion, bringing the net buying in January to over RMB90 billion. FX: Choppy dollar after BOJ ECB’s Villeroy dismissed dovish ECB talks and says Lagarde guidance still valid, bumping up EUR higher but the gains were reversed later and EURUSD ended below 1.0800 again. EURGBP meanwhile testing a break below 0.8740 to near 1-month lows as UK core CPI came in hotter-than-expected. AUD and NZD were divergent with AUDNZD falling from highs of 1.0873 to lows of 1.0783. AUDUSD was slightly lower on weaker-than-expected employment data which saw unemployment rate rising to 3.5% while overall employment fell 14.6k compared to expectations of +25k, while last month’s employment gains were revised lower to 58.3k. NZDUSD however saw little reaction to reports of PM Arden’s resignation. USDJPY back below 129 after the BOJ-related volatility yesterday. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) tumbled on sluggish US data and weak API build Crude oil prices rose to fresh highs earlier on Wednesday before sliding in the NY hours. US data flow turned out to be grim with both retail sales and industrial production disappointing, sending recession concerns soaring. The International Energy Agency was also circumspect. It said the market faces immediate headwinds, with supply exceeding demand by about 1mb/d in Q1. Meanwhile, API reported that US crude stockpiles rose 7.6mn barrels for last week. WTI futures retreated from highs of $82+ to $79, while Brent was back below $85/barrel from highs of ~$88.  Read next: The Japanese Yen (JPY) Weakened, The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.70$| FXMAG.COM What to consider? BOJ maintains policy unchanged, launches new tool to support bond market The Bank of Japan left its policy levers unchanged at the January meeting, defying heavy market speculation of another tweak after the surprise in December. The announcement saw the yen plunge by over 2%, as the central bank said it would continue large-scale purchases of government bonds and increase it on a flexible basis as needed. The central bank, in a new measure to maintain yield control policy, also extended a loan offer to banks for funds of up to 10 years against collateral for both fixed- and variable-rate loans. Meanwhile, the BOJ still sees inflation getting back to sub-2% range this year. Core CPI estimate for FY2022 was only slightly raised to 3.0% for 2.9% previously, while the FY2023 estimate of 1.6% was maintained. In the press conference, BoJ Governor Kuroda said that the sustainable inflation goal is not yet in sight, suggesting low odds that he will declare victory on bringing back inflation before his exit in April. Bad economic news is now bad news for the markets US PPI fell 0.5% M/M in December, a deeper fall than the expected 0.1% decline, while the prior was downwardly revised to +0.2%; PPI Y/Y rose 6.2%, a big fall from the prior (downwardly revised) +7.3%, beneath the expected +6.8%. While slowing inflation continues to be a positive for the markets, concerns around slowing economic growth have started to bite as well. December US retail sales fell 1.1% M/M, deeper than the consensus 0.8% decline with a sizable downward revision for the prior to -1.0% from -0.6%. Industrial production fell 0.7% M/M in December, deeper than the consensus -0.1%, with the prior downwardly revised to -0.6% from -0.2%. Manufacturing output also declined by a larger 1.3%, deeper than expected -0.3% and the prior revised to -1.1% from -0.6%. Fed speakers continue to be mixed, with the non-voters staying hawkish Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) said his dot plot forecast for 2023 is just above the Fed's median of 5.1% at 5.25-5.50% and that Fed policy is not quite in restrictive territory, reiterating it needs to be over 5% at least. Bullard added the Fed should move as rapidly as it can to get over 5% and then react to data, noting his preference is for a 50bps hike at the next meeting (against the consensus 25bps). Loretta Mester (non-voter) said further rate hikes are still needed to decisively crush inflation and we are not at 5% yet, nor above it, which she thinks is going to be needed given her economic projections. She believes the Fed's key rate should rise a "little bit" above the 5.00-5.25% range that the Fed median implies. Harker (voter) said Fed needs to get FFR above 5%, but its good to approach the terminal rate slowly. Dallas President Lorie Logan (voter) spoke later as well, and also hinted at a slower pace of rate hikes. She said she wants a 25bp rate hike, not 50, at the February 1 FOMC meeting. She said if slower rate hike pace eases financial conditions, then the Fed can offset that by gradually raising rates to a higher level than previously expected. UK CPI softens for a second straight month UK Dec. CPI out this morning and slightly hotter than expectations as the headline rose +0.4% MoM and +10.5% year-on-year vs. +0.3%/+10.5% expected, respectively while the core CPI level rose +6.3% YoY vs. +6.2% expected and +6.3% in November. Sterling traded slightly firmer after the data. P&G and Netflix report earnings today On the earnings front, results from Procter & Gamble (PG:xnys) and Netflix (NFLX:xnas) will shed some light on global consumer strength. P&G reports Q4 earnings on Thursday before the market opens with analysts expecting revenue growth of -1.1% y/y and EPS of $1.59 down 4% y/y suggesting that volumes are being hit by inflation and that analysts expect P&G to see their operating margin decline q/q. The potential upside for P&G on its outlook is the reopening of China. Netflix reports Q4 earnings on Thursday after the market close with analysts expecting revenue growth of 1.7% y/y as streaming services are still facing headwinds post the pandemic. EPS is expected at $0.51 down 67% y/y. The things to focus on for investors are user growth, updates on its advertising business, and user engagement figures relative to recent content launches.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Sluggish US economic data; P&G and Netflix earnings ahead - 19 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Reserve Bank of New Zealand: Kenny Fisher says he expects a 25bp rate hike on May 24th

    Jacinda Ardern Has Resigned As Prime Minister Of New Zealand, Crude Oil Extended Wednesday's Steep Decline

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 19.01.2023 09:43
    Summary:  Yesterday saw a sharp reversal in risk sentiment across the board, with US equities in a steep slide and the USD higher, even as treasury yields dipped. The slide in sentiment came after weak US Retail Sales and other data - is bad news finally bad news again? The selling came in at a key technical area after the recent rally, making for a compelling bearish reversal. Elsewhere, the Japanese yen bounced back across the board overnight, just after BoJ-inspired weakness.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall over 1% on recession fears U.S. equities opened higher initially as bond yields tumbled on a dovish Bank of Japan and much weaker than expected prints on U.S. retail sales, industrial production, and producer prices. Comments from the Fed’s Bullard in a Wall Street Journal interview about his preference of keeping the pace of rate hike at 50bps at the February FOMC triggered a reversal around mid-day and saw U.S. stocks plunge during the afternoon session. The weak economic data and the risk of the Fed overdoing it on rate hikes troubled equity investors. On the close the Nasdaq 100 was down 1.3% while the S&P 500 slipped 1.6%. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined, with the consumer staples sector falling the most to finish the session 2.7% lower. In the Fed’s Beige Book released on Wednesday, U.S. retailers said they were having difficulties in passing through cost increases to consumers. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Following the decline in U.S. stocks overnight, Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks opened lower but managed to pare losses and more. Hang Seng Index and CSI300 edged up modestly in the early afternoon local time. Chinese property developer stocks outperformed while technology names were among the laggards. Hang Seng TECH Index dropped more than 1% on profit taking ahead of the 3-day Lunar New Year holiday next week. Chinese social platform, Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) plunged nearly 6% after a co-founder sold shares. FX: US dollar posts strong rally on weak US data; JPY roars stronger still overnight The weak US data yesterday (more below) took US treasury yields sharply lower all along the curve, but with risk sentiment sliding badly on the news, the USD rallied sharply rather than selling off on the implications for less Fed tightening at coming meetings. This suggests investors may finally be fretting the risk of an incoming recession. The USD strength eased overnight as the Japanese yen, already beginning to reverse to the strong side by late US hours despite the dovish BoJ earlier in the day (the JPY traditionally thrives most on falling global yields and weak sentiment/recession fears) rallied hard, handily outpacing the US dollar and ripping stronger across the board, particularly against the hapless AUD, which was hit by weak December employment data overnight. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) tumbles badly on sluggish US data Crude oil extended Wednesday’s sharp losses which occurred after poor US economic data triggered fresh growth concerns. The move lower was strengthened by technical and momentum traders getting wrong-footed after having bought an upside break earlier in the day. A reopening of China has been the main supporting focus in recent weeks but with activity there now slowing ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, traders turned their attention elsewhere and did not like what they saw. Also, the API reported another chunky inventory rise of 7.6 million barrels, well above the 2-million-barrel rise expected by the EIA later today. Finally, IEA delivered a bullish outlook for 2023 demand as China recovers and air travel rebounds. Gold ended lower for a third day, but bids keep coming Gold’s newfound strength continues to be tested but so far, the metal has shown resilience and found fresh bids on any pullback. Yesterday it ended lower for a third day, but still above $1900 with traders (many of which are algorithmic, and machine based) taking their directional input from the US bonds market and not least the dollar. Traders have built positions in the belief we will see peak rates soon in the US, a development that triggered very strong rallies on three previous occasions during the past 20 years. However, as long the market trusts the FOMC will deliver lower inflation, major institutional investors are likely side lined, something that shows up in ETF holdings which remain near a two-year low. Support at $1896 followed by $1855, the 21-day moving average. US Treasury yields lower on weak US data, BoJ standing pat (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Treasuries surged in price and yields collapsed on dovish outcomes from the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting. Treasury yields then took a further dive following the release of larger-than-expected declines in US retail sales and industrial production as well as a bigger-than-expected 0.5% month-on-month fall in the Producer Price Index in December. The hawkish comments from Fed’s Bullard about keeping the February hike at 50bps was ignored by Treasuries despite being picked up by traders as a reason to fade the rally in equities. The result from the USD12 billion 20-year Treasury bond auction was strong. The 2-year trades this morning at 4.04% while the 10-year yield has dropped to a four-month low at 3.32%, with the 2-10 curve still very inverted at -72.5 bps. What is going on? US December Retail Sales and other US data disappoint The December US Retail Sales report for December was the second consecutive monthly report to disappoint expectations, with the headline falling –1.1% MoM vs. -0.9% expected and despite the negative November revision to –1.0% (vs. -0.6% originally). The ex Auto and Gas number was also disappointing at –0.7% vs. 0.0% expected and also with a negative revision for November to –0.5% (from –0.2%). These are particularly negative numbers given still high inflation in the US as they are not inflation-adjusted. Elsewhere, the US PPI data was softer than expected at –0.5% MoM and ex Food and Energy at +0.1%, with the YoY dropping to +6.2%/5.5% vs. 6.8%/5,6% expected. Finally, December US Industrial Production fell 0.7% MoM vs. 0.1% expected, with a negative revision of November data to –0.6% from -0.2%. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shocks with resignation announcement Her resignation was announced after five and a half years in power and came in the context of announcing an October 14 election this year. She will step down no later than February 7. Her Labour Party is trailing the opposition National Party slightly in the polls. Ardern said she hadn’t the energy to continue as PM. Microsoft to lay off 10,000 employees ... as a part of it what it considers a set of cost-cutting measures outlined in a securities filing yesterday. CEO Satya Nadella cited a downward shift in demand for digital services and fears of  a recession. “...we saw customers accelerate their digital spend during the pandemic, we’re no seeing them optimize their digital spend to do more with less.” The layoff are just under 5% of the company’s global workforce. Rising volume of trades on Euronext Paris In recent sessions, we have noticed a strong rise in the volume of trades and a sharp increase of volatility for several small and medium companies listed on Euronext Paris. Target Spot (which connect brands to their audience through a premium portfolio of publishers across digital audio) has experienced a huge rebound in recent sessions (+28 % on a weekly basis) driven by an increase in the volume of trades. This company can be considered as a penny stock (the stock was exchanged at 50 cents two weeks ago). There is also a jump in speculation for companies using dilutive financing in the form of OCABSAs ((bonds convertible into shares with share subscription warrants). In October 2022, the French stock market authorities, the AMF warned against the risks associated to this financing, especially for retail investors. There are several listed companies in that case at the Paris stock market, such as Avenir Telecom (manufacture of mobile phones) and Spineway (implants and surgical instruments). Usually, stay away from any kind of ultra-dilutive funding. Fed speakers continue to be mixed, with the non-voters staying hawkish Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) said his dot plot forecast for 2023 is just above the Fed's median of 5.1% at 5.25-5.50% and that Fed policy is not quite in restrictive territory, reiterating it needs to be over 5% at least. Bullard added the Fed should move as rapidly as it can to get over 5% and then react to data, noting his preference is for a 50bps hike at the next meeting (against the consensus 25bps). Loretta Mester (non-voter) said further rate hikes are still needed to decisively crush inflation and we are not at 5% yet, nor above it, which she thinks is going to be needed given her economic projections. She believes the Fed's key rate should rise a "little bit" above the 5.00-5.25% range that the Fed median implies. Harker (voter) said Fed needs to get FFR above 5%, but its good to approach the terminal rate slowly. Dallas President Lorie Logan (voter) spoke later as well, and also hinted at a slower pace of rate hikes. She said she wants a 25bp rate hike, not 50, at the February 1 FOMC meeting. She said if slower rate hike pace eases financial conditions, then the Fed can offset that by gradually raising rates to a higher level than previously expected. What are we watching next? Norway Central Bank the latest to indicate end-of-cycle hike today? The Norwegian central bank was the first G10 central bank to hike rates back in 2021, but maintained a curiously slow pace of hikes relative to other central banks. The market is divided on whether the Norges Bank is set to hike by 25 basis points today, with most believing that even if it doesn’t, the following meeting in late March will see a hike, probably the last of the cycle for now. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season continues today with two big earnings reports from two very different companies: the huge US consumer products company Procter and Gamble (Market Cap $350B) and streaming services provider Netflix, which has enjoyed a more than 100% rally off the lows by rejuvenating subscriber growth and rolling out plans to launch advertising on its platform for the first time. Still, that stock is down more than 50% from the bubble peak in 2021. Today: Procter & Gamble, Netflix Friday: Investor, Sandvik, Ericsson, Schlumberger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Norway Rate decision 1330 – US Dec Housing Starts and Building Permits 1330 – US Initial Jobless Claims 1330 – Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook 1330 – Canada Dec. Terante/National Bank Home Price Index 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1600 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report (delayed) 1815 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to speak on economic outlook 2330 – Japan Dec. National CPI 0001 – UK Jan. GfK Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 19, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    Elon Musk Is Facing Trial In Fraud Trial Over 2018 Tweets

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 19.01.2023 11:47
    Elon Musk to face trial in securities fraud lawsuit over 2018 tweets suggesting possible private takeover of Tesla Inc. The case is unusual because securities fraud cases are usually resolved before trial, such as by settlement. Glen Littleton The investor, Glen Littleton, sued Tesla, Musk and then-Tesla board members, claiming that Musk's tweets were fraudulent and cost investors billions by spurring Tesla stock, options and bond prices to fluctuate. He is seeking compensation for these losses. The defendants said the plaintiff would not be able to prove to the jury that the testimony was essentially false. Musk was considering privatizing Tesla, the defendants said, even if some of his claims about the deal may not have been literally accurate. Musk and Tesla Musk said he is indeed considering privatizing Tesla and believes he has the backing of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Lawsuit over Elon Musk's 2018 tweets. Musk and Tesla agreed in 2018 to pay $20 million to settle civil charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission over the same tweets. Judge rejects Elon Musk's request to move trial over Tesla's tweets During jury selection on Tuesday, attorneys and Judge Chen focused on potential jurors' personal views on Musk and his acquisition of Twitter Inc., as well as on the extent to which they could put those views aside. Musk and Tesla's attorneys asked Judge Chen to move the case to Texas on the grounds that the Bay Area jurors were exposed to excessive negative publicity about Musk. Judge Chen denied that request late last week. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen held a hearing on the case Friday morning and said the trial will begin next week in San Francisco. Prior to the trial, the court sent questionnaires to about 190 prospective jurors asking for their views on Musk and other issues to help determine if they had prejudices that would prevent them from sitting on a jury. Judge Chen said he reviewed the responses and that about 49 of them reflected Musk's and Tesla's mixed views, about 27 seemed sympathetic to the defendants, and about 76 showed negative attitudes. Other responses seemed neutral. The jury trial in San Francisco is scheduled to continue until February 1. Read next: Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres Encouraged The Transition To Green Energy At The World Economic Forum In Davos, The Chinese Economy May Surprise You Positively| FXMAG.COM Musk in court Musk will take the stand on Wednesday, about two months after he did so in Delaware over his Tesla pay package. Musk last spoke two months ago in a Delaware lawsuit over his Tesla pay package. In 2021, he appeared in a Delaware Commercial Court to defend Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity Corp. for about $2.1 billion in 2016. The judge sided with Musk, finding that Tesla did not overpay because the Tesla group was accused by shareholders. This decision has been appealed. Also on the list of potential witnesses are Tesla's CEO Robyn Denholm, board members Ira Ehrenpreis, James Murdoch and Kimbal Musk, the CEO's brother. You can also call the head of investor relations, Martin Viech. Tesla share prices Meanwhile, Tesla has slashed prices across its entire range of vehicles, with some of last week's US cuts approaching 20% in an effort to boost demand. Tesla's share price started to rise again in the new year, but from Tuesday it started to fall again. During those days, the stock fell from 131.49 to 126.71. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Was Red For All Indices

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 20.01.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.76%, the S&P 500 fell 0.76%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.96%. Dow Jones UnitedHealth Group Incorporated was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 8.12 points or 1.71% to close at 484.36. Quotes Merck & Company Inc rose by 1.11 points (1.02%), ending trading at 109.90. Chevron Corp rose 1.77 points or 1.00% to close at 179.00. The least gainers were Home Depot Inc, which shed 12.81 points or 3.96% to end the session at 310.88. 3M Company was up 3.52% or 4.32 points to close at 118.43, while American Express Company was down 2.37% or 3.57 points to close at 146. 85. S&P 500 Among the S&P 500 index components gainers in today's trading were Comerica Inc, which rose 5.91% to 69.84, M&T Bank Corp, which gained 5.49% to close at 153.81, and shares of Truist Financial Corp, which rose 4.31% to end the session at 47.71. The least gainers were Enphase Energy Inc, which shed 10.92% to close at 222.97. Shares of SolarEdge Technologies Inc lost 10.32% to end the session at 286.72. Quotes Northern Trust Corporation fell in price by 8.60% to 90.46. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Neurosense Therapeutics Ltd, which rose 76.19% to hit 2.22, Salarius Pharmaceuticals Inc, which gained 52.99% to close at 3.58, and also shares of Cuentas Inc, which rose 40.48% to end the session at 0.59. The least gainers were Jupiter Wellness Inc, which shed 38.81% to close at 0.62. Shares of Aceragen Inc lost 33.33% and ended the session at 5.76. Quotes of SurModics Inc decreased in price by 29.35% to 26.38. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1842) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1204), while quotes of 91 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,337 stocks fell, 1,353 rose, and 190 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.88% to 20.52. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 1.41%, or 26.90, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 1.22%, or 0.97, to $80.77 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 1.51%, or 1.28, to $86.26 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.38% to 1.08, while USD/JPY fell 0.38% to hit 128.38. Futures on the USD index fell 0.28% to 101.82   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-01-21 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/309378
    Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

    A Serious Security Vulnerability In T-Mobile Caused Another Hacker Attack

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 20.01.2023 10:27
    T-Mobile said its initial investigation indicated that data on approximately 37 million current postpaid and prepaid customer accounts had been leaked. Hackers gained access to data again Hackers gained access to data, including dates of birth and billing addresses, of approximately 37 million T-Mobile customers. Hackers have had access to T-Mobile data since November 25, but T-Mobile has since managed to stop malicious activities. The company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that it discovered the issue on January 5 and is working with law enforcement officials and cybersecurity consultants. The mobile operator said it is now notifying affected customers and believes that the most sensitive types of data, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and account passwords, have not been compromised. The company says hackers may have obtained names, billing addresses, emails, phone numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers. The company said information such as the number of lines in the account and plan features could also be accessed. On Friday, T-Mobile said it had notified almost every current T-Mobile customer or primary account holder who had personal information stolen. The update did not mention how many affected former or potential customers were notified. T-Mobile has created a website to inform customers about the cyber attack and the steps to take. While this isn't T-Mobile's first data breach, many wireless industry analysts don't expect long-term effects on the carrier in terms of customer retention or attracting switchers. T-Mobile is confident that there is no longer a risk to consumers from the breach. Fixing vulnerabilities In today's update, the company sought to assuage consumer concerns, citing customer outreach efforts and plans to strengthen cybersecurity. The KPMG cybersecurity team will review all of T-Mobile's security and performance policies to find areas that are missing. The problem - weak security T-Mobile admitted to a security flaw in 2021 after personal information relating to more than 50 million of its current, former and potential customers was put up for sale online. A 21-year-old American living in Turkey admitted to the 2021 hack and said the company's security practices had opened up an easy avenue for data theft, including social security numbers, dates of birth and phone-specific identifiers. T-Mobile's chief executive later apologized for the failure and said the company would improve data security. T-Mobile has offered to pay $350 million to settle a class action lawsuit related to the 2021 hack. As part of the settlement, the company also pledged to spend $150 million on security technology in 2022 and this year. In a current situation, the company says its systems were not compromised, but someone was inappropriately accessing data through an API or application programming interface that could provide some customer information. T-Mobile share price Friday the 13th was truly unlucky for T-Moblie stock prices. After a favorable start to the year, prices fell from that date. In the new year, the price increased from around 140.00 to nearly 150.00 (149.91). On Friday the 13th, prices started to fall to the current level of 145.14. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The ECB Has Made It Clear That Rates Will Remain High Until There Is Evidence That Inflation Is Falling Toward The Target

    Saxo Bank Podcast: Rebounding Yields On Hawkish ECB Talk, US Jobless Claims Report, Results From Procter And Gamble And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.01.2023 11:10
    Summary:  Today we note that rebounding yields on hawkish ECB talk and another very strong weekly jobless claims report out of the US have the JPY weakening again, but not supporting the US dollar outside of USDJPY. Elsewhere, we look at stronger than expected results from Netflix and weaker than expected results from Procter and Gamble as volumes drop due to price hikes. A look at crude oil dynamics now that the EU is attempting its embargo on Russian crude, gold maintaining remarkable strength and avoiding notable consolidation, the macro calendar for the week ahead and more. Today's pod features Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: US jobless claims, hawkish ECB halt the slide in yields | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    It Was Possible That Tesla Would Move Closer To Resistance

    There Have Been Concerns That Tesla Price Cut Could Trigger A Price War

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 23.01.2023 11:25
    Tesla's price cuts sparked mixed reactions from investors and Wall Street analysts. Some suggested the move was made in response to waning demand. Others saw it as Tesla putting pressure on competitors. In addition, in the coming week, investors await quarterly earnings reports from Tesla, Microsoft Corp. , Intel Corp. and other large companies for the latest information on how they are doing in difficult economic conditions. Price war? For now, traditional automakers that don't have Tesla's EV scale have low profit margins or are losing money on their models. Tesla's price cuts are likely to put pressure on car companies to further reduce the cost of electric vehicles and could eventually lead to a price war. Tesla is doing well The number of car buyers researching Tesla surged after a price cut in early January. The Model Y was the second most searched vehicle on the website, with the Model 3 moving up 36 places. The starting price for the Model Y is currently around $53,000, down from around $66,000. That's still more than the entry-level Mach-E model, but below some of Ford's higher-end EVs. The base price of the Model Y is about $10,000 less than the starting price of the General Motors Co Cadillac Lyriq, a similarly sized SUV that the automaker is launching. Shortly after the price cut, applications for financing Tesla vehicles tripled at Tenet, a New York-based start-up that provides financing to buyers of electric vehicles. Which can be summed up by saying that the influx of customers remains at a high level. Read next: SEO’s Program That Aims To Transform The Structure Of The US Market| FXMAG.COM Ford against Tesla Some car dealers say they are worried about losing customers as a result of Tesla's price moves. Ford posted record Mach-E sales last year and has strong demand for its range of electric cars. The company continues to monitor the market to stay competitive, he said. GM CEO Mary Barra and Ford CEO Jim Farley have declared their goal of finally dethroning Tesla as the top seller of electric vehicles in the US, but they are far behind for now. According to sales figures and estimates from research firm Motor Intelligence, Tesla sales accounted for approximately 65% of total U.S. electric vehicle sales in 2022, beating Ford's 7.6% and GM's 3.5%. Tesla share price The Federal Reserve's struggle to tame inflation through aggressive interest rate hikes last year has suddenly changed the outlook for big tech stocks that have pushed major stock indexes to new highs for years. Tesla shares fell 65% in 2022, its worst year ever. Meta Platforms Inc., the parent of Facebook, is down 64% and Netflix Inc. by 51%. Some are betting that technology could take over again if the Fed signals plans to move away from raising interest rates. Net purchases of a basket of eight popular tech companies by individual investors hit a recent peak in November before declining sharply towards the end of the year. Buying has since picked up slightly in the new year as tech stocks have rebounded. As for Tesla, individuals have been regular buyers since late 2021, doubling their numbers as shares slumped in late 2022. On January 10, one-day net purchases of Tesla shares hit a record $316 million. Tesla shares have definitely skyrocketed in the new year. Prices rebounded from 108.10 all the way to 135.50. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange More Securities Rose In Prices

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 24.01.2023 08:10
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.76%, the S&P 500 rose 1.19%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.01%. Dow Jones Shares of Intel Corporation led the way among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 1.05 points or 3.59% to close at 30.27. Salesforce Inc rose 4.62 points or 3.05% to close at 155.87. Apple Inc rose 2.35% or 3.24 points to close at 141.11. The least gainers were Procter & Gamble Company, which shed 1.92 points or 1.34% to end the session at 141.05. Verizon Communications Inc was up 0.93% or 0.37 points to close at 39.63 while Amgen Inc was down 0.86% or 2.27 points to close at 260. 97. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Advanced Micro Devices Inc, which rose 9.22% to hit 76.53, Western Digital Corporation, which gained 8.66% to close at 41.79. as well as shares of Tesla Inc, which rose 7.74% to end the session at 143.75. The least gainers were Xylem Inc, which shed 7.95% to close at 101.42. Shares of SBA Communications Corp shed 3.55% to end the session at 286.27. Schlumberger NV fell 2.60% to 55.86. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Gbs, which rose 293.13% to hit 1.03, Helbiz Inc, which gained 109.13% to close at 0.43, and VERB TECHNOLOGY COMPANY INC, which rose 69.65% to end the session at 0.39. The least gainers were Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc, which shed 29.04% to close at 14.76. Shares of Atlis Motor Vehicles Inc shed 25.11% to end the session at 3.40. Quotes of Ontrak Inc decreased in price by 21.23% to 0.83. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2196) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (841), while quotes of 122 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2362 companies rose in price, 1346 fell, and 201 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.20% to 19.81. Commodities Gold futures for February delivery added 0.23%, or 4.35, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 0.01%, or 0.01, to $81.65 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 0.57%, or 0.50, to $88.13 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.15% to 1.09, while USD/JPY rose 0.84% to hit 130.65. Futures on the USD index rose by 0.01% to 101.79. Relevance up to 04:00 2023-01-25 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/309717
    US CPI Surprises on the Upside, but Fed Expectations Unchanged Amid Rising Recession Risks

    Layoff In Spotify, AUD/USD Pair Has Traded Back Above 0.7000

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.01.2023 09:43
    Summary:  US equities sprinted to new local highs yesterday, with the S&P 500 crossing back above the 200-day moving average ahead of the heart of earnings season set to swing in motion today on Microsoft and other large companies reporting, with the earnings calendar heavy through next week. The US dollar trades weaker across the board as the Fed enters its quiet period ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting.   What is our trading focus? Equities: Momentum is building with breakout in technology stocks US equities rose yesterday with S&P 500 futures reaching their highest close since mid-December and Nasdaq 100 futures rallied all the way to 12,000 before closing a bit lower. Sentiment is improving on technology stocks due to the significant layoff announcements improving the outlook for profitability. The US leading indicators were weaker than estimated and the level observed fits with a high degree of certainty of a recession, so it feels like the equity market is balancing on a knife-edge. Today is an important earnings session with the key focus being Microsoft after the market close, but ahead of the market open earnings from industrials such as GE and 3M will set the tone on the opening. FX: USD falters again as risk sentiment bulls higher The greenback has traded weaker since yesterday, although yesterday’s high water mark in EURUSD above 1.0900 yesterday has not yet been surpassed as the USD weakness was more pronounced against more pro-cyclical currencies like AUD and SEK within the G10 on the strong surge in risk sentiment, even as the anticipation of Fed rate cuts for late this year and through next year has eased significantly (about 30 basis points for the policy rate priced by end of 2024 from the trough of late last week). The Fed has entered a quiet period ahead of next Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, with little data in the interim save for the December PCE inflation data this Friday. Elsewhere, New Zealand and Australia report Q4 CPI tonight in the Asian session and a Bank of Canada decision is up tomorrow (see preview below). Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOH3) supported by firm diesel prices ahead of sanctions Europe’s diesel market reached a two-month high on Monday with the ICE gasoil (FPc1) contract trading above $1000 per ton. A development being driven by EU’s ban on seaborne imports of Russian fuel products from February 5, and increased demand for jet fuel as travel continues to recover. Overall, the focus stays with China amid hopes of a recovery in fuel demand more than offsetting potential weakness in the US as economic data points to slowdown. National holidays across Asia, especially in China and Singapore kept trading to a minimum. In Brent, traders will now be looking for $90 next while support is in the $84 area. Gold trades higher on US recession concerns Gold reached a fresh nine-month high overnight after US leading indicators saw another sharp fall in December, and together with weak company earnings and layoffs and last week's weak retails sales it raises the risk of a US recession in the near term. A senior director at The Conference Board said: “Overall economic activity is likely to turn negative in the coming quarters before picking up again in the final quarter of 2023”. Developments that raises the potential for just one more US rate hike before the FOMC decides to pause. ETF holdings, which has been drifting lower this month finally saw a small pickup in demand while silver’s plunge remains a concern. At one point on Monday, it dropped 5% on technical selling and long liquidation below $23.20 before recovering to trade $23.60 this am. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields continue to edge higher US treasuries continue to soften, taking yields modestly higher after the 10-year benchmark’s move below the prior significant 3.40% low was rejected. This morning sees the 10-year benchmark trading back above 3.50% with company earnings and guidance in focus as the heart of earnings season swings into motion today. Yields at the front of the US yield curve have also rebounded from new lows posted last week in the wake of weak US Retail Sales and a dovish BoJ meeting, with the 2-year rising from a low of 4.03% last Thursday to 4.23% currently. The US treasury will hold a 2-year auction today. What is going on? Biden administration confronts China, accusing Chinese companies of supporting Russia’s war effort Citing “people familiar with the matter”, a Bloomberg article claims that the Biden administration has confronted China with evidence that state-owned Chinese companies are supplying “non-lethal” military and other assistance that amounts to a support of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, while stopping short of “wholesale evasion” of US sanctions. More positive signs the travel sector is roaring back in Asia; on land and in the air Chinese road traffic congestion increased 22% from a year ago, as measured across 15 key cities. This is a positive sign that Chinese residents are striving to return to normalcy. Moving to air traffic, we believe the broader Asian-Pacific regional will likely report stronger numbers for Q4 of 2022 and Q1 of 2023, supporting higher revenue in the travel and tourism sector. Despite airlines travel returning, airlines costs are also rising with fuel costs higher after the oil price has bounced up 17% off its December low. Growth has a high ceiling for domestic Chinese air travel, with passenger traffic in November (the most recent available data point) at some 75% below late 2019 levels. The Aussie dollar above 0.7000. Australia CPI next test AUDUSD has traded back above 0.7000, nearly matching the highest levels since last August. The Aussie initially jumped to 0.7045 today in Asia after Australia’s service sector data improved, even though the Services PMI print remained in contractionary phase. The Q4 Australian CPI report is out tomorrow and is expected to rise to 5.8% YoY from 5.6% (for the important trimmed mean CPI), amid tighter energy markets, and higher metal prices. Spotify to cut 6% of workforce Like the rest of the technology sector Spotify announced yesterday that it is cutting 6% of its workforce to offset the top line weakness and improve profitability. The initial reaction in Spotify shares was strong but was faded during the session. The US Leading Indicator (LEI) fell sharply again in December It continues to signal recession for the US economy in the near term said Ataman Ozyildirim, Senior Director, Economics, at The Conference Board. “There was widespread weakness among leading indicators in December, indicating deteriorating conditions for labor markets, manufacturing, housing construction, and financial markets in the months ahead. Meanwhile, the coincident economic index (CEI) has not weakened in the same fashion as the LEI because labor market related indicators (employment and personal income) remain robust. Nonetheless, industrial production— also a component of the CEI—fell for the third straight month. Overall economic activity is likely to turn negative in the coming quarters before picking up again in the final quarter of 2023.” What are we watching next? Bank of Canada meets tomorrow – most see a 25-basis point hike tomorrow followed by a pause Most observers are looking for the Bank of Canada to hike one last time for this cycle tomorrow to take the policy rate to 4.50% and to indicate a pause to assess inflationary and labor market conditions before deciding on next steps. The Bank of Canada hiked rapidly in 2022 in an attempt to catch up with galloping inflation but has contrasted with the Fed in signalling a pause in the hike cycle before the Fed, which has been slow to signal that peak rates may be nearing. USDCAD trades near the lows since last November at 1.3350 this morning, with the 200-day moving average creeping higher and near 1.3200. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season accelerates this week with key earnings from Microsoft, ASML, Tesla, Visa, and Chevron. The aggregate earnings surprise for the S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings is currently 4.1% and the market has responded positively to the Q4 earnings reported so far with Netflix’s 8.5% jump on its strong outlook for its advertising business being the clearest evidence. Today’s key earnings focus is Microsoft (read our earnings preview here) with expectations of lower revenue growth and lower operating margin. Other important earnings today are from J&J, Texas Instruments, GE, and 3M. Today: Nidec, Microsoft, J&J, Danaher, Verizon, Texas Instruments, Raytheon Technologies, Union Pacific, Lockheed Martin, Intuitive Surgical, GE, 3M, Halliburton, DR Horton Wednesday: ASML, Lonza Group, Tesla, Abbott Laboratories, NextEra Energy, IBM, Boeing, ServiceNow, CSX, Freeport-McMoRan, Lam Research, Norfolk Southern Thursday: Tryg, Novozymes, Kone, Nokia, LVMH, Christian Dior, STMicroelectronics, SAP, Diageo, Atlas Copco, Volvo, SEB, Visa, Mastercard, Comcast, Intel, Blackstone, Valero Energy, Archer-Daniels-Midland, Dow, Nucor, L3Harris Technologies, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines Friday: Fanuc, Chevron, American Express, Colgate-Palmolive Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0810 – ECB’s Klaas Knot to speak 0815-0900 – Eurozone Jan. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0930 – UK Jan. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0945 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1100 – UK Jan. CBI Business Optimism and Trends in Total Orders/Selling Prices 1300 – Hungary Central Bank Rate Decision 1330 – Philadelphia Fed Non-manufacturing Survey 1445 – US Jan. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1500 – US Jan. Richmond Fed Business Conditions 1800 – US Treasury auctions 2-year notes 2130 – API's weekly report on US oil inventories 2145 – New Zealand Q4 CPI 0030 – Australia Q4 CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 24, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Industrial Metals Monthly Report: Challenging Global Economic Growth Clouds Metals Outlook

    Salesforce Is Being Tested As Its Growth Slows Down

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 24.01.2023 10:33
    Salesforce Inc. has gone through a difficult period in recent months as slowing growth and turmoil among employees have dampened enthusiasm for its business. Changes in management and employment In November, Salesforce said co-CEO Bret Taylor was leaving - a departure that came after growing tension with co-founder and co-founder Mark Benioff over their responsibilities and the way they run the company, the daily reported. Prior to Salesforce's announcement that Taylor would be leaving, there was discussion about resolving the issue and arranging Taylor's stay for another year, but this fell through. Rising tensions eventually led to Salesforce's announcement that Taylor would be leaving his position as co-CEO on January 31, and Benioff would once again become sole leader and continue as president of the company. Subsequently, Slack's chief product officer and another director, senior vice president of marketing communications and brand, also leave, though he described it as a coincidence. Salesforce has announced the departure of Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, a workplace communication tool Salesforce acquired in 2021. The Slack acquisition, nearly twice the size of Salesforce's next largest acquisition, was an attempt to move Salesforce beyond its core product, which helps businesses manage customer relationships, to providing software tools that businesses need on a daily basis. The news of Butterfield's departure comes after Salesforce said last week that CEO Bret Taylor would leave the company in January. Butterfield said he was leaving the company in good shape. A spokeswoman said Mr Butterfield will be succeeded by Lidiane Jones, the current cloud director at Salesforce, as the next CEO of Slack. This month, Salesforce said it would cut its workforce of around 80,000 by 10% - the largest round of layoffs to date. Other company problems While tech companies have struggled with slowdowns in recent quarters, Salesforce has been hit harder than many of its peers in the business software industry. Its shares have lost nearly 30% over the past year, worse than rivals. In its financial report for the third fiscal quarter for the three months to October 31, Salesforce missed analysts' expectations regarding billing. Salesforce reported revenue for the fiscal third quarter ended Oct. 31 of $7.84 billion, up 14% from the prior year. This marked a sharp slowdown from 27% revenue growth in the same quarter a year earlier. The company also declined to issue guidelines for the 2024 tax year. The company's costs increased with the number of its employees. It added close to 30,000 employees from the beginning of 2020 to the end of last year, an increase of around 60%. Salesforce had nearly 80,000 employees worldwide as of October 31, up from over 49,000 as of January 31, 2020. In a tightened financial environment, customers have become more careful with their spending, which takes them longer and requires additional approvals before they agree to purchase Salesforce software. New inwestor On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Elliott Management Corp. invested a multi-billion dollar investment in the company. In October, Starboard Value LP reported that it had acquired a stake in the company. While campaign details could not be known, Elliott, one of the country's largest and most prolific activists, often seeks board representation and pressures companies to make operational improvements and other changes. Elliott has not publicly stated his specific hopes for Salesforce. Analysts said the company's new activist investor will continue to focus on what the company can do to better streamline operations in these challenging times. Saleforce share price Salesforce's stock, which has performed brilliantly for years, has fallen by about half from its highs at the end of 2021 and has given the company a market capitalization of around $150 billion. Salesforce shares were up about 3% on Monday afternoon. Thus, the prices reached the level of 155.87. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    US CPI Surprises on the Upside, but Fed Expectations Unchanged Amid Rising Recession Risks

    More Job Cuts, Microsoft Is Putting $10 Billion Into The Now-Very-Famous ChatGPT

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 24.01.2023 10:51
    The week started with more news of layoffs, and further gains in the S&P500. S&P500 The S&P500 traded above the 200-DMA, yet again. Earnings will decide whether the latest gains will be sustainable. Microsoft All eyes are on Microsoft – not only because it will release Q4 earnings after the bell, but also because it’s been making a great buzz since the start of the year thanks to its bet on ChatGPT. The company confirmed yesterday that is putting $10 billion into the now-very-famous ChatGPT. PMI On the macro front, PMI data released this morning showed that the manufacturing activity in Japan didn’t improve in January, while Australia’s manufacturing PMI slipped below 50, into the contraction zone for the first time in 32 months, but business confidence improved to a three-month high, on China’s reopening. EUR/USD Elsewhere, the EURUSD couldn’t consolidate gains above the 1.09 mark yesterday. But today’s PMI data could help give another boost to the single currency. And, if not, the message from the European Central Bank (ECB) is crystal clear: the rate hikes will continue and that’s positive for the euro. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:31 More job cuts, more S&P500 gains? 2:44 Has Microsoft hit the jackpot with ChatGPT? 5:07 FX roundup: commo-currencies, euro and yen 8:15 Gold’s next bullish target at $1980 per ounce Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #ChatGPT #Microsoft #earnings #PMI #data #USD #EUR #JPY #CAD #AUD #crude #oil #XAU #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Canadian Inflation Rises to 3.3%, US Retail Sales Climb: USD/CAD Analysis

    The Department Of Justice's Lawsuit Against Google

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 25.01.2023 11:34
    For years, Google has faced accusations from advertising and media industry executives. Allegations against Google The Department of Justice has accused Google of abusing its role as one of the largest brokers, suppliers and online auctioneers of advertisements placed on websites and mobile applications. The filing promises a protracted legal battle with far-reaching implications for the digital advertising industry. Google also operates the most popular search engine and online video streaming site, YouTube, which raises allegations that it is tilting the market in its favour. Filed in federal court in Virginia, the case concerns Google's abuse of its monopoly position in the advertising industry, harming online publishers and advertisers who try to use competing products. Eight states, including California and New York, joined the Justice Department's lawsuit. The lawsuit asks the court to reverse Google's "anti-competitive acquisitions", such as its 2008 purchase of DoubleClick. Rivals say Google's power in digital advertising stems from a series of acquisitions that Google has used to build its advertising business. While largely invisible to internet users, ad-tech tools controlled by Google make it easy to buy and sell digital ads that help fund online publishers. Google's business includes a tool through which publishers can offer ad space, a product for advertisers to buy these spaces, and an exchange that automatically connects bidders to websites as they load for individual users. 2020 lawsuit The Department of Justice's 2020 lawsuit against Google related to its position in the online search markets, including permission to make Google the default search engine in Apple's Safari browser. Last year, Google offered to split some of its advertising business into a separate company under the Alphabet umbrella to fend off a recent Justice Department investigation. Department of Justice officials declined the offer and instead opted to proceed with the trial. Advertising earnings Alphabet gets about 80% of its business from advertising. A new Justice Department lawsuit targets a subset of this ad business that brokers the buying and selling of ads on other websites and apps. Google reported $31.7 billion in revenue in 2021 from this brokerage business, about 12% of Alphabet's total revenue. Google gives around 70% of these revenues to online publishers and developers. Google's respond Google has attempted to settle claims against its ad technology company. Google said it has no plans to sell or exit the advertising business. He also strongly disputed the claims in a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general led by Texas, with allegations similar to the Department of Justice complaint. As well as offering to carve out some of its advertising business to avoid a Justice Department lawsuit, the company last year talked to the EU about a deal that would allow competitors to broker ad sales directly on the video service. In 2021, the company agreed to give UK antitrust authorities effective veto power over elements of its plans to remove a technology called third-party cookies from Chrome in order to settle an investigation of the plan there. In France, Google agreed to pay a fine of €220 million, equivalent to approximately $239 million, and to improve data access to rival ad firms so as not to use their data in a way that rivals could not reproduce, to settle a similar antitrust investigation in country. Will there be shift in the online advertising industry? Any divestiture of Google's advertising technology business would be a major shift in the online advertising industry. Separating parts of Google's advertising business from the rest of the company can take years of litigation. Depending on the outcome of the case, ad-tech executives said the results could range from a higher share of ad dollars flowing to publishers to lower overall spend as digital advertising would be less efficient without Google's intermediation. Google (Alphabet) share price GOOG shares have seen a significant drop in the last year. They started 2023 at 89.70 and rose until last Monday, where they reached 101.21, but fell to 99.21 on Tuesday. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange Only The Dow Jones Index Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 26.01.2023 08:10
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.03%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.02%, the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.18%.  Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Walt Disney Company, which gained 2.12 points or 2.00% to close at 108.12. McDonald's Corporation rose 3.44 points or 1.28% to close at 273.00. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc rose 0.38 points or 1.06% to close at 36.28. The least gainers were 3M Company shares, which lost 2.07 points or 1.80% to end the session at 112.93. The Travelers Companies Inc was up 1.30% or 2.51 points to close at 190.74 while Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:AMGN) was down 1.22% or 3.16 points or ended trading at 256.54. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were MarketAxess Holdings Inc, which rose 10.25% to 363.28, Capital One Financial Corporation, which gained 8.99% to close at 116.09. as well as Warner Bros Discovery Inc, which rose 8.59% to end the session at 14.53. The least gainers were Nextera Energy Inc, which shed 8.71% to close at 76.59. Shares of Nasdaq Inc lost 5.85% and ended the session at 58.30. Quotes of Intuitive Surgical Inc decreased in price by 5.50% to 243.80. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Minerva Surgical Inc, which rose 65.90% to 0.38, Alvarium Tiedemann Holdings Inc, which gained 65.41% to close at 15.40. as well as shares of GeoVax Labs Inc, which rose 58.89% to close the session at 1.11. Shares of Grom Social Enterprises Inc became the leaders of the decline, which fell in price by 35.63%, closing at 2.06. Shares of Helbiz Inc lost 29.76% and ended the session at 0.29. Quotes of Waitr Holdings Inc decreased in price by 27.79% to 0.42. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1651) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1387), while quotes of 132 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1906 companies rose in price, 1745 fell, and 194 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.63% to 19.08. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.60%, or 11.70, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 0.46%, or 0.37, to $80.50 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery rose 0.30%, or 0.26, to $86.39 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.28% to 1.09, while USD/JPY fell 0.46% to hit 129.55. Futures on the USD index fell 0.27% to 101.40. Relevance up to 04:00 2023-01-27 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/310098
    FX Daily: Upbeat China PMIs lift the mood

    Chinese Have Enough Money To Temper Recession, Tesla’s Record Profit

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 26.01.2023 10:56
    The S&P500 was flat yesterday, as investors tried to make sense of the deluge of company earnings that hit the fan before, during and after the session. Microsoft didn’t gain on better-than-expected earnings, and Tesla announced record profits, but the share price jumped only 5% in the afterhours. Stocks Latest positive price action in stocks – which is now fading, and the positive price action in bonds suggest that the recession odds became less for stock traders, and more for bond traders since the start of this year. And that’s a risk for stock gains, besides earnings. Bank of Canada In central banks, Bank of Canada (BoC) hiked its bank rate by 25bp yesterday and announced to pause. The BoC decision spurred the expectation that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could do the same: hike by 25bp next week then pause. Bank of England For the Bank of England (BoE), investors are almost sure that the year will end with a 25bp hike due to the slowing economy. Australia But in Australia, the surprise rebound in Australian inflation, spurred the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) hawks yesterday. Summary In summary, investors’ hearts will continue to swing between slowing economy and easing inflation, and the bumps in inflation along the way.But the data will tell who is right and who is wrong. All eyes are on US GDP today! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:47 Microsoft sold on slowing revenue warning 1:51 Tesla’s record profit sees limited reaction 3:34 Stock and bonds don’t price the same recession odds 5:11 FX update: USD down, euro, sterling, Aussie up 7:51 Chevron to buy back $75bn stocks! 9:01 Chinese have enough money to temper recession. They just need to spend it! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Tesla #Microsoft #earnings #Chevron #stock #buyback #US #GDP #data #Fed #ECB #BoE #RBA #BoC #expectations #recession #odds #USD #EUR #GBP #AUD #crude #oil #China #New #Year #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    Italy Eases Windfall Tax Impact Amid China's Deflation, Focus on US Inflation Report

    Another Sector Announced Layoffs, Hasbro Reduced Its Workforce, IBM And SAP Have Joined Technology Companies That Are Reducing Employment

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 27.01.2023 11:21
    Mass layoffs began to spread beyond the tech sector. Hasbro is joining the wave of companies cutting jobs as the global economy slows in response to rising interest rates and other macroeconomic factors such as a reduction in consumer spending. Dow, IBM and SAP announce they will lay off thousands of workers. Layoffs in Hasbro Economic uncertainty is spreading to sectors beyond technology and media. Hasbro Inc said it will eliminate 15% of its global workforce this year. The toy and entertainment company said the reduction, which will affect around 1,000 jobs, will take effect in the next few weeks. Drop in sales Retail companies have seen their sales decline, especially during the crucial holiday season as consumers cut back on discretionary purchases amid rampant inflation and recession fears. Hasbro also released preliminary results for the fourth quarter, showing that revenue fell 17% to $1.68 billion compared to the previous year. Read next: GBP/USD Pair Is Struggling To Extend Previous Highs, EUR/USD Pair Continued Its Gains| FXMAG.COM Hasbro share price The stock has fallen 29% in the last 12 months. After that in the new year HAS stock price rose, this week saw a significant drop from above 65.0 to 60.50. Layoffs in Dow, IBM and SAP In the US alone, more than 150 tech companies have announced plans to lay off 55,000 jobs since early January. Dow, IBM and SAP have joined a line of companies planning to shed thousands of jobs to prepare for a deteriorating economic outlook. Unlike Microsoft Corp. and Google parent Alphabet Inc., which announced more layoffs this month, the companies did not drastically increase staff numbers during the pandemic. Instead, the leaders of these global giants said they were shrinking to accommodate slowing growth or to respond to weaker demand for their products. Many CEOs say companies are starting to look more closely at hiring. Four companies have cut more than 10,000 jobs this week, a fraction of the total workforce. Still, the decisions mark a shift in sentiment in the executive suites, where many leaders are retaining workers after struggling to hire and retain them in recent years as the pandemic disrupted jobs. Planned layoffs of 3,000 employees at SAP affect about 2.5% of the business software maker's global workforce. Chemical giant Dow said on Thursday it was laying off about 2,000 employees. The Midland, Michigan company says it currently employs about 37,800 people. Management said they intend to cut costs by $1 billion this year and close some assets. According to IBM's latest annual report, the plan to eliminate around 3,900 roles would mean a 1.4% reduction in workforce to 280,000. Not all companies are on layoffs. Walmart Inc., the country's largest private employer, said this week it was raising starting wages for U.S. hourly workers to $14 from $12, amid a still tight labor market for frontline workers. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. said on Thursday it planned to hire 15,000 new employees to work at its restaurants, while aircraft maker Airbus SE said it would hire more than 13,000 new employees this year. Airbus said 9,000 new jobs will be located in Europe, with the rest in the US, China and other countries. Dow share prices Dow Inc shares rose in the new year until they finally stopped below 60.00. IBM share prices IBM shares have fallen drastically recently. IBM stock prices are below 135.00. SAP share prices SAP shares similarly to IBM rose in the new year, and recently started its decline. Currently, SAP share prices have fallen from 116.16 to 114.10. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Behind Closed Doors: The Multibillion-Dollar Deals Shaping Global Markets

    A Loss Of $48 Billion In Shares Of The Indian Group Adani As A Result Of The Hindenburg Research Report

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 29.01.2023 19:13
    Companies around the world are constantly assessed by state institutions and those outside. Reports and all kinds of information have a greater or lesser impact on the situation of a given company, but the example of Adani Group shows that one report can generate large losses. In this article: The power nutrient The bond market A Loss Of $48 Billion In Shares The power nutrient Everyone wants to be healthy and matter. On the internet you can find various diets and tips on how to achieve this. Many specialists repeat that the most important thing is a proper diet, and especially taking care of its micronutrients. Fiber is a nutrient superhero, and yet most people don't get enough in their diets. Researchers have found that adequate dietary fiber intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, certain gastrointestinal disorders, and type 2 diabetes. There is also evidence that the benefits of fiber extend beyond any specific ailment: eating more fiber can lower human mortality. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that people who consumed higher amounts of fiber, especially from grains, had a significantly lower risk of dying over a nine-year period compared to those who consumed lower amounts of fiber. While you can easily take a fiber supplement, you will miss out on all the other vitamins and minerals that whole foods provide. The best sources of fiber are whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts. It is worth considering whether we consume the right amount of fiber and take care of our health. A dietitian says this is the "power nutrient" she eats for a longer, healthier life—but 95% of Americans lack in their diet. (via @CNBCMakeIt) https://t.co/cEhnURQYOd — CNBC (@CNBC) January 29, 2023 The bond market The bond market is an opportunity for profit, but it is also risky. Last year, an avalanche of events caused the market to collapse - the Russo-Ukrainian war, the tightening of the Federal Reserve, rising inflation and soaring energy prices. High yield bonds did not run away, losing nearly 11% due to recession fears but also due to rising interest rates. In response, investors paid out a record $52.8 billion in the first three quarters of 2022. The good news is that this sale has boosted profitability and could be a buying opportunity. Despite the difficulties on the market, it is worth looking for opportunities, not obstacles. A current yield level of around 9% offers an attractive entry point from an income perspective for high-yield bond fund investors.Here is a closer look at a few of the funds favored by our analysts. https://t.co/kHDE6LCqN1 — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) January 29, 2023 A Loss Of $48 Billion In Shares A report by Hindenburg Research triggered a loss of $48 billion in shares of the Indian group Adani. The Hindenburg Report questioned how Adani Group exploited foreign entities in tax havens such as Mauritius and the Caribbean islands. The company did not leave the case without a competitor. Adani said on Thursday he was considering taking action against Hindenburg. India's Adani Group: Hindenburg report intended to create false market https://t.co/epI05jy6GK pic.twitter.com/0IZ4coQS7V — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) January 29, 2023
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The NASDAQ Stock Exchange 2,131 Companies Rose In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 30.01.2023 08:07
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.08%, the S&P 500 rose 0.25%, and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.95%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was American Express Company, which gained 16.43 points or 10.54% to close at 172.31. Visa Inc Class A rose 6.73 points or 3.00% to close at 231.44. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc rose 0.67 points or 1.84% to close at 37.17. The least gainers were shares of Intel Corporation, which lost 1.93 points or 6.41% to end the session at 28.16. Chevron Corp was up 4.44% or 8.34 points to close at 179.45 while The Travelers Companies Inc was down 1.74% or 3.35 points to close at 188. .76. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Tesla Inc, which rose 10.99% to 177.88, American Express Company, which gained 10.54% to close at 172.31, and shares of L3Harris Technologies Inc, which rose 7.92% to end the session at 212.10. The least gainers were Hasbro Inc, which shed 8.11% to close at 58.61. Shares of KLA Corporation shed 6.85% to end the session at 399.37. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were BuzzFeed Inc, which rose 85.17% to 3.87, Applied UV Inc, which gained 52.88% to close at 1.59, and shares of Lucid Group Inc, which rose 43.00% to end the session at 12.87. The least gainers were Nemaura Medical Inc, which shed 42.31% to close at 1.65. Shares of Jack Creek Investment Corp. lost 33.79% and ended the session at 12.44. Quotes of Akerna Corp fell in price by 31.46% to 1.22. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1,738) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1,303), while quotes of 114 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,131 companies rose in price, 1,535 declined, and 173 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.17% to 18.51. Commodities Gold futures for February delivery lost 0.09%, or 1.80, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery fell 1.91%, or 1.55, to $79.46 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for March delivery fell 1.18%, or 1.03, to $86.44 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair was unchanged 0.19% to 1.09, while USD/JPY fell 0.30% to hit 129.82. Futures on the USD index rose 0.08% to 101.72.   Relevance up to 04:00 2023-01-31 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/310476
    FX Daily: Asymmetrical upside risks for the dollar today

    USD Weakness May Not Last For Long, Particularly Against AUD

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.01.2023 09:26
    Summary:  Further flattening or inversion is possible but with the recent downshift consensus with descending inflation numbers, it would be worth watching for trade setup by buying the spread - buy 2 year futures ZTH3 and sell 10 year futures ZNH3 - with reward risk that could favor a steepener instead. Chinese market returns after a long break but this week is huge with heaps of market events starting with FOMC rate decision followed by the earnings of three trillion market cap stocks – AMZN, GOOGL and AAPL - then of course non farm payroll (est 175k) and unemployment (est 3.6%) to wrap things up.S&P500 has already started the new year with YTD return +6% breaking above psychological level 4,000 where both 200DMA & downtrend (from all time high 4,818) coincided.  As a result of this laggy looking Santa rally, S&P500 PE is nearly 20 times compared to low 17 back in October last year and so far 143 companies reported with +0.9% sales and +2% earnings surprises. Last Friday two stocks stood out in relation to the inflation expectations.  AMEX 4Q results showed record quarterly card spending and indicated 2023 guidance for sales & earnings topping estimates.  Further more, similar to BHP that reached all time high $50 level recently, Caterpillar (CAT) has hit record high $266.04 heading into earnings tomorrow night and the focus is expected to be on the machinery producer’s demand forecast for this year.Another observation is on silver (XAGUSD) that has gained ~40% from last year’s support level $18 while testing big downtrend (from double top $30 that was formed during 2020 – 2021).  Given its industrial uses and half precious metal status, China reopening anticipation seems to be fully priced in and major driver behind the recent base metals that also have rallied and is showing resilience.  This month so far, broad based US dollar weakness coincided with falling VIX below 20 and credit spread declining towards 450bps on the back of falling treasury yields in the range between 20 and 40 bps particularly from 2 years onwards.  However the below graph shows shifts in yield curve of key tenors between now and 15th dec 22 when the last FOMC meeting took place with economic projections including non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU) at 4% and PCE price index of 2%.  Clearly the big swings – rise in yield – were concentrated on the short end of the curve all the way upto three months while 10 year & 30 year increases were relatively subdued therefore resulting in bear flattener (short end rising faster than long end). Most recent unemployment rate was 3.5% that is the lowest in 50 years and below NAIRU 4% so there is about 0.5% gap in between.  Also last week’s Dec core PCE YoY was 4.4% - the lowest out of four measures of inflation - therefore both of these figures still seem to suggest inflationary condition still exists hence current futures market’s implication of mere two 25bps hikes next two meetings taking the terminal rate at around 4.9% looks to be far from the reality so USD weakness may not last for long – particularly against AUD (S&P500 sensitivity) and JPY (carry trade) that both had the biggest returns of 6% among G10 currencies post last FOMC meeting - with potential reversal being a scenario that shouldn’t be ruled out. Another component of the yield curve other than direction of yield is anticipating whether the curve will steepen or flatten.  Two of the mostly watched spreads – 2y10y (-70bps) and 3m10y (-110bps) - have been extremely inverted for some time hence raising the probability of recession based on the historical correlations.  Major driver behind the inversion of the yield curve has been a significant rise in short end of the curve reacting to Fed’s rate hikes in typical fashion and may continue to see further flattening or inversion but with the recent downshift consensus with descending inflation numbers, it would be worth watching for trade setup by buying the spread - buy 2 year futures ZTH3 and sell 10 year futures ZNH3 while matching duration or DV01 (dollar value of 1 basis point change) - with reward risk that could favor a steepener instead, should the inflation remains elevated above the Fed’s target longer than expected alongside record low level of unemployment while also we have seen AU (7.8%) & NZ (7.2%) with higher than expected CPI last week. e.g. Long 100 lot ZTH3 and short 52 lot ZNH3 with spread ratio of 0.5169 (DV01 of $34.11 / $65.98) in the anticipation of profiting from steepening either by long end yield rising faster than short end yield (bear steepener) or short end yield falling faster than long end yield (bull steepener) but loss from more flattening and breakeven from parallel shift which is probably most unlikely scenario. Yield curve shift 2y10y and 3m10y of yield curve spreads   Source: ST Note - Nothing but yield curve | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Toyota's Transition To Electric Will Come With A Change In CEO

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 30.01.2023 11:13
    Electric vehicles are taking up a growing share of European and American markets, and a fifth of the world's largest car market, China, already consists of electric vehicles. Akio Toyoda Longtime CEO Akio Toyoda called himself the spokesperson for the "silent majority" of people in the auto industry who questioned the focus on electric vehicles. In the automotive world, Toyoda is one of those who advocate slower and more prudent movement. He argued that gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles like Toyota's Prius could be just as environmentally friendly, and said other companies were pushing consumers to switch to electric vehicles they might not be ready for without a full charging infrastructure. The CEO has always said that he is not a skeptic about electric vehicles - he is a realist. The desire to change for the better The transition is a watershed moment not only in the automotive industry, but also in the complicated green energy transition across the business world. Some companies, investors and governments are pushing for big leaps towards renewable energy and green technologies, arguing that consumers and infrastructure will keep up with the changes. Government agencies and investors are encouraging companies to switch to electric vehicles with subsidies and tax breaks. New tax credits for electric vehicles in US law, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, do not apply to hybrids that are not pluggable. The European Union has mandated the sale of new zero-emission cars by 2035. The state of California will also only allow the sale of new electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen cell vehicles starting in 2035. Read next: Inflation Is Falling, But Does It Mean That The Fed's February Decision Will Be Dovish?| FXMAG.COM New CEO CEO Motor Corp. Akio Toyoda, who has expressed skepticism about the future of all-electric vehicles, said he would hand over the keys to a junior director. The change in management comes as Toyota transitions to electric, autonomous and connected cars. Koji Sato, a 53-year-old engineer who will take over as Toyota's CEO in April, has provided some details on his plans for the world's best-selling automaker. However, his background in launching the first all-electric Lexus and working on hydrogen-powered cars allows him to face the upcoming car transformation. Sato said on Thursday, without giving details, that his plans for Toyota include accelerating the electrification of the automaker's lineup. Still, echoing Toyoda's position, he said that for the world to become carbon neutral by 2050, it would need more than just electric vehicles for transportation. Toyota will be EV? Last month, Toyoda wondered aloud how much longer he could argue for a more gradual and multifaceted approach. Two generations ago, Toyota was transforming the automotive industry with innovations such as just-in-time manufacturing and an obsession with continuous improvement. By the time Toyoda took the top job in 2009, there were signs the company was moving too fast. His quest for global dominance limited profit margins and caused some to wonder if quality was being sacrificed. But as Tesla overtook Toyota to become the world's most valuable automaker by market capitalization, competition intensified. Currently, Toyota has several electric vehicles in showrooms, and more will appear this year. Toyota's current EV platform - the basic architecture on which various car models can be built - has been partially changed from the existing platform for gasoline-powered vehicles. Even before Toyota's first change at the top in 13 years, some changes to its EV strategy were being considered behind the scenes. The company researched rivals. Meanwhile, Toyota remains the leader in sales of hybrids and plug-in hybrids, two model types that accounted for nearly 30% of its global shipments between 2022 and November. But sales of pure electric vehicles - models that run purely on electricity - are still low. The competitive EV business remains for Toyota as part of a larger strategy to promote and invest in a diversified offering that also includes hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. Toyota share price Toyota shares with the new year soared. They started the year at 138.28 and are now much higher at 147.16. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Jerome Powell Will Certainly Try To Calm Down Market Joy

    Jerome Powell Will Certainly Try To Calm Down Market Joy

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 31.01.2023 13:18
    Stock investors kicked off the week on a cautious note, as the Federal Reserve (Fed) is expected to kill joy when it announced its latest decision tomorrow, and earnings announcements may not save the day.   Some profit taking  US equities kicked off the week on a negative note, as many investors preferred booking profits before the deluge of earnings announcements and the Fed decision.    And they are certainly not wrong to be scared, because the Fed expectations became increasingly dovish in January, as investors saw the easing inflation figures combined with softening economic activity.   The S&P500 gave back 1.30% on Monday. The  index is still above the 2022 bearish trend and above the 200-DMA, but we can't rely on Jerome Powell to keep the party going; only stronger-than-expected earnings, and ideally sufficiently good profit guidance from companies could do it – and spitting out a good guidance won't be a piece of cake for a good amount of them.   Crude oil down despite strong China PMI, encouraging IMF growth forecast   US crude fell 2% yesterday and slipped below the 50-DMA this morning.   Interestingly, however, the latest news on the macro front is not bad, at all. The Chinese reopening is now well reflected through the first set of economic data. Released today, both the manufacturing and services PMI jumped into the expansion zone.   And the cherry on top, the IMF raised its growth forecast for this year by 0.2% to 2.9% citing the resilience of US spending and the Chinese reopening.   This is the kind of news that the energy markets normally cheer. But not this time, apparently.    Read next: The Government Pension Fund Global Suffers Losses| FXMAG.COM Won't call victory over inflation...  The US dollar is gaining some positive momentum into the Fed meeting, as investors know that the Fed won't declare victory over inflation despite the falling inflation, and position accordingly.  Why? Because the trend could reverse suddenly.   The Spanish inflation came as a punch to the Europeans' face yesterday as it advanced to 5.8% in January instead of falling to 4.7% as expected. French and German readings could reveal similar surprises.  And nothing guarantees that the same U-turn won't happen in the US. Gasoline prices surged 12.5% over the past month on the back of winter storms and a rising global demand – partly thanks to the ban on Russian oil and the Chinese reopening, and food price inflation remains high.   So, the Fed will certainly hike by 25bp, but there is little chance it will announce the end of the tightening.   And Jerome Powell will certainly try to calm down market joy – given that the actual market environment suggests that the financial conditions in the US have become as loose as last February, before the Fed started tightening its purse's strings.   And the more the market fights the Fed, the more aggressive the Fed should become to achieve what they need to achieve.   In summary, the Fed will likely reveal that there will be at least one more rate hike, or two more rate hikes to go before pause.  And that simply 's' could make all the difference.   
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Was Positive For All Indices

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 01.02.2023 08:22
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 1.09%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.46%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 1.67%. Dow Jones The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Home Depot Inc, which gained 9.93 points or 3.16% to close at 324.17. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 13.40 points or 2.76% to close at 499.19. Dow Inc rose 1.40 points or 2.42% to close at 59.35. The least gainers were Caterpillar Inc, which shed 9.21 points or 3.52% to end the session at 252.29. McDonald's Corporation was up 3.49 points (1.29%) to close at 267.40, while International Business Machines was down 0.57 points (0.42%) to close at 134. 73. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 components in today's trading were Smith AO Corporation, which rose 13.72% to 67.73, International Paper, which gained 10.66% to close at 41.82, and shares of PulteGroup Inc, which rose 9.42% to end the session at 56.89. The least gainers were Phillips 66, which shed 5.77% to close at 100.28. Shares of Corning Incorporated shed 4.89% to end the session at 34.61. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Motorsport Gaming Us LLC, which rose 713.69% to hit 21.40, Mobile Global Esports Inc, which gained 161.93% to close at 2.58 , as well as shares of Atlas Technical Consultants Inc, which rose 121.76% to close the session at 12.13. Shares of Sidus Space Inc were the least gainers, losing 53.94% to close at 0.41. Shares of Nuvve Holding Corp lost 40.43% and ended the session at 1.37. Evoke Pharma Inc lost 29.74% to 4.04. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2579) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (477), while quotes of 90 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2824 companies rose in price, 865 fell, and 175 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.76% to 19.39. Gold Gold futures for February delivery added 0.27%, or 5.20, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 1.54%, or 1.20, to $79.10 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery rose 1.28%, or 1.08, to $85.58 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.20% to 1.09, while USD/JPY fell 0.23% to hit 130.15. Futures on the USD index fell 0.19% to 101.89.   Relevance up to 04:00 2023-02-02 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/310903
    Intel's Cost Reduction Also Includes Executive Compensation

    Intel's Cost Reduction Also Includes Executive Compensation

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 01.02.2023 11:17
    The largest U.S. chip maker by revenue is facing a major industry downturn, fierce competition and an expensive recovery plan. Salary reduction Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and other executives are cutting salaries days after the company released quarterly results that disappointed Wall Street. Gelsinger, in the top job for two years, will see his base pay cut by 25%, Intel said. The company said other cuts would be staggered, with base salaries set at 15% for executives, 10% for senior managers and 5% for middle managers. Intel said hourly workers and junior workers would not be affected. The Losses The PC market is in a sharp downturn, with device shipments down 28.5% in the last quarter of 2022. Semiconductor companies are now oversupplied with chips as a result of a shortage caused by the pandemic, which has been driven by both supply chain constraints and high product demand digital. Intel is also feeling the pain of belt-tightening by wider corporations, which is affecting sales in its lucrative server business. Revenue from data center customers fell by a third in the fourth quarter. On Thursday, the board said softness is expected to hold for the first half of the year, followed by a slight rebound in the second half as China's enterprise market recovers faster than the cloud computing industry. Intel last week posted a loss for the last quarter and said it expects to stay in the red for three months through March. The company has not suffered consecutive quarterly losses in more than three decades. Intel expects another loss in March quarter. Read next: AUD/USD Pair Remains Under Strong Selling Pressure, The EUR/USD Pair Has Been Falling But Remains Above 1.08$| FXMAG.COM Intel continues to lose market share to rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and companies that have adopted semiconductors based on technology from British company Arm Ltd., analysts said on Friday. Intel said development of the new processors is proceeding as planned. Intel's financial turmoil comes at a critical time. The company is investing heavily in chip manufacturing to regain a foothold lost to Asian rivals who are now leading the industry in producing the most advanced chips. Intel CFO David Zinsner said the company's adjusted free cash flow for the first half of the year will be below last year's expectations before improving. Gelsinger’s plan Intel has fallen behind its chip-making competitors in Asia in the race to produce the fastest chips with the smallest transistors, although Gelsinger has outlined plans to return to the lead within a few years. Even as Intel cuts spending, it continues with an unprecedented plan to expand its chip manufacturing plant. Gelsinger has presented an ambitious plan to Intel to reclaim the lead in chip manufacturing that it has ceded to Asian rivals in recent years through multi-billion-dollar investments in factories. The company's capital expenditures rose to a record $24.8 billion last year, up 33% over the previous year. Gelsinger has committed to investing more than $100 billion in new U.S. chip fabs. The company relies on grants from the U.S. government and other countries to help defray the cost of these efforts. Intel executives said they were still committed to major projects, although the company delayed the start of construction of its facilities in Germany amid deteriorating market prospects and took other steps to save money. Intel share prices The troubles in the industry are perfectly illustrated by the movement of ren stocks. Last year, Intel's share price dropped significantly from above 50.00 to below 30.00. Intel shares fell more than 9% in trading on Thursday. But today, prices have gained 3% and are trading at 28.26. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Past bubbles and AI. "It turns out that almost every time historically there has been a technology that has revolutionised reality, it has been over-invested in"

    Apple earnings: A year ago, quarterly earnings per share amounted to USD 2.1, now the market expects a result of about 10% lower

    Pawel Majtkowski Pawel Majtkowski 27.01.2023 15:08
    To some, the event of the week could be the earnings of Apple, which, according to eToro Market Analyst, usually achieves its best quarterly results in the last quarter. Another important earnings report this week is McDonald's. The resulting weakening of the dollar is also helping Apple's sales outside the US - which account for 60% of the company's total sales Apple - the world's most valuable listed company - will present its results on Thursday, and this could affect the market in several ways. Apple accounts for a quarter of the entire capitalization of the IT sector in the US, and it is the most valuable sector in the S&P500 index. Apple has had a good start to the year, although its results are currently a reaction to very strong demand during the pandemic. A symbol of this is the decline in smartphone sales by 18% in the last quarter. Apple has so far avoided job cuts or spending cuts, which tsunami we see now across the American IT industry. The approaching end of interest rate hikes should help reduce financial costs and thus increase the value of the company. The resulting weakening of the dollar is also helping Apple's sales outside the US - which account for 60% of the company's total sales. Apple faces challenges, but also opportunities, similar to all companies in the IT industry. First of all, we see a shift from simply selling hardware to offering services. In this regard, Apple already has a lot of experience offering services from Apple Music, through TV+ to Apple Pay. And practically always becoming a serious rival for companies already operating in a given industry. Thanks to the services, Apple was able to significantly improve its margins, which allowed it to maintain a valuation above the market, unlike many of its large tech companies. Secondly, Apple is taking advantage of the wave of increased demand for luxury products. The price of the cheapest iPhone in the US is currently just under $1,000, and the most expensive are approaching $2,000. Outside of the US market, these prices are even higher. Thanks to this, Apple, having a 20% share in the global smartphone market, obtains as much as 80% of the industry's profits. This also helps the company in the situation of a significant drop in demand for smartphones that we are currently observing. Read next: US GDP: Growth slowed down slightly from 3.2% in Q3, but the data show that the US economy is still avoiding recession| FXMAG.COM What challenges does the company face? Above all, Apple is trying to reduce over-reliance on China in its supply chain. However, production is not transferred to the USA or Europe, but to countries in Southeast Asia. And such relocation in the initial production period generates significant costs and many problems. Secondly, consumers and investors want the company to operate in accordance with the principles of ESG (Environment, Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance). For this reason, the company was one of the first to publish information about its supply chain and also experienced pressure to reduce executive salaries. Tim Cook just cut his salary by 40% after only 64% of shareholders approved last year's compensation plan (say-on-pay vote). The company usually achieves its best quarterly results in the last quarter of a calendar year. It will be no different this time. A year ago, quarterly earnings per share (EPS) amounted to USD 2.1, now the market expects a result of about 10% lower. However, maybe Apple will surprise us positively, because so far 65% of companies from S&P500 reporting results for the fourth quarter have achieved them better than analysts predicted. It is worth remembering that McDonald's is a company that usually gains during a recession, because consumers limit their spending and move from more expensive restaurants to McDonald's McDonald's, the global restaurant chain, will publish its results on Tuesday. It is very likely that this will be another quarter in which the company will beat analysts' expectations. The company is struggling with rising costs due to inflation. This mainly concerns the increase in wages and food prices. The company has already said it will start layoffs from April to prepare for the recession, thereby reducing costs and improving competitiveness. It is worth remembering that McDonald's is a company that usually gains during a recession, because consumers limit their spending and move from more expensive restaurants to McDonald's.
    US Inflation Rises but Core Inflation Falls to Two-Year Low, All Eyes on ECB Rate Decision on Thursday

    Essential Factors To Watch For 2023 And Stock Indices Are The Short-Term Bond Yields

    Santa Zvaigzne Sproge Santa Zvaigzne Sproge 02.02.2023 14:34
    „The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades”, or about shares and ETFs „The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades” is the title that, unfortunately, we cannot use to forecast 2023. Although, the new year will have to really work hard to surprise anyone who has lived through the past couple of years. It appears that all investors’ eyes are on China and its success in resuming economic activity. A rebounding China will boost imports of oil, commodities and raw materials while fueling demand for airline tickets, hotel rooms and foreign real estate. „Surely it will push up global inflation if China reopens fully,” says Iris Pang, chief economist for Greater China at ING Group NV. There is a risk that China will act more inflationary in 2023, but this risk seems limited due to the very real likelihood that supply will also improve in many sectors of the economy. Inflation and bond yields are the major risks for 2023 stock indices performance. While a mild recession in 2023 is almost certain, the Fed possibly will slow its rate hikes in case inflation starts to show signs of easing. With slowing growth, wage increases would slow, which, among others, would help stabilize corporate margins. „It’s astonishing,” said Harvard University professor Jeremy Stein, „If you told any one of us a year ago, ‚we’re going to have a bunch of 75 basis-point hikes,’ you’d have said, ‚Are you nuts? You’re going to blow up the financial system.’” Guess what? 75 basis-point hikes are done, and the financial system has not broken – and it is not even near that happening. Stock indices are open to another downward phase (we didn’t have a capitulation yet), but by the end of 2023, they could be back on the upward trend even if the world is in a „mild” recession. Investors should watch the market and remain cautious until the new trend is proven. However, someone may say it might be a good to have some exposure and adjust when your asset allocation gets out of whack. Essential factors to watch for 2023 and stock indices are the short-term bond yields, put/call ratio and bank liquidity. Finally, one should remember that stocks are hostages to the tyranny of round numbers, so it might be good for the support and resistance lines to be always near them. As we move further, let us look at what the companies expect the year 2023 to bring. We have studied the earnings forecasts of all 30 companies that are part of the Dow Jones Industrials index (US30). Read next: Santander Bank Polska Shareholders Can Expect A Solid Dividend, The ETH Liquid Staking Narrative Is Already Going Strong| FXMAG.COM It’s going to be tough at first, and then it’s downhill for the Dow Jones Collecting the data of Q1 2023 earnings per share forecasts, we can see that 12 of the 30 companies in this index (40%) are expected to improve their quarterly earnings, resulting in an 11.7% growth in EPS from Q4 2022 to Q1 2023. The average price-to-future earnings ratio within the index is expected to be 16.8, an improvement compared to the current average P/E ratio within the index of 18.5. The most considerable improvement for the upcoming quarter is forecasted by the aircraft and missile manufacturer Boeing Co., which was the only company within the index to record a loss in Q3 2022. In fact, if we exclude Boeing Co. data from the calculations, the estimated EPS growth in the following quarter diminishes to a meagre 2.00%. The second most substantial growth is forecasted by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which is also expected to report the highest quarterly EPS (9.99) within the index. The investment bank would be able to boost its earnings by taking advantage of the increasing interest rate environment. Two companies expecting their EPS to decrease in the upcoming quarter are Chevron Corp. and McDonald’s Corp. The cumulative annual earnings figures are similarly presented. Cumulative EPS is calculated by summing annual EPS for all companies within the index, allowing us to evaluate the EPS changes between two periods. However, to compare the full annual periods, we have taken the expected results for the last quarter of 2022. The data show that the anticipated annual EPS increase in 2023 within the index would be 10.37% (6.19% if we exclude Boeing Co. as an outlier). Furthermore, 26 of the 30 companies in the index are likely to report year-on-year earnings growth. These results show that analysts are currently predicting a slowdown at a large proportion of companies in the medium term and a slow improvement by the end of next year. The companies’ employee retention activities and job postings share the same relatively gloomy sentiment for the upcoming year. Good morning, but unfortunately you are fired Last year, all major tech companies announced job cuts – some significant, some smaller. The motivation for companies to reduce the employee count comes from various factors, such as changing business models and a slowing economy. However, the biggest reason for the extensive tech firing in 2022 is the growth opportunities in cloud computing services and online shopping upon Covid-19 pandemic that drove people to organize their lives remotely. For example, due to this change in consumer behavior, Amazon doubled its workforce and had its most profitable period in the two years since the pandemic’s beginning. As the pandemic slowed in most of the world, such companies as Amazon were left with the high costs of rapid expansions, slower sales, and high inflation. Amazon’s growth stalled to the lowest rate in 20 years in mid-2022. During the period between April and September, Amazon laid off around 80,000 people around the world. In November, it announced another 10,000-employee layoff (the number was increased to 20,000 in December) and froze hiring. In total, Amazon’s downsizing amount to approximately 6.6% of its total workforce. While this has been the biggest job layoff in the history of Amazon in absolute terms, Amazon is experienced in managing its workforce amid recessions – it cut 1,500 jobs during the dot-com crash (which at that time was 15% of the staff). Besides large tech companies such as Amazon, Meta and Twitter, also startups – especially those emerging in response to the needs of a pandemic-hit world - and cryptocurrency companies are also feeling the pressure of inflation, the difficulty of raising new funding and, in the case of the latter, falling Bitcoin prices and investor sentiment. According to the Crunchbase database of public and private companies in the United States laying off employees, nearly 400 companies have announced layoffs, from which 21 reported a complete shutdown and 15 more fired 40% to 60% of their workforce. The major layoffs took place in Fintech, Crypto, E-commerce and Social media industries If anyone is wondering whether redundancies continue into 2023, they will (at least at Amazon). It has been confirmed by the company’s CEO Andy Jassy. Although, it is relatively safe to say that the layoffs would continue in 2023 for other tech companies and may spread out to other sectors as well. While the US labour market still shows meager unemployment data, if taking a closer look, it is visible that a considerable part of the hiring takes place in those industries trampled by the pandemic. And the downsizing among Tech companies also seems to become a problem for other sector workers. Among other (potentially more logical) factors is that corporate leaders are just people with a sense of herd unity. Therefore, if their competitors announce layoffs to prepare for the coming recession, they would probably consider doing the same. While it is harder to look for the silver lining in getting fired, it may be an absolute necessity for the company to undergo downsizing as part of a strategic restructuring. Downsizing allows companies to save cash, improve efficiency and, if necessary, survive economic slowdown. Nevertheless, it is crucial to do the due diligence and see what other activities the company is performing in order to optimize its operations – no company has earned billions by simply laying off employees. While cutting jobs is not necessarily bad for the company, the overall market typically perceives it as a negative sign, which is clearly reflected in its stock price. Studies involving 141 companies announcing layoffs between 1979 and 1997 and 1,445 companies announcing layoffs between 1990 and 1998 clearly show that downsizing negatively affects the companies’ stock prices following the news and in the longer period after the announcement. Interestingly, even though the key objective for downsizing typically is cost-cutting and optimization, not all companies achieve reliable results in this field. On the contrary, as a result, companies face the risk of losing valuable employees, may need to rehire some of them at a later stage and is likely to deal with a fall in customer service quality, productivity, and innovation due to demoralized workforce. The bottom line is that companies don’t fire employees if they are expecting a high growth period ahead. It is true whether we speak about one particular company or the market in general. Investors should pay attention to employee retention activities, reasons for necessary downsizing, and how the company expects to handle any negative consequences. Based on current market trends, it is safe to say that further downsizing will continue as we officially enter a recession in 2023. Good to watch ETFs Read the full Yearly Outlook 2023 by Conotoxia here!
    Markets under Pressure: Rising Yields, Strong Dollar, and Political Headwinds Weigh on Stocks"

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Only The Dow Jones Was Down

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 03.02.2023 08:08
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 0.11%, the S&P 500 was up 1.47% and the NASDAQ Composite was up 3.25%. Dow Jones  The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Microsoft Corporation, which gained 11.85 points or 4.69% to close at 264.60. Quotes of 3M Company rose by 4.43 points (3.82%), closing the trades at the level of 120.29. Intel Corporation rose 1.12 points or 3.85% to close at 30.19. The least gainers were UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, which shed 26.17 points or 5.27% to end the session at 470.83. Merck & Company Inc rose 3.29% or 3.52 points to close at 103.46, while Boeing Co was down 2.52% or 5.41 points to close at 209. ,34. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Align Technology Inc, which rose 27.38% to 359.88, Meta Platforms Inc, which gained 23.28% to close at 188.77, and also shares of WW Grainger Inc, which rose 12.96% to end the session at 675.57. The least gainers were Air Products and Chemicals Inc, which shed 7.11% to close at 295.50. Shares of Schlumberger NV lost 6.12% to end the session at 52.29. Quotes of Aflac Inc decreased in price by 5.98% to 68.90. NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Gaucho Group Holdings Inc, which rose 339.02% to hit 5.40, Biophytis, which gained 73.13% to close at 0.71, and shares of Innovative Eyewear Inc, which rose 58.17% to end the session at 2.42. Shares of Versus Systems Inc became the leaders of the fall, which decreased in price by 41.60%, closing at 0.97. Shares of Motorsport Gaming Us LLC shed 37.95% to end the session at 22.96. Quotes of VivoPower International PLC decreased in price by 35.66% to 0.64. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2101) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (957), while quotes of 92 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,703 companies rose in price, 979 fell, and 193 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 4.81% to 18.73. Gold Gold futures for April delivery lost 0.85%, or 16.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery fell 0.72%, or 0.55, to $75.86 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery fell 0.91%, or 0.75, to $82.09 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.68% to hit 1.09, while USD/JPY shed 0.21% to hit 128.66. Futures on the USD index rose 0.49% to 101.53.   Relevance up to 04:00 2023-02-04 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/311260
    Nvidia Is Rolling Out Its Own Cloud Service Together With Oracle

    Australia’s Tech Sector Is Starting To Pick Up Momentum, The ECB And The BoE Took Dovish Turns

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.02.2023 09:20
    Summary:  The US equity markets extended their gains, underpinned by 23% surge in Meta as it announced a leaner and more decisive vision; while German and UK yields slumped after dovish tilts from ECB and the Bank of England. The NFP jobs report in focus as the next test of the US labor market strength. USD was back in gains while commodities reversed the post-FOMC rally as clear signals on China’s reopening demand are also awaited. The tech rally may start to get some jitters with Apple, Amazon and Alphabet missing their earnings forecasts in post-market.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged on Thursday, paring gains in Asia Friday morning following Apple, Google, and Amazon misses S&P500 closed at a new five-month high on Thursday, rising 1.5%, taking its move up to 19% from its October low and its 50-day moving average above the 200-day moving average, in what is usually referred as a “golden cross” in technical analysis. The Nasdaq 100 gained 3.6% after Meta shares jumped 23% on cost-cutting which paves the road for a return to profitability. Refer to Peter Garnry’s  article here for more on Meta. On the back of the dovish comments from Fed’s Powell on the previous day about disinflation having started and the optimism boosted by the surge in Meta’s share prices, Alphabet (GOOGL:xnas) and Amazon (AMZN:xnas) jumped more than 7% in the regular session and Apple (AAPL:xnas) climbed more than 3%, driving the benchmark indices higher before they reversed in the extended hour trading following reporting results missing expectations. Post results, Apple and Alphabet fell more than 3% and Amazon plunged more than 4% in after-hours trading, bringing Nasdaq 100 futures by around 1.3% lower in early Asian hours from its Thursday close. Apple, Amazon, Google, and Ford paint a bumpy picture ahead for equities Apple's profit and revenue missed, but it guided for a pickup in revenue from its iPhone this quarter, as well as its services revenues. Amazon's 4th quarter sales beat, but its outlook was on the weaker side. Google-owner Alphabet’s sales were lighter, suggesting lower demand for its core search advertising which is coming under threat. The US Department of Justice called for a breakup of the search giant’s ad-technology business over alleged illegal monopolization of the market. The company’s flagship search business, which drives most of its ad revenue, may also be under attack from new entrants, with Google declaring “code red” last year after in response to Open AI’s popular chatbot, entering the market. Ford guided for the potential of higher earnings in 2023, but missed fourth quarter earnings expectations. That said, its automotive revenue was higher than expected and it will pay a supplemental dividend of $0.65 per share reflecting the cashflow from taking a stake in Rivian. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edged down, Bund and Gilt yields tumbled on dovish hikes from the ECB and BOE The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped as much as 9bps following the massive declines in yields on German Bunds and UK Gilts before paring most of the gain (in prices, fall in yields) in the New York afternoon to finish 2bps richer at 3.39%.  Relative to European and UK bonds, the movements in the U.S. Treasuries were relatively muted ahead of the U.S. employment report today. Yields on the 10-year German Bunds dropped 21bps to 2.07%. The ECB raised policy rates by 50bps as expected and signaled another 50bps in March but indicated that the path of interest rate increases would become data-dependent afterward. Likewise, the Bank of England raised its policy rate by 50bps but commented that it had “seen a turning of the corner” and signaled that future rate hikes would be data-dependent. Yields on the 10-year Gilts tumbled a staggering 30bps to 3.01%. U.S. non-farm production improved to 3% (vs consensus 2.4%) in Q4 from 0.8% in Q3 and unit labor costs growth decelerated to 1.1% in Q4 (vs consensus 1.5%) from 2.4% in Q3. Both were good news to the Fed’s disinflation narrative. Interest rate futures are pricing in 60 bps of rate cuts by the Fed in the second half of 2023 after a 25bp hike in March. The Australian share market rallies to its highest level since April last year Australia’s tech sector is starting to pick up momentum, and the technical indicators are looking interesting, suggesting upside on the weekly and monthly charts. Today the market hit new cycle highs, and its highest leveis also reacting to PMIs rising, a sign Australia’s economy is beginning to strengthen. Next week we will receive financial results from one of Australia’s top 10 banks, Suncorp, as well as real estate tech business, REA. In the following week (the third week of February) earnings season ramps up with CBA and Fortescue reporting Feb 15, BHP on Feb 21, followed by Rio the next day, followed by Qantas. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) were mixed The Hang Seng Index pared early gains to finish the Thursday session 0.5% lower on the back of a strong rally in U.S. equities overnight and less upward pressure on domestic interest rates and currencies spilled over from higher U.S. interest rates down the road. Baidu (09888:xhkg), rising 5%, extended its strong recent gains on the ChatGPT concept and following BlackRock raised its stake to 6.6% from 5.4% in the Chinese search engine giant. Baidu was the best-performing stock on the Hang Seng Index for the second day in a row. Li Auto (02015:xhkg) climbed 1.9% after reporting delivery of 15,141 units of EV in January,  up 23% Y/Y. On the other hand, NIO (09866:xhkg) slid 5.3% following a 12% Y/Y decline in delivery to 9,652 units in January and on reports that the Chinese EV maker is cutting prices. Geely (00175:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after its high-end Zeekr brand delivered 12% fewer EVs from the year-ago period. Chinese mobile gaming stocks traded in the Hong Kong bourse soared with Forgame (00484:xhkg) leading the charge and jumping over 75%.  CSI 300 slid 0.4%. Pharmaceuticals, biotech, retailing, beverage, and coal mining advanced while defense, electric equipment, household appliances, and non-bank financials retreated. FX: USD returns to strength as global yields plunge The 30bps plunge in UK yields after the Bank of England kind of hinting at a pause saw GBPUSD back off from 1.24 to 1.2222. ECB also surprised dovish despite some very hawkish expectations being priced in by the markets, taking EURUSD back from 1.10+ to the 1.09 handle. EURGBP however still above 0.89 with ECB still guiding for another 50bps rate hike in March. Australian bonds also joined the global rally, and AUDUSD reversed back below 0.71. JPY was the clear outlier, ignoring the global bond yields plunge, and USDJPY continued to trade steady around 128.50. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices soften Oil prices saw a modest decline as jitters about Chinese demand and Russian sanction continued to underpin. OPEC output also saw a decline of 60kb/d amid reductions in Saudi Arabia and Libya. Meanwhile, a stronger dollar after the dovish tilts from the ECB and Bank of England weighed on the commodity complex in general. The US jobs report becomes the next test for the markets today, and for the US dollar, after Chair Powell’s comments were paid little heed. WTI futures were below $76/barrel while Brent was below $83. Gold (XAUUSD) reversed from $1960 barrier; Largest global gold ETFs sees strong fund flows Gold broke higher to fresh cycle highs in the post-FOMC euphoria, breaking past $1950, but a stronger dollar returned after ECB and BOE also took dovish turns resulting in steep drops in global bond yields. This made the yellow metal lose some of its shine, and it reversed before the test of the 76.4% retracement of the 2022 correction at $1963 to near-1910 levels. Immediate support at $1900, and the US NFP data along with the ISM surveys will continue to be the next key market movers to watch. Meanwhile also consider, the largest gold ETF fund globally GLD, has seen over $2 billion in inflows since the start of the year, suggesting retail buying is starting to ramp up.  Read next: Santander Bank Polska Shareholders Can Expect A Solid Dividend, The ETH Liquid Staking Narrative Is Already Going Strong| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Bank of England hikes 50bps, but further rate hikes see a high bar As expected, the Bank of England raised rates by 50bps to 4%, with a vote of 7-2 as two of the usual doves opted to keep the rates unchanged. The Bank eased up on its forward guidance, saying that further policy tightening “would be required”, but only “if there were to be evidence of more persistent [inflationary] pressures” and preceding all of that language touting “considerable uncertainties” in the outlook. The previous language was more direct on the need to continue hiking. The latest message with the pre-conditions set for another rate hike suggested that the bank may pause. Accordingly, market pricing moved in a more dovish manner with odds of a 25bps March falling to around 60% from 80% pre-announcement with the chance of a May 25bps move around 12% vs. around 50% pre-announcement. Inflation and growth forecasts also hinted at a dovish turn. The accompanying MPR saw a downgrade to the 2023 inflation forecast to 4.0% from 5.25% with inflation of just 1.5% next year. BoE was less pessimistic on the economy, as peak unemployment was revised down to 5.3% from 6.0% and the peak to trough GDP dip was revised up to -1% from -2.9%. UK 10-year yields saw a massive 30bps drop and the 2-year was also down ~25bps. Dovish ECB despite confirming another 50bps rate hike; German 10-year yields plunge 30bps With very hawkish expectations set in, the ECB had a high bar to surprise hawkish. And it failed to do so. While the European Central Bank raised rates by 50bps to 2.50% and committed to another 50bps rate hike in March; but the statement said that at the March meeting, the ECB will evaluate the subsequent path of its monetary policy. This sent out a message that the most hawkish G10 central bank currently may also be looking at stepping down its pace of rate hikes. Lagarde attempted to stress the longevity of reaching terminal by stating that when the level is reached, rates will need to stay there. However, there was a clear scaling back of hawkish market pricing for 2023 with around 25bps of tightening taken out. Reuters sources later noted that ECB policymakers see at least two more rate hikes, with an increase of 25bps or 50bps in May, which may thrash hopes of a May pause for now. German 10-year yields slumped by 30bps, posting its biggest decline since 2011. Today’s NFP data to be the next big test for US labor market The weekly jobless claims nudged lower again to 183k from 186k for the week ending 28 January, a surprise against the expected rise to 200k. This suggest that the labor market is still tight, as the focus shifts to nonfarm payrolls release later today. Bloomberg consensus expects a modest cooling in the headline NFP gains to 189k from 223k in December. The unemployment rate is also expected to come in a notch higher at 3.6% from 3.5% previously while wage gains may soften slightly to 4.3% YoY from 4.6% YoY previously. A larger-than-expected softness in labor market can further send dovish signals to the market that is still dealing with the post-Powell and ECB/BOE dovishness. Challenges for India’s Adani Group continue to mount The market loss for the Adani Group mounted over $100bn, once again sending concerns of a possible contagion skyrocketing. Challenges for the group continue to mount since the Hindenburg report, with a shock withdrawal of share sales, some banks refusing to take Adani securities as collaterals and then the Reserve Bank of India asking Indian banks for details of the exposure to Adani Group. Furthermore, S&P Dow Jones Indices said that it will remove Adani Enterprises from its sustainability indices effective February 7, which would make shares less appealing to sustainability-focused mutual funds as well and cause foreign outflows. Contagion concerns are widening, but still limited to the banking sector. Focus remains on further risks of index exclusions, while a coherent response on the fraud allegations from the Adani Group is still awaited. Shell beats on Q4 earnings One of Europe’s largest oil and gas majors reported Q4 adjusted profit of $9.8bn vs est. $8.3bn driven by higher-than-expected oil and gas output for the quarter. Q4 dividends are lifted to $0.2875 per share vs est. $0.285.     For what is ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Dovish tilts from ECB and BOE and Meta gains push equities higher; Post-market earnings miss from Apple, Alphabet and Amazon – 3 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Starbucks is moving forward with its web3 journey, as the company teases public access to Starbucks Odyssey

    Starbucks Revenues Are High Despite High Costs

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.02.2023 10:56
    Restaurant companies that have reported quarterly profits in recent weeks have said their U.S. businesses are largely holding up despite economic uncertainty. Record revenues Starbucks achieved record revenue in the last quarter. The Seattle-based chain reported sales of $8.71 billion, up 8% from the prior-year period and slightly below analysts' expectations of $8.79 billion. Starbucks said the effects of currency fluctuations had reduced its revenue by about 3%. For the three months ending January 1, Starbucks reported earnings per share of 75 cents, adjusted for one-time items, below the 77 cents per share expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet. The network reported net income of $855 million, approximately 5% higher than the $816 million generated in the same quarter a year earlier. Overall global sales at the same stores were up 5% compared to the same quarter a year earlier, while the figure fell 29% in the company's key Chinese market. China's performance was four times worse than expected. China are the main problem The sudden lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in China and the resulting spike in cases has hurt Starbucks' business in unexpected ways. Sales in the same stores fell by 42% in December compared to the same month in 2021. The company said it was not yet clear when its operations in China could fully recover. Starbucks executives said they are watching closely as China reopens after the Covid-19 pandemic and remain committed to investing in the country. Eventually, China will become Starbucks' largest market. Read next: USD/JPY Pair Is Trading At 128.48 The Aussie Pair Is Above 0.71$| FXMAG.COM Changes Starbucks is set to change its popular rewards program later this month, requiring users to accumulate more points to redeem for hot brewed coffee, tea, baked goods or other items. Some customers have criticized the change, but analysts expect it to boost the company's profits this year. In addition, Starbucks is in the process of changing its CEO. The company's new chief executive, Laxman Narasimhan, joined the company last year and is expected to take the reins on April 1, when Schultz is due to step down. Narasimhan will inherit a position with a roadmap largely set by Schultz and other Starbucks executives through an ongoing strategic plan, and Schultz will retain a prominent role in the company as a shareholder, board member and cultural custodian. Schultz and other executives spent months developing a strategy to help Starbucks navigate the future. The plan, which is expected to include changes to store operations and more employee allowances, is expected to run until 2025, Starbucks said. Schultz said on Thursday that he and Narasimhan are in daily contact and that the future CEO is the right person to take over the company's helm in the coming weeks. Takeaway sales Starbucks said last month it was expanding the test with DoorDash Inc., as the Starbucks believes it has more room to increase takeaway sales. The courier company is expected to deliver coffee to the chain's US stores by March. Starbucks share price Starbucks said Thursday that the company resumed its share buyback last quarter, buying 1.9 million shares worth $191.4 million. Schultz suspended a share buyback 2021, saying Starbucks needed to reinvest cash in its business. Starbucks has had to grow faster and redesign its stores to be more relevant to consumers, even if it means sacrificing quarterly profits and shareholder returns in the short term. Starbucks previously halted its 2020 share buyback after the pandemic hit its business. Starbucks shares are rising again from November 2022 after starting to fall from January 2022. Currently, Starbucks share price is below 110.00. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    US Weekly Jobless Claims Hit Lowest Level Since February; Apple Shares Slide Amid China's iPhone Crackdown; USD/JPY Shows Volatility Amid Interest Rate Fears and Tech Stock Woes

    Japanese Startup Aerwins Technologies Will Be On NASDAQ

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.02.2023 13:03
    For a company, a debut on the stock exchange is not only a way to raise capital from investors. For many companies, the presence on the stock exchange means greater credibility in the eyes of current and potential customers. The American stock exchange is the largest, so appearing on it can be very beneficial for a company located there. Japanese Startup Aerwins Technologies achieved its goal and got approved to list on NASDAQ. In this article: Globalization is the answer to inflation ? Ford: “We have to change our cost profile” Aerwins Technologies Globalization is the answer to inflation ? The pandemic, followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has turned supply chains upside down and caused shortages. Rich industrial countries responded to scarcity, inequality and social stress with large fiscal packages. Rising food and fuel prices can spark discontent, protests, and even revolutions and the collapse of governments around the world. Large states are rethinking the benefits of globalization. While globalization has been under attack recently, history suggests that it may be the wrong target for policy renewal and that globalization is an antidote to inflationary spirals. At the same time, we see new technologies that will provide better growth and a better ability to solve a wide range of today's problems - health, energy policy, climate and even security. Today's dynamics of globalization have the potential to revolutionize systems optimization, making the results of previous technical changes cheaper and more accessible. In this sense, it is globalization that is the real law of reducing inflation. How important is international trade when it comes to taming inflation? https://t.co/2KS2E8kXto pic.twitter.com/PgM1J3AFoW — IMF (@IMFNews) February 2, 2023 Read next: Starbucks Revenues Are High Despite High Costs| FXMAG.COM Ford: “We have to change our cost profile” The push to transform Ford is becoming more urgent after the automaker reported adjusted earnings of $10.4 billion in 2022. Costs and supply chain issues hurt Ford's bottom line again. Farley knows his company needs to change. When Farley became Ford's CEO in October 2020, he vowed to quickly lead the automaker into a new phase of growth led by electric models. Although it is not close to catching up with Tesla in many respects he has succeeded. Ford is the number 2 electric vehicle sales in the United States with a market share of just under 8%. Despite all its achievements in switching to electric vehicles, Ford still struggles with internal combustion engine vehicles, which account for almost all of Ford's profits. Farley knows investors are watching and waiting for Ford to finally act. That's why Farley wants Ford to become a much more efficient company, and he needs it to happen quickly. Ford will take steps to reduce costs and make the automaker more efficient and profitable. Ford CEO Jim Farley's frustration builds as he vows to transform the automaker https://t.co/QImZcbdBi1 — CNBC (@CNBC) February 3, 2023 Aerwins Technologies Japanese startup Aerwins Technologies has been approved to list on NASDAQ as part of its merger with blank company Pono Capital Corp. Aerwins, which is taking orders for the XTurismo motorcycle-mounted hovercraft it unveiled last year, estimates the deal to be worth $600 million. Aerwins, which also sells drones and related technology, says its hovercraft can fly for up to 40 minutes and at speeds of up to 100 km/h. Japan startup selling $550,000 Star Wars-inspired hoverbike to list on NASDAQ https://t.co/nzBEDEWOQv pic.twitter.com/AltEt5WvWM — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) February 3, 2023
    UK Gfk Consumer Confidence index got better fourth month in a row

    What To Expect From The Coming Week 06/02 – 10/02/2023? For The Pound The Most Important Will Be UK PMI

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 03.02.2023 13:19
    A considerably calmer week ahead compared to this week, at least in terms of the economic calendar.  Monday 06.02. 09:30 GMT, UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) January UK Purchasing Managers Index provides insight into the activity level within the construction industry as reported by purchasing managers. This measure gives an understanding of the condition of the UK construction industry, as purchasing managers are considered to have access to first-hand data on their company's performance.   A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction in the construction industry. UK construction companies have signalled a resuming slowdown in business activity growth since the November data came out, reflecting slower demand and reduced risk appetite due to higher borrowing costs and uncertainties about the economic outlook. The forecast for the January PMI is 49.6, indicating a slight contraction in the construction sector.  Higher than expected reading may have a bullish effect on the GBP, while a lower-than-expected reading could be bearish for the GBP.  Impact: GBP Tuesday 07.02. 13:30 GMT, US Trade Balance (Dec) The trade balance measures the difference in value between imported and exported goods and services during the reporting period. A positive figure indicates that more goods and services were exported than imported. The US trade balance has historically been negative, and a worsening trend could be observed over the long term. In March 2022, the US trade balance surpassed -100 billion USD for the first time in history, and since then, it has fallen to -61.50 billion USD, according to the November data. December's data are expected to show a slight deterioration to -68.70 billion USD. A higher-than-forecast reading may be seen as bullish for the USD, while a lower-than-forecast reading (larger negative number) may be interpreted as bearish for the USD. An outflow of USD from the country and lower foreign demand for US products during a trade deficit could lead to a depreciation of the currency, which in turn may boost the country's exports as its goods become cheaper for the rest of the world. Impact: USD Read next: Japanese Startup Aerwins Technologies Will Be On NASDAQ| FXMAG.COM Friday 10.02. 13:30 GMT, Canada Employment Change (Jan) The employment change report shows the change in the number of people employed, which is an essential indicator of consumer spending. While an increase in the number of people in employment usually signals a positive move in economic expansion, market participants may be hoping for a lower number as this would indicate that the central bank's tightening policy is working and further interest rate hikes may not be necessary.  Previous figures for employment changes in Canada have been very volatile. While August saw a decline (-39.7 thousand jobs), September and November showed slight gains (+21.1 thousand and +10.1 thousand jobs, respectively), followed by increases of over 100 thousand in October and December. Friday's data for January are expected to show a possible increase of 8 thousand.  A higher-than-forecast reading may have a bullish effect on the Canadian dollar and a bearish effect on the stock market. In contrast, lower-than-forecast reading may have a bearish impact on the Canadian dollar and a bullish effect on the stock market. Impact: CAD, S&P/TSX Composite Index Stocks to watch Activision Blizzard (ATVI) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 12/2022. Forecast: 0.7946. Positive earnings surprise in 7 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Monday, February 6, after the market closes. Walt Disney (DIS) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 12/2022. Forecast: 1.51. Positive earnings surprise in 7 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Wednesday, February 8, after the market closes. AstraZeneca ADR (AZN) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 12/2022. Forecast: 0.6825. Positive earnings surprise in 7 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Thursday, February 9, before the market opens. PayPal Holdings Inc (PYPL) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 12/2022. Forecast: 1.19. Positive earnings surprise in 9 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Thursday, February 9, after the market closes. Santa Zvaigzne-Sproge, CFA, Head of Investment Advice Department at Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement, or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    US Inflation Rises but Core Inflation Falls to Two-Year Low, All Eyes on ECB Rate Decision on Thursday

    Combination Of Improved Valuations And An Uncertain Near-Term View Leaves Us Moderately Bearish Toward Risky Assets

    Franklin Templeton Franklin Templeton 06.02.2023 09:37
    Key Points • Valuations reset across most assets in 2022, leading to a rise in expectations for longterm returns for many risky assets, including high-yield bonds and equities. • We view valuations as a better long-term asset allocation signal than a justification for short-term portfolio changes. • Despite improved long-term return expectations, our cautious near-term macro-outlook— with significant recession risk—leads to a less favorable view of risky assets, such as high-yield bonds and equities, over the next several quarters. • Putting it all together, the improvement in valuations currently leaves us moderately bearish on risky assets given our cautious cyclical outlook. Introduction Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions (FTIS) is optimistic about the performance potential for risky assets over the long term, which we consider to be a full business cycle, or about 10 years. However, our short-term preference (over the next 12 months) for risk assets is more cautious, based on our macro outlook. Some might notice these opposing viewpoints and wonder what signals would make an investment manager bearish in the short-term and bullish over the long-term, and how they balance this tension in a portfolio. Here, we attempt to provide the rationale behind these opposing views. While generally applicable to all risky assets, we will focus specifically on high-yield bonds and equities. Long-term return expectations have improved Our long-term return expectations have risen across every asset class, due largely to the market declines in 2022, which have reset valuations (Exhibit 1 on the next page). In equities, lower price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples (and thus higher earnings yield) now mean that valuations are a tailwind over the foreseeable future, rather than a headwind. In fixed income, interest rates have risen across the yield curve. Higher rates and wider credit spreads make high-yield bonds look more appealing to us over the long term. Historically, valuations have been helpful indicators of long-term returns. As an asset class gets cheaper (i.e., yields increase), generally the long-term return expectations increase. However, valuations are much less effective at predicting shorter, one-year returns (Exhibit 2 on the next page). Focusing on the long term We believe it’s hard to argue against the long-term case of high-yield bonds and equities, assuming they fit an investor’s risk parameters and investment horizon. Historically, high-yield bonds have produced a total return somewhere in between US stocks and investment-grade corporate bonds. And they have achieved these returns with less volatility than equities, resulting in what we believe to be strong risk-adjusted returns (see Exhibit 3). High-yield issuers usually have less equity and/or more leverage on their balance sheets, which raises their default risk and leads to a higher credit spread when compared with their investment-grade counterparts. The higher credit spread leads high-yield bond returns to move more in lockstep with the perceived financial strength of their issuers. Thus, they usually respond to the strength of the economy (similar to stocks) more so than changes in interest rates, which tend to impact investment-grade corporate bonds to a greater degree. Put simply, high-yield bonds have more exposure to the economic growth factor, while investment-grade bonds have more exposure to the interest-rate factor. Investors are compensated for this extra credit risk with excess returns—at least when times are good, and the default rates are low. What about when times are bad? Of course, like equities, high-yield bonds are not impervious to downturns. But so far, we have never observed two straight calendar years of negative returns in the high-yield asset class1 (see Exhibit 4). With a streak like that, should investors consider high yield? Our view (short-term vs. long-term) Our near-term macro outlook for 2023 remains cautious. While inflation may have peaked, we believe it will remain above the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) target levels of 2% for some time. The Fed has repeated that it is unconditional in its fight against inflation, with the hope that it can lower job openings (weaken wage inflation) without materially affecting employment. We think this will be difficult to achieve. We also believe that growth and employment need to weaken to fully normalize inflation. FTIS’ odds for a US recession over the upcoming year remain high at 65%. The implications of this viewpoint for asset allocation are straightforward. Risky assets, such as equities and high yield, have performed poorly heading into recessions (see Exhibit 5). During recessions, the high-yield risk premium, or spread over Treasuries, typically spikes up to compensate for anticipated higher defaults. At its peak, the default rate has reached more than 10% in a recession and spreads often widened past 7%. We do not think high-yield bonds are currently pricing in a recession from a spread valuation perspective (see Exhibit 6). In other words, the market, in our view, is not pricing in the much tighter financial conditions and weaker financial performance for issuers that often comes with a market downturn and can lead to an increase in defaults. A volatile year ahead At the opening of 2022, we believed the Fed was walking a tightrope heading into the year.2 Unfortunately, it is still on the same tightrope, in our view, as the central bank tries to engineer a soft landing in 2023. The Fed will likely try to pause its interest-rate hikes at some point in 2023, fearful of driving the US economy into recession. The market is pricing in Fed rate cuts in 2023 due to growth worries. We find this scenario unlikely, and think the Fed is likely to keep rates restrictive throughout 2023. As always, what ultimately happens will depend on a number of variables, many outside the Fed’s control, including the US economy’s sensitivity to higher interest rates, and how geopolitical developments evolve. The performance of risky assets will depend on these variables, among others. Returns at year end don’t reflect the volatility experienced along the way. Prices will likely be volatile until the market has an unobstructed view of clear skies ahead—and that will likely begin with the Fed’s policy actions. This is why we believe that nimble, active management is important, especially in times like these. Our own viewpoint will change as our cyclical outlook changes. Conclusion Improved valuations have increased the long-term expected return outlook for multi-asset portfolios in general. However, in the near term, we weigh our cyclical outlook more heavily, which leaves us defensively positioned given our view of significant US recession risk. This combination of improved valuations and an uncertain near-term view leaves us moderately bearish toward risky assets, such as high yield and equities. Source: ftis-high-yield-0123-us.pdf (widen.net)
    DPX Token Registered A 24-Hour Return Of 11.11%

    The US Judge Denied The FTC's Request, Giving The Meta An Important Victory

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 06.02.2023 10:44
    U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, ruled on the application last Tuesday, but did not make his decision public at the time. People familiar with the verdict told The Wall Street Journal that the judge denied the FTC's request, giving the Meta and its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg an important victory. Court ruling The FTC sought an injunction blocking Meta from buying Within, which makes a popular virtual reality fitness app called Supernatural, arguing that the deal would weaken competition. By court decision, Meta Platforms got permission to acquire a virtual reality start-up. The ruling, which was initially sealed and released late Friday, rejected the FTC's arguments as to why Meta's acquisition of Within Unlimited was anti-competitive. But the judge sided with the FTC on some legal and factual arguments. Judge Davil's now public ruling is based on the finding that Meta would have difficulty competing with Within. Although the judge allowed the deal, he ruled in favor of the FTC on certain points of law and fact. Judge Davila agreed with the FTC that virtual reality fitness products are a separate market. A Meta spokesperson said the company was pleased with the ruling and looked forward to closing the Within deal quickly. Important transaction Meta has long been a dominant player in the virtual reality space, and Meta has long been a dominant player in the virtual reality space. While Within is a relatively small company, the deal was seen as important to Mr. Zuckerberg's strategy of focusing on metaverses or virtual worlds, leading to Facebook's rebranding to Meta in October 2021. Read next: Elon Musk Was Found Not Guilty In The Tweets Case| FXMAG.COM FTC vs. Meta The Federal Trade Commission sought to block Meta Platforms Inc from acquiring Within Unlimited Inc. and its dedicated virtual reality fitness app, Supernatural. In July, when the FTC sued to block the Within deal, it accused Meta of trying to buy its way to the top of the virtual reality fitness market rather than competing on merit. According to the FTC, Meta is already a key player at every level of the virtual reality sector.The FTC claims that Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg plan to expand Meta's virtual reality empire by acquiring fitness apps, which would reduce competition in the market and violate antitrust laws. A December trial to decide if Meta could go forward with the relatively small deal was seen as a test of the FTC's bid to head off what it sees as a repeat of the company acquiring small upcoming would-be rivals to dominate a market, this time in the nascent virtual and augmented reality markets. The FTC may still challenge the Meta-Within Transaction by filing an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals or through administrative proceedings before the FTC's internal tribunal. Meta shere price The new year is favorable for Meta shares so far. Since the last week of trading in 2022, the stock has been on the rise, bouncing off levels below 100. Meta shares surged to 188.77 in February, but recently fell to 185.19. Despite the decline, Meta shares remain at high levels that were last seen more than half a year ago. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Taiwan’s GDP contracted more than expected in first quarter

    Taiwan Has Recently Passed A Law That Will Allow Local Semiconductor Companies To Get Tax Credits

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.02.2023 10:13
    Summary:  New alliances and collaborations outside of China may lead to prosperous times in Asia. In Asia, the model of dependence on China is breaking, and new supply chain linkages and more regional co-operation will bring the next leg of outperformance for the region in 2023.  Asian stocks have started 2023 with a bang, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index entering a bull market in January, outpacing the US S&P 500. A lot of this has been driven by China’s policy shifts and a weaker US dollar. However, risks of a slowdown in the global economy as well as inflation remaining higher-for-longer cannot be discounted. The outlook for domestic demand in Asia is also challenged by the rise in interest rates seen in 2022. Meanwhile, geopolitical risks remain in play, clouding the outlook.  The other key thing to consider will be that Asia’s dependence on China is waning, as is evident from the region’s outperformance in 2022 despite China’s slowdown. As China reopens, we are likely to see new supply chain models and more regional co-operation that will push Asia’s relevance higher in the global economy.  Source: Bloomberg, Saxo Markets New supply chain models to increase Asia’s relevance The escalating US-China trade and tech wars have prompted many companies to diversify their supply chains to reduce risks from sanctions. The pandemic had already highlighted the need to address concentration risks as supply chains for everything from basic industrial components to medical supplies and even toilet paper were over-reliant on China. Finally, the invasion of Ukraine and the resulting impact on Europe’s gas supplies has set a clear agenda for many countries traditionally aligned with US foreign policy to think about supply chain resilience and avoid relying too heavily on Russia or China, and instead sourcing from friendly countries.  Japan, for instance, is not just looking to diversify its LNG suppliers and trying to bring its nuclear reactors back online to ensure a resilient energy supply in the long run, but also trying to pivot away from a reliance on China and Russia for food to reduce the risks of getting cut off. More broadly, Japan is on a war footing, as is evident from the surge in defence spending, closer alignment with the US and outright condemnation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. This means a new economic and geopolitical order may be in the works in Asia. Winners of China+1  A group of Asian countries is emerging as possible winners of the deglobalisation and decentralisation trends. Investments in India have accelerated, given its attractiveness as a consumer market and a favourable policy stance. Apple has started manufacturing of iPhone14 in India, and it is expected to shift a material share of its iPhone production to India by 2025. If this move is successful and Apple is able to deliver its planned output, that will be a significant endorsement of India’s manufacturing capabilities. However, going into 2023, India’s valuation has become stretched and there are other, relatively cheaper markets that offer better value after deep drawdowns last year. This means India will have to prove its relevance again through continued economic reform to attract foreign investment.  Source: World Bank, Bloomberg, Saxo Markets Vietnam has been another winner of the China+1 strategy, as it has attracted a large share of manufacturing from China. Vietnam still provides relative value going into 2023, being a supplier of key components in broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, telephones, textile footwear, clothing and furniture to the world.  Indonesia was another outperformer in the Asian markets in 2022 given its high commodity exposure. As most countries struggle to ensure a baseload supply of energy, Indonesian coal could remain in demand in 2023. As well, a refreshed focus on green transformation will continue to push the demand higher for nickel and copper, Indonesia’s key export metals. EV makers like Tesla are looking to set up production facilities in Indonesia, as a step to diversify away from China, but also to locate production closer to raw materials inputs, in order to ensure supply chain resilience. Political uncertainty however will start to cloud the outlook in late 2023 as the race for 2024 presidential elections starts to heat up.  Source: Bloomberg, Saxo Markets Chip wars could decouple South Korea and Taiwan from China The cold war between the US and China could take a strategic shift this year, and if we see continued restrictions on the semiconductor sector, that could potentially force major players in the semiconductor supply chain, such as Taiwan, Korea and Japan, to decouple from China. Taiwan has recently passed a law that will allow local semiconductor companies to get tax credits for up to 25 percent of their R&D expenses. This could be followed up with similar provisions from the US and Europe to better attract investment, and that could mean a potential re-rating of the semiconductor sector in 2023. The early batch of earnings reports in the semiconductor space have seen dismal results and high inventories weighing on sentiment. But there is potential for a demand recovery with China’s reopening, an auto sector bounce-back and further investments in the expansion of data storage centres. Taiwan may be suffering a ‘geopolitical discount’, judging from the MSCI Taiwan valuation, which is far below its five-year average despite the recent surge in equities in the region. This contrasts with MSCI Korea, which has just moved above its five-year average with the gains at the start of 2023, though it has a lot of room to catch up with the 2020 highs. ASEAN’s potential to enjoy a privileged geopolitical position As the world grapples with its over-dependence on China in 2023, China’s trade with ASEAN countries will nonetheless likely grow further in 2023, creating room for more growth in the region. As supply chains relocate out of China, many manufacturers still need to source parts for assembly from there. And China is a major foreign investor in Southeast Asia, accounting for around 8 percent of total FDI flows to the region in 2016-2020, a 65 percent increase over 2011-2015. In addition, China’s strategic shift to move to high value-added manufacturing has seen a lot of low value-added manufacturing move to neighbouring countries with lower wages. China’s exports to Vietnam rose 40 percent over 2019 to 2021, with much of it being inputs and components for Chinese-owned factories in Vietnam, where production there in turn is primarily for export. Recovering Chinese demand should also help restore ruptured supply chains, and improve the demand for ASEAN exports. Tourism demand is also likely to pick up as Chinese tourists return to Southeast Asia with the border reopening. In summary, 2023 brings the perfect combination of positives for Asia. In the short-term, the region gets a bump higher from China’s reopening. Meanwhile, Asia will become a key part of global supply chains in the longer run and enjoy a privileged geopolitical position which is key for both China and the US.   Source: Opportunities in a deglobalising world | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    United Airlines May Be Fined For Allegedly Missing Safety Checks

    United Airlines May Be Fined For Allegedly Missing Safety Checks

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 07.02.2023 11:52
    Interest in air travel has increased over the last few years. Along with this, increased security was put on to avoid unwanted disasters. In America, the Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for safety. The FAA are taking action against United Airlines and they want to steal it. The FAA wants to fine United Airlines Aviation safety regulators want to fine United Airlines Holdings Inc. over $1.1 million for allegedly flying a Boeing 777 without carrying out some of the required fire detection system checks. The Federal Aviation Administration says United removed the 777 fire warning system check from its pre-flight checklists in 2018. A spokesperson for United released a statement saying the pre-flight checklist was changed in 2018 "to account for redundant built-in checks performed automatically by the 777" and that the FAA reviewed and approved the change at that time. An FAA aviation safety inspector determined that an inspection of the fire warning system was not being conducted on April 19, 2021. The FAA alleged that United knowingly operated six aircraft without performing the required inspections during a three-and-a-half hour after the problem was discovered. United said it immediately updated its procedures in 2021 after being informed by the FAA that United's maintenance program requires pilots to conduct pre-flight inspections. United Airlines has 30 days to respond to the FAA after receiving an enforcement letter from the agency. Read next: Adani Group Company's Crisis Is Gaining Momentum, Finland Is The Happiest Country| FXMAG.COM United Airlines maintenance error The FAA said United failed to inspect parts of the wings of about twenty Boeing 777s, leading to the cancellation of flights last September. United discovered that it had failed to perform required panel inspections on the leading edge of the wings of 25 jets and had to take them out of service. As a result, around 18 flights were removed, mostly long-haul international travel. United discovered the problem during an audit and reported it to the FAA. The omitted checks are to examine the area of the wing where the slats extend during takeoff and landing to generate lift. The wing panel inspection that United missed was not related to engine problems and was not part of the plane's return to service, but rather a routine maintenance activity, the FAA said. Some of the planes that missed inspections were still parked and had not yet returned to flying. This incident did not result in the imposition of a fine. Increased security The shift in safety in the United States began after a series of aviation tragedies that culminated in the 1996 summit. Accidents in 1994 involving widely used USAir-operated Boeing and McDonnell Douglas jets, as well as two smaller turboprops, claimed a total of 252 lives life. Regulators and industry representatives recognized that changes were necessary. So executives set to work developing new tactics to counter emerging threats long before they escalated into headline tragedies. Eventually, mechanics and air traffic controllers adopted similar self-reporting programs. Today's travelers are benefiting from another decade of improved US carrier safety, with the fatality rate down to one in 120 million departures. United Airlines share price United Airlines shares rose from 37.21 to 52.50 in the new year, then fell to 50.92. The last time UAL shares saw such a level was at the beginning of May last year. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The Fear of Strong Jobs: How US Labor Market Resilience Sparks Global Financial Panic

    The American Airline Company Is Preparing To Cut Jobs In The Financial Department

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 08.02.2023 08:17
    Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) President Rafael Bostic (he does not have a vote on the Federal Open Market Committee this year) believes the Fed may have to raise its benchmark interest rate higher than previously expected as strong data on the US labor market showed that economic activity in the US is slowing down slightly. Bostic said they would have to do a bit more work, and the Fed would have to raise rates higher than forecasts indicate. The US trade deficit in December 2022 increased by 10.5% to $67.4 billion, the country's Department of Commerce said. According to the revised data, in November, the negative trade balance amounted to $61 billion, and not $61.5 billion, as previously reported. The rate was the lowest since September 2020. Experts, on average, expected growth to $68.5 billion from the previously announced November level. By 17:57 GMT+3, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 101.03 points (0.3%) to 33,789.99 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 8.33 points (0.2%) to 4102.75 points. The Nasdaq Composite lost 7.09 points (0.06%) to 11,880.36 points. Aramark shares are down 11.3%. The U.S. company, which supplies food and special clothing to employees of hotels, universities, hospitals and stadiums, increased its net profit and revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, with revenue growth exceeding market expectations. Shares of Pinterest Inc. are down 5.8%. Internet service visual bookmarks in the fourth quarter received a net profit and revenue worse than expected. Comcast Corp. shares are down 0.2%. The largest U.S. Internet and cable TV provider continued to cut its stake in Internet news company BuzzFeed Inc. Comcast sold 5.1 million BuzzFeed securities between Feb. 2 and Feb. 6, the media company said in a report. It previously reported that it sold more than 5.7 million shares of BuzzFeed in several transactions between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. fall by 41.6% after taking off by 92% in previous trading. The American retailer managed to enlist the support of investors, which allowed it to avoid declaring bankruptcy, Bloomberg reports citing informed sources. Papers Centene Corp. down 1.8%. The health insurance and maintenance company ended the fourth quarter with a net loss, but improved its full-year revenue guidance. Share price of DuPont de Nemours Inc. grows by 6.7%. The American chemical company reported a decline in net profit and revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022, although adjusted profit and revenue beat market expectations. Papers Boeing Co. rise in price by 1%. The American airline company is preparing to cut jobs in the financial department and the personnel management service in 2023. It is expected that the cuts will amount to about 2 thousand jobs, mainly in the field of finance and HR.   Relevance up to 04:00 2023-02-09 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/311785
    Hawkish Fed Minutes Spark US Market Decline to One-Month Lows on August 17, 2023

    Powell’s Interview Yesterday Was Interpreted By The Equity Market As A Positive Thing

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.02.2023 09:35
    Summary:  Equity markets rushed back higher despite treasury yields maintaining altitude, with much of the activity on the day around Fed Chair Powell’s interview, which sparked considerable two-way volatility before the market decided that he wasn’t sending too hawkish a message. With strong risk sentiment, the USD was mixed and commodity currencies are trying to stage a comeback from their recent sell-off. Oil posted its strongest rally in weeks yesterday. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): growth vs policy rate Powell’s interview yesterday saying the US jobs market is so strong that more rate hikes are needed was interpreted by the equity market as a positive thing. Investors are clearly weighing growth above the discount rate for now, but that is only until rates hit a level in which it slows down the economy. The downside risk to Powell’s comments is that while inflationary pressures are easing in the goods economy, the services sector, which has more sticky inflation components, could underpin high inflation for much longer than anticipated. If S&P 500 futures can break above the 4,200 level again and close above then the cyclical top around 4,300 from back in August is the next major level to watch out for. Chinese equities: Hang Seng (HIG3) and CSI300: (03188:xhkg) tread water Hang Seng Index and CSI300 tread water and are nearly flat as investors wait for signs of recovery in China after the initial month-long rally that has repriced equities higher to reflect the change in policy directions in China. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was dragged by Meituan (03690:xhkg) which tumbled 6.5% on news that Douyin is launching food delivery service in March. In A-shares, northbound flows returned to net buying after three days of net selling. Real estate names outperformed and solid-state battery concept stocks were among the top gainers. FX: Yen steadies, USD choppy to lower as Powell adds little new information The US dollar was choppy as Powell initially reiterated his remarks from last week but later made a comment that the Fed could do more if the data stays hot (see more blow on Powell’s interview). Still, market pricing of the Fed’s path was little changed, and dollar ended the day broadly lower against all G10 currencies. The Japanese yen recouped come strength despite somewhat higher Treasury yields, with USDJPY falling as low as 130.49 before bouncing back higher to as high as 131.50 overnight. AUDUSD, although still waiting for the upturn is Chinese demand, was supported by RBA’s Tuesday guidance to hike more. AUDUSD above 0.6960 in early Asian hours, with AUDNZD moving above 1.1000 to near 3-month highs. EURUSD was a laggard as it took a look below 1.07 before bouncing back to 1.0720+ levels subsequently. GBPUSD tested its 200-day moving average near 1.1950 but managed a rebound back well above 1.2000 yesterday. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) prices rise on demand outlook and supply concerns WTI prices jumped 4% and Brent was up 3% after Powell stayed away from turning significantly more hawkish after the bumper jobs report last Friday. Meanwhile, demand outlook continues to improve as signalled by Saudi Aramco’s price increases, and API also suggested a draw in US crude stocks. API reported US crude stockpiles declined by 2.2mm barrels last week, compared to expectations of a 2.5mm barrels increase. Both OPEC and EIA have been upbeat on China’s demand recovery as well. The market shrugged off reports that flows through the 1mb/d Ceyhan oil terminal in Turkey will resume shortly, and supply side issues remained in focus as well. The Energy Information Administration lowered its forecast for US crude oil production in 2024. Gold (XAUUSD) strength sustains Gold remains supported around the $1860 level despite another increase in US yields overnight. Buying by central banks remains buoyant, with China raising its gold reserves for a third straight month in January, up 6.9% MoM. The downside momentum below $1900 has failed to follow through, so far suggesting the move remains a correction in the larger bullish trend. Eyes on next supports at $1845 and $1828 if selling resumes. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edged up on Powell’s comments and a weak 3-year auction Fed Chair Powell’s comments made at the much-anticipated moderated discussion before the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. were less hawkish than feared as noted below. Yields and markets swung wildly after he started by repeating that the disinflation process had begun, which saw yields on the front end tumbling 10bps before quickly reversing after Powell said that last Friday’s payroll report was “certainly strong-stronger than anyone I know expected” and that inflation going away “quickly and painlessly” is not the Fed’s base case and the Fed has to “do more rate increases”.  More treasury selling came after a weak 3-year action that was awarded 4bps cheaper than the market at the time of the auction, and the bid-to-cover ratio dropped to 2.33 from 2.84 last time. The corporate supply of around USD15 billion of new issues, including USD11 billion from Intel (discussed below) also weighed on the market. The 2-year pared almost all its early gains to settle 1bp richer at 4.46% while yields on the 10-year rose 3bps to 3.67%. Read next: The Court In Munich Decided In Favor Of BMW| FXMAG.COM What is going on? Powell’s balanced narrative unable to spur market caution; Kashkari sees terminal rate at 5.4% Fed Chair Powell’s message last night was only marginally more hawkish compared to last week’s Fed meeting, giving markets enough reasons to continue to give more emphasis to data on the sense that Powell was not pushing back against the market reaction last Wednesday. Powell qualified his ‘disinflationary’ remark from last week’s Fed meeting by saying it is at a very early stage, and only in the goods sector. He was surprised by the strength of the jobs report, and said that the Fed probably needs to hike rates further and they have still not reached a sufficiently restrictive level. Powell expects 2023 to be a year of a significant decline in inflation, but it will certainly take into next year to get down close to 2% - in fitting with the December SEP's. Market’s pricing of the Fed rate path saw no material change following Powell’s comments. Meanwhile, Fed member Kashkari (voter) was more hawkish saying if he had to pick a rate forecast, would not lower it from his Dec SEP forecast of 5.4% but rates may have to be held at a higher level for longer. He added that markets are more confident than he is about inflation falling. Earnings: Fortinet, Maersk, and Vestas Fortinet, one of the largest cyber security companies on revenue, reported Q4 revenue and EPS that beat estimates and the FY23 outlook on operating margins and revenue were in line with analyst estimates. It was clear that investors had lowered their expectations below that of analysts as the FY23 outlook hitting estimates led to a 16% rally in extended trading. Maersk is reporting lower than estimates Q4 revenue and EBITDA in line, but the FY23 outlook on EBITDA of $8-11bn vs est. $13.5bn is a big miss and maybe a bit too conservative if the cyclical upturn gathers steam. Vestas is reporting a FY23 outlook that signals further challenges and weakness in the wind turbine business with FY23 revenue outlook at €14-15.5bn vs est. €14.8bn and adjusted EBIT margin of –2% to +3%. Shares are indicated down 5% in pre-market trading. Weak German industrial production, delayed Jan. preliminary CPI due today Germany’s industrial production for December saw a steeper fall than expected, coming in at -3.1% MoM (vs. estimated -0.8%) while the November print was revised higher to +0.4%. After a technical delay last week, Germany’s inflation prints for January will be released today. Spain and France printed higher-than-expected CPI for the month, while the region-wide printed was softer last week. This suggests Germany’s inflation likely eased due to energy price increases being more subdued than previously expected. Meanwhile, adjustments in the CPI basket could also likely result in a softer print. Bloomberg consensus expects 10.0% YoY from 9.6% YoY in December, with the MoM print also turning positive at 1.3% from -1.2% previously. Biden State of the Union address includes tough rhetoric on China In Biden’s State of the Union address last night, the US President claimed autocratic regimes were growing weaker and suggested that China and its leadership are in a challenged position, shouting at one point “Name me a world leader who’d change places with Xi Jinping. Name me one, name me one.” and later saying that “I am committed to work with China where it can advance American interest and benefit the world....but make no mistake: as we made clear last week [in shooting down purported Chinese spy balloon] if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we did.” Intel places $11bn in bonds in a seven-part deal. To fund its expansion of production facilities, funding working capital and refinancing existing debt, Intel has placed some $11 billion in funds via corporate bond issuance yesterday, a series of 7 bonds with maturities of 3-, 5-, 7-, 10-,20-,30- and 40 years. The last of these features a yield that is 2.15% higher than US 30-year T-bonds, some 20 basis points tighter than anticipated (The US 30-year T-bond yield is currently near 3.70%). By comparison, the current dividend yield on Intel stock is near 5.00%. What are we watching next? String of Fed speakers today, 10-year Treasury auction Incoming data may have more primacy for moving US treasury yields than Fed speakers, but we do have a rather heavy schedule of FOMC voters on tap for today, including the NY Fed’s Williams, who will be interviewed at a live WSJ event. Board of Govern’s members Lisa Cook and Michael Barr are also out speaking as noted in the calendar highlights below. The hawkish Minneapolis Fed president Kashkari and Board of Governors member Waller are out speaking later in the day, the latter of these discussing the economic outlook. After the recent resurgence in treasury yields and yesterday’s weak 3-year treasury auction, plenty of attention as well on today’s 10-year treasury auction. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Uber Technologies and Walt Disney. The on-demand ride hailing service Uber will report before the market opens with analysts expecting revenue growth of 47% y/y in Q4 with the EBITDA margin expending further into positive territory as the company prepares to become fully profitable in FY23. Disney reporting after the market close is expected to see revenue growth of 7% y/y in Q4 and EBITDA margin bouncing back from the low point in Q3. Wednesday: A.P. Moller – Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, TotalEnergies, Societe Generale, Deutsche Boerse, Adyen, Equinor, Yara International, Walt Disney, CVS Health, Uber Technologies Thursday: KBC Group, Brookfield, Thomson Reuters, L’Oreal, Vinci, Credit Agricole, Siemens, Toyota Motor, NTT, Honda Motor, AstraZeneca, Unilever, British American Tobacco, ArcelorMittal, DNB Bank, Volvo Car, Zurich Insurance Group, Credit Suisse, AbbVie, PepsiCo, Philip Morris, PayPal, Cloudflare Friday: Enbridge, Constellation Software Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) Poland Base Rate Announcement 1415 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) and Bostic to speak 1530 – US EIA Weekly Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1730 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Voter 2023) to speak 1800 – US 10-year Treasury auction 1830 – Canada Bank of Canada publishes summary of deliberations 1845 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak 0001 – UK Jan. RICS House Price Balance Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 8, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Markets under Pressure: Rising Yields, Strong Dollar, and Political Headwinds Weigh on Stocks"

    On The New York Stock Exchange Indices Recorded Losses

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.02.2023 08:11
    As of 20:05 GMT+3, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 58.20 points, or 0.17%, to 34,098.49 points, the S&P 500 lost 21.61 points, or 0.52%, to 4142. 39 points, and the Nasdaq Composite - 109.91 points, or 0.91%, to 12,003.88 points. eBay shares are down 0.6% in trading. The day before, the world's largest online auction announced its intention to reduce the global staff by about 4%, laying off about 500 people. Capri Holdings Ltd., which owns fashion brands Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace, plunged 24% amid weak quarterly earnings and company guidance. US restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill was down 4%. The company increased net profit in the 4th quarter of 2022 by 1.7 times, however, adjusted profit and revenue fell short of analysts' expectations. Uber Technologies rose 2.5%. The taxi and food delivery service company saw a nearly 1.5x increase in revenue in the 4th quarter of 2022 thanks to an increase in orders. Uber's first-quarter guidance beat market expectations. The price of Coty Inc. papers. fell by 3.5%. The cosmetics and perfumery manufacturer's net profit in the 2nd financial quarter grew by 22%, the company's revenue decreased by 3.5%, but exceeded market expectations. In addition, Coty has improved its FY2023 adjusted earnings guidance. CVS Health Corp. share price increased by 4%. The pharmacy chain operator's fourth-quarter revenue rose 9.5% to $83.85 billion, well above the market's consensus forecast of $76.32 billion. CVS also announced the purchase of Oak Street Health Inc., which operates a network of primary care centers for Medicare users, for $10.6 billion. Oak Street rose 4.1%. Fed chief Jerome Powell, who attended an Economic Club of Washington event the day before, said he expects a significant slowdown in US inflation in 2023. At the same time, he noted that the continued stability of the US labor market may serve as a basis for further rate hikes by the Fed. At the same time, Powell said that it is necessary to continue raising rates, and it will also be necessary to maintain a restrictive policy for some time. Saxo Bank A/S Head of Equity Strategies Peter Garnry noted that due to the slowdown in commodity inflation, the growth in consumer prices in the service sector is more stable. This factor may contribute to a longer-than-expected inflation. Wednesday is scheduled to feature New York Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) Governor John Williams, Fed Board members Lisa Cook and Christopher Waller, Fed Vice Chair Michael Barr, and Atlanta and Minneapolis Fed leaders Rafael Bostic and Neil Kashkari. Traders are also evaluating the statement of US President Joe Biden, who proposed to increase by 4 times - up to 4% tax on the repurchase of shares by companies. This, according to Biden, should push the business to increase investment in further development.      Relevance up to 04:00 2023-02-10 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/311991
    Vestas Wind System FY23 Outlook Signaled Further Challenges And Weakness, The Adani Group Plans To Prepay a $500mn Bridge Loan

    Vestas Wind System FY23 Outlook Signaled Further Challenges And Weakness, The Adani Group Plans To Prepay a $500mn Bridge Loan

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.02.2023 09:06
    Summary:  U.S. equities pulled back by over 1%, led by a selloff in the tech space. Google’s parent Alphabet tumbled 7.7% after Google's newly introduced Chatbot Bard’s reportedly underwhelming performance. The decline in bond yields following a strong Treasury auction failed to boost the stock market. Investors are excited about the prospect of AI generative content and bid up shares related to ChatGPT-like products and on the other hand, have concerns about the potential disruption to the mega-cap technology companies.   What’s happening in markets? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I) lower, dragged by tech selloff US stocks retreated led by a selloff in the technology space on concerns about the disruption caused by the technological advancements in AI-generated content. Alphabet (GOOGL:xnas) tumbled 7.7% after reports of the underwhelming performance and erroneous responses from the company’s newly introduced Chatbot Bard. Meta (META) dropped 4.3%. Lumen Technologies (LUMN), tumbling 20.8% on well-below-expected earnings guidance for 2023, was the biggest lower within the S&P500. S&P 500 drifted down 1.1% and Nasdaq 100 plunged 1.7%. Despite the retracement, the S&P500 and Nasdaq are still in their technical uptrends for now. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined, led by communication services, utilities, and information services. Hawkish comments from several Fed officials also weighed on the market sentiment. Fortinet (FINT:xnas) jumped 10.9% after the cyber security company beat revenue and earnings estimates. Uber (UBER:xnys) gained 5% continuing its uptrend since January, with Uber reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly results. Disney (DIS:xnys) rose 5.5% in extended-hour trading, after reporting earnings beating estimates and planning to cut 7,000 jobs for cost saving. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pulled back on a strong 10-year auction The reaction in the Treasury market was muted to the chorus of hawkish comments calling for higher for longer from Fed’s Williams, Waller, Kashkari, and Cook.  The action came in after a strong 10-year auction which awarded the notes 3bps richer than the market level at the time of auction and a strong bid-to-offer-cover at 2.66 times, increasing from 2.53 times in the previous auction. Yields on the 10-year fell 6bps to finish Friday at 3.61%. Australian equites (ASXSP200.I): This quarter, focus will be on energy companies and companies benefiting from Chinese students returning ASX200 futures suggest a 0.4% fall on Thursday. However, focus will be on energy companies again with oil markets moving up. In company news, Nine Entertainment (NEC): won the rights to the 2024-2032 Olympic Games so that will excite some. Fortescue Metals (FMG) is hoping its iron project in Gabon will one day rival the giant mines of Australia’s Pilbara, with the West African nation giving the go-ahead for digging to start this year. Also keep an eye on travel businesses and educational firms in the quarter ahead with at least 50,000 students from China expected to return to Australia before the start of semester  - with Beijing’s government ruling that degrees earned online will no longer be accredited. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) lacked of direction Hang Seng Index was nearly flat in directionless trading as investors were waiting for more evidence of recovery in China after the initial month-long rally that had repriced equities higher to reflect the radical change in policy directions in China. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was dragged by Meituan (03690:xhkg) which tumbled 6.5% on reports that Douyin was launching a food delivery service in March. Tech stocks overall were laggards. Hang Seng TECH Index dropped 1.9%. Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) plunged 6.2% following the content-sharing and social platform company banned 500,000 accounts for breaching the company’s policies. SenseTime (00020:xhkg) dropped 6.6% as Softbank trimmed its stake in the AI and vision software maker. Baidu (09888:xhkg) retraced 3.1% to pare some recent strong gains despite southbound flow registering a net buying of HKD 671 million on Wednesday. Online knowledge-sharing platform, Zhihu (02390:xhkg) soared 39.6% on the potential of being benefited by ChatGPT application. NetEase (09999:xhkg) climbed 1.1% as the company is planning to roll out a demo online educational product similar to Chat GPT. Ganfeng Lithium (01772:xhkg) gained 5% following the EV battery maker making breakthrough in manufacturing solid-state power batteries. An EV SUV using Ganfeng’s solid-liquid hybrid lithium-ion batter is expected to come to the market in 2023.  In A-shares, northbound flows registered net selling for the fourth day in a row. CSI300 drifted 0.4%. Media, communication, and defense stocks led the decline. Real estate, transportation, and pharmaceutical names outperformed. FX: Aussie gains stall; sterling outperforms After a strong run higher post-RBA, AUDUSD turned lower overnight on hawkish Fed speak. Pair reversed from 0.6996 highs to 0.6920 and will need either a turn in sentiment or another leg higher in commodity prices to sustain this week’s rally. USDCAD also returned back above 1.3400 despite the surge in oil prices. Sterling bounced off 1.2000 support and bounced back to 1.2100 but still staying below the 38.2% Fibo retracement at 1.2120. UK GDP for Q4 will be released tomorrow. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) jumps again despite hawkish Fed and inventory build Oil prices rose 1.7% with WTI to $78.50 and Brent above $85 despite a hawkish rhetoric from Fed members as well as higher inventory levels as demand outlook remains upbeat. The EIA reported US crude stocks building 2.4mln bbls in the latest week, contrasting the private data that indicated a draw of a similar magnitude. On the demand side, TotalEnergies sees oil demand will rise to a record this year, in line with the IEA’s messaging. The International Energy Agency expects oil processing will rise to a record 14.4mb/d over the course of the year. That compares with 13.6mb/d in 2022.  Read next: The GBP/USD Pair Climbed To Around 1.2100, The EUR/USD Pair Is Above 1.0700| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Fed speakers call for higher rates A slew of Fed speakers were on the wires yesterday. While a broad chorus on higher rates was maintained, much of which has been the Fed’s message throughout, markets perceived the messages as hawkish primarily as the January jobs report is still keeping investors concerned. Importantly, all the four speakers last night are voting this year. Christopher Waller said rates may have to stay higher for longer. John Williams called the December dot plot a good guide, adding that rates are "barely into restrictive" territory. He also hinted at a slightly higher terminal rate of 5.0-5.5%. Lisa Cook said "we are not done yet." Neel Kashkari expects the peak to rise above 5% this year as services side of the economy is still hot. Market pricing of the Fed path still pretty much unchanged, with terminal rate priced in at just over 5.1%. European companies outperformed in earnings growth Saxo’s Head of Equity, Peter Garnry, mentioned in his latest notes that European companies are the big winner in the Q4 earnings season with 4.8% earnings growth Q/Q and the highest growth rate in revenue Q/Q compared to US and Chinese companies. European earnings are actually ahead of S&P 500 earnings since Q3 2019. As Peter writes in Saxo’s Q1 Outlook, the comeback to the physical world is also a comeback to European equities. The Q4 earnings season also show that earnings are holding up better than we expected despite margin pressures are still an ongoing theme and could intensify during the year. Maersk guided a downbeat 2023 outlook A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb:xcse) reported lower than estimated Q4 revenue and in-line EBITDA, but the FY23 outlook on EBITDA of $8-11bn vs est. $13.5bn is a big miss and maybe a bit too conservative if the cyclical upturn gathers steam. Maersk’s guidance for global container trade in 2023 at -2.5% to +0.5% again is at odds with the market’s cyclical growth bet. Maersk’s CEO says that a significant inventory adjustment is taking place and that the world is generally moving to a more normal world. Vestas signals weakness in the wind turbine business Vestas Wind System (VWS:xcse) reported a FY23 outlook that signaled further challenges and weakness in the wind turbine business with FY23 revenue outlook at €14-15.5bn vs est. €14.8bn and adjusted EBIT margin of –2% to +3%. If the cyclical upturn continues, it will most likely put more pressure on industrial metals making it difficult for Vestas to expand its operating margin in 2023. The outlook is at odds with the narrative that Europe is undergoing a boom in green energy as the revenue in 2023 is expected to be the same as in 2020. Judging from analyst estimates, it seems that growth is expected to pick up in 2024 with revenue growing to €17.9bn. One thing is for sure, the lack of great headlines coming out of wind turbine makers will add steam to the movement and support for nuclear power which seems inevitable as part of the solution toward net zero carbon in 2050. Cybersecurity company Fortinet beat estimates Fortinet (FINT:xnas), one of the largest cyber security companies on revenue, reported Q4 revenue and EPS that beat estimates and the FY23 outlook on operating margins and revenue were in line with analyst estimates. It was clear that investors had lowered their expectations below that of analysts as the FY23 outlook hitting estimates led to a rally in extended trading. The outlook on operating margin also confirms that cyber security companies are experiencing little margin pressure. Auto companies Toyota, Honda and Volvo report earnings A bevy of EV and motor companies report today including Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Volvo Car. We think there could be a risk they report weaker than expected results, similar to Ford; which sent Ford shares 8% lower on Friday. Ford is struggling to make money on its EV business and blamed supply shortages. Metal commodities are a large contributor to car manufacturers costs. And we’ve seen components of EVs rise significantly in price, amid limited supply vs the expectation China will increase demand.  For example consider the average EV needs about 83 kilos of copper- and its price is up 26%, 250 kilos of aluminium are needed - and its price is up 20% from its low. These are some headwinds EV makers are facing, in a market where consumer demand is restricted amid rising interest rates.   Adani prepays bridge loans, earnings support sentiment The Adani Group plans to prepay a $500mn bridge loan due next month, in order to avoid a refinancing at higher rate after the recent sell-off. The effort to deleverage also appears to be a response to banks that had started to step away from lending against Adani debt or a measure to avoid a potential rating downgrade. Recent earnings from Adani companies have also hinted at slower inorganic growth to avoid the need for fresh borrowing, and this is helping to rebuild investor confidence. Markets will wait to see some more such confidence-boosting measures from Adani before we can comfortably put a floor to the allegation-driven declines. MSCI’s quarterly review today will be key for any risks of exclusion.   For what is ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Alphabet tumbled on underwhelming Chatbot performance – 9 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Sweden: How the Riksbank has made the krona’s path to recovery even narrower

    Unusual Scale Of The Swedish Krona Weakness, Crude Oil Trades Higher

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.02.2023 09:56
    Summary:  Choppy markets yesterday as the US market erased the prior day’s sharp rally in the ongoing struggle between bulls and bears after the S&P 500 recently cleared important resistance but has stalled out. Treasury yields also dipped after a very strong US 10-year treasury auction as the US yield curve is near its most severe inversion for the cycle. Elsewhere, oil prices have jumped sharply off recent lows over the last three days. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): tight trading range Yesterday’s trading session did not confirm the cyclical growth bets in equities with S&P 500 futures erasing the prior gains on Powell’s tight labour market comments and the need for higher policy rates. It feels like the market is transitioning into a tighter range before getting new information on which to decide whether to continue to uptrend or reverse lower. The signs are leaning towards a cyclical uptrend, but the signal-to-noise level remains low across many macro indicators. Yesterday’s open price in S&P 500 futures at 4,167 is the key level to watch on the upside. Chinese equities: Hang Seng (HIG3) and CSI300 (03188:xhkg) lacked of direction Hang Seng Index and CSI300 bounced over 1% after a week-long consolidation. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg), surging 9.5%, was the biggest winner within the Hang Seng Index. Lei Jun, Chairman and founder of the mobile phone and electronic device maker, announced on Twitter in the form of Q & A with a Chatbot that the company is launching its Xiaomi 13 Series mobile phone on 26 Feb. Mobile phone hardware suppliers Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) and AAC (02018:xhkg) surged 5.3% and 4.1% respectively. The technology space outperformed overall, with the Hang Seng Tech Index climbing 2.5%. In A-shares, food and beverage, communication, defense, and internet-of-things stocks led the advance. FX: Aussie gains stall; sterling outperforms After a strong run higher post-RBA, AUDUSD turned lower yesterday after taking a stab at 0.7000, but was choppy overnight in the Asian session, perhaps buoyed into early European hours by a bounce in metals prices. The key levels for that pair to the downside are the recent 0.6856 low and the 200-day moving average another 50 pips lower currently. USDCAD also returned back above 1.3400 despite the surge in oil prices, with the line of resistance for that pair near 1.3475. Sterling bounced off 1.2000 support in GBPUSD and managed a poke through 1.2100 but has found resistance in that area. The 38.2% Fibo retracement at 1.2120. UK GDP for Q4 will be released tomorrow. The EURGBP rally, meanwhile, has partially deflated after the pair broke well above the key 0.8900 area, trading near 0.8875 this morning and threatening a full reversal if it closes much lower in coming sessions. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) prices rise on demand outlook Crude oil trades higher for a fourth day as last week’s long-liquidation-driven sell-off continues to be reversed as the dollar softens and on renewed optimism about the demand outlook for oil, especially in China and other parts of the world that may narrowly avoid a recession. The EIA reported US crude stocks building 2.4mln bbls in the latest week, contrasting the private data that indicated a draw of a similar magnitude. On the demand side, TotalEnergies sees oil demand will rise to a record this year, in line with the IEA’s messaging. Brent is currently trading above its 21-day moving average, currently at $84.95 - in WTI at $78.25 - with a close above likely to provide additional positive momentum. Gold (XAUUSD) trades steady but risk of further weakness lingers Gold remains supported around the $1860 level but so far the failure to break decisively higher to challenge support-turned-resistance in the $1900 area is raising concerns that a correction floor has yet to be found. The yellow metal erased earlier gains on Wednesday after Fed members reaffirmed the view that interest rates will need to keep rising to contain inflation. Since hitting a $1861 low last Friday, gold has been trading within an 18-dollar rising channel, currently between $1870 and $1888, and a break to the downside carry the risk of an extension towards $1828, the 38.2% retracement of the run up from early November. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pulled back on a strong 10-year auction The reaction in the Treasury market was muted to the chorus of hawkish comments calling for higher for longer from Fed’s Williams, Waller, Kashkari, and Cook.  The action came in after a strong 10-year auction which awarded the notes 3bps richer than the market level at the time of auction and a strong bid-to-offer-cover at 2.66 times, increasing from 2.53 times in the previous auction. Yields on the 10-year fell 6bps to finish Friday at 3.61%. What is going on? Credit Suisse sees weak 2023 on significant outflows The Swiss bank reports this morning Q4 net income loss of CHF 1.4bn vs est. loss of CHF 1.1bn, but even worse the bank is expecting a substantial loss before taxes in 2023, but also expect to bounce back to profitability in 2024. Outflows in Q4 totalled CHF 111bn but deposits looked positive in January according to Credit Suisse. Walt Disney announces job cuts and $5.5bn cost-cutting plan The Walt Disney Company reported quarterly earnings after hours yesterday, with profits of 99 cents per share well north of consensus estimates of 74 cents and revenue growing 7.8% y/y to $23.5bn, also above estimates. Disney+ streaming service subscribers fell 1% in the quarter, mostly due to their Indian streaming service loosing streaming rights to cricket games. CEO Bob Iger announced a $5.5bn cost saving plan that will include a $3bn reduction in movie-production budgets and the axing of 7,000 jobs. Shares were up over 5% in late trading last night, near $117.80 per share. Uber shares gained 5% yesterday after reporting earnings. The rise in Uber accelerated yesterday, posting a new 10-month high after Uber reporting stronger than expected quarterly results. Uber expects its first ever year of profits, including for its ride and Uber Eats businesses. Uber reported its highest ever number of trips for the quarter at more than 2 billion and nearly 1mn trips per hour. Meanwhile Uber is also receiving more advertising dollars, and on track to achieve its $1bn ad revenue in 2024. A fourth activist investor joins the move to shake up Salesforce Three activist investors, Elliott Investment Management, Starboard Value LP, and ValueAct Capital Partners, have already put pressure on Salesforce’s management to cut costs and improve profitability. Wall Street Journal writes that a new activist investor Third Point LLC has now also taken a stake in the software maker. This group of investors will put enormous pressure on the software maker to improve results over the coming year. UK House Prices continue to drop sharply, according to RICS Survey. The UK RICS Price Balance survey registered a new low for the cycle at –47%, suggesting that nearly 50% more of surveyed estate agents are seeing falling prices than rising prices, the lowest number since 2009, during the financial crisis. This was slightly worse than expected and a drop from –42%, although estate expectations are improving with only 20% believing in a worsening outlook for the next 12 months versus 42% a month ago. European gas settles at 17-month low on mild weather outlook. The Dutch TTF gas futures, Europe’s natural gas benchmark, settled at €53.69 on Wednesday, its lowest close since September 2021, and around 25 euros above the five-year average for this time of year. A cold spell across Europe this past week have had no major impact on prices with ample supplies to meet demand, and forecasters are now looking for milder than expected weather for the rest of the month than previously expected. EU gas in storage remains 69% full and we may enter the injection season in late March near 60% and unprecedented high level, even compared with the recession hit 2020 when the level was 54%. Fed speakers call for higher rates A slew of Fed speakers were on the wires yesterday. While a broad chorus on higher rates was maintained, much of which has been the Fed’s message throughout, markets perceived the messages as hawkish primarily as the January jobs report is still keeping investors concerned. Importantly, all the four speakers last night are voting this year. Christopher Waller said rates may have to stay higher for longer. John Williams called the December dot plot a good guide, adding that rates are "barely into restrictive" territory. He also hinted at a slightly higher terminal rate of 5.0-5.5%. Lisa Cook said "we are not done yet." Neel Kashkari expects the peak to rise above 5% this year as services side of the economy is still hot. Market pricing of the Fed path still pretty much unchanged, with terminal rate priced in at just over 5.1%.  Read next: The GBP/USD Pair Climbed To Around 1.2100, The EUR/USD Pair Is Above 1.0700| FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? Sweden’s Riksbank to hike today – watching guidance after krona’s woeful weakness. EURSEK recently touched its highest level since the global financial crisis back in 2009, a rather unusual scale of SEK weakness, given strong global risk sentiment and an improved outlook for Europe. The new Riksbank governor Erik Thedeen warned on the concerns that rate rises and high inflation (which hit over 12% YoY a the headline and 10.2% for core inflation in December) are risks for Sweden’s financial system, suggesting that the central bank may be reluctant to continue hiking much more beyond today’s 50 basis point rate rise, which would take the policy rate to 3.00%. With 10-year Swedish government bonds trading with a yield south of 2.00%, the Swedish yield curve is even more steeply inverted than Germany’s, suggesting strong concerns for economic growth. RBA inflation forecasts due tomorrow as Chinese students set to return to AU The AUDUSD has had a volatile week, sentiment was lifted a bit overnight in Australia as the iron ore (SCOA) and copper prices moved up over 1% each. China recently docked its first Australian coal import shipment in two years. In what can only prove a boost to the Australian economy, almost 50,000 Chinese students are expected to arrive in Australia this month- ahead of the start of semester. This is due to Beijing’s government ruling that degrees earned online will no longer be recognized. Tomorrow, the RBA will issue its quarterly economic forecasts and policy outlook in Australia on Friday. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is PepsiCo and PayPal with analysts expecting PepsiCo to report revenue growth of 7% y/y and EPS of $1.64 up 7% y/y as the beverage and snacks business is resilient during inflation. PayPal earnings will an interesting to watch as Adyen in Europe yesterday spooked markets with a significant decline in the EBITDA margin on more hiring and investments in infrastructure. Analysts expect PayPal to report revenue growth of 7% y/y and EPS of $1.20 up 41% y/y. Thursday: KBC Group, Brookfield, Thomson Reuters, L’Oreal, Vinci, Credit Agricole, Siemens, Toyota Motor, NTT, Honda Motor, AstraZeneca, Unilever, British American Tobacco, ArcelorMittal, DNB Bank, Volvo Car, Zurich Insurance Group, Credit Suisse, AbbVie, PepsiCo, Philip Morris, PayPal, Cloudflare Friday: Enbridge, Constellation Software Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Policy Rate 0945 – Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey to testify 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1900 – Mexico Rate Announcement 0030 – Australia RBA Monetary Policy Statement 0130 – China Jan. CPI/PPI   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Microsoft Is Replacing The Metaverse With Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    Disney Plans To Cut Costs And Jobs, Google Is Now Rolling Out AI Chatbot

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 09.02.2023 10:45
    Disney plans to reduce costs and lay off employees. And at the same time, Google and Microsoft implement artificial intelligence into their products. Disney Since 2019, when Disney+ launched, the segment has lost nearly $10 billion as the company has spent a lot on content to attract subscribers. Disney+ is part of Disney's direct-to-consumer business, which includes all video streaming platforms. The direct consumer business lost $1.05 billion in the December quarter. Iger is under pressure to make its streaming business profitable and revive the company's share price, which is down more than 40% from early 2021 highs. Disney plans to reduce the number of TV shows and movies it produces and aggressively manage its general entertainment content, which has become more expensive to produce in recent years due to competition. Moreover, it plans to cut 7,000 jobs and cut costs by $5.5 billion as part of a major corporate reorganization that gives more power to the content company's management and puts more emphasis on sports media at the company. Disney's share price has been rising since the new year. After a weak last two months of 2022 below 100.00, the stock is again above this level. Currently, the stock is close to 120.00, at 118.85. Google At an event in the French capital on Wednesday, Alphabet Inc unveiled a number of AI improvements to its search engine, including plans to start generating long text answers to complex queries with no single correct answer - for example, what constellations are best to look for when stargazing. This came after Google on Monday offered to look at a homegrown rival to the popular ChatGPT chatbot it calls Bard - and inadvertently demonstrated the artificiality of such tools when a screenshot of Bard's answer contained an obvious factual error. Google has unveiled new search and map features powered by artificial intelligence. Read next: The GBP/USD Pair Climbed To Around 1.2100, The EUR/USD Pair Is Above 1.0700| FXMAG.COM Google gave an additional look on Wednesday to its experimental conversational AI chatbot, Bard, which it rolled out to a group of third-party testers earlier this week. The company showed a brief demonstration of how a user can use Bard to suggest criteria to consider when trying to buy a new car or places to visit for a scenic trip. The company also said it is now rolling out a feature that allows Google Maps users to explore 3D representations of destinations - such as inside a restaurant - extrapolated by AI from ordinary 2D photos. And it said it is expanding the availability of a feature that allows users to search for maps for local businesses by pointing the phone to a nearby area. Alphabet shares closed up 7.7% on Wednesday. Microsoft In the midst of Google's announcements, on Tuesday Microsoft unveiled its plans to incorporate the generative AI technology behind ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. It demonstrated how it can process natural language queries to generate answers and suggestions using information such as news, train schedules and product prices. British antitrust authorities announced that Microsoft Corp. proposed to take over gaming giant Activision Blizzard Inc. for $75 billion, which puts Microsoft in a strong position in cloud gaming, and said the merger would hurt UK gamers - creating another major regulatory hurdle for a deal in a large global gaming market. The National Competition and Markets Authority said it would approach both companies to propose ways to alleviate its concerns and made a final decision on whether to allow the deal to go ahead at the end of April. The regulator has offered a list of potential countermeasures that may be hard for Microsoft to swallow. Other major regulators are also investigating the deal. In November, the Federal Trade Commission sued Microsoft to block the deal. Microsoft said the deal would be basically good for gamers, developers and competition. The company also stated that it is not a top console manufacturer or software developer in the video game industry. Microsoft shares fell 0.3%. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    BRICS Summit's Expansion Discussion: Impact on De-dollarisation Speed

    Equities Fall On Hawkish Fed Comments, Uber, Disney Jump

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 09.02.2023 12:58
    US equities fell yesterday on the back of two important factors: hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve (Fed) members, and the unexpected surge in the American used car prices. Stocks market The S&P500 fell more than 1%, while Nasdaq slid around 1.80%. Inside Nasdaq, Google had a particularly rough day, to say the least. The company posted a Tweet showing Bard in action, and the tweet went wrong, as Bard gave the wrong answer! The stock price slumped by more than 9% at some point. Microsoft Microsoft on the other hand was upbeat on the news, and its valuation shortly surpassed the $2 trillion mark. Uber, Disney Elsewhere, Uber jumped more than 5.5% on stronger than expected results. Disney also jumped by more than 5% in the afterhours, after reporting better than expected results, and the promise to slash $5.5 billion in costs, along with 7000 jobs. The US futures are in the positive at the time I am talking here, but the bears are not far away. Read next: Credit Suisse Reported Its Biggest Annual Loss Since The 2008, Ukrainian President Is Asking For Help And More Weapons In Brussels| FXMAG.COM Forex In the FX, the US dollar remains upbeat, but the 50-DMA offers remain a solid resistance to a bullish breakout. Likewise, the EURUSD remains bid at around the 50-DMA, and the dollar-yen remains offered into the 50-DMA. So that 50-DMA mark is the key resistance that must be cleared to set the dollar bulls free for further appreciation, and de-block the situation in the FX space. Energy In energy, US crude extended gains above its own 50-DMA yesterday. Could it extend gains higher, and by how much? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:50 Equities fall on hawkish Fed comments… 3:45 … and sudden jump in used-car prices 5:54 Bard’s gaffe costs Google more than $100bn in market cap 7:22 Uber, Disney jump after earnings 8:29 USD must clear 50-dma for further appreciation 9:00 Crude’s next challenge Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Google #Bard #AI #gaffe #Microsoft #ChatGPT #Fed #hawkish #comments #inflation #jobs #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #crude #oil #earnings #Uber #Disney #layoffs #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    Tokyo Inflation Slows: Impact on JPY and USD/JPY

    Positive Earnings Have A Beneficial Effect On The US Stock Market

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 10.02.2023 08:04
    At the same time, traders note that the market has recently been trading within fairly narrow boundaries. So, this month the S&P 500 did not rise above 4200 points and did not fall below 4000 points, according to MarketWatch. Saxo Bank's head of equity strategy Peter Garnry suggested that the market is moving into a tighter range in anticipation of new information from which it will be possible to decide whether to continue the uptrend or turn down. The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits for the first time increased by 13,000 last week to 196,000, according to a report from the US Department of Labor. Analysts polled by Bloomberg predicted an average increase in the number of applications to 190,000. Dow Jones Industrial Average by 18:00 GMT + 3 increased by 0.65% and amounted to 34169.97 points. Leading gainers among the index components include Walt Disney, as well as Salesforce Inc., which rose 2.9%, Microsoft Corp. - by 1.8% and Intel Corp. - by 1.3%. The value of the Standard & Poor's 500 by this time increased by 0.6% - up to 4144.06 points. The Nasdaq Composite index has risen 0.9% since the market opened and reached 12021.51 points. Read next: Credit Suisse Reported Its Biggest Annual Loss Since The 2008, Ukrainian President Is Asking For Help And More Weapons In Brussels| FXMAG.COM   Walt Disney Co. share price increased by 4.5% in early trading. The world's largest entertainment and media company increased its net profit and revenue in the first quarter (October-December), largely due to strong performance in the amusement parks segment. The head of the company, Bob Iger, announced a reorganization of the business, which includes cutting costs by $5.5 billion a year and laying off about 7,000 people. He also promised to resume at the end of this year the payment of dividends suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. PepsiCo Inc. increased revenue in October-December by 10.9%, increased dividends by 10%. Shares of one of the world's largest producers of soft drinks are growing by 1.7%. Hilton Worldwide Holdings rose 2.5%. The hotel chain more than doubled its fourth-quarter net income, with its adjusted figure and revenue beating analysts' expectations. Cost of Kellogg Co. rises by 1.2%. The breakfast cereal and snack maker posted a net loss in the fourth quarter, but it was driven by write-downs related to the company's spin-off plan. At the same time, profit excluding one-time factors exceeded the forecasts of experts.     search   g_translate       Relevance up to 04:00 2023-02-11 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/312167
    Uncertain Waters: Saudi's Oil Production Commitment and Global Economic Jitters

    Adidas Released A Shockingly Bad Outlook, The US Dollar Traded Weaker

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.02.2023 08:51
    Summary:  A downbeat session in the US yesterday took the S&P 500 Index back below the pivotal levels that provided resistance on the way up recently. Long US treasury yields rose again on one of the weakest a weak 30-year T-bond auctions in a year. This helped boost the US dollar again and take gold prices to nearly 1,850 overnight, representing a more than 100-dollar consolidation of the rally since last November. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): Failing to hold the line  S&P 500 futures failed yesterday to push higher above that important 4,200 level and lost instead altitude closing below the 4,100 level erasing the gains for February. The US 10-year yield also bounced but the moves are not dramatic, and it feels like the market is waiting for the bond market to make up its mind about long-term yields and inflation. Earnings after the close from PayPal and Lyft that both disappointed also helped lower risk sentiment in US equity futures overnight. FX: USD rolls back higher on weak sentiment. Historic day for SEK The US dollar traded weaker yesterday before firming late in the session as US equities rolled over and posted a weak session, with EURUSD never making a serious challenge of 1.0800  and trading below 1.0725 this morning, while a USDJPY sell-off yesterday quickly aborted on a weak US T-bond auction that sparked a rise in long US yields. This will have USD traders on watch for a follow through higher, which could suggest a proper trending move rathre than a mere consolidation of prior weakness. Elsewhere, an historic day for the Swedish krona yesterday on a powerful broadside to SEK speculators in yesterday’s guidance, but also technical moves to increase liquidity in Sweden’s banking system as noted below. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) slides again on US growth concerns Crude oil trades lower for a second day after sentiment across markets received a fresh set back on worries about the US economy's ability to withstand additional Fed rate hikes. Overall, it highlights a market that remains rangebound (since November) with current soft fundamentals likely to remain until the second quarter when, despite concerns about further US rate hikes, improved activity in China should brighten the macro-outlook. Brent trades back below its 21-day moving average, currently at $84.90 - in WTI at $78.40 - with a close above needed to attract fresh buying momentum. Next week, apart from US CPI on Tuesday, the market will look out for monthly oil market reports from OPEC and the IEA. Gold (XAUUSD) weakness resumes with focus on US rates and next week’s CPI print Gold’s attempt this past week to recover from last Friday’s sell-off below support-turned-resistance in the $1900 area received a setback on Thursday when weakness resumed, driving the price down to a $1853 during the Asian trading session. The market had been left vulnerable to further weakness after only managing a small bounce earlier in the week, and with the attention now fully on the prospect for even higher Fed rates to tame inflation, the dollar and Treasury yields have risen to provide some formidable headwind. Furthe weakness carry the risk of an extension towards $1828, the 38.2% retracement of the run up from early November. The main event next week being the US January CPI report on Tuesday. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) back higher on weak 30-year T-bond auction It has been a confusing week for treasury traders this week, as we saw a very weak 3-year auction on Tuesday followed by a robust 10-year auction Wednesday, only to see one of the weakest 30-year T-bond auctions over the last 12 months yesterday, which saw 30-year benchmark yields reversing back higher and posting a new local high close just shy of 3.75%. The 2-10 portion of the yield curve remains near the extreme of its inversion for the cycle, just below –80 basis points, and near the highest since the early 1980s. What is going on? SEK blasts higher on watershed Riksbank meeting The Riksbank met yesterday and impressed the market with its guidance on further rate hikes and additional plans to accelerate the pace of quantitative tightening from April onwards, with additional offerings of “Riksbank certificates” to encourage a rise in rates and foreign investment in Swedish paper. Two-year Swedish rates jumped 10 basis points on the news, and the QT The new Riksbank Governor, Erik Thedeen, also took aim at currency speculators in the press conference yesterday. Ahead of the meeting, EURSEK had risen above 11.40 at one point, its highest level since 2009, in part on concerns that the Riksbank feared the impact of higher rates on Sweden’s housing market, the bottom dropped out yesterday on the Riksbank developments, taking EURSEK all the way back down to range support near 11.10, one of the most powerful strengthening moves in the krona’s history. This was a watershed moment and likely puts a floor under the krona for now. Natural gas lower despite larger-than-expected US draw US natural gas futures (NGH3) only managed a temporary rise on Thursday after the EIA said inventories had declined by 217 billion cubic feet (bcf) last week. This the first above average weekly storage draw this year left total stocks some 5.2% above the long-term average, and despite trading near a two-year low the upside potential remains limited amid robust production, up 6% y/y, and gas demand down y/y by the same percentage. In addition, forecasts are now pointing to much warmer-than-normal weather through February 18 across Central and Eastern states. Adidas reports a disastrous 2023 outlook The German sports clothing maker released yesterday after the market close a shockingly bad outlook. The decision to not sell Yeezy inventory will have an adverse impact on the underlying operating profit which could hit €700mn loss in 2023 with €500mn impact coming from Yeezy items. Adidas also sees €200mn in one-off costs in 2023. Revenue in constant currency terms is expected to decline up to high-single-digit. The shocking revelation is that the majority of Adidas operating profit came from one partnership and design series. PayPal misses Q4 volume estimates but steady Q1 expected The US-based payment company missed on volume in Q4 against estimates but delivered EPS $1.24 vs est. $1.20 in addition to announcing that the CEO Dan Schulman is stepping down by year-end. The Q1 outlook on EPS was $1.08-1.10 vs est. $1.06 and Q1 revenue growth of 7.5% y/y at current spot rates in the currencies. The RBA raised its underlying inflationary forecasts In the RBA’s quarterly economic forecasts and policy outlook (known as the Statement of Monetary Policy) released today in Australia, the Bank increased its “trimmed mean” CPI forecast from 3.8% to 4.3%. The increase was largely driven by sticky consumer durable goods inflation and services inflation. The RBA also upgraded labour costs projections, forecasting wages to rise 4.25% this year versus 3.9% previously. RBA continues to forecast that longer term inflation will ease to within the Bank’s target. Market pricing now suggests the RBA will hike another 75 basis points through the July meeting before a likely pause. US jobless claims rose but still sub-200k Initial jobless claims rose to 196k from 183k, and above the expected 190k. Continued claims also surpassed expectations and printed 1.688mln (exp. 1.68mln), above the prior 1.650mln. While there is a pick-up in claims, it must be noted that it comes from a low level and continues to signal a tight labour market. Hawkish 50 bp hike from Mexico’s central bank Banxico surprised markets with a 50-bp rate hike once again, taking the policy rate to 11.00% and signalled another, smaller hike at the next meeting. Expectations were for a smaller 25-bp hike, followed by a pause. This appears to be in line with what we have seen from RBA and Reserve Bank of India this month, suggesting broad inflation pressures continue to challenge central banks that were hoping to signal a pause.  Read next: USD/JPY Is Below 131.00 Again, The Aussie Is Close To 0.70$| FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? “New” USD CPI next Tuesday as risk sentiment on watch with the break of US S&P 500 Index support. As noted above, the S&P 500 Index broke below the pivotal 4,100 area that was an important resistance line on the way up, suggesting the risk of further consolidation lower from a technical perspective. A more significant level to the downside could be the 200-day moving average coming in near 3,945 on the cash Index, considerably lower, while the Nasdaq 100 Index eyes the important 12,300-12,100 area. What could turn sentiment lower? The most likely source of immediate concern would be any further rise in Treasury yields, but an interesting test awaits the market with next Tuesday’s CPI release, which will be the first release after an overhaul of the calculation methodology, which some argue could engineer a sharper than expected drop. Breaking: Government nominates Kazuo Ueda as new Bank of Japan Governor The name of Kazuo Ueda, an economist and former member of the Bank of Japan’s deliberation committee, was not among the names considered most likely to replace current governor Kuroda on his exit in early April. The first move in the JPY was higher on the announcement. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light today with Enbridge, Canada-based energy distributor, being the most interesting to watch. Analysts expect Enbridge to report revenue growth of 3% y/y and EPS of $0.73 down 5% y/y. Next week, the earnings calendar will provide plenty of interesting releases with the three most important releases being Deere, Schneider Electric, and Airbnb. Friday: Enbridge, Constellation Software Next week’s earnings: Monday: Recruit Holdings, DBS Group, Cadence Design Systems, SolarEdge, Palantir Tuesday: CSL, TC Energy, First Quantum Minerals, Toshiba, Norsk Hydro, Boliden, Coca-Cola, Zoetis, Airbnb, Marriott International, Globalfoundries, NU Holdings, Akamai Technologies Wednesday: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Fortesque Metals Group, Wesfarmers, Shopify, Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Barrick Gold, Kering, EDF, Tenaris, Glencore, Barclays, Heineken, Nibe Industrier, Cisco Systems, Kraft Heinz, AIG, Biogen, Trade Desk Thursday: Newcrest Mining, South 32, Airbus, Schneider Electric, Air Liquide, Pernod Ricard, Bridgestone, Standard Chartered, Repsol, Nestle, Applied Materials, Datadog, DoorDash Friday: Hermes International, Safran, Allianz, Mercedes-Benz, Uniper, Sika, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1300 – Poland National Bank releases meeting minutes 1330 – Canada Jan. Net Change in Employment / Unemployment Rate 1400 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1400 – ECB’s Schabel in live Q&A on Twitter 1500 – US Feb. Preliminary University of Michigan Sentiment 1730 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak at Crypto conference 2100 – US Fed’s Harker (Voter 2023) to speak   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 10, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Mexico’s Central Bank Surprised Markets With A 50bps Rate Hike Once Again

    Mexico’s Central Bank Surprised Markets With A 50bps Rate Hike Once Again

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.02.2023 08:43
    Summary:  Equities erased early gains with S&P500 falling below 4100 as short-end Treasury yields jumped higher and yield curve inversion deepened to a fresh record. Riksbank’s hawkish surprise, along with Banxico’s, is raising concerns that central banks will have to continue to hike rates. Dollar was off its lows, and Gold pulled back to test the $1860 support again. Crude oil prices slid despite risks of lingering supply disruptions, as demand concerns weighed. China’s inflation data due today ahead of more Fed speakers and University of Michigan survey.   What’s happening in markets? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I) slide lower on Thursday; Tesla hits a new cycle high The S&P 500 wiped an earlier 1% jump, ending 0.9% lower on Thursday and 1.3% down on the week. It’s the first time in three weeks the benchmark index is in negative territory. That said, the S&P500 hold a gain of about 16% from its October low. On Thursday, options traders piled into bets the Federal Reserve is targeting a peak rate of 6%, nearly a whole percentage point above consensus. The two-year yield traded near 4.5%, and earlier pushed above the 10-year yield rate, by the widest margin since the early 1980s — This is a sign of fading confidence in the US economy’s ability to withstand additional tightening, and weighed on bank stocks. Alphabet (GOOGL) was also a key laggard as the underwhelming chatbot event continued to drag. Walt Disney (DIS) also reversed its gains after reporting earnings and announcing layoffs. Tesla (TSLA) shares were a top performer rising 3% on Thursday, taking its rally to 100% from its January low, bolstered by signs that demand for its EVs are rebounding - particularly with China out of lockdown. Still, Tesla share are down 50% from their record high. The technical indicators on the weekly and monthly charts look interesting – suggesting buying could potentially pick up over the longer term, as reflected in the MACD and RSI.  Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) jump higher The 2-year note Treasury yield rose 6bps to top 4.5% for the first time since November 30th, which means the bond market is beginning to take the Fed more seriously again. The surprise hawkish announcement from Riksbank likely added to concerns that central banks will continue to hike rates. The 10-year yield was up 5bps taking the Treasury yield curve inversion to 86bps, the widest since the 1980s. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) gained as optimism returned Hang Seng Index rallied 1.6% and CSI300 bounced over 1.3% after a week-long consolidation. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg), surging 8.5%, was the biggest winner within the Hang Seng Index. Lei Jun, Chairman and founder of the mobile phone and electronic device maker, announced on Twitter in the form of Q&A with a Chatbot that the company is launching its Xiaomi 13 Series mobile phone on 26 Feb. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) climbed 4% following its announcement of a plan to develop a ChatGPT-like chatbot. The hype on AI-generated content and chatbot spilled over to chip makers with Hua Hong (01347:xhkg) and SMIC (00981:xhkg) each rising over 3%. Mobile phone hardware suppliers Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) and AAC (02018:xhkg) surged 5.7% and 5.9% respectively. The technology space outperformed overall, with the Hang Seng Tech Index climbing 3.2%. Macao casino operators advanced with MGM, surging 9.2% and other operators gaining 3% to 5%. In A-shares, semiconductors, food and beverage, communication, defense, and internet-of-things stocks led the advance. Northbound flows registered a net buying of over RMB 12 billon. Australian equites (ASXSP200.I) likely to end the week lower, with rate sensitive stocks down the most, while banks and insurers lift ahead of RBA saying more hikes ahead The Energy sector is up the most this week, followed by Materials – with activity in China picking up after Luna New Year holidays. The best ASX200 returns this week so far are from Gold mining giant, Newcrest, up 11%, followed by insurance group Medibank up 5%, while regional bank Suncorp is up 4%. On the downside, Block, also known as Square (SQ, SQ2) fell over 9% this week, after rising for the last 6 weeks. ASX tech logistics giant WiseTech (WTC) fell about 10% so far this week, knock it off its record all time high and ending its four-week strong rally with the logistics industry improving. WiseTech has contracts with global logistics giants including UPS, DHL etc.  FX: SEK outperforms on hawkish Riksbank; JPY awaits new governor The big drag on the USD came from the outperformance of the Swedish krona after Riksbank surprised hawkish (read below). However, the dollar bounced back as Treasury yields picked up in wake of a dismal 30yr auction. Even as EURSEK plunged below 11.20, EURUSD rushed back above 1.0750 and came in close sight of 1.0800, although reversing most of these gains in the wake of dollar strength subsequently. GBPUSD also pushed higher to test the 50DMA at 1.2187 but reversed towards 1.21 later. USDJPY finding it difficult to go below 130 with PM Kishida saying he doesn’t want to surprise the markets with his Governor choice, which is shifting the consensus towards safer bets. AUDUSD failed another attempt at 0.70, awaiting RBA’s quarterly outlook. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) dips as investors clip profits WTI oil traded 0.5% lower at $78.06, ending its best three-day rally since December. Some investors moved into profit taking mode, worried about a sagging US economy and that it could drag on oil demand. As the Fed has turned marginally hawkish recently, a large draw in inventories recently is also sending caution about oil demand. This comes despite supply disruptions with exports of Azeri oil from Turkey unlikely to resume until late next week. This has wiped out about 600kb/d of shipments. Meanwhile, Kazakh crude production has been reduced by about 200kb/d due to unplanned maintenance work. Gold (XAUUSD) back lower to test $1860 Gold turned lower again as the surge higher in 2-year yields and the US dollar strengthened, and was testing the $1860 support in early Asian trading hours. A marginally hawkish stance by the Fed members over the last week, coupled with fears from a very strong job market report, continues to bolster the view that interest rates will need to keep rising to contain inflation. Still, if gold manages to stay above the 38.2% retracement of the run up from early November at $1828, the broader uptrend can remain intact.  Read next: Credit Suisse Reported Its Biggest Annual Loss Since The 2008, Ukrainian President Is Asking For Help And More Weapons In Brussels| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Riksbank’s 50bps rate hike boosts krona The Riksbank hiked the 50 basis points to 3% and guided for “probably” more tightening to come, but importantly also announced an acceleration of bond sales to reduce the balance sheet (QT) in April, which helped boost 10-year Swedish Government bond yields a chunky 20 basis points today, bringing them suddenly close to par against German yields. New Govenror Thedeen’s u-turn on the krona policy helped to bring EURSEK below 11.15, with the 11-handle and 200DMA at 10.81 now in focus. US jobless claims rose but still sub-200k Initial jobless claims rose to 196k from 183k, and above the expected 190k. Continued claims also surpassed expectations and printed 1.688mln (exp. 1.68mln), above the prior 1.650mln. While there is a pick-up in claims, it must be noted that it comes from a low level and still continues to signal a tight labor market. German inflation slows to five-month lows A delayed preliminary inflation print for January was released in Germany yesterday and it retreated to 9.2% YoY from 9.6% in December as government aid to ease the burden on households from soaring energy costs helped ease price pressures. Still, the disinflationary pressure appears to be slower than expected, and the ECB will have to keep its foot on the pedal. Hawkish outcome from Mexico’s central bank Banxico surprised markets with a 50bps rate hike once again and signalled another, smaller hike at the next meeting. Expectations were for a final 25bps rate hike. This appears to be in trend with what we have seen from RBA thins month, as also from the Reserve Bank of India, suggesting broad inflation pressures are still continuing to challenge central banks from considering a pause. China inflation is expected to inch up China’s Inflation may have accelerated as the headline CPI is forecasted to bounce to 2.2% Y/Y in January from 1.8% in December. A surge in in-person service consumption after the reopening may have underpinned some price increases but the upward pressure on the general level of inflation has remained moderate. Rises in vegetable and fruit prices were likely damped by a decline in pork prices. The decline in producer prices is expected to narrow to -0.4% in January from -0.7% in December as industrial metal prices bounced offsetting a decline in coal prices. Australian trade update: Commodity optimism picks up after Lunar New Year, Chinese students to return to AU, RBA inflationary forecasts due today. Could Australian wine tariffs from China be dropped? AUDUSD on watch. Aussie dollar volatility continued this week, with the AUDUSD losing 2% over the last 5 sessions, mirroring commodity prices pulling back. But optimism has started to pick up. The Copper (HG1) price fell 0.6% over the last five sessions, moving up yesterday, while the Iron ore (SCOA) price is 0.6% down on the week, but picked up over the few sessions, with construction kicking off in China - after the Luna New Year break. Plus, a top China economist said interest rates could be cut next quarter. This supports further commodity buying, on top of Fortescue Metals, BHP and Rio Tinto’s quarterly outlooks, hinting China demand will pick up in 2023. China also docked its first Australian coal import shipment in two years yesterday, which supports the Aussie dollar over the medium to long-term, with the market to perhaps see more coal orders. Regardless, the coal export to China will add to quarterly GPD. Supporting Australian GDP this quarter as well - will be the 50,000 influx of Chinese students expected to arrive in Australia this month - ahead of the start of semester. Beijing’s government ruled that degrees earnt online would not be accredited any more. The next catalysts for the AUDUSD might come from the RBA’s quarterly economic forecasts and policy outlook released today. We think the RBA can afford to make upward revisions to its underlying inflation forecasts, given energy prices are expected to pick up later this year - as the AEMO alluded to. Lasty, consider China’s commerce ministry is willing discuss tariffs imposed on Australian wine that began in 2020. Should the tariffs be dropped or reduce, it may encourage China to buy Australian wine again – and add to AU GDP.   For what is ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: Yield curve inversion unnerves investors – 10 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Microsoft Is Replacing The Metaverse With Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    AI Divergence Between Microsoft And Google Intensifies

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 10.02.2023 10:34
    US stocks failed to keep up with the European optimism on the back of rising bets that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could hike the interest rates to 6%. In fact, option traders are piling into bets that the US rates could peak at 6%. Mexico’s Banxico Plus, the surprise 50bp hike from Mexico’s Banxico, on the back of unexpected – and unwelcomed inflation jump since the end of last year, also raised worries that the US could experience a similar uptick in inflation, and, may have to raise rates higher. Optimism And the strong US jobs market, the latest recovery in energy and commodity prices on the Chinese reopening optimism, and the sudden jump in second-hand car prices are red flags… Stock market The S&P500 fell 0.88% yesterday, and Nasdaq retreated 0.90%. Topsellers will likely remain in charge of the market on the possibility that maybe inflation in the US may have not eased to 6.2% as expected by analysts. But nothing is clear before next Tuesday’s CPI release, in terms of Fed expectations. USD What’s interesting though, is that the hawkish Fed bets don’t translate fully into the US dollar valuation. The US dollar remains under pressure despite the positive pressure on the US yields. And the 50-DMA offers remain particularly solid in the US dollar index. Read next: Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Comments New Twitter's Owner| FXMAG.COM Bitcoin Finally, Bitcoin fell 5% on news that Kraken stops staking. Negative pressure in tech stocks could further weigh on appetite. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 Swiss stocks fell on mixed bag of bad news 2:48 US stocks under pressure as option traders bet for 6% Fed rate 5:25 AI divergence between Microsoft and Google intensifies 5:57 Tesla rallies past $200 but… 6:47 US dollar remains offered at 50-DMA. What are traders waiting for? 7:29 Bitcoin under pressure as Kraken halts staking Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #peak #rate #hawkish #bets #US #inflation #Tesla #Google #Bard #AI #gaffe #Microsoft #ChatGPT #USD #EUR #JPY #Bitcoin #Kraken #CreditSuisse #Trafigura #Swatch #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Saxo Bank Quarterly Outlook: Bullish View On Industrial Metals

    Saxo Bank Quarterly Outlook: Bullish View On Industrial Metals

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.02.2023 11:02
    Summary:  Our Quarterly Outlook highlighted our significantly bullish view on industrial metals such as copper, aluminium and lithium. We highlight potential stocks to watch ahead, given many of the major metal companies including Albemarle, BHP, Rio Tinto and Pilbara Minerals report financial results and their outlooks in the coming weeks. We believe a theme might be to expect higher commodity prices this year. When picking investments, remember markets are forward looking When assessing sectors and stocks to watch, it’s important to note markets are forward looking.As we are at Saxo - we’re thinking about what markets could look in six to 12 month.With that in mind, and reflecting on Saxo’s quarterly outlook; we wanted to share five stocks to watch; as featured in our Equity baskets and focusing on our bullish view of the commodity sector. Read next: Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Comments New Twitter's Owner| FXMAG.COM Saxo is bullish on copper, aluminium and lithium    At Saxo, as mentioned in our quarterly outlook, we’re significantly bullish on copper, aluminium and lithium; underpinned by demand from the global green transformation and with hundreds of billions to be invested to achieve climate and car makers goals. Here are three considerations Firstly; The International Energy Agency or IEA – made of 31 countries, including, Australia, the UK, Denmark, the United States and Japan vowed to be emission free by 2050. Some nations plan to end the sale of fuel powered engines by 2035. Meaning - demand for green metals will only increase - while supply is not expected to keep up. This means the trend toward higher commodity prices is likely here to stay. Secondl;  consider how much copper, aluminium and lithium goes into an average EV - 10 kilograms of lithium, 83 kilograms of copper. 250 kilograms of aluminium. But metals are also needed for other battery cells and for building materials as well. Thirdly; consider; investment managers have been increasing their positions into such, metals, given the likes of Tesla, Ford, BMW, Merc, and VW will need to buy more raw materials such as these, to ramping up EVs production. Five stocks to watch; across copper, aluminium and lithium- Albemarle, BHP, Rio, Southern Copper Corp and Pilbara Minerals   These stocks are featured in Saxo equity baskets, to find more click here.  Albemarle (ALB) is the world’s biggest lithium producing company by market size with a US$31.3 billion valuation. It has one the broadest customer groups, selling to Toyota, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and GM, and Panasonic. Albemarle is due to report financial results on February 16 as well as its outlook, which will be very telling for the lithium industry. For more on Albemarle head to Saxo’s Lithium or green transformation equity theme baskets. BHP (BHP) is the biggest mining company in the world by market size, with an AUD$243 billion valuation. BHP has historically generated some of strongest cashflows across the globe. Given this – it’s also been able to pay some of the highest dividends in the world, consistently. Consensus expects BHP to pay a full-year gross dividend yield of 14%. For the last reporting period BHP made about 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper and 24.6% from coal. BHP is also attempting to take over copper giant, Oz Minerals, while also moving into fertilisers – with plans to be the biggest fertiliser company in the world. BHP reports full year financial results on February 21 as well as its outlook. Which will give us a further glimpse into future demand for copper, as well as iron ore. For more  on BHP- head to Saxo’s Commodity or Australian Resources basket. Rio Tinto (RIO) is the second biggest diversified miner in the world, with an $178 billion valuation. Last reporting year Rio made 58.1% of its revenue from iron ore, 21.5% from aluminium and 10.9% from copper, and the remainder from other metals. Rio is expected to pay a full-year gross dividend yield of about 11% this year. Rio reports full year financial results on February 22 and its outlook for 2023, which will be interesting given it’s a major aluminium producer. For more on Rio head to Saxo’s Commodity or Australian Resources basket. Southern Copper Corp (SSCO) is another large copper miner. It’s not a large as BHP or RIO in size but it’s market cap size is US$57.3 billion. Last reporting year it made most of revenue from copper. The market expects Southern Copper to pay a full yea gross dividend yield of 5.3% this year. For more on Southern Copper head to Saxo’s Commodity equity basket. Pilbara Minerals (PLS) is Australia largest lithium miner. It has a market value of AU$14 billion. Pilbara’s customers include LG Chem, and China’s Great Wall Motor Company. And believe it or not, one of Pilbara Minerals customers is actually China’s Genfeng Lithium Corp, which is China’s largest lithium company. Pilbara is due to report financial results on February 22. For more, read Saxo’s quarterly outlook at analysis.Saxo.To find out more on the stocks mentioned above, refer to our equity baskets under Research, Stocks.    -- For prior episodes of Stocks Watch  click here.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Stock watch video: Saxo’s bullish view on industrial metals, copper, aluminium, lithium | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    TikTok Bans Are Gathering Momentum In The US

    Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Comments New Twitter's Owner

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 10.02.2023 10:13
    When hours of technical glitches occurred on Twitter on Wednesday, Dorsey expressed frustration on Nostr. Dorsey's comments Dorsey has been posting frequently in Nostr. Twitter Inc. co-founder Jack Dorsey has joined a new social network and is using it to target Twitter's new owner Elon Musk. “Used to be when anything went down, people went to Twitter to talk about it. Now look,”. Dorsey posted on his Nostr profile, which is identifiable by information he posted on his Twitter bio. He added later: “Twitter went from real time to 1 minute delay,” an apparent reference to a glitch that briefly prevented users from tweeting normally but allowed scheduling a tweet to post later. Dorsey's comments are notable as the two businessmen appear to have had a friendly relationship, with Dorsey initially rooting for Musk's takeover. Dorsey has largely not publicly criticized Musk's tenure on Twitter. He only tweeted critically about the renaming of Twitter's fact-checking feature to Community Notes, which Dorsey said was "the most boring Facebook name ever" from Birdwatch. Last year, Dorsey tried to facilitate Musk's takeover of Twitter, according to court documents released as part of a lawsuit over a planned billionaire takeover. Documents show that Dorsey exchanged text messages with Musk and helped arrange a phone call between Musk and Parag Agrawal, who was Twitter's chief executive at the time. Nostra and more Dorsey Nostr's interest is consistent with his recent statements about making social media more decentralized and immune to what he called corporate and government control. In a December blog post, Dorsey said he blamed himself for giving Twitter too much power to regulate speech. Nostr is not the only project recently promoted by Dorsey. He said in a December blog post that he plans to donate $1 million a year to Signal, a messaging app, and will be giving grants to projects focused on open internet and protocol work. Twitter share price Twitter shares have recently gone up and closed at $53.70, Read next: Credit Suisse Reported Its Biggest Annual Loss Since The 2008, Ukrainian President Is Asking For Help And More Weapons In Brussels| FXMAG.COM Ford Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a virtual meeting at City Hall on Thursday morning that he was working to simplify targets and performance metrics for employees, according to those present. Farley told the meeting that tackling broader issues at Ford could not be done on one level and that clearer ways were needed to help individual employees understand what they needed. do to contribute to the overarching objectives of the car manufacturer. Directors said supply chain issues and structural inefficiencies continued to hold back the company's progress. Executives said last week that the automaker plans to tighten its belt more this year and wants to cut costs by more than $3 billion, which it previously tried to cut by mid-decade. Farley also pointed to vehicle quality issues that cost Ford warranty claims and recalls, and said that in some areas the company was employing too many people for the number of cars it produced. In an attempt to streamline the business, Ford laid off thousands of white-collar workers last year, and Ford's chief financial officer, John Lawler, signaled last week in a pay talk that more job cuts could follow. Ford also shut down its Argo AI autonomous driving venture last year, a project that was initiated years ago by another CEO. Ford share price At the beginning of this week, Ford shares fell to 13.14, but in the following days they rose slightly and are now trading at 13.49. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Markets under Pressure: Rising Yields, Strong Dollar, and Political Headwinds Weigh on Stocks"

    Technology Companies Are The Leaders Of The Fall

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.02.2023 08:00
    Technology companies are the leaders of the fall on Friday, which is due to disappointing reports for investors. US consumer price data will be released on Tuesday. Analysts believe that annual inflation in the country slowed down to 6.2% in January from 6.5% a month earlier. On Friday, the US macro statistics were also published. Thus, the consumer sentiment index of the University of Michigan, which reflects the degree of household confidence in the US economy, according to preliminary estimates, increased to 66.4 points in February from 64.9 points in January, while an increase to 65 points was predicted. Dow Jones Industrial Average by 17:47 GMT +3 decreased by 0.16% and amounted to 32645.72 points. Leading losses among the components of the index included Salesforce Inc., down 3.9%, Walt Disney Co. down 1.6% and JPMorgan Chase & Co. - by 1.1%. The value of the Standard & Poor's 500 from the opening of the market fell by 0.27% - to 4070.35 points. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.7% to 11,706.76. Taxi booking service Lyft Inc. in October-December received record revenue for the second quarter in a row, but the company's forecast fell short of expectations. The share price at the beginning of trading collapsed by more than 35%. Read next: UK Economy Suggest That Inflation Will Drop| FXMAG.COM Expedia Group's value is down 6.2%. Online travel holding in the fourth quarter reduced its net profit by 2.3 times, while the adjusted figure, as well as revenue fell short of analysts' expectations. Shares of Newell Brands lose 5.8%. The consumer goods maker posted a net loss in October-December and reduced revenue, as well as a weak outlook for the current quarter. Share price of Apple Inc. drops 0.7%, Intel Corp. - by 0.9%, Microsoft Corp. - by 0.8%, Tesla - by 2.7%, Boeing Co. - by 0.2%. At the same time, PayPal Holdings rose 3.5%. The payment system increased its net profit in the fourth quarter by 15%, revenue - by 7%. In addition, the company announced that its chief executive officer, Dan Schulman, intends to leave his post on December 31, 2023. However, he will remain on the board of directors of PayPal. Yelp Inc. online review service. reduced net income by 13% in the last quarter, while revenue grew by a similar amount and exceeded forecasts. Quotes of the company's shares jumped by 7.4%.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-14 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/312325
    The Commodities Feed: US announces SPR purchase

    Crude Oil Prices Surged On Friday After Russia Announced A Production Cut

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.02.2023 08:22
    Summary:  U.S. stock markets finished Friday mixed with a small gain in the S&P and weakness in the Nasdaq 100 weighed by higher bond yields. Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index declined as investors waited for fresh evidence of a recovery in the Chinese economy. Growth in outstanding loans in China picked up to 11.3% YoY in January as banks had been encouraged to lend. The nomination of Kazuo Ueda as the next Bank of Japan governor was a surprise to the market. Crude oil prices surged on Friday after Russia announced a production cut.   What’s happening in markets? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I) may be on wobble town this week, with CPI out Tuesday S&P 500 edged up 0.2% in a lackluster session while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 slid 0.6% on higher bond yields. Energy was the best-performing sector on Friday, rising nearly 4% as crude oil rose more than 2% on the Russian production cut. Markets seem defensive coming into this week after a 1.1% decline in the S&P last week - worried firstly, the Fed can keep rates higher for longer, triggered by the hot employment report the week before followed by hawkish Fed speaker comments last week. This week, the focus will be on the CPI data on Tuesday. In individual stocks, Lyft (LYFT:xnas) tumbled 36.5% after the ride-hailing company guided Q1 EBITDA at USD5 to USD15 million, far below the consensus of USD83.6 million, noting price cuts to keep customers against completion from Uber (UBER:xnys). Paypal (PYPL:xnas) rose 3% on Q4 results and earnings guidance beating analyst estimates. Spotify (SPOT:xnys) gained 3.5% following activist investment company ValueAct Capital Management took a stake in the music-streaming company. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bear steepened The long end of the curve led the sell-off in Treasuries, with yields on the 10-year jumping 7bps to 3.73% and those on the 2-year climbed 4bps to 4.52%. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index came at 66.4, above the 65.0 expected and the highest level in 11 months. One-year inflation expectations edged up to 4.2% from 4.0% while the 5-10-year inflation expectations remained unchanged at 2.9% Y/Y. Traders were cautious ahead of the CPI report on Tuesday and the upcoming supply from a 20-year auction this Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) declined for the second week Hang Seng Index dropped 2% on Friday to finish the week with a second weekly loss in a row. Technology stocks, consumer discretionary, and healthcare names led the decline. Hang Seng Tech Index tumbled 4.6%. Baidu (09888:xhkg), plunging 7.4%, was the biggest loser within the Hang Seng Index. JD.Com (09618:xhkg) dropped 6.3% despite the e-commerce giant announcing plans to launch its ChatJD and jump on the ChatGPT-like AI-generated content bandwagon. Sportswear stocks were laggards. Shenzhou ( 02313:xhkg ), Anta ( 02020:xhkg ), and Li Ning (02331:xhkg) slid between 4% and 5.6%. Shares of EV makers tumbled, XPeng (09868:xhkg) down 7.9%, Li Auto (02015:xhkg) down 7.6%, Nio (09866:xhkg) down 6.6%. SMIC declined 4.3% after the chipmaker warned of a gloomy 2023 and guided full-year revenue down 10%-13%. Standard Chartered Bank (02888:xhkg) rose 4.2% in Hong Kong trading but its London-listed shares fell 5% after First Abu Dhabi Bank said it is not evaluating an offer. In A-shares, CSI300 slid 0.6% on Friday and was down 0.8% for the week. Solar, lithium, coal mining, non-ferrous metal, auto, and semiconductors were laggards. Investors are waiting for more evidence of a recovery in the Chinese economy. The stronger-than-expected growth in corporate loans in China was released after the market close. Australian equites (ASXSP200.I) could also wobble street, if employment data is hotter than expected and commodities pair back with a higher US dollar This week investors and traders will be focused firstly – Australian employment data out for January, due on Thursday, expected to show employment rose by 20,000 from the prior drop, with the unemployment rate expected to remain unchanged at 3.5%. Also importantly, consider the Aussie share market, may be potentially vulnerable for a pair back as the Australian 10 year bond yield has moved up aggressive to 3.81%- its highest level since January. The reason for this, is that the market is expecting the RBA to make ~78.6bps of hikes before pausing in August. So this means unprofitable tech companies and those businesses that don’t pay a dividend yield are vulnerable. FX: SEK reverses gains, CAD boosted by strong jobs and oil The US dollar continued to gain amid renewed risk aversion on Friday, but gains were somewhat capped by gains in CAD as oil prices soared after the Russian supply cuts and Canadian jobs report smashed consensus expectations ten times over. USDCAD reversed from 1.3450+ levels to 1.3350. Meanwhile, USDJPY ended the week nearly unchanged and may be looking at further volatility with higher yields, rising oil prices and the new BOJ Governor. Meanwhile, SEK reversed from the highs after a hawkish surprise from the Riksbank last week. EURSEK back above 11.15 and EURUSD down to 1.0670 from 1.087 levels last week. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) moves higher on Russian supply falling Oil prices jumped higher on Friday, closing the week with over 8% gains, as Russia said it would lower production in response to western sanctions (read below). The OPEC+ alliance, which Russia is key member, signalled they won’t be increasing output to fill in for the reductions, signalling a tight market may be ahead. WTI rose to $80/barrel and Brent touched close to $87, although some profit taking emerged in early Asian hours on Monday. Oil prices still continue to trade within a range that has prevailed since November. Meanwhile, other supply returned to the market with Tanker loadings of Azeri crude docking at Turkey's Ceyhan terminal. Gold (XAUUSD) has its eyes on US CPI this week Gold continues to consolidate near $1860, despite pressure from rising US yields. This week’s US CPI release continues to be on watch to assess if the disinflationary narrative can continue even with a new methodology of calculating. A rhetoric shift in global central banks has been seen last week with more hawkish surprises, and the CPI will be the latest test if that narrative can continue to build. Gold however still getting support from rising US-China tensions. Further weakness carries the risk of an extension towards $1828, the 38.2% retracement of the run up from early November.  Read next: UK Economy Suggest That Inflation Will Drop| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Bank of Japan picks a dark horse for Governor post Japan PM Kishida in a shocking announcement on Friday nominated a dark horse candidate Kazuo Ueda as the next governor for the Bank of Japan after Kuroda steps down in April. BOJ executive director (in charge of monetary policy) Shinichi Uchida and former Financial Services Agency commissioner Ryozo Himino were also nominated as deputy governors. Ueda is an academic and a former member of the BOJ policy board, and digging his prior speeches has revealed that he has more of a neutral stance, compared to the dovish Amamiya who was reportedly offered the role but rejected it. His appointment suggests we could see some tweaks in BOJ’s ultra-easy monetary policy, but expecting an outright removal of yield curve control policy appears aggressive now. Fed’s Harker highlights higher-for-longer rates Philly Fed President Patrick Harker (voter) said the likelihood of the Fed being able to control inflation without triggering a recession is growing, but stressed that the key rate must get above 5% and stay there to ensure price pressures ease. He also hinted at a “couple” more 25-bps rate hikes being in the pipeline, but said that how far the Fed will need to go above 5% will be determined by the data. He also talked about rate cuts, but dismissed the possibility in 2023. Focus turns to Michelle Bowman who speaks at a banking conference today. Russia’s production cut to further tighten the oil market On Friday, Russia announced a unilateral cut in its March crude oil output by 500,000 barrels a day, apparently without consulting with its OPEC+ partners first. Since the introduction of EU and G7 sanctions on crude oil from December and fuel products from early February, Russia has increasingly been forced to cut its selling price as its client base continued to dwindle. If oil prices continue to charge higher, OPEC may need to fill the gap by ramping up production, especially in light of an expected pickup in Chinese demand this year. China’s CPI rose to 2.1% in January China’s CPI rose to +2.1% Y/Y in January from 1.8% in December, in line with expectations. The increase was largely due to the fact that the Lunar New Year fell into January this year while it was in February last year and a larger than expected 6.2% Y/Y food price inflation in January versus 4.8% in December. Excluding food and energy, core CPI came in at 1.0% Y/Y, edging up from 0.7% in December. In January, services inflation picked up to 0.8% M/M but was still benign on a year-on-year basis, coming at 1.0% Y/Y in January, rising moderately from 0.6% Y/Y. Producer price deflation deepened, with PPI falling 0.8% Y/Y, versus -0.5% Y/Y expected and -0.7% Y/Y in December. The larger decline in CPI was driven by falling crude oil and coal prices. Growth of outstanding RMB loans in China accelerated to 11.3% Y/Y New aggregate financing increased to RMB5,980 billion from RMB1,306 billion (revised down from RMB1,310 billion) in December, above RMB5,400 forecasted in Bloomberg’s survey. However, due to a high base last year, the growth in total outstanding aggregate financing slowed to 9.4% Y/Y in January from 9.6% in December. The strength in credit expansion came from a larger-than-expected increase in new RMB loans to RMB4,900 billion versus RMB4,200 billion expected and RMB1,400 billion in December, as regulators instructed banks to provide more credits to support key industries and the economy. RMB4,680 billion of these new loans were extended to the corporate sector while only RMB257 billion went to households. The RMB257 new loans to households were much below the RMB843 billion a year ago. The growth in M2 accelerated to 12.6% Y/Y in January from 11.8% in December, above the 11.7% expected. Geopolitical tensions rising U.S. officials said an “unidentified object” has been shot down by its military over Lake Huron. This is the third time in as many days, after earlier downings in Alaska and Canada, and it is the fourth this month to be shot down over North America by a US missile. As debris from these is being evaluated, now the Chinese government says it has spotted a mystery object over waters near northern port city Qingdao and it is preparing to shoot it down. Singapore’s DBS Bank announces special dividend Singapore’s largest bank DBS Group (D05:xses) reported Q4 earnings this morning, with net income up 69% at S$ 2.34bn vs. estimate of S$2.17bn. Higher interest rates continued to boost its income and more than offset other declines due to volatility in financial markets. The board has declared a final dividend of 42 cents a share for the fourth quarter, up from 36 cents a year ago, and a special dividend of 50 cents a share. This brings the total payout for the full year to $2 a share. Other banks including Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (O39:xses) and United Overseas Bank (U11:xses) are due to report results next week.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: New BOJ chief; Russian crude production cut; Strong loan growth in China – 13 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Digest: US Crude Oil Inventories Decline Amidst Growing Supply Risks

    Saxo Bank Podcast: US CPI Ahead, What Might Happen If The Economy Re-Accelerates And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.02.2023 12:04
    Summary:  Today we look at the market narrative around the coming "landing" and what might happen if the economy re-accelerates and the market has to price in a "no landing" scenario. The key is the long end of the yield curve, which has remained very anchored for a few months. Elsewhere, we discuss the important US January CPI release coming up tomorrow, discuss Interesting stocks to watch as some vulnerable companies seek liquidity and Lyft craters in contrast to Uber's recent report, and look at earnings reports up today. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, with John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next: Poland’s President Andrzej Duda Said The Decision To Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine Was “Not Easy To Take”| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: What does a "no landing" scenario look like? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Central Bank Policies: Hawkish Fed vs. Dovish Others"

    Market Expectations For The Fed Path And Domination Of US CPI In The Rhetoric This Week

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.02.2023 12:12
    Summary:  Market expectations for the Fed path has come back in-line with the December dot plot, with Fed speakers turning hawkish at the margin since the bumper January jobs report. While US CPI is key early in the week, focus will shift back to Fed commentaries later in the week. Market narrative has shifted swiftly from recession at the end of 2022 to soft landing in early 2023, and expectations of a re-acceleration in cyclical growth on the back of a strong labor market are now picking traction. Bond markets are starting to reflect this changing perception, with yields rallying strongly. US 2-year yields reached their highest levels since November, above 4.5%. Market pricing of the Fed’s path has also started to converge with the December dot plot, bringing the terminal rate to 5-5.25% and slowly pushing out the two rate cuts priced in for this year. Read next: Poland’s President Andrzej Duda Said The Decision To Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine Was “Not Easy To Take”| FXMAG.COM A general hawkish tilt has returned in Fed communications, but this week US CPI will dominate the rhetoric in the first half of the week. If inflation is hotter than expected, or even if continues to be sticky, the disinflation narrative started by Chair Powell at the last Fed meeting could continue to come under the scanner. A host of Fed speakers are lined up for the week, and their take on the inflation and jobs data could continue to unnerve the markets.   Source: Fedspeak Monitor: The hawks are lining up again | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Bitcoin Is Strongly Bearish, So A Further Drop Is Natural

    Bitcoin's Further Movement In The Coming Days Will Depend On The Behavior Of The Stock Market

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.02.2023 14:11
    The previous week ended with the beginning of a long-awaited corrective movement for Bitcoin. At the end of Thursday, the cryptocurrency formed the largest red candle from November 9, and the price made a bearish breakdown of the $22k level. Bitcoin spent the weekend calmly consolidating below the $22k area. Buyers managed to stop the fall, and the price consolidated near the $21.8k support area. There are no clear signals for further price movement due to a decline in trading activity. However, this week can be the starting point for a deeper correction and a resumption of the bullish trend. Inflation data The Wall Street Journal reported that investors expect a probable extension of the key rate hike cycle by one month. They also noted the strong labor market as the main argument of the Fed in extending the period of raising the key rate. But there is a possibility that this will not happen if the pace of inflation decline accelerates. That is why the publication of statistical data on the consumer price index this week may become a key signal that will set the medium-term trend for the movement of risky assets. The consumer price index is at 6.5%, and according to the forecasts, the index will fall to 5%. Experts are betting on a further acceleration of the deflationary movement, and if the forecasts do not match the facts, the market reaction could be painful. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission is actively taking on the crypto market. The SEC recently succeeded in halting the stacking of a major U.S. crypto exchange. As of February 13, the regulator also influenced Paxos to stop the issuance of BUSD stablecoin. All actions of the SEC at the current stage have clearly negative consequences for the crypto market, as they scare away investors. In the long term, this may be a positive signal due to the likely increase in the level of security in the crypto market, but right now, the SEC policy is destructive for the price of crypto assets. Bitcoin and SPX Bitcoin retains a high correlation with the SPX index, and, as already noted, it was the activation of sellers on the stock market that contributed to the fall of both risky assets. According to Santiment experts, the positive correlation of BTC and SPX complicates the upward movement of the cryptocurrency. In addition, experts from the world's leading banks predict an early completion of the SPX rally and the beginning of a corrective movement to $3,500–$3,600. Morgan Stanley once again said that investor interest in SPX and stock indices reached a peak, after which a sell-off usually followed. BTC/USD Analysis Over the weekend, we saw local attempts by buyers to break through the round level of $22k. These attempts were completely absorbed by the sellers, after which the price returned to the usual area of $21.5k–$21.8k. Much of Bitcoin's further movement in the coming days will depend on the behavior of the stock market, and hence the results of the deflationary movement. If the forecasts correspond to the actual data, we should expect an upward movement of Bitcoin to the levels of $22.5k–$22.7k, where there is a local resistance zone. Subsequently, the cryptocurrency will need to gain a foothold above $23k in order to finally level out the bearish scenario. Otherwise, the price will start to decline, and the expected targets will be Fibo levels. This means that BTC/USD will move to the second stage of correction, which may become deeper. Results In any of the cases, except for fixing the price above $23k, Bitcoin is moving towards the second stage of correction. The estimated targets for the asset will be the $21.4k level and deeper to the $20k area. Below $21k, investor sentiment could drop heavily, which could lead to a breakdown of the $20k round mark. However, if the bullish sentiment persists, which will be visible on the main on-chain metrics, we will see active accumulation in the $20k–$21k area. Subsequently, this will allow Bitcoin to continue its upward movement towards the $24k–$25k levels.   Relevance up to 09:00 2023-02-14 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/334911
    US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

    Tesla Believes That Revenue Will Grow 28% To A New Record, The Bank Of England Hinted That The 50bps Rate Hike May Have Been Their Last

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.02.2023 08:48
    Summary:  Today is the U.S. CPI day which may set the near-term directions of the stock, bond, and forex market. Investors are cautious about the additional uncertainties from the impact of the new CPI compilation methodology and seasonality. U.S. equities rallied and bond yields slipped modestly. Oil prices were lower as US announced plans to sell more crude from its strategic reserves. Japanese Yen extends weakness awaiting the official announcement of the nomination of Ueda as the new BOJ governor. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was dragged by rights offering from Link REIT.   What’s happening in markets? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I) rallied as inflation expectations dropped After S&P500 made its biggest weekly drop in 2023 last week, US stocks started the week in positive territory, with the S&P500 gaining 1.1% and Nasdaq 100 advancing 1.6%, supported by the New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations that showed expectations for household income expectations falling from 4.6% to 3.3%. That’s the largest one-month drop in the nearly 10-year history of the series. We’ve seen investors cautious ahead of US inflation data being released on Tuesday and that may be hotter than expected, with a new CPI weighting being used. All but energy within the 11 S&P 500 sectors gained on Monday, led by information technology, consumer discretionary, and consumer staple. Microsoft was one of the best performers, up 3% on Monday as analysts were upbeat on the tech giant’s growth potential. Twilio gained 2.1% following the announcement to cut 17% of its workforce. Tesla flashes red signals after a record rally; meaning some of its gains could be unwound Tesla was one of the weakest in mega caps on Monday, while suffering its biggest two-day fall since January, losing 6.1%. Tesla shares have been bouncing off their lows and were up as much as 100% from their January 2023 lows, but now investors are trimming gains and Tesla is trading 93% above its low. The market believes the Fed will pause rate hikes in Q2 which supported buying in Tesla, while the company pledged to roll-ahead with scaling up production targets. Consensus believes in 2023 Tesla’s revenue will grow 28% to a new record, with EBITDA expected to swell 20% also to a new record, with 12.5% EPS growth. But, from a technical perspective, Tesla’s relative strength index (RSI) is showing the stock is now in the overbought territory - that could signal a potential reversal. The last time Tesla was this overbought was in November 2021 amid tech enthusiasm. The long end of US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) was well bid In a quiet and choppy session, yields on the 2-year finished unchanged while yields on the 10-year were 3bps richer. The terminal Fed Fund rate, as being priced in by the market, edged up to 5.23%. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman said the Fed is “still far from achieving price stability” and she expects that “it will be necessary to further tighten monetary policy”.  Traders are cautiously waiting for the much-anticipated CPI report today. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) pared losses and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) gained on consumer stock strength Hang Seng Index slipped 0.1%, as shares of Hong Kong local property developers tumbled across the board dragged by a 12.8% collapse in Link REIT (00823:xhkg). The largest REIT in Hong Kong that operates shopping centers and real estate retail spaces announced a rights offering for HKD19.3 billion at a 30% discount to its previous close. New World Development (00017:xhkg) plunged 6.7%; Henderson Land Development (00012:xhkg) declined 4.8%; Wharf Real Estate (01997:xhkg) lost 2.9%. The benchmark index clawed back most losses as Chinese consumer names rallied, with China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) up 4.9%, Haidilao (06862:xhkg) up 4.7%, Budweiser Brewing ( 01876:xhkg) up 3%, and Li Ning (02331:xhkg) up 2.4%, China Mengniu (02319:xhkg) up 2.2%. Chinese hotpot restaurant chain, Xiabuxiabu (00520:xhkg) surged 8.6%. In A-shares, CSI300 advanced by 0.9% led by Chinese white liquor, beverage, beauty care, marine equipment, and construction materials. Kweichow Moutai (600519:xssc) gained 2.6%. FX: Yen weakness extends despite yields cooling off, commodity currencies gain Dollar gains cooled off slightly on Monday as traders positioned for US CPI release due today, and risk assets rallied with gains in US yields cooling off after the recent run higher. Michelle Bowman added to the Fed chorus insisting on more rate increases to rein in inflation, saying "we are still far from achieving price stability. But the Japanese yen was still pressured lower, and USDJPY took a look above 132.50 as expectations of BOJ governor candidate Ueda altering the policy stance retreated. Upbeat risk sentiment lifted NZDUSD to 0.6360 from sub-0.63 levels earlier in the day, while AUDUSD drifted towards the key 0.70 level as well but calls for RBA governor Lowe’s resignation may keep the gains in check. GBPUSD back higher to 1.2150 and labor market data is on tap today. EURUSD back above 1.0720. Aussie dollar moves back toward 0.70 with commodities moving up The Aussie moved up 0.7% after the US dollar fell back, while commodity prices rose - also supporting the Aussie dollar. Notably, metal prices have been declining for week but moved up overnight, with Copper up 1%. The next catalyst for the AUDUSD pair will be if business confidence out today, is strong expected - it could trigger more upside. Plus the market would want to see stronger than expected Australian employment data for January- on Thursday, to also support the risk-on rally. But there is a risk, AU jobs data won’t be as strong as expected by the market, given the lag interest rates effects in Australia. 20,000 jobs are forecast to have been added, with steady unemployment rate. The Australian bond market suggest less caution is in the air, with the Australian 10-year bond yield down to 3.74% (highest levels since January). But the major catalyst will be the strength of the USD - that could change direction for the AUDUSD pair. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) prices choppy as supply fears ease Crude oil prices started the day trying to move higher as traders assessed the impact of Russia’s supply cuts. However, the importance of Russia’s energy supplies has gone down over the last year as Europe has diversified its energy sources and Russia’s oil and gas has continued to flow around the world at discounts of well over 30%. This helped ease fears of a supply shock, also helped by US planning to sell 26mn barrels of oil from its strategic reserves. WTI prices dropped from over $80/barrel to ~$79 while Brent was below $87. The UAE said markets remain balanced and OPEC+ producers don't need to intervene. Elsewhere, the US shale industry remains reluctant to ramp up drilling activity despite strong cash flows.  Read next: GBP/USD Started The New Week In A Calm Way, EUR/USD Is Waiting For US CPI Report| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Japan’s Q4 GDP comes in below expectations Japan's economy grew an annualised 0.6% in the final three months of 2022, bouncing back from the previous quarter's revised contraction of -1.0% but still coming in below expectations of a 2% gain. The return of inbound tourists offset a slowdown in capital expenditure and exports. With economic momentum still weak, new BoJ governor Ueda will continue to face a challenging task in shifting away from the ultra-loose monetary policy. US CPI on the radar - volatility risks higher with uncertain impact of new methodology While investors firmly believe that inflation is on a downward trajectory, month-on-month variations still remain on watch. More importantly, this month brings a change in methodology, which adds further uncertainty to the release. If we take the last few month’s revisions for core CPI into account based on the new methodology, there is reason to believe that the new weights could mean an upward push to inflation. Average core CPI for the last three months of 2022 has gone up from 3.1% to 4.3% with the new seasonal factors released by the BLS. Fed whisperer Nick Timiraos, a WSJ reporter, is warning of a potential upside surprise in January US CPI data due to seasonality. Moreover, milder weather in January compared to December, as well as an upward swing in jobs, could mean demand pressures picked up further traction. Bloomberg consensus expects headline CPI to soften to 6.2% YoY from 6.5% YoY in December, while the MoM picks up to 0.5% from a revised +0.1% previously. January CPI data will be out today at 2130 SGT. UK labor market data due today The Bank of England hinted at the February meeting that the 50bps rate hike may have been their last. This week’s inflation, jobs and retail sales data will however be key to determine if another hike may be seen in March. Labor data is out on Tuesday, and expected to continue to show a tight labor market. The unemployment rate over the last quarter is likely to remain unchanged at 3.7% as per Bloomberg consensus while the employment gains are expected to pick up to 43k from 27k previously. Wage pressures are also expected to sustain with average weekly earnings up 6.2% YoY in the December quarter from 6.4% before. Singapore’s budget today may look at post-Covid fiscal strategy Singapore’s annual budget will be presented today and measures may be taken to phase out Covid-era stimulus as the economy looks to re-balance spending towards longer-term goals. Still, inflation remains high and the low-income groups will likely continue to get support. Still, long-term focus on green transition and digitization is likely to be a key theme. This could bring companies like Sembcorp and Keppel Corp into favor due to their push to reduce carbon emissions. EV adoption push is also likely, helping ComfortDelGrow due to their increasing fleet of EVs. Lithium giant Albemarle earnings ahead This week, the world's biggest lithium company, Albemarle reports earnings. Given its size and scale - with it selling to most EV makers including - Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Tesla and Renault – we think Albemarle will be a proxy for what we can expect from lithium companies' earnings. Consensus expects operating profits to have improved and rise to $1.05 billion. EBITDA is expected to grow to $1.22 billion, while net debt is expected to drop, with adjusted EPS forecast to grow to 8.19. Coco-Cola reports today Investors can get more information about the state of U.S. consumers and margin trends in consumer staples from the results and management’s comments on the business outlook from Coco-Cola (KO:xnys) today.   For what is ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.       Source: Market Insights Today: All eyes on US CPI today – 14 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Albemarle Will Be A Proxy For What We Can Expect From Lithium Companies' Earnings, Tesla Maintains Its Lofty Production Targets

    Albemarle Will Be A Proxy For What We Can Expect From Lithium Companies' Earnings, Tesla Maintains Its Lofty Production Targets

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.02.2023 08:55
    Summary:  Watch our video in under four minutes or read the text for what’s happening with Tesla shares, and Albemarle, the lithium proxy, plus what to consider if you are investing or trading. Tesla flashes red signals after a record rally; meaning some of its gains could be unwound  Tesla was one of the weakest in mega caps on Monday, while suffering its biggest two-day fall since January, losing 6.1%. Tesla shares have been bouncing off their lows and are up 93% with investors hopeful the Fed will pause rate hikes. However, some investors have been trimming gains, with the Fed hinting it could keep rates higher for longer. However, Tesla’s bulls may argue a potential Fed pause could support higher earnings, while Tesla maintains its lofty production targets. Consensus believes Tesla’s 2023 revenue will grow 28% to a new record, with EBITDA expected to swell 20% to a new high, with 12.5% EPS growth. However, from a technical perspective, Tesla’s relative strength index (RSI) is showing the stock rally is slowing, with Tesla trading in so called overbought territory - a technical level that could signal a potential reversal. The last time Tesla was this overbought was in November 2021. Lithium giant Albemarle reports earnings. Its results will be telling for the lithium sector's outlook   This week, the world's biggest lithium company, Albemarle reports earnings. Given its size and scale - with it selling to most EV makers including - Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Tesla and Renault – we think Albemarle will be a proxy for what we can expect from lithium companies' earnings. And its outlook could also guide us for what to expect this year from the lithium sector. Consensus expects operating profits to have improved and rise to $1.05 billion in the quarter. EBITDA is expected to grow to $1.22 billion, while net debt is expected to drop, with adjusted EPS forecast to grow to 8.19. Click here to look at more stocks to watch across the metals sector this week. For a list of lithium stocks and EV metal stocks, refer to Saxo's Equity baskets under Research, Stocks.   Read next: GBP/USD Started The New Week In A Calm Way, EUR/USD Is Waiting For US CPI Report| FXMAG.COM For our team's weekly look at markets, click here.  To listen to our global team's take on markets - tune into our Podcast.   Source: Video: Tesla shares flash red and could pull back. Albemarle, the lithium proxy is expected to report higher earnings | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    FX Market Update: Dollar Strengthens on Higher-For-Longer Narrative Amid US Data Resilience

    Walmart Plans To Close Offices, Ford Invests In Battery Factories

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 14.02.2023 10:26
    Walmart Inc plans to close three of its tech centers in the US and require hundreds of employees to relocate to keep their jobs. Ford is seeking to increase its domestic electric car supply chain to produce 2 million electric vehicles a year globally by the end of 2026. Close offices Retail behemoth to close offices, Walmart housing tech workers in Austin, Texas; Carlsbad, CA; and Portland, Oregon. Walmart will pay for employees in those locations to relocate to other major offices, such as San Bruno, California, or the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company hopes to relocate most of its employees, with some being allowed full-time remote workers. Moreover, those who leave will receive severance pay. Back to the offices Most of Walmart's global tech workforce will be required to be in their assigned office at least two days a week, Kumar said in a memo. Since last year, many employees at Walmart's Bentonville headquarters have had to work in person five days a week. At the beginning of the pandemic, Kumar told the enterprise technology staff that remote working would last longer than in other parts of the organization. The group aimed to make virtual work the new normal for global technology. This change is a sign that even for tech companies that previously used remote working during the pandemic, on-site work and central offices will play a role in the future. Read next: Poland’s President Andrzej Duda Said The Decision To Send Fighter Jets To Ukraine Was “Not Easy To Take”| FXMAG.COM Walmart share price In early February, Walmart shares were falling towards 140.00, but almost a week ago they started to move up again. Currently, the share price is at 145.91. Ford and big investments Automakers are working to secure key minerals and are building battery factories as they push to produce more electric vehicles. Financial incentives for the production of battery cells and materials in North America, contained in the federal Inflation Reduction Act passed last year, accelerated these efforts. Ford is seeking to increase its domestic electric car supply chain to produce 2 million electric vehicles a year globally by the end of 2026. The company has secured approximately 70% of the battery capacity needed to meet its 2026 target. To this end, the company is investing $3.5 billion to build a battery factory in Michigan with the help of Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology. The facility, which will be built in Marshall, Michigan, about 100 miles west of Detroit, is expected to create about 2,500 jobs, Ford said on Monday. The automaker said the subsidiary will produce the battery cells using technology and expertise provided by CATL, the world's largest manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles. Ford considered locations for the battery plant in Mexico and Canada, but ultimately settled on Michigan, partly due to federal subsidies available under the new law Ford’s plans Ford's planned plant in Michigan will produce lithium iron phosphate cells, a type commonly used in China. The so-called LFP chemistry is generally less expensive than the nickel-cobalt combination widely used in North America and Europe. Ford said last summer it planned to add LFP as a way to lower the cost of its electric vehicles. The move allows Ford to reduce its reliance on nickel- and cobalt-based batteries, prices of which have risen over the past year. CATL will start supplying LFP batteries for Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs starting this year and F-150 Lightning EV pickups in 2024. Ford share price At the beginning of February, Ford shares rose above 14.00. This level was last seen in November last year. After that, the stock fell below 13.00 again, but rose and recently closed at 13.11. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The Commodities Digest: US Crude Oil Inventories Decline Amidst Growing Supply Risks

    Saxo Bank Podcast: US CPI Report Ahead, Tightening Financial Conditions In The Corporate Bond Market And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.02.2023 12:14
    Summary:  Today we look at the odd session yesterday in the US, with no readily apparent proximate cause to the rally outside, perhaps of traders hedging today's US January CPI release, which could trigger considerable volatility, especially on the impact of heavy 0DTE options trading if the release is a big surprise in either direction. We also note tightening financial conditions in the corporate bond market, talk market reaction to incoming earnings data, including from ThyssenKrupp, SolarEdge and Palantir, and look at today's crop of earnings reports, as well as stories impacting FX & more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, with John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next: Brazil’s Bank Allows To Pay Taxes Using Cryopto, Ford Will Cut Jobs In Europe| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: Another CPI circus today. Tightening financial conditions? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Deciphering the Economic Puzzle: Unraveling Britain's Mixed Signals

    In UK Labour Market Figures Showed Wages Excluding Bonuses Rising Once More

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 14.02.2023 14:52
    Stock markets got the week off to a strong start and that optimism is carrying through to the inflation report release, it would appear. European indices are trading around half a percentage point higher early in the day and US futures indicate a slightly positive open as well. Of course, all of that will probably change between now and the opening bell, with the inflation data being released an hour before. As was the case yesterday, I’m quite surprised at the level of optimism we’re seeing in the run-up to the report. The inflation data has a lot of heavy lifting to do in order to alleviate clear concerns over the tightness of the labour market. The January report has heaped more pressure on the CPI to deliver and forecasts are not that hopeful. Time will tell whether investors have been a little bit complacent on this one. A concerning wage number for the BoE UK watchers may be feeling a little less optimistic this morning after labour market figures showed wages excluding bonuses rising once more in December. They were expected to stay flat at 6.5% but instead jumped to 6.7%, a level still far below headline inflation and not consistent with it falling back to target any time soon. Including bonuses, the number was a slightly more modest 5.9% which is still too high but at least a deceleration from the month before. Following the release, UK yields were given a nudge higher, lifting the pound in the process alongside expectations on the terminal rate which is now seen hitting 4.5% and probably not falling this year. Read next: GBP/USD Pair Rose Sharply Above $1.22, EUR/USD Pair Also Rose| FXMAG.COM All hangs on CPI Bitcoin has also consolidated in the run-up to today’s inflation number. This ultimately becomes a case of whether markets go into risk-on or risk-off mode following the release. It has entered into a corrective move but that’s unlikely to continue if today’s inflation print falls short of expectations again. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.  
    UK Jobs Report Strengthens Case for June Rate Hike and Signals Caution on Rate Cuts

    Soros Appears To Be Fixated On Gains In The S&P 500 Index

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 14.02.2023 15:36
    On Monday (13.02) we were able to learn about the SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT fund's 13F report, a periodic report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Form 13F contains information about the value and number of shares held, as well as the value of investments and the type of investment assets the investor has in its portfolio, for the last quarter. What has George Soros' fund invested in? Who is George Soros? George Soros was born in Budapest in 1930 to a Jewish family. During World War II, his family avoided deportation to concentration camps through false documents and hiding. Soros later studied at the London School of Economics, where he met the philosopher Karl Popper, whose ideas had a strong influence on his thinking. In the 1960s Soros embarked on a career as an investor and founded the Quantum Fund hedge fund, which brought him huge profits and made him one of the richest people in the world. Soros has also gained notoriety for his philanthropic activities, in which he supports projects for, among other things, democracy, human rights and press freedom around the world. One of the most important of these is the Open Society Foundations. Soros has been criticised by many individuals and groups for his influence on politics and the media. Some critics have accused him of manipulating financial markets and even attempting to overthrow state governments. He has also faced criticism for his involvement in migration and refugee issues. Today, Soros is still considered one of the most influential people in the world. SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT LLC is a private investment firm founded by a billionaire in 1969 and specialises in investments in various asset classes including equities, bonds, real estate and commodities. SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT LLC manages investment funds for institutional clients, such as pension funds and hedge funds, as well as for its own family. George Soros is known for his active approach to investing, which involves conducting intensive market analysis and using knowledge of political and economic circumstances to make investment decisions, also taking into account analyses of market trends and the macroeconomic situation. Soros focuses on long-term investments, yet his firm has become known for conducting speculative activities in financial markets, including his involvement in the spectacular sale of the pound sterling in 1992, which appears to have led to the UK not adopting the euro. At the same time, however, it is worth noting that Soros' investment style has evolved, and that SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT LLC itself invests in a variety of asset classes in line with market trends and economic circumstances. What does the SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT fund invest in? Soros' fund currently has as many as 208 positions of various types of assets. In Q4 2022, it concluded as many as 85 new positions in its portfolio. The largest purchase occurred on units of the IBOXX INV CP ETF (LQD), which tracks the iBoxx USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond index. This index contains bonds with a duration of more than one year issued by companies with high credit security. Interestingly, at the same time he bought put options (PUT) on this fund of the same value. This appears to be a hedge against interest rate volatility while receiving a dividend from the fund, which is at 3.4% per annum. The two positions together represent 7%, of the value of the fund's portfolio. In addition, it entered into a short position on units of the iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) in the form of a PUT option. The position represents another 2% of the fund's portfolio. This appears to be an attempt to bet on further interest rate rises by the Fed, which could cause declines in bond prices. Read next: GBP/USD Pair Rose Sharply Above $1.22, EUR/USD Pair Also Rose| FXMAG.COM Source: Conotoxia MT5, LQD, Daily The second largest purchase Soros made in the last quarter of 2022 was shares in First Horizon Corporation (1stHorizon), a US-based holding company that offers a variety of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions in the United States. The investment in the company currently represents 2.9% of the fund's value. Source: Conotoxia MT5, 1stHorizon, Daily Soros appears to be fixated on gains in the S&P 500 (US500) index. In Q4 2022, he purchased units of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) representing 1.8% of the portfolio value. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    The Fear of Strong Jobs: How US Labor Market Resilience Sparks Global Financial Panic

    On The New York Stock Exchange Only NASDAQ Composite Index Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 15.02.2023 08:00
    Traders are evaluating consumer price statistics that were released prior to the opening of trading. Thus, annual inflation in January slowed down to 6.4% from 6.5% a month earlier. Analysts had forecast the figure at 6.2%. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.5% in January. Dow Jones At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.46%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.03%, the NASDAQ Composite index rose 0.57%. The leading gainer among the Dow Jones index components today was Boeing Co, which gained 2.80 points or 1.30% to close at 218.45. Nike Inc rose 1.05 points (0.84%) to close at 126.20. Chevron Corp rose 1.31 points or 0.77% to close at 172.32. The least gainers were The Travelers Companies Inc, which shed 3.47 points or 1.85% to end the session at 184.13. Coca-Cola Co rose 1.67% or 1.01 points to close at 59.59, while Home Depot Inc shed 1.58% or 5.10 points to close at 318.43. S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were IPG Photonics Corporation, which rose 11.56% to 125.55, Tesla Inc, which gained 7.51% to close at 209.25, and shares of Aptiv PLC, which rose 7.37% to end the session at 121.10. Leidos Holdings Inc were the least gainers, shedding 5.42% to close at 95.25. Shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc shed 4.02% to end the session at 167.00. Arthur J Gallagher & Co lost 3.57% to 188.25. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Amesite Operating Co, which rose 81.62% to hit 0.51, Boxlight Corp Class A, which gained 39.47% to close at 0.56. as well as shares of United Insurance Holdings Corp, which rose 37.27% to close the session at 1.51. Top Ships Inc was the least gainer, shedding 44.85% to close at 0.91. Shares of Mobiquity Technologies Inc lost 32.77% and ended the session at 0.35. Quotes Pathfinder Acquisition Corp fell in price by 31.61% to 4.24. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of depreciated securities (1581) exceeded the number of closed in positive territory (1446), while quotes of 111 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,952 stocks fell, 1,691 rose, and 217 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 7.03% to 18.91. Gold Gold futures for April delivery added 0.11%, or 2.05, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery fell 1.27%, or 1.02, to $79.12 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery fell 1.14%, or 0.99, to $85.62 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.16% to 1.07, while USD/JPY rose 0.49% to hit 133.05. Futures on the USD index fell 0.10% to 103.14.   Relevance up to 16:00 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/335111
    The Challenge to the Dollar: De-dollarisation and Geopolitical Shifts

    A Chorus Of Fed Speakers Have Suggested The Fed Isn't Yet Taking Comfort In The Inflation Trends

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.02.2023 09:09
    Summary:  US equities ended mixed but bonds were lower after a hot US CPI raised concerns on the pace of disinflation and the Fed comments that followed pushed the market pricing of terminal Fed funds rate higher. Dollar ended the day mostly flat but higher yields saw the yen plummeting. A bumper UK jobs report for January sent the GBP higher but the wait is now on for the January inflation print. US retail sales will also be on tap today.   What’s happening in markets? US equities supported by strong price performance in Tesla and Nvidia U.S. equities had a choppy session as stocks oscillated between gains and losses following a slower-than-expected deceleration in the CPI prints and hawkish-leaning Fedspeak before the broad benchmark S&P500 settled at nearly flat and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 0.7%. Most of the strength in the Nasdaq came from Tesla’s (TSLA:xnas) 7.5% jump and NVIDIA’s (NVDA:xnas) 5.4% rise in share price. Tesla gained following rival Ford (F:xnys), down 0.9%, halted production and shipments of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks due to an unidentified problem with the battery. Tesla also raised the price of its Model Y by USD1,000 to USD58,990. Consumer discretionary, up 1.2%, was the best-performing sector in the S&P500 and Tesla was the top winner. Palantir Technologies (PLTR:xnys) soared 21.3% after the data analysis software company reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings and expects to turn profitable for the whole year in 2023. Airbnb (ABNB:xnas) surged 9.2% in extended-hour trading following reported adjusted EPS at USD0.475, beating the USD0.31 consensus estimate and an upbeat outlook on strong travel demand. Coca-cola (KO:xnys) slid 1.7% despite reporting stronger-than-expected revenue growth and inline earnings. The management gave upbeat guidance for revenue growth of 7-8% and EPS growth of 7-9% in spite of continued cost pressure. US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bear-flattened as yields on the 2-year jumped 10bps Growth in the U.S. CPI came at a slower pace but slowed less than what the consensus forecast expected. After choppy initial reactions, selling emerged in the front end, seeing the 2-year yield finish 10bps cheaper at 4.61%. The SOFR June-Dec 2023 spread narrowed by 10bps to -24bps from -33bps, signaling a further reduction in the bet of rate cuts in the second half of 2023. Hawkish-leaning comments from Fed’s Logan and Barkin, plus the departure of Fed Vice-chair Lael Brainard to join the Biden Administration as head of the National Economic Council added fuel to the higher-for-longer narrative. Brainard is perceived to be the “most persuasive policy dove” at the Fed, as the Wall Street Journal’s Nick Timiraos puts it. Yields on the 10-year rose 4bps to 3.74%, paring some of the rises in yield after a large block buying of nearly 20,000 contracts in the 10-year futures. Across the pond, yields on 2-year Gilts jumped 19bps on a hot employment report. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) traded sideways In a choppy but uneventful session, Hang Seng Index slipped 0.2%. Hong Kong developers recovered from yesterday’s sell-off and bounced by 1%-2%. Sun Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg) gained 2.4%; Wharf Real Estate (01997:xhkg) climbed 1.8%. Healthcare names were laggards, with Wuxi Biologics (02269:xhkg) plunging 4% after forecasting 2022 revenues rising 48.4% and profits growing 30%, which failed to meet the high bar of analyst estimates. Alibaba Health Information (00241:xhkg) dropped 2.8%. Tencent (00700:xhkg), down 2.1%, led the internet space lower. Oriental Overseas (00316:xhkg) slipped 2.6% on analyst downgrades citing falling container freight rates. In A-shares, CSI300 was little changed. Non-ferrous metal stocks outperformed, with North Copper (000737:xsec) up 8.7%, Yunnan Copper (000878:xsec) up 5%, and CMOC (603993:xssc) up 3.3%, leading the charge higher. Household appliances names were among the winners with Zhejiang Meida (002677:xsec) advancing by 10%, hitting the upper price limit. Australia equities (ASXSP200.I) fall back to January 16 levels, dragged down by Commonwealth Bank’s cautious outlook Shares in the biggest bank in Australia, the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) sank 5.2% pulling away from record high territory, after reporting half-year results today that paint a cautious tone for banks for the year ahead. CBA’s share price drop pulled back the broad market. CBA's profit results mostly disappointed, although its net interest margin- the main metric analysts look at for banking profitability - came in at 2.1% - on par with expectations. CBA’s cash profit missed expectations with profit up 8.6% YoY to $5.15 billion (vs $5.17 billion Bloomberg consensus), while CBA’s return on equity improved – but also missed market targets. That spooked the market, along with CBA putting aside more capital for bad debts, as higher price pressures continue to hurt consumers, along with falling home prices.  Even though CBA’s results missed, it announced a $1 billion share buy-back as its headline profit after tax moved to a record, which was supported by a surge in business banking profits. The share buy back should theatrically support CBA's shares over the medium to longer term, coupled with the market expecting 2023 profits to hit another record, with margins to improve.  CBA shares gapped down, wiping out a month of gains - with CBA shares moving into oversold territory.  FX: Wobbly dollar as yen slips but AUD, GBP gain A hot inflation data along with Fed officials starting to float the idea of a higher terminal rate saw the dollar being volatile on the day but ended unchanged. Higher yields underpinned as market pricing of the Fed path shifted higher, and that made the yen as the underperformer for the day. USDJPY surged above 133, after Kazuo Ueda being formally nominated as the BOJ chief yesterday and expectations that he won’t be quick with any policy normalization. Meanwhile, AUDUSD was choppy but could not sustain a move above 0.70. GBPUSD also gave up 1.22 despite the strong labor market data questioning the Bank of England’s pause signal, eyes on inflation due today. EURUSD still above 1.0700 with the preliminary readings of the Eurozone Q4 GDP matching 0.1% QoQ and 1.9% YoY forecasts. Lagarde will be on the wires today, and also keep a watch on US retail sales data. Aussie dollar's 50-day moving average continues to limit downside ahead of AU employment The Aussie dollar has continued to track sideways for the last 7 trading sessions, with the Aussie dollar against the US - the AUDUSD pair - being supported by its 50-day moving average ahead of Australian employment on Thursday. Despite hotter than expected US CPI, the pair is steady - also supported by the fundaments - metal prices have moved higher, with Copper and Iron Ore prices back at June 2022 levels. The next catalyst will be Thursday’s Australian employment data, if we see more than 20,000 jobs added, then we will be watching the resistance levels, at perhaps 0.7114 for the Aussie. On the downside, if Australian employment is weaker than expected, we will be watching for a potential pullback. Support for the AUDUSD is perhaps at 0.6879. But, over the medium-to-long term, should the USD continue to track lower, commodity prices stay higher and AU exports continue to grow to China, we see the Aussie dollar doing well. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) prices remain pressured While reports of the US release of crude oil from its strategic reserves continued to nudge oil prices lower, a large stockpile built and inflation concerns also added to a weak demand outlook. WTI dropped below $79/barrel while Brent got close to $85. US private inventories, as reported by API, were up by 10.5 million barrels last week. A hot US CPI printed also raised concerns on the disinflation narrative taking hold, suggesting Fed may have to go for a higher terminal rate and pause there for sometime, which raises concerns on the demand outlook. The slide in oil prices however got some support from the OPEC report, which hinted at a tigher oil market as it nudged up the demand estimate and trimmed its supply outlook. IEA monthly report will be on tap today. Read next: Walmart Plans To Close Offices, Ford Invests In Battery Factories | FXMAG.COM What to consider? US CPI sent confusing signals to the markets, but the cooling isn’t enough The US January CPI came in at 0.5% MoM, in-line with estimates, while the core CPI was at 0.4% MoM also as expected. December prints were however revised higher with headline up to +0.1% MoM from -0.1% previously, and core up to 0.4% MoM from 0.3% previously. Markets were wobbly on the release, as the YoY prints came in higher-than-expected at 6.4% for the headline (vs. 6.2% exp) and 5.6% for the core (vs. 5.5% exp). However, a key measure that Powell has highlighted earlier – core services ex shelter – cooled to 0.3% in the month from 0.4% previously. Housing contributed the most to the monthly increase in the CPI, but it is a lagged measure. Meanwhile, disinflation in goods slowed as core goods prices rose +0.1% MoM vs. -0.1% MoM prior. Overall, there wasn’t enough evidence that core inflationary pressures are cooling enough to support calls for the Fed to pivot. Fed speakers send market pricing for Fed path higher A chorus of Fed speakers last night talked about the slow pace of disinflation, suggesting the Fed isn’t yet taking comfort in the inflation trends. NY Fed President Williams repeated there is "still a ways to go" to control inflation and the current levels of inflation are far too high. His views on the terminal rate also differed slightly, in December he suggested rates between 5.00-5.50% is reasonable before last week changing the view to 5.00-5.25%. However, he has now seemingly switched back his views of the higher upper bound for the FFR to 5.50% in wake of the January inflation data. Philly Fed’s Patrick Harker noted that how far above 5% the Fed needs to go depends on incoming data, and Tuesday's inflation report shows inflation is not moving down quickly. Dallas President Logan stressed that tightening policy too little is the top risk. All three are voters this year. Thomas Barkin, a non-voter said it was about as expected and there's going to be a lot more inertia and persistence to inflation than the Fed thought. However he was slightly more dovish saying that if inflation settles, they may not go as far on the terminal but he stressed data dependence. Markets are now pricing in a higher terminal rate of 5.26% in July, and one rate cut has also been driven out of this year’s pricing. Takeaways and quick reflections from hotter-than-expected CPI  Shelter costs were a large contributor to US monthly prices moving up - with rent prices up 8.6%, while large price jumps were seen in airfares costs, up 26%. Airlines are not only seeing more passengers, but also increasing their fares - and this is translating to higher earnings expectations and thus stronger share price performance in airline industry stocks. American Airlines shares are up 40% from their lows, while aircraft maker Boeing is up 80% off its lows. Across other inflation categories, other significant price moves were seen in eggs, butter, fuel, gas, lettuce, cereals, and pet food. This reinforces Saxo’s bullish and overweight view on Commodities as we see higher prices for longer. Companies such as Shell trade 32% up from their lows, while agricultural company Deere is up 40% from its lows. UK employment data points to much firmer than expected labour market The UK saw a strong surge in Monthly Payrolled Employees of +102k, well north of the +15k expected, while the January Jobless Claims dropped -12.9k and the December claims were revised down to -3.2k vs. +19.7k originally reported. The December employment change registered a gain of 74k vs. 43k expected and the Unemployment rate in December was steady at 3.7%. Weekly earnings ex Bonus were +6.7% YoY in December Vs. 6.5% expected and 6.5% in November. Focus shifts to CPI report due today and another double digit print is expected. Hong Kong Monetary Authority bought HKD to defend the peg The Hong Kong Monetary Authority bought HKD14.87 billion (USD1.9 billion) to cap the USDHKD at 7.85, in defence of the SAR’s link-exchange-rate regime for the first time since last November. For what is ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Choppy markets with a hot US CPI and Fed speak – 15 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Airbnb's Revenue Exceeded Estimates, Growing 24% y/y

    Airbnb's Revenue Exceeded Estimates, Growing 24% y/y

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 15.02.2023 09:29
    Summary:  Markets gyrated wildly on yesterday’s US January CPI release, which showed higher than expected inflation on a year-on-year basis, which kept US treasury yields firm as a number of Fed members chimed in with hawkish comments. Elsewhere, has the consumption led Chinese recovery been oversold as many new consumer credit loans are being funnelled to pay down mortgages and on stock speculation rather than on consumption. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): the dilemma in equities As we wrote in yesterday’s equity note in a response to the US January CPI report, the initial positive reaction in S&P 500 futures seemed weird and most likely reflected clearing of hedges and other derivatives positions. The market eventually settled on the interpretation that inflation remains stubbornly high, and the trajectory lower might take longer than expected. The dilemma for investors is that if the economy does not slip into a recession hen high inflation will remain and eventually push on bond yields and likely increase the equity risk premium leading to lower equity valuations. In the case the economy slips into a recession, equity valuations will come down to reflect lower growth and hit to margins. In any case, equities could have seen the best for now and investors might consider reducing equity exposure at these levels. S&P 500 futures bounced back during the session from the lows after the inflation report, but this morning the index futures trade lower again around the 4,127 level with the 4,100 level naturally being the key level to watch on the downside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) slid and pared its 2023 gain to only 5% Hang Seng dropped 1.6% on Wednesday to levels last seen on 4 January and pared its 2023 gain to only 5%. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority intervened in the forex market for the first time since last November to sell USD1.9 billion against buying the Hong Kong dollar to cap the USDHKD from going about 7.85 the upper limit of the special administrative region’s link-exchange-rate regime. Selling was across the board. Baidu (09888) bucked the market decline and rallied over 5% supported by the somewhat return of the hype on the AI-generated content concept. In A-shares, CSI300 fell 0.6%. AI-generated content concept stocks advanced while domestic consumption, financial, healthcare, and non-ferrous metal names retreated. FX: Choppy dollar on CPI release, eventually settles higher as yen slips on yields rising The USD ended largely unchanged after gyrating wildly in the wake of the January CPI release and Fed comments (more below). After US treasury yields ended the day firmer all along the curve, the JPY was the weakest of USDJPY rallied and took out local resistance, trading above 133.00 into this morning. ay but ended unchanged. Elsewhere, AUDUSD was choppy but could not sustain a move above 0.70 yesterday and stumbled badly in late Asian trading. GBPUSD also gave up 1.22 despite the strong labour market data questioning the Bank of England’s pause signal, eyes on inflation due this morning (breaking news below on that). EURUSD has edged lower toward 1. 0700 overnight with the preliminary readings of the Eurozone Q4 GDP matching 0.1% QoQ and 1.9% YoY forecasts. Lagarde will be on the wires today. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) prices remain pressured While reports of the US release of crude oil from its strategic reserves continued to nudge oil prices lower, a large stockpile build and inflation concerns also added to a weak demand outlook. WTI dropped below $79/barrel while Brent slid below $85. US private inventories, as reported by API, were up by 10.5 million barrels last week. A hot US CPI printed also raised concerns on the disinflation narrative taking hold, suggesting Fed may have to go for a higher terminal rate and pause there for some time, which raises concerns on the demand outlook. The slide in oil prices however got some support from the OPEC report, which hinted at a tighter oil market as it nudged up the demand estimate and trimmed its supply outlook. IEA monthly report will be on tap today. Gold (XAUUSD) pummelled further by yield rise post-US CPI release Gold dropped further yesterday, taking out the 1,850 level as US treasury yields closed the day firmer after wild gyrations across markets in the wake of the US CPI release and hawkish talk from Fed speakers (more below). The next important levels include the 1,829 level, which is the 38.2% retracement of the rally off the November lows, the 1,809 area which was broken on the way up, and then the 200-day moving average, currently coming in just above 1,775. Treasuries bear-flattened as yields on the 2-year jumped 10bps Growth in the U.S. CPI came at a slower pace but slowed less than what the consensus forecast expected. After choppy initial reactions, selling emerged in the front end, seeing the 2-year yield finish 10bps cheaper at 4.61%. The SOFR June-Dec 2023 spread narrowed by 9bps to -24bps from -33bps, signalling a further reduction in the bet of rate cuts in the second half of 2023. Hawkish-leaning comments from Fed’s Logan and Barkin, plus the departure of Fed Vice-chair Lael Brainard to join the Biden Administration as head of the National Economic Council added fuel to the higher-for-longer narrative. Brainard is perceived to be the “most persuasive policy dove” at the Fed, as the Wall Street Journal’s Nick Timiraos puts it. Yields on the 10-year rose 4bps to 3.74%, paring some of the rises in yield after a large block buying of nearly 20,000 contracts in the 10-year futures. Across the pond, yields on 2-year Gilts jumped 19bps on a hot employment report. What is going on? Worries that China’s consumer rebound will underwhelm as consumers not spending Bloomberg reports that China’s attempt to engineer a consumer-led recovery may be hindered as funds issued by banks for consumer credit are in many cases funnelled to unintended destinations, especially for mortgage prepayments, but also for speculation in stocks. The rates on the new bank lending are often lower than those for mortgages. UK Jan. CPI out this morning undershoots expectations UK headline CPI out this morning at –0.6% MoM and +10.1% YoY vs. -0.4%/+10.3% expected and 10.5% YoY in December. The core figure was 5.8% YoY vs. 6.2% expected and 6.3% in Dec. US CPI sent confusing signals to the markets The US January CPI came in at 0.5% MoM, in-line with estimates, while the core CPI was at 0.4% MoM also as expected. December prints were however revised higher with headline up to +0.1% MoM from -0.1% previously, and core up to 0.4% MoM from 0.3% previously. Markets were wobbly on the release, as the YoY prints came in higher-than-expected at 6.4% for the headline (vs. 6.2% exp) and 5.6% for the core (vs. 5.5% exp). However, a key measure that Powell has highlighted earlier – core services ex shelter – cooled to 0.3% in the month from 0.4% previously. Housing contributed the most to the monthly increase in the CPI, but it is a lagged measure. Meanwhile, disinflation in goods slowed as core goods prices rose +0.1% MoM vs. -0.1% MoM prior. Overall, there wasn’t enough evidence that core inflationary pressures are cooling enough to support calls for the Fed to pivot. Fed speakers send market pricing for Fed path higher A chorus of Fed speakers last night talked about the slow pace of disinflation, suggesting the Fed isn’t yet taking comfort in the inflation trends. NY Fed President Williams repeated there is "still a ways to go" to control inflation and the current levels of inflation are far too high. His views on the terminal rate also differed slightly, in December he suggested rates between 5.00-5.50% is reasonable before last week changing the view to 5.00-5.25%. However, he has now seemingly switched back his views of the higher upper bound for the FFR to 5.50% in wake of the January inflation data. Philly Fed’s Patrick Harker noted that how far above 5% the Fed needs to go depends on incoming data, and Tuesday's inflation report shows inflation is not moving down quickly. Dallas President Logan stressed that tightening policy too little is the top risk. All three are voters this year. Thomas Barkin, a non-voter said it was about as expected and there's going to be a lot more inertia and persistence to inflation than the Fed thought. However he was slightly more dovish saying that if inflation settles, they may not go as far on the terminal but he stressed data dependence. Markets are now pricing in a higher terminal rate of 5.26% in July, and one rate cut has also been driven out of this year’s pricing. Berkshire Hathaway cuts stake at TSMC Warren Buffett’s investment company cut 86% of its stake in TSMC in the previous quarter in a quick reversal that is unusual for the investor. As the rivalry in chips is heating up between the US and China, Berkshire Hathaway is likely finding it uncomfortable to hold exposure to physical manufacturing in a conflict area. Earnings recap: Airbnb, GlobalFoundries, NU Holdings Airbnb delivered Q4 revenue that beat estimates growing 24% y/y and Q4 adj. EBITDA was $506mn vs est. $435mn, but the Q1 outlook took the market by surprise with Q1 revenue guidance at $1.75-1.82bn vs est. $1.68bn as travel demand remains strong. GlobalFoundries beat slightly on revenue and earnings with Q1 revenue guidance also coming out higher than estimated suggesting strong demand for computer chips. NU Holdings, the parent company behind Nubank, reports Q4 total revenue of $1.45bn vs est. $1.28bn and the second straight quarter of positive net income as the Brazilian bank continues to navigate the credit turmoil in Latin America due to the recent interest rate shock. Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s largest lender, issues cautious outlook as its customers feel ‘significant strain’ CBA’s shares sank almost 6%, falling from their record highs to $103, while also dragging down the broader Australian share market (ASXSP200.I). Australia’s biggest bank and lender reported disappointing profit results and guided for a challenging year ahead - putting aside more capital for bad debts, as higher price pressures continue to hurt consumers, along with falling home prices. Its net interest margin came in at 2.1%, which was on par with expectations, but its cash profit missed expectations, despite rising 8.6% YoY to $5.15 billion (vs $5.17 billion Bloomberg consensus). The big Bank announced a $1 billion share buy-back and consensus also expects 2023 profits to hit another record, and for margins to improve. CBA shares gapped down, wiping out a month of gains. Read next: Walmart Plans To Close Offices, Ford Invests In Battery Factories | FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? US January Retail Sales, Housing Survey set for release today -With the January CPI data leaving observers none the wiser on the future course of inflation, the market may remain sensitive to incoming data that offers signs of whether economic activity remains robust. Today’s focus is the January US Retail Sales data, which is expected to rebound sharply from the weak December numbers, possibly in part on out-of-date seasonal weightings. Consensus expectations are for headline Retail Sales to have risen a chunky +2.2% month-on-month, with the core, ex Auto and Gas figure to show +0.9%. Elsewhere, the February NAHB Housing Market Index, one of the more leading indicators on the US housing market, is also up today, expected to show further marginal improvement after bottoming in December at 31 and surprisingly rebounding to 35 in January. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Kraft Heinz and Biogen with analysts expecting revenue growth of 8% y/y in Q4 for Kraft Heinz as the consumer staples company’s revenue track inflation. Kraft Heinz is also expected to expand its EBITDA margin in Q4. The biotechnology sector is still under pressure from higher interest rates and slower pipeline of drugs, so the industry is relying on the old guard to delivering results. However, Biogen is expected to report a –11% y/y revenue growth in Q4 and lower EBITDA compared to a year ago. Wednesday: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Fortesque Metals Group, Wesfarmers, Shopify, Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Barrick Gold, Kering, EDF, Tenaris, Glencore, Barclays, Heineken, Nibe Industrier, Cisco Systems, Kraft Heinz, AIG, Biogen, Trade Desk Thursday: Newcrest Mining, South 32, Airbus, Schneider Electric, Air Liquide, Pernod Ricard, Bridgestone, Standard Chartered, Repsol, Nestle, Applied Materials, Datadog, DoorDash Friday: Hermes International, Safran, Allianz, Mercedes-Benz, Uniper, Sika, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Poland Jan. CPI 1000 – Eurozone Dec. Industrial Production 1330 – US Feb. Empire Manufacturing 1330 – US Jan. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Dec. Manufacturing Sales 1400 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1415 – US Jan. Industrial Production & Capacity Utilization 1500 – US Feb. NAHB Housing Market Index 1530 – US DoE Weekly Crude Oil and Product Inventories 0030 – Australia Jan. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 14, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Deciphering the Economic Puzzle: Unraveling Britain's Mixed Signals

    UK Inflation Must Please Bank Of England, Crude Oil Down

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 15.02.2023 10:29
    Looking at the market pricing, you could’ve hardly guessed, but yesterday’s US inflation report was not brilliant. US stocks But US stocks gave a mixed reaction. Why?! Why did people buy equities on strong inflation data yesterday, is the main topic of today’s Market Talk.Still, treasury markets seemed more down to earth, as the US 2-year yield ticked to the highest levels since last November, activity on Fed funds futures gave a little more than 12% probability for a 50bp hike at the next FOMC meeting, versus around 9% at the start of the week. USD index But the dollar index remained stuck below its 50-DMA. Gold Gold extended losses to $1843 on the back of stronger yields and firmer US dollar. EUR/USD The EURUSD found support above the 50-DMA, which stands around the 1.0715 mark. USD/JPY The dollar-yen cleared resistance near its own 50-DMA level, but the risks are still tilted to the downside in USDJPY. Read next: Airbnb Posted A Profit Of $1.9. Billion, Air India And Largest Commercial Aircraft Deal In Aviation History| FXMAG.COM UK CPI and Crude Oil In the UK, inflation in January still eased more than expected to 10.1%. Crude oil remains offered into the 100-DMA, on a massive 10 mio barrel build in US oil inventories last week, while Biden Administration announced there would be further releases from the strategic petroleum reserves of 26 million barrels earlier this week.  Warren Buffett In individual stocks, Warren Buffett sold 86% stake in TSM. Shares plunged more than 4% in Taipei. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 US inflation eased less than expected in January 2:55 But who cares? 5:35 FX & yields update 7:05 UK inflation must please BoE, but not sterling 7:36 Crude oil down on massive US inventory build 8:27 Buffett sells TSM. Ouch. Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #USD #GBP #inflation #data #Fed #BoE #BoJ #expectations #EUR #JPY #XAU #US #crude #oil #F13 #TSM #Ford #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Commodities Update: China's Rate Cut and Potential Impact on Oil and Metals

    Airbnb Posted A Profit Of $1.9 Billion, Air India And Largest Commercial Aircraft Deal In Aviation History

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 15.02.2023 10:03
    Airbnb posted its first ever annual profit last year. Air India Ltd. has ordered 470 jets from Boeing Co and Airbus. Profits The short-term rental company posted a profit of $1.9 billion, slightly beating analyst estimates and its own prior projections, and up 24% from the fourth quarter of 2021. Full-year revenue increased 40% to $8.4 billion. Fourth-quarter profit of $319 million far exceeded analysts' consensus estimate of $171 million. The company said it earned $103 million in interest from its own cash and customer funds in the fourth quarter, up from just $4 million a year earlier. This is equivalent to almost a third of the company's total profit for the quarter. The company said it added 900,000 listings in 2022, excluding China, bringing the global total to 6.6 million. In an effort to increase revenue, Airbnb is increasingly focusing on adding more hosts to its platforms. Pandemic and economic problems vs Airbnb The pandemic has changed the Airbnb business. Guests have started booking longer stays by working remotely. Short-distance trips have also increased, while stays in urban centers have initially been successful. Airbnb said stays of 28 or more nights accounted for 21% of booked nights in the fourth quarter, unchanged from the previous year. Airbnb has also become an unlikely beneficiary of rising interest rates, investing its customers' cash in money market funds and other short-term securities, whose returns have skyrocketed over the past year. Improvement of the situation Airbnb said it benefited from strong demand for travel despite concerns about high inflation and a recession. Americans took advantage of the strong dollar to fly overseas, and European intercontinental travel increased. Airbnb hosts have experienced a growing demand for city center stays, the company said. This was a weak spot earlier in the pandemic and was another sign that travel patterns continued to normalize. Read next: Walmart Plans To Close Offices, Ford Invests In Battery Factories | FXMAG.COM Airbnb share price Airbnb's share price rose 41% from the start of the year to Tuesday afternoon, recouping some of the losses lost last year. The company's shares have fallen by about half in 2022. In mid-2022, the stock fell below 90.00, but it was not the lowest level. At the end of 2022, Airbnb recorded a stock price low of 82.49. With the new year, prices started to rise and are currently at 120.87, the highest level in over 4 months. The deal Air India Ltd. said it had agreed to purchase 250 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeing aircraft, surpassing a 460 aircraft deal made by American Airlines in 2011. The deal aims to provide more aircraft to suppliers to India, expected to be the fastest growing major aviation market in the world. Boeing orders, based on aircraft list prices, totaled $45.9 billion, including options. Airbus no longer lists list prices for its jets. Based on analyst estimates, the total value of the deal was around $85 billion before discounters. The previous record – a Boeing 777X order from 2013 by Emirates Airlines – was worth around $75 billion. Airlines usually don't pay list prices, instead taking advantage of large, undisclosed discounts. Buoyed by an agreement with Air India, Airbus plans to increase production rates for its two largest models in an attempt to capitalize on the revived demand for long-haul travel. Boeing has pushed back a planned production increase due to supplier shortages, though it still hopes to increase production this year. Boeing share price Boeing shares recovered from last year's losses and rose to 218.45 in the new year. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Riksbank's Potential Rate Hike Amid Economic Challenges: Analysis and Outlook

    The Aussie Unemployment Rate Rose, China Is Warning Of Retaliation Against US Entities Involved In The Shooting Of The Balloon

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.02.2023 09:18
    Summary:  The US equity market put in a solid advance yesterday even as treasury yields remain near recent highs. Sentiment in Asia recovered smartly overnight after a stumble yesterday. In FX, yesterday's sharp USD advance paused, while in commodities, oil is pushing back higher near important resistance levels and gold is nearing major support after a drop of more than a hundred dollars per ounce in just two weeks. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): animal spirits remain strong Strong US retail sales figures for January and the NAHB Housing Market Index both showed yesterday that the US economy is humming along despite the interest rate shock. Equities shrugged off the implications for further rate hikes and potentially higher long-term interest rates and rallied with S&P 500 futures closed the session at the highest close price in six sessions above the 4,150 level. The uptrend remains intact at this point with the 4,200 level still in play. The US 10-year yield hit 3.8% on the close yesterday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) in choppy session Early in China’s equity session, the Hang Seng Index and CSI300 gained sharply after a strong US session, but sentiment rolled over badly into late trading, with the Hange Seng approximately flat and CSI 300 down about 1% as of this writing. Qiushi Magazine, a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, published an excerpt of President Xi’s speech delivered in December, in which the Chinese leader highlighted insufficient aggregate demand as the paramount challenge so expanding consumption is a top policy priority. FX: GBP weakest after soft CPI, JPY sharply lower on yield rise yesterday, DXY on backfoot overnight AUDUSD fell sharply yesterday and stumbled again overnight on the release of weak Australian jobs numbers, but bounced on a recovery in sentiment in China and bounce in metals prices, also keeping away from the pivot low of 0.6856 of earlier this month. Elsewhere, sterling weakness from yesterday’s soft UK CPI release lingered. EURGBP jumped back higher yesterday and GBPUSD even tested below 1.2000 briefly before recovering very slightly. The focus there is on the 1.1941 low and 200-day moving average just above that level. USDJPY surged further yesterday on a fresh rise in global yields and as the Bank of Japan’s rear-guard actions to defend its yield curve control policy mean the bank is effectively doing aggressive QE even as markets anticipated a coming shift away from this policy. Focus today on US housing-related data after the Feb. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) rebounds amid China optimism and IEA’s bullish demand outlook A series of signals from US CPI reported on Tuesday to retail sales print yesterday suggest more ammunition for the Fed to raise rates. This has boosted the market pricing of the Fed terminal rate, and dollar strength is back in focus, weighing on commodity prices. Crude oil prices extended their losses after US oil inventories rose 16.3mn barrels to 471mn barrels against expectations of 1.17mn suggesting demand concerns. But reports of passenger loads picking up at China’s top three airlines added optimism overnight. WTI prices rose back above $79/barrel while Brent was above $85. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also raised its demand growth estimates by 0.1mb/d to 2mb/d for 2023. Gold (XAUUSD) close to testing key support Gold prices fell further to $1830/oz as US yields surged higher after the January CPI print, and a hawkish tilt was also seen in Fed commentaries. Last night, US retail sales was also hot suggesting more room for the Fed to hike rates, which boosted the USD. The next important levels include the 1,829 level, which is the 38.2% retracement of the rally off the November lows, the 1,809 area which was broken on the way up, and then the 200-day moving average, currently coming in just above 1,775. Pressure on gold miners to do more deals is rising, despite Newcrest’s rejection of the takeover bid from the world’s biggest gold miner Newmont. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rose further on solid retail sales Yields on the 10-year Treasury notes jumped 6bps to 3.8% following stronger-than-expected 3% headline retail sales and 1.7% control group (ex-autos, gasoline, and building materials) prints and a rebound in the Empire State Manufacturing Index to -5.8 from -32.9. While the 20-year Treasury bond auction received decent demand with a bid/cover ratio at 2.54, new issuance of around USD 30 billion from corporate, including USD 24 billion from Amgen weighed on the market. Yields on the 2-year climbed 2bps to 4.63%, bringing the 2-10 curve 5bps less inverted to -83bps. Read next: USD/JPY Is Above 133.30, GBP/USD Droped Form $1.21 to $1.20, The Aussie Pair Is Trading Below $0.69| FXMAG.COM What is going on? US retail sales jump far more than expected January retail sales in the US jumped higher by the most in almost two years, in another signal that the US consumer demand is holding up strongly despite high inflation and interest rate pressures. Retail sales expanded 3.0% month-on-month after a decline of 1.1% in December and above the 1.8% expected. Strength was broad-based, with ex-gas/autos rising 2.6% from the prior -0.7%. The control group, which is a useful gauge of consumer spending data, rose 1.7%, also beating expectations of 0.8% and above the prior -0.7%. Factory output also beat estimates, rising 1.0%, although industrial production was flat vs. +0.5% gains expected, mostly weighed by reduced heating demand in January. European earnings: Airbus and Schneider Electric Airbus has had a relatively good year as aviation demand is coming back after the pandemic with fiscal year free cash flow beating estimates and dividends per share set to €1.80 vs est. €1.73. Q4 revenue is €20.6bn vs est. €20bn. Airbus is disappointing a but on its FY23 adjusted EBIT outlook relative to estimates and delays its A320 output target of 75/month to 2026. Schneider Electric reports Q4 revenue that beats estimates driven by strong organic revenue growth and it reports FY23 revenue growth of 9-11% y/y and adjusted EBITA margin up 50-80 basis points. Shopify outlook misses estimates The e-commerce platform reported Q4 revenue of €1.73bn vs est. €1.65bn with gross merchandise volume also beating estimates. The company expects the gross margin to expand in Q1 but the Q1 revenue outlook of high-teen growth rate compared to 20% expected by analysts sent shares lower in extended trading. Geopolitics keeps Saxo’s Defense basket in focus Russia said its troops had broken through two fortified lines of Ukrainian defenses on the eastern front, as the one-year mark of the invasion approaches. The advances come as Western allies announced more military aid for Kyiv including artillery rounds. Meanwhile, China is warning of retaliation against US entities involved in the shooting of the balloon. Biden is considering a public address on the downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon and other unidentified objects. With geopolitical tensions on the rise, Saxo’s equity theme basket on Defense remains worth a consideration. There were also reports that Germany is poised to increase its defense budget by as much as €10 billion next years. Weak Australian jobs report The Aussie unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in January (vs the market expecting a steady rate of 3.6%), while Australian jobs surprisingly fell 11,5k versus market expectations for +20k, and full-time employment actually fell –43k. Yesterday Australia’s biggest bank Commonwealth Bank also warned that its customers are experiencing ‘significant strain’, amid higher price pressures. What are we watching next? US data, including US Housing Related Data after strong NAHB Housing Market Survey. Yesterday, the US February NAHB Housing Market survey surged 7 points from its January reading, suggesting a fading impact from the mortgage interest rate shock last year. The reading was a 5-month high. Today we get further US housing-related data, including the January Housing Starts and Building Permits figures. We’ll also see the latest weekly jobless claims after a string of four readings below 200k. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Applied Materials and DoorDash with analysts expecting Applied Materials to deliver revenue growth of 7% y/y and EPS of $1.94 down 1% y/y. DoorDash, which has been part of our bubble basket, is expected to revenue Q4 revenue growth of 36% and EBITDA of $109mn which seems quite unrealistic given EBITDA was $-147mn a quarter ago. Thursday: Newcrest Mining, South 32, Airbus, Schneider Electric, Air Liquide, Pernod Ricard, Bridgestone, Standard Chartered, Repsol, Nestle, Applied Materials, Datadog, DoorDash Friday: Hermes International, Safran, Allianz, Mercedes-Benz, Uniper, Sika, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1300 – ECB's Nagel to speak 1330 – US Jan. PPI 1330 – US Housing Starts and Building Permits 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1330 – US Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook 1330 – US New York Fed Services Business Activity 1345 – US Fed’s Mester (non-voter) to speak 1500 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1600 – Canada Bank of Canada Governor Macklem before Parliament 1700 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1700 – Norway Norges Bank Governor Wolden Bach to deliver annual address 1830 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 2230 – Australia RBA Governor Lowe to testify before House   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 16, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Apple May Surprise Investors. Analysts Advise Caution

    Apple Is Facing Multiple Lawsuits And Enforcement Actions

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.02.2023 10:06
    The investigation into whether Apple has a monopoly power that it is abusing has intensified in recent months. An investigation The Department of Justice is launching a sweeping antitrust investigation to see if dominant tech companies are unlawfully stifling competition. The review aims to examine the practices of online platforms that dominate online search, social media and retail services.  An investigation into whether Apple has monopoly power. The Department of Justice's investigation is partly about Apple's policies regarding third-party mobile software on its devices, which has been the focus of most criticism of Apple's competing practices. The department is also investigating whether Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, is operating in an anti-competitive manner, favoring its own products over those of third-party developers. The current steps taken by the department would allow the lawsuit to be filed as early as spring, but the process could be delayed or the government may still choose not to pursue legal action. Read next: USD/JPY Is Above 133.30, GBP/USD Droped Form $1.21 to $1.20, The Aussie Pair Is Trading Below $0.69| FXMAG.COM Objective of criticism Apple's rules on its App Store have been the target of critics and government regulators around the world, who have scrutinized whether its power over pricing and distribution of third-party software on mobile devices hurts competition. The Justice Department's investigation, however, is broader than the App Store and is looking into whether Apple used its operating system to favor its own products, including hardware, said people familiar with the investigation. By blocking access to iOS, Apple makes the iPhone stickier and discourages users from switching to Android phones. In the iOS update introduced in 2019, Apple updated its Find My tracking app, which made the company more competitive with Tile. As part of the update, Apple has started asking users if they want to allow Tile devices to track them. Apple's Find My app comes pre-installed on iPhones and doesn't constantly ask for permission to track users. Apple said there are privacy differences between its Find My service and its Tile service. A number of Apple products are integrated with the operating system in a way that competitors do not. These include iMessage, which Android users don't have access to, and AirPods, branded headphones with unique pop-ups and other perks that make them easier to use. Some competitors argue that integration creates an unfair advantage. Apple claims that the close coupling of hardware and software is a unique feature of its products. New law of the European Union and Apple A new European Union law, called the Digital Markets Act, aims to restrict tech companies like Apple from taking advantage of their presence in digital marketplaces like Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPad. The new law, known as the Digital Markets Act, is part of the biggest proposed expansion of global technology regulation in decades. It aims to impose new obligations and bans on a small group of digital giants, whom the European Union defines as watchdogs - backed by fines for non-compliance that could run up to tens of billions of dollars based on early draft legislation. Legislation, commonly, can affect many corners of the tech world. Its purpose is to generally limit the ability of major tech companies to benefit from their strong presence in digital markets. Apple has made efforts to address a new European law that will start to be enforced in 2024. Apple has begun investigating internally how to allow competing app stores and third-party software to be loaded onto the iPhone and iPad in a process known as sideloading . Apple share price Apple shares at the end of last year and the beginning of this year reached the lowest level, which was last recorded in 2021. The share price at the beginning of the year was at 125.07, and now it is more than twice as high at 155.28. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    US Inflation Eases, but Fed's Influence Remains Crucial

    The US Jobs Data Remains Strong, All Eyes On US PPI Report

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 16.02.2023 10:22
    Do you remember we were predicting a recession, that was supposed to hit the US and the global economy at the start of the year? A recession that would hit equities and boost bonds? Well, forget about all that, it’s not happening. US data The US jobs data remains strong, inflation continues coming lower but the downtrend gives signs of slowing. And yesterday’s US retail sales data came as a cherry on top, with an eye-popping 3% rise in retail sales last month; it was the biggest jump in the past two years. Stocks Market The S&P500 ended the session 0.28% higher, while Nasdaq 100 stocks added almost 0.80%. Treasury yields pushed higher, however, on expectation that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will continue its rate hike policy – and quite aggressively, given that the rate hikes don’t seem to do any harm to the economy. Deutsche Bank revised its terminal Fed rate from 5.1% to 5.6%. Citi believes that the Fed will end up pushing the rates all the way up to 6%. Read next: Apple Is Facing Multiple Lawsuits And Enforcement Actions| FXMAG.COM US PPI Today, the US will reveal the latest producer price inflation data. Producer prices are expected to have ticked higher by 0.4% m-o-m in January, versus a 0.4% retreat printed last month. On a yearly basis, the PPI index is expected to have slowed from 6.2% to 5.4%. Normally, I would expect a positive PPI surprise – meaning stronger inflation figures - to impact the market mood negatively, but at this point, I am not even sure that it matters. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:18 What recession?! 2:36 Market update 3:50 US PPI is out today! 4:37 USD up, EUR, JPY and XAU down 7:18 Crude oil rebounds from 50-DMA 8:34 Glencore’s record profit fails to convince but… Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #strong #economic #data #equity #risk #rally #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #Crude #Oil #inflation #data #Fed #expectations #Glencore #energy #stocks #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
    EUR/USD Analysis: Continuing Corrections Amidst European Economic Woes

    Analysis Of The Nasdaq 100 Index Situation

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 17.02.2023 08:12
    If we pay attention on the weekly chart of Nasdaq 100 index, then we can see this few things: 1. Sidewinder (SI) indicator in green which means trending and volatile once. 2. Chopzone (CZ) indicator in cyan blue which means NDX100 condition on the weekly chart is Bullish. 3. Zero Line (ZL) Indicator in green which indicates price is above its LSMA 25-(Bull). 4. Bullish 123 pattern appearance followed by Ross Hook (RH). Then according to 4 facts above, Nasdaq 100 index on its weekly chart is on healthy Bullish condition so in a few days ahead has the potential to appreciated up to the level 13720,91 as the first target and 15265,42 as the second target if it manages to break above its Ross Hook on the level 11906,11. But pay attention that if on its way to the described targets before suddenly NDX100 corrected down to the level 10440,64 then all of the Bull scenarios that has been explained before will be invalid and cancel by itself.   This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/119679
    Earnings season: Tesla stock price slipped after yesterday's news. The best selling car in Q1 was Model Y

    Tesla Has Been The Most Transacted Stock And CFD At Saxo

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 17.02.2023 09:59
    Summary:  We cover the most traded instruments at Saxo for the third week of February, from what the most traded Futures, Stocks, CFDs, options and FX positions were for the week that was. We touch on how some clients are protecting themselves in case Tesla and or the S&P500 pulls back, plus why some clients are trading Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares. Here are the most traded instruments at Saxo Capital Markets Australia for the week ending February 17, 2023In Futures the most traded instrument for the week ending 17 February 2023 was the S&P500 E-Mini. We have been speaking about the S&P500 rally looking vulnerable of a pull back, so clients are expressing that view with perhaps futures.  Tesla (TSLA) has been the most transacted stock and CFD at Saxo for the week ending 17 February 2023. We have seen buying pick in up TSLA shares, but also in options as well; with clients using optionality to protect themselves in case of a potential pull back.  We've been speaking about Tesla shares trading in overbought territory after Tesla shares have run up over 90% from their lows, so perhaps some clients are using options as a protective cushion. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) is the second most transacted upon stock/CFD at Saxo this week in Australia. Some buyers swooped in after CBA shares shed about 8% over the week. Market consensus expects CBA earnings to grow in 2023 - even despite the headwinds of CBA guiding for an uncertain year ahead - putting capital aside for bad debts with consumers feeling financial strain from inflationary pressures. And in Foreign Exchange (FX), the Aussie dollar against the US, the AUDUSD pair, was the most transacted upon currency pair after the Australian unemployment rate rose. This week at Saxo, there was more Aussie dollar selling, than buying, as the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) task in rising rates to slow the pace of inflation - just got a little tougher - given the jobless rate surprisingly rose. This was not expected by the market or the RBA. The RBA previously expected the jobless rate to pick up later this year. However, at Saxo, we saw some clients taking a longer term view on the Aussie dollar (the AUDUSD pair), given commodity companies who reported this week, such as Fortescue Metals (FMG) gave bullish outlooks on China's reopening boosting resources demand, and that would theoretically support the Aussie dollar. For more on our bullish outlook on commodities, read our Quarterly Outlook.  Click here to look at more stocks to watch across the metals sector this week.For our team's weekly look at markets, click here. To listen to our global team's take on markets - tune into our Podcast.   Source: Financial Insights: Sharing the most traded instruments at Saxo for the week, including Tesla options picking up | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates Spark: Escalating into a Rout as Bond Bear Steepening Accelerates

    A Mix Of Economic Data Caused Confusion In The Markets

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 17.02.2023 10:18
    The equity marathon that kept going on for questionable reasons since Tuesday ended in tears yesterday, with the arrival of a new set of economic data that crushed the optimistic rhetoric of soft landing.  The latest data Released yesterday, the latest data showed that US producer price inflation rose more than expected on a monthly basis, both for headline and core data, and the core PPI eased less than expected – similar to what we saw in the CPI data, BUT the Philli Fed manufacturing index was a disaster with an unexpected drop from -8.9 to -24.3 – the expectation was a -7.4 print. Fed So that crushed the idea that the economy is strong, without however fueling the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut expectations, as the slowdown in inflation needs to be addressed for some more time. And of course, comments from two Fed members were the last nails in the coffin yesterday. Loretta Mester said that she would go for a 50bp hike if she had the right to vote in the latest FOMC meeting. And James Bullard said that he would back a 50bp hike in March, if he could vote this year. The US 2-year yield consolidates a touch below 4.70%, while the 10-year yield hit 3.90% for the first time this year. US Stocks The S&P500 gave back nearly 1.40% yesterday, while the more rate-sensitive Nasdaq fell nearly 2%. European stock US futures hint at further selloff before the weekly closing bell, as in the absence of important data, investors will have to digest the week’s mixed data. And the bad news is, the European stock traders will also have to think whether a further rally in European stocks makes sense, when the EURUSD is trending lower. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:44 Equity investors are victim of mixed economic data 2:33 Rate expectations and yields update 4:35 Equity update 5:16 FX update 6:23 Gold down, Bitcoin up 8:40 There is no such thing as ‘no landing’ Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #mixed #economic #data #Fed #rate #expectations #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #Crude #Oil #bitcoin #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    The Most Sold Company Turned Out To Be  Microsoft

    Microsoft: Bing With Artificial Intelligence And The First Mistakes And Confusing Answers

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 17.02.2023 11:32
    Bing with AI and ChatGPT are some of the first major tech releases that show just how persuasive, and sometimes disturbing, new AI chatbots can be. First errors Just over a week after Microsoft Corp. presented its new search engine Bing the first testers point out the errors and disturbing answers generated by this technology. Microsoft unveiled the updated Bing at an event last week at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The company says the change enables a new type of search, where people will ask questions to the search engine in natural language, and Bing will generate direct answers and suggestions, as opposed to directing users to different websites. Some parts of the demo were problematic: Microsoft showed how Bing could generate and compare public company leaderboards with regular language prompts, but the information Bing displayed contained errors. In the days that followed, people began sharing their experiences online, with many pointing out mistakes and confusing answers. When a user asked Bing to write a newspaper article about the Super Bowl "this just happened", Bing provided details of last year's soccer championship game. Read next: USD/JPY Is Trading Close To 134.00, EUR/USD Is Remaining Above $1.07| FXMAG.COM Microsoft's answer On its blog, Microsoft said that feedback on the new Bing has been mostly positive so far, with 71% of users giving it a "thumbs up". Microsoft said it has found that Bing starts coming up with weird responses after chat sessions of 15 or more questions, and that it may repeat itself or respond in a way that doesn't match its designed tone. The company said it was trying to train the technology to be more reliable in finding the latest sports scores and financial data. It is also considering adding a toggle that would allow users to decide if they want Bing to be more or less creative in their responses. Microsoft's quick response to user feedback reflects the importance the company sees in people's reactions to the emerging technology looking to capitalize on ChatGPT's groundbreaking success. The company intends to use this technology to ward off the dominance of Alphabet Inc. in a search through your Google entity. In a blog post, Microsoft said it expects the new Bing to improve over time as more people use it. "The only way to improve a product like this where the user experience is so different from anything anyone has seen before is to allow people like you to use the product and do exactly what everyone else is doing," the company said. Not only Microsoft Microsoft isn't the only company that has had trouble launching its new AI tool. When Google followed Microsoft's lead in exposing ChatGPT's rival Bard last week, the tool's answer to one question contained an obvious factual error. He claimed that the James Webb Space Telescope took the "first pictures" of an exoplanet outside the solar system. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration says on its website that the first pictures of the exoplanet were taken in 2004 by another telescope. Microsoft share price After February 14, Microsoft's stock hit its all-time high, the stock fell. MSFT shares fell from 272.17 to 259.72. The price level of 272.17 was last traded in September last year. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The Fear of Strong Jobs: How US Labor Market Resilience Sparks Global Financial Panic

    Stock market summary of the week 13-17.02.2023

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 18.02.2023 09:29
    A surprise in US inflation data, a strengthening US dollar, increased economic activity among consumers and a sharp rally in cryptocurrencies despite their legal woes - these are just some of the events of the past week. What else could we have found out? Macroeconomic data The week started with Japan's GDP data for Q4 2022. It reported growth of 0.2% from the previous quarter, which was lower than economists' forecasts of 0.5% growth. Tuesday saw the release of indicators on the UK labour market situation, including the Average Earnings Index and Claimant Count Change for January 2023. The Earnings Index fell by 0.3 percentage points from the last reading, coming in at 5.9% (6.2% was expected), while the Claimant Count fell by 12.9,000 from the previous month (17,900 was expected). The UK100 Index (UK100) hit new historic peaks this week, reaching 8000 for the time being. Source: Conotoxia MT5, UK100, Daily On the same day, we could learn about the CPI and core inflation readings for January 2023 for the US economy. What seems to have surprised analysts was the higher-than-expected CPI reading of 6.4% (6.2% was expected), while core inflation rose by an expected 0.4% month-on-month. This might imply that the level of disinflation is not going in line with previous assumptions, which could force the Fed to increase interest rates further. Shortly after the release of the data, the S&P 500 Index (US500) fell by 1%, eventually ending the week on a return to the levels seen at the end of last week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Daily On Wednesday, we learned of the UK's CPI inflation reading. Price dynamics in this economy came in below expectations at 10.1% (10.3% was expected). This is the fourth consecutive month of disinflation in the UK. Indicators of US economic activity, such as the volume of retail sales and core retail sales (excluding car sales), came as a positive surprise on the day. Both indicators beat the most optimistic forecasts, coming in at 2.3% m/m. (0.8% m/m was expected) and 3% m/m. (1.8% m/m. was expected). It seems that, despite the economic slowdown and high inflation, consumers have not stopped their desire to make massive purchases. Thursday brought another batch of data from the United States. First, we learned about the number of new applications for unemployment benefits - 194 000 (200 000 was expected), which may indicate that the US labour market remains in excellent shape. Next, we learned about the sentiment among industrial companies in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index turned out to be extremely negative, coming in at minus 24.3 points (minus 7.4 points were expected). This is the worst reading since the pandemic, which may illustrate how much of a slowdown in US manufacturing is expected. Finally, there was another dose of producer PPI inflation, whose reading also came in beating analysts' expectations, at 0.7% m/m in January. (0.4% m/m was expected). This appears to have triggered a correction on expectations for future interest rates, with the spread between 2-year and 10-year bond yields at minus 0.76 percentage points, unseen since 1981. It should be recalled that historically negative values have preceded slowdowns or crises. Source: Fred The stock market The accumulation of negative and positive macroeconomic data may have left the market in dismay. Most sectors ended the week at levels seen seven days ago. The waste sector grew the most, rising 1.5% over the week. We could see this in the performance of the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). In second place was the energy sector, up 1.3%. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XLU, Daily Key company reports for Q4 2022 included Tuesday's report from beverage maker Coca-Cola (CocaColaHSB). Results came in line with expectations, with earnings per share EPS of 0.45. On the same day, we saw a report from short-term rental platform Airbnb (Airbnb), which reported EPS greater than expectations of 0.48 (0.25 was expected). Source: Conotoxia MT5, AirBNB, Daily On Wednesday, US-based multinational technology company that specialises in computer networking and telecommunications Cisco (Cisco) released better-than-expected financial results. Last year's Q4 EPS was 0.88 (0.85 was expected). The company's shares rose more than 9% during the week. And it was one of the strongest-growing companies in the S&P 500 index. Source: Heat map for the S&P 500 index, https://finviz.com/map.ashx?t=sec&st=w1 Currency and cryptocurrency market In the foreign exchange market, we could see a significant strengthening of the US dollar this week. This was particularly noticeable from the quotations of the USD/JPY pair, which rose by more than 2.7%. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDJPY, Daily Another strengthening of the US dollar was seen on the EUR/USD pair, which has fallen by 0.4% since the start of the week. This is the third consecutive week of dollar strengthening and declines on this pair. Investors may have been amazed by cryptocurrency listings. Despite high inflation and thus the risk of further interest rate rises, the closure of stacking functionality by the Kraken exchange in the US and the ban on the issuance of new stablecoin BUSD, the value of bitcoin rose by more than 9%. In contrast, the value of the overall stablecoin market may have stalled. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

    The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment And More Ahead

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 19.02.2023 10:20
    Investors' eyes may turn to next week's key macroeconomic indicators from the EU, particularly Germany, the region's largest economy. Tuesday 21.02. 08:30 GMT, Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) February The German Purchasing Managers' Index provides insight into the construction industry's activity level as reported by purchasing managers. This measure provides an understanding of the state of the German construction industry, as it is assumed that purchasing managers have access to first-hand data on the performance of their companies.   A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. The last time the German manufacturing PMI was above 50 was in June 2022, and the preliminary reading for February 2023 is forecast to be 47.9. Falling factory activity has been linked to lower orders amid weaker demand from both domestic and foreign customers, especially Chinese, due to high stocks, elevated prices and slowing investment activity. A higher-than-expected reading could be bullish for the EUR, while a lower-than-expected reading could be bearish for the EUR.  Impact: EUR Tuesday 21.02. 10:00 GMT, Germany ZEW Economic Sentiment February ZEW Economic Sentiment is one of the leading economic indicators of Germany. It is created based on interviewing experts from banks and other sectors about their expectations regarding interest rates, inflation rates, exchange rates, stock markets and other measures, such as the economic development of the world's major economies, in order to develop a sentiment for the German economy for the next six months. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment is calculated by comparing the number of experts with positive versus negative sentiment. For example, if 30% hold positive sentiment, 20% have neutral sentiment, and 50% hold negative sentiment,then the ZEW index would result in -20%. January's ZEW Economic Sentiment was positive for the first time since February 2022, suggesting that German experts may be turning away from their negative sentiment. If the February 2023 data are also positive, this could confirm the above statement. However, it would be a better-than-expected surprise as the current forecast for ZEW Economic Sentiment this month is -15%.  A positive or less negative result than the forecast could be seen as bullish for the EUR, while a lower (more negative) result could be seen as bearish for the EUR. Impact: EUR Wednesday 07:00 GMT, German CPI (YoY) (January) While the German Manufacturing PMI and ZEW Economic Sentiment will provide the first indicators of German economic strength, the CPI later in the week will show whether the ECB's hawkish policy is succeeding in the fight against inflation.  The CPI measures the change in prices paid by consumers for a given basket of goods and services over a specified period. This information shows changes compared to a year ago. The CPI is the main measure of inflation - a higher index means higher inflation. The preliminary data for January inflation showed a slight increase in inflation from December 2022 (8.7% versus 8.6%), showing that inflationary pressure may not be over. Economists are suggesting that Germany's broad governmental support schemes may be extending the inflationary pressure, although at a lower level.  Higher-than-expected data may have a bullish impact on the EUR and a bearish impact on the stock market, while lower-than-expected data may have a bearish effect on the EUR and a bullish impact on the stock market.  Impact: EUR, DAX Thursday 10:00 GMT EU CPI (YoY) (January) The preliminary result of the EU CPI data for January fell to 8.5% from 9.2% in the previous month, despite the 1% rise in German inflation. Possibly, the higher German data may be the reason why the EU CPI for January is expected to be 9.2%, 70 bp higher than the preliminary figure. The inflation outlook for the euro area and Germany appears to be influenced by two opposing factors. On the one hand, lower-than-forecast energy prices may push down inflation faster than previously thought. On the other hand, the pass-through pressure of energy and commodities inflation to production costs is not yet over, keeping the overall inflation high. Furthermore, as the geopolitical situation in Europe is not improving, the ongoing price negotiations within the agricultural sector may result in higher-than-expected prices giving an additional boost to the inflation numbers.  Higher-than-expected data may have a bullish impact on the EUR and a bearish impact on the stock market, while lower-than-expected data may have a bearish effect on the EUR and a bullish impact on the stock market.  Impact: EUR, DAX, STOXX Stocks to watch Walmart (WMT) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 01/2023. Forecast: 1.51. Positive earnings surprise in 8 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Tuesday, February 21, before the market opens. Home Depot (HD) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 01/2023. Forecast: 3.29. Positive earnings surprise in 10 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Tuesday, February 21, before the market opens. NVIDIA (NVDA) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 01/2023. Forecast: 0.8102. Positive earnings surprise in 9 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Wednesday, February 22, after the market closes. Alibaba (BABA) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 12/2022. Forecast: 16.63. Positive earnings surprise in 8 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Thursday, February 23, before the market opens. Dell Technologies (DELL) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 01/2023. Forecast: 1.65. Positive earnings surprise in 9 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Friday, February 24, 21:30 GMT. Santa Zvaigzne-Sproge, CFA, Head of Investment Advice Department at Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement, or investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Summary Of The Situation Of Equity Markets And Bitcoin

    Summary Of The Situation Of Equity Markets And Bitcoin

    Craig Erlam Craig Erlam 19.02.2023 11:05
    Equity markets are ending the week in the red after finally falling victim to the persistent disappointment of US economic data on Thursday. It’s taken a lot but it would appear investors’ eternal optimism is being shaken, with the latest PPI figures finally driving the message home that bringing the economy in for a soft landing will be extraordinarily challenging and there’ll likely be plenty of turbulence along the way. In reality, the message should have sunk in much sooner but investors were seemingly so convinced that these were just blips in the data that they failed to see how quickly they were stacking up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still of the view that the data will improve again but I’m not so willing to turn a blind eye to what it’s telling us now. And most importantly, neither is the Fed which has been less willing to get carried away with what came before. Suddenly the topic of conversation has changed from one more 25 basis point hike and then two cuts later in the year, a few weeks back, to perhaps reverting back to 50 in March and hiking by another 75 in total. It was always going to be a rollercoaster ride this quarter and maybe next and the first seven weeks of the year have been just that. Taking off? Bitcoin is in retreat at the end of the week, not immune it seems to the sharp shift in risk appetite throughout the markets. That comes after an immense rally earlier this week that saw it hit an eight-month high on Thursday. While the risk element will no doubt be a key factor, that the correction is occurring in the $24,500-$25,500 zone suggests to me that there’s a coincidental element to it as well, as we could have expected to see some profit-taking around these levels regardless. The risk mood may have just helped that along. Regardless, bitcoin bulls will no doubt be excited by recent developments in the price and may feel more optimistic than they have since 2021. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.  
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    At The Close On The New York Stock Exchange Only The Dow Jones Rose

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 20.02.2023 08:00
    At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.39%, the S&P 500 index fell 0.28%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 0.58%.  Dow Jones Merck & Company Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 3.01 points (2.83%) to close at 109.52. Amgen Inc rose 6.31 points or 2.69% to close at 240.53. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 11.73 points or 2.41% to close at 499.08. The least gainers were shares of Chevron Corp, which lost 3.72 points or 2.23% to end the session at 162.85. Intel Corporation was up 2.09% or 0.59 points to close at 27.61, while Salesforce Inc was down 1.75% or 2.94 points to close at 165.17.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Deere & Company, which rose 7.53% to 433.31, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, which gained 5.99% to close at 483.23 , as well as shares of Organon & Co, which rose 4.60% to close the session at 26.02. The least gainers were Albemarle Corp, which shed 9.67% to close at 258.00. Shares of Hess Corporation shed 5.73% to end the session at 135.52. Quotes of Halliburton Company decreased in price by 5.39% to 36.50. NASDAQ The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were OKYO Pharma Ltd ADR, which rose 62.96% to 3.74, Pathfinder Acquisition Corp, which gained 46.56% to close at 4.69. as well as shares of Apexigen Inc, which rose 44.21% to close the session at 1.37. The least gainers were shares of Arqit Quantum Inc, which shed 42.09% to close at 1.47. Shares of Universal Electronics Inc lost 33.01% and ended the session at 16.38. Quotes Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp III fell in price by 32.72% to 4.97. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (1689) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1288), while quotes of 111 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1914 companies rose in price, 1686 fell, and 217 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 0.74% to 20.02. Gold Gold futures for April delivery added 0.00%, or 0.05, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery fell 2.75%, or 2.16, to $76.33 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery fell 2.55%, or 2.17, to $82.97 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.25% to 1.07, while USD/JPY rose 0.18% to hit 134.18. Futures on the USD index rose 0.01% to 103.81.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-21 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/313259
    US-China Tensions Continue To Ramp Up, Dollar Off Its Highs

    US-China Tensions Continue To Ramp Up, Dollar Off Its Highs

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.02.2023 09:14
    Summary:  Data was light on Friday and US equity indices ended mixed after markets catching up with the Fed’s December dot plot over the week. Fed speakers Barkin and Bowman were however somewhat less hawkish than Bullard and Mester earlier in the week. Dollar off its highs as US yields retreated lower amid short covering, helping metals regain some footing. US markets remain closed today, and key focus this week on geopolitics as US-China tensions continue to ramp up and one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) mixed, European indices outperformed in the week The S&P500 was down for the second consecutive week as hot inflation data and steady retail sales supported the case for more rate hikes from the Fed, shifting the market expectations for the Fed path higher. The S&P500 was down 0.3% on Friday, with NASDAQ100 down 0.7%, even though the Dow Jones index recovered later to close 0.4% higher. NASDAQ however closed the week higher, with Tesla notching up gains of ~6% in the week. European indices outperformed in the week, led by France’s CAC 40 (FRA40.I) which was up over 3% and EuroStoxx 50 (STOXX50.I) was up 1.8%. Importantly, US markets are shut on Monday for Presidents Day, however yields remain a key focus this week after the US 2-year yield rose to 4.7%+ levels on Friday and 10-year is getting close to the 4% mark again. Key stock movers On Friday, US farm equipment maker Deere (DE:xnys) led market gains being up 7.5%, Moderna Inc (MRNA:xnas) fell 3.3% after its experimental messenger RNA-based influenza vaccine delivered mixed results in a study. Lithium miners Livent Corp (LTHM:xnys), Albemarle Corp (ALB:xnys) and Piedmont Lithium (PLL:xnas) slumped between 9% and 12% due to concerns about weakness in Chinese prices for the EV battery metal. Agricultural spending bellwether - Deere - drives up, putting the spotlight on the tangible world outperforming and food security Deere was the star performer in the S&P500 on Friday, rising 7.5% after raising its forecasts for the year, and reporting better than expected Q4 results. It reported $6.55 earnings per share from sales of $12.7 billion, beating estimates (of $5.56 per share on sales of $11.28 billion). The bottom line is demand from farmers is strong, and producers are prepared to buy more equipment and upgrade their fleets. Its production and precision ag division which includes autonomous crop planting and harvesting – saw the most sales growth – with quarterly sales up 55% in the quarter, from a year prior. The company has not only evolved from selling ag equipment to automation equipment and farm management systems, which helps farmers optimize their operations using crop data analytics. For the year ahead, Deere sees net income rising to $8.75 billion to $9.25 billion, which is higher than its prior estimate ($8 billion to $8.5 billion). This reinforces Saxo’s bullish view of investments in the physical world outperforming the intangibles. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) suffered a third consecutive week of losses amid regulatory concerns Hong Kong's stocks suffered a third consecutive week of losses, with the Hang Seng Index dropping by 1.3%, weighed down by China's tech and internet shares. The Hang Seng Tech Index fell by 2.5%, and turnover was the lowest in 2023 at HK$89.7 billion. Fears of regulatory crackdowns in China were fueled by the disappearance of high-profile investment banker Bao Fan and speculation that Wu Qing, who was known in the securities industry for iron-fisted handling of market irregularity cases, would be the new chief of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Fan’s majority-owned China Renaissance took a 28.2% hit while internet giants Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), and Meituan (03690:xhkg), registered loses over 2%. Baidu (09888:xhkg) fell 4.6% as ChatGPT concept stocks retraced in both the Hong Kong bourse and mainland exchanges. Lenovo (00992) slid 3.1% following reporting net income, revenue declines, and job cuts. Hong Kong jewellers with large exposure to Chinese tourists declined 2-4%, while Chinese traditional medicines and childcare products gained. The A-share market in China also closed lower, with CSI300 Index down by 1.4%. Computing, electronics, communication, ChatGPT concept, and electric equipment stocks led the charge lower. Digital China (000034:xsec) and Montnets Rongxin Technology (002123:xsec) plunged over 8%. Meanwhile, Chinese traditional medicine names and COVID-19 drug pharmaceutical stocks bucked the decline. Shangdong Xinhua Pharmaceutical (000756:xsec) went limit up by 10% and its H-shares (00719:xhkg) traded in Hong Kong surged 26.4% following positive comments on a generic drug manufactured by the company. FX: Dollar off its highs, NZD in focus as RBNZ meets this week After a run higher this week with the hawkish tilt in Fed expectations, the US dollar was off its highs on Friday with US 10-year yields turning lower after getting close to the key 4% mark. This helped USDJPY retreat from 2-month highs of 135 but Japan’s CPI due this week along with BOJ governor nominee Ueda’s parliamentary hearings will likely keep the yen volatile. NZD was one of the underperformers last week on slowing 2yr NZ inflation expectations, and remains in focus this week as RBNZ is likely to downshift to a 50bps rate hike with some even considering a 25bps hike amid risks from the recent cyclone. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1915 but was back above 1.2000 handle on Friday. ECB commentary remains mixed (read below) and EURUSD still close to 1.07. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) end last week lower on Fed worries Crude oil prices tumbled over 2% last week amid a hawkish tilt returning in the US data and Fed commentaries, which brought up the prospects of more rate hikes in the current cycle. Moreover, data confirming a pickup in real economic activity in China has been meagre so far, and near-term oversupply fears have pushed WTI prices lower to touch $75/barrel on Friday, while Brent took a look below $82. OPEC and IEA however raised the medium-term demand outlook, but this week’s focus will also be on geopolitics (read below) with US-China tensions ramping up and the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Copper focusing on supply-side issues Despite the hawkish tilt in Fed expectations, copper ended the week only down 0.4% as the key $4 area continued to provide support. Supply issues also remained in focus. Freeport-McMoRan Inc suspended operations at its Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia due to landslides. This is on the heels of disruptions to output in Peru amid social unrest. Zambia also reported that its copper output fell to a seven-year low in 2022. US yield and dollar trends this week will be key for metals and commodities in general. Gold (XAUUSD) approaching key supports Gold fell to a six-week low last week amid hawkish comments from Fed officials after the CPI report last week and Fed commentaries shifting market expectations for the Fed path higher. Gold took a look below the key support at $1828 on Friday but a subsequent recovery to 1840 was seen as dollar was off its highs. Next key support at $1800 level remains a key focus, followed by the 200DMA at 1776.   What to consider? Fed speakers note inflation and jobs data surprises Fed member Bowman (voter) said she wants to see a consistent decline in inflation and she thought the moderation of inflation before the prior meeting meant we could be seeing the beginning of disinflation, but notes the most recent data however has been surprising. Barkin (non-voter) also said that he does feel the US is making slow progress on inflation. Both also emphasized labor shortages, with Barkin stating clearly that he prefers the 25bps rate hike path. ECB’s mixed messages ECB speakers had mixed messages on Friday with the hawkish Isabel Schnabel saying that investors risk underestimating the persistence of inflation. That bolstered rate-hike bets, with money markets pricing a 3.75% peak in the deposit rate. However, later dovish member Francois Villeroy said that rate are now in restrictive territory and that they may raise above 3% but it’s not automatic. Rainy season in Brazil-putting iron ore supply in question Rainfall at Brazil's largest iron ore mines increased in the second week of February, but remained below historical levels since the start of the year. Despite a dry start to 2023, iron ore supply risks are high ahead of seasonal rainy season peaking in month end. Brazilian Iron ore shipments are down this year, while Australian iron ore shipments are up YTD. We need to see Chinese property stimulus pick up to propel further demand in iron ore which could also act as a catalyst for the next move up in iron ore prices. Vale is the biggest iron ore producer in Brazil. Australia’s largest iron ore producers are BHP and Rio Tinto, who report results over the next two days.  Luxury stocks are the key contributors to the French CAC 40 index’s 2023 performance The French CAC 40 index is recording a strong YTD performance with an increase of +14 %. This is quite astonishing. This is partially explained by the weight of luxury stocks in the index. Kering, L’Oréal, LVMH and Hermès represent about a third of the jump. Other major contributors are Schneider Electric (which directly benefits from China’s economic reopening), BNP Paribas, Vinci (a construction company and operator of toll roads), STMicroelectronics (semiconductors) and Air Liquide (which can be considered as a market maker in his business segment). The French index is now valued at less than 13 times the estimated profits. This is below its 10-year average of 14. This could imply the market can go much higher in the short- and medium-term. The French stock market is the largest one in Europe followed by the UK’s. China’s loan prime rate fixing due today China's loan prime rates will likely stay steady at the fixing today, considering the People's Bank of China's decision to keep its medium-term lending facility rate unchanged earlier this month. The one-year and five-year LPR rates are likely to remain unchanged at 3.65% and 4.3%, respectively. Still, the uncertainty around the rate path is increasing given the increasing focus in China to drive up consumption and growth, and rate cuts remain likely in H1. Geopolitics keeps Saxo’s Defense basket in focus In Saxo’s equity theme baskets, the Defense basket was one of the top performers last week despite the news of China sanctions on US defense companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon due to balloon shooting incident. Geopolitical tensions, and therefore the Defense stocks, will remain in focus again this week as we approach the one-year anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Biden will be visiting NATO ally Poland to talk about the importance of the international community’s resolve, and unity in supporting Ukraine, adding that the next weeks and months are going to be difficult for Ukraine’s forces, and the US is going to continue to stand by them. Meanwhile, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi kicked off his week-long tour through Europe in Paris on Wednesday. The diplomat is expected to travel to Italy, Germany, and Hungary – with a final stop in Russia. There were also some reports suggesting that the US has information that China may be considering supplying arms to Russia. Putin will also be giving a state of the nation address, and focus will be on any risks of further escalation noting that 500k Russian troops have been mobilised.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: US yields at critical levels – 20 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

    Meta Is Announcing A New Monthly Subscription Model, Deere Was The Star Performer In The S&P500

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 20.02.2023 09:33
    Summary:  US equity markets bounced on Friday after teasing new lows, maintaining the sense of indecision after more than two weeks of choppy, directionless trading. Treasury yields and the US dollar rolled over sharply on Friday after posting new highs for the cycle and stern US warnings to China against providing military aid to Russia have upped the geopolitical risks by an order of magnitude as markets will nervously await China’s response in coming days and weeks. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): gains for February have evaporated Friday’s session was weak ending with the lowest close print for February as the market reacted to higher interest rates and data suggesting inflation pressures remain high. Last week, was still a strong week for bubble stock despite the rising interest rates while commodity related companies and Chinese stocks were the weakest links in the global equity market. S&P 500 futures have opened up this week below Friday’s close trading around the 4,085 level with the key 4,000 level still in play on the downside if S&P 500 futures make another lower close in today’s session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied with A-shares leading China’s A-shares rallied strongly on Monday with the benchmark CSI300 rising 2.3%. Although the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates remained unchanged at the monthly fixing this morning, the average mortgage interest in the largest 100 cities fell 6bps M/M to 4.04% in February, or 143bps Y/Y for first-home mortgages and 84bps for second-home mortgages.  Construction materials, electronic appliances and telco names led the charge higher in A-shares. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index opened lower but spent the rest of the day climbing to 1.1% higher as of writing. China Hongqiao (01378:xhkg), a leading aluminium products manufacturer, jumped over 10%. FX: Dollar reverses lower on sentiment shift Friday, NZD in focus as RBNZ meets this week After a run higher last week on rising US treasury yields and Fed rate hike expectations, the US dollar was off its highs on Friday with US 10-year yields turning lower after trading close to the key 4% mark. This helped USDJPY retreat from 2-month highs above 135. Note Japan set to report CPI this Friday and BOJ governor nominee Ueda’s parliamentary hearings will likely keep the yen volatile. NZD was one of the underperformers last week on slowing 2yr NZ inflation expectations, and remains in focus this week as RBNZ is likely to downshift to a 50bps rate hike with some even considering a 25bps hike amid risks from the recent cyclone. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1915 last week but was back above 1.2000 handle on Friday. ECB commentary remains mixed (read below) and EURUSD still close to 1.07. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) remains rangebound Crude oil rebounded during Asian hours following last week’s selloff which once again confirmed the market remains rangebound, in Brent between $80 and $89, with a demand pick up in China at this stage not being strong enough to offset macroeconomic concerns that was strengthened last week following hawkish comments from US Federal Reserve members. OPEC and IEA raised the medium-term demand outlook but so far, data from China shows a meagre pickup in economic activity, and it has instead left the market focusing on US stock levels which have been rising well beyond seasonal expectations. This week’s focus will also be on geopolitics (read below) with US-China tensions ramping up and the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Copper focusing on supply-side issues Despite the hawkish tilt in Fed expectations, copper ended the week only down 0.4% as the key $4 area continued to provide support. Supply issues also remained in focus. Freeport-McMoRan Inc suspended operations at its Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia due to landslides. This is on the heels of disruptions to output in Peru amid social unrest and Panama. Zambia also reported that its copper output fell to a seven-year low in 2022. Some support also coming through via rising aluminum prices after smelters in China’s Yunnan province cut capacity due to energy shortages following a period of weak hydro generation. Gold (XAUUSD) focus on dollar and interest rate trajectory Gold traded steady in Asia near short-term resistance at $1845, after managing to find a bid on Friday following weak of rising dollar and yields-led selling. An uptick in geopolitical tensions potentially adding a small bid into a market that otherwise seems preoccupied with the scope for further interest-rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Investor sentiment has once again been challenged with bullion-backed ETF holdings falling to a fresh three-year low on Friday while open interest in COMEX gold futures has fallen by 16% during the past month as traders cut their exposure, both long and short. Further dollar-led weakness could see gold target support in the $1792 to $1776 area with resistance at $1872. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) reverse lower Friday ahead of long weekend After US Treasury yields all along the yield curve posted local highs for the cycle, a late wave of buying reversed the slide and yields closed lower for the session, with the 2-year closing at 4.62% after hitting 4.71% intraday and the 10-year retreating to close at 3.81% after hitting 3.92% earlier in the session. Today, US treasury markets are closed for a holiday. Heavy treasury supply is incoming this week with 2-year, 5-year and 7-year auctions Tuesday through Thursday. The US data highlight this week is Friday’s January PCE inflation data. What is going on? US Secretary of State Blinken warns China on lethal aid to Russia At the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of “serious consequences” if China were to provide military support to Russia. Blinken suggested that the US has information that China may be considering supplying arms to Russia. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi spoke earlier in the day at the same conference on the US’ “hysterical” response to charges of Chinese spy balloons. Yi will travel to Italy, Germany, and Hungary and make a final stop in Russia. Putin will also be giving a state of the nation address, and focus will be on any risks of further escalation noting that 500k Russian troops have been mobilised. US President Biden will be visiting NATO ally Poland to talk about the importance of the international community’s resolve, and unity in supporting Ukraine, adding that the next weeks and months are going to be difficult for Ukraine’s forces, and the US is going to continue to stand by them. Saxo’s Defense equity theme baskets was one of the top performers last week despite the news of China sanctions on US defense companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon due to balloon shooting incident. Meta launches monthly subscriptions Snap already has it and Twitter is rolling it out, and now Meta is announcing a new monthly subscription model to create a new revenue stream that is more stable that online advertising. The monthly subscription comes with extended account verification, direct customer support, and more protection against impersonation. Apple’s major data privacy change back in late 2021 has been a major factor as well as targeting has become more difficult putting downward pressure on advertising pricing. Luxury stocks are the key contributors to the French CAC 40 index’s 2023 performance The French CAC 40 index is recording a strong YTD performance with an increase of +14 %. This is partially explained by the weight of luxury stocks in the index. Kering, L’Oréal, LVMH and Hermès represent about a third of the jump. Other major contributors are: Schneider Electric (which directly benefits from China’s economic reopening), BNP Paribas, Vinci (a construction company and operator of toll roads), STMicroelectronics (semiconductors) and Air Liquide (which can be considered as a market maker in his business segment). The French index is now valued at less than 13 times the estimated profits. This is below its 10-year average of 14. This could imply the market can go much higher in the short- and medium-term. The French stock market is the largest one in Europe followed by the UK’s. Key US stocks on the move Friday, including Lithium names On Friday, US farm equipment maker Deere (DE:xnys) led market gainers, posting a 7.5% advance. Moderna Inc (MRNA:xnas) fell 3.3% after its experimental messenger RNA-based influenza vaccine delivered mixed results in a study. Lithium miners Livent Corp (LTHM:xnys), Albemarle Corp (ALB:xnys) and Piedmont Lithium (PLL:xnas) slumped between 9% and 12% due to concerns about weakness in Chinese prices for the EV battery metal. ECB’s mixed messages ECB speakers had mixed messages on Friday with the hawkish Isabel Schnabel saying that investors risk underestimating the persistence of inflation. That bolstered rate-hike bets, with money markets pricing a 3.75% peak in the deposit rate. However, later dovish member Francois Villeroy said that rates are now in restrictive territory and that they may raise above 3% but it’s not automatic. The German 2-year Schatz yield posted a new high since 2008 at 2.95% on Friday before falling back and closing unchanged at 2.88%. Deere lifts outlook on strong outlook for agricultural spending Deere was the star performer in the S&P500 on Friday, rising 7.5% after raising its forecasts for the year - and reporting better than expected Q4 results. It reported EPS of $6.55 vs est. $5.56 and revenue of $12.7bn vs est. $11-3bn. The bottom line is demand from farmers is strong, and producers are prepared to buy more equipment and upgrade their fleets. Its production and precision agricultural division which includes autonomous crop planting and harvesting – saw the most sales growth – with quarterly sales up 55% y/y. Deere raised its net income outlook to $8.75-9.25bn compared to previously $8-8.5bn. This reinforces Saxo’s bullish view of investments in the physical world outperforming the intangibles. Sweden CPI jumps more than expected at core – SEK surges Sweden reported January CPI data this morning, with the headline slightly softer than expected at –1.1% MoM and +11.7% YoY vs. -1.0%/+11.8% expected, but the core inflation data was firmer than expected at +0.4% MoM and +8.7% YoY vs. -0.2%/+8.2% expected and 8.4% in December. SEK is surging on the anticipation that the Riksbank will have to continue firming its message on tightening policy. What are we watching next? Critical week for geopolitics as we await China’s response to US warnings on aiding Russia US Secretary of State Blinken’s warning to China on aiding Russia’s military (see above) sets up a moment of maximum danger for geopolitics depending on the nature of China’s response in coming days and weeks. Should the latter move to aid Russia’s military with lethal weaponry, it will likely accelerate the deglobalization theme and US sanctions against the country, creating significant disruption risks for global supply chains. The CFTC will start publishing delayed CoT reports this week Last Friday the CFTC once again postponed its weekly publications of the Commitments of Traders report (CoT), bringing the number of weekly reports to three that has been delayed due to the January cyber-related incident at ION Cleared Derivatives, a third-party service provider of cleared derivatives order management, order execution, trading, and trade processing. The CFTC in a statement on Friday, however said that staff intends to resume publishing the CoT report this Friday, starting with the report that was due February 3 but also that they do not expect the backlog will be cleared and “live” data resume until mid-March. BHP and Rio Tinto earnings will set the course for copper and aluminium companies  BHP and Rio Tinto report this week and, if Fortescue is something to go by with stronger than expected profits, then BHP and Rio could surprise to the upside. The focus will be on their outlooks with both BHP and Rio expected to give optimistic forecasts for the year amid Chinese demand picking up. They may also shed light inflationary pressures remaining sticky, such as wages picking up. Iron ore, and copper and coal giant BHP is expected report 2022 earnings (EBITDA) of $40.6 billion, with free cashflows of $26 billion and declare a full-year gross dividend yield of 14%. Iron ore, aluminium and copper giant Rio is expected to report earnings (EBITDA) of $27.1 billion in 2022, free cash flow of $11.2 billion and declare a full-year gross dividend yield of about 11%. Saxo’s preferred commodity exposures include aluminium, copper, and lithium. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is later tonight when BHP Group reports FY23 1H results (ending 31 Jan) with analysts expecting revenue of $26.7bn down 13% y/y from the same period last year. EPS is expected at $1.37 down 28% y/y as iron ore prices have come down their recent highs. The commodity markets have been very muted in their reaction to the Chinese reopening and as such BHP Group’s outlook will be of key interest to investors. Later this week our earnings focus is one Walmart, Home Depot, and Nvidia. Monday: BHP Group, Williams Cos Tuesday: Teck Resources, Gapgemini, Engie, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks Wednesday: Rio Tinto, Genmab, Danone, Lloyds Banking Group, Iberdrola, Nvidia, TJX, Stellantis, Baidu, eBay Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) US markets closed for Presidents’ Day. 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Meeting Minutes 1500 – Eurozone Feb. Preliminary Consumer Confidence 1900 – UK Bank of England’s Woods to speak 0030 – Australia RBA Meeting Minutes   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 20, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    ECB's Tenth Consecutive Rate Hike: The Final Move in the Current Cycle

    Fed Hawkishness Is Spreading Toward Europe, Rising Geopolitical Tensions

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 20.02.2023 11:09
    The planet is boiling. US Dollar Escalating geopolitical tensions combined with the hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) bets boost demand in the US dollar, while gold sees demand below the $1840 mark. US stock market But the US yields are trending higher on an increasingly hawkish Fed talk, and that could well send the precious metal into the bearish consolidation zone, sooner rather than later. Fed and ECB And the Fed hawkishness is spreading toward Europe. The European Central Bank’s (ECB) Isabel Schnabel warned last week that investors may be underestimating the persistence of inflation, and more importantly the response needed to tame it. Read next: Twitter And Elon Musk Faced A Growing List Of Claims| FXMAG.COM EUR/USD The EURUSD rebounded from the 1.0612 dip on Friday. European stock markets The European stock markets, on the other, continue performing well despite the hawkish ECB expectations. Why? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 Rising geopolitical tensions… 2:21 … and Fed hawks support USD bulls 3:10 US stock rally in jeopardy? 4:41 What to watch this week? 5:50 ECB hawks become louder… 6:46 But European stocks push higher! 8:09 Energy under pressure 9:24 Is dovish Chinese monetary policy enough to boost appetite? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #China #Russia #North #Korea #Iran #geopolitical #tensions #economic #inflation #data #Fed #ECB #China #rate #expectations #Alibaba #Baidu #earnings #USD #EUR #XAU #Crude #Oil #DAX #CAC #EuroStoxx #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Twitter And Elon Musk Faced A Growing List Of Claims

    Twitter And Elon Musk Face A Growing List Of Claims

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 20.02.2023 10:54
    Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk is struggling with more problems. From the side of Twitter with financial arrears, and from the side of Tesla - from the driver assistance system. List of claims Ever since Elon Musk took over, Twitter Inc. faced a growing list of claims. Owners, consultants and retailers have sought payment in at least nine lawsuits in recent months, with their complaints totaling more than $14 million plus interest. Among the alleged overdue notifications is an invoice for nearly $7,000 for a "gift box for Elon" ordered by Twitter's marketing department days before the $44 billion deal closed on October 27. Twitter obligation Twitter, which is now private, no longer publicly discloses its financial details. The company said last year it owed $239 million mostly for office space and data center facilities in 2023. In a January lawsuit, Canary LLC, a marketing firm that specializes in making items embellished with logos that are ubiquitous among Silicon Valley tech companies, alleged that Twitter owed nearly $400,000 for various Twitter-branded merchandise. Career on Twitter  Musk's pre-Twitter career involved navigating near financial doom, including Tesla Inc. who almost ran out of money. It overcame previous financial challenges by partly putting pressure on suppliers and vendors while saving cash was paramount. Musk inherited the bills when he took over more than three months ago and quickly introduced a more austere spending style as part of his trademark intensity. Twitter has undergone dramatic changes since late October as Musk raced to rework the company's product, which has suffered financial losses and cost-cutting from advertiser withdrawals and transaction-related debt costs. He cut staff sharply and countered spending tweets, including $13 million a year for employee meals at company headquarters. Early on, Musk complained that the company was losing more than $4 million a day and hinted bankruptcy was possible. Since then, he said the company is making progress. Read next: Meta Introduces Paid Verification Subscription Service| FXMAG.COM Twitter share price Twitter shares are trading at $53.70 Tesla Tesla, where Musk is also chief executive, worried its suppliers in 2018 as it struggled to ramp up production of the Model 3 compact car. During this time, the company extended payment terms from 60 days to 90 days. Tesla critical accident US auto safety regulators have stepped up investigations into accidents at the scene involving Tesla. A Tesla driver crashed into a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District truck that was parked in two lanes to block traffic while police officers assisted in towing the vehicle. A Tesla spokeswoman said the Tesla driver died at the scene. A passenger in the Tesla was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The condition of this person could not be immediately determined. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. It is unknown if the vehicle had Tesla's advanced driver assistance systems, known as Autopilot, activated at the time of the accident. Autopilot may be a problem The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the auto industry's primary regulator, has been investigating Tesla's advanced driver assistance system for more than a year after multiple crashes in emergency scenes. The NHTSA said Thursday that some Teslas may in rare circumstances violate local traffic laws, potentially increasing the risk of a collision if the driver does not intervene. The agency said it informed Tesla late last month of potential concerns about the system's characteristics specific to certain road environments. Autopilot is designed to help drivers with tasks such as steering and keeping a safe distance from other vehicles on the road. The electric car maker said features like Autopilot are meant to be used by a fully attentive driver. Tesla share price After Tesla's stock fell to 202.41, it bounced back to 208.31. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Markets under Pressure: Rising Yields, Strong Dollar, and Political Headwinds Weigh on Stocks"

    Trading Activity In World Markets Is Expected To Be Lower

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 21.02.2023 08:01
    The composite index of the largest companies in the region Stoxx Europe 600 by 12:33 GMT + 3 fell by 0.05% and amounted to 464.09 points. The British stock index FTSE 100 fell by less than 0.1%, the German DAX - by 0.24%, the French CAC 40 - by 0.31%. The Italian FTSE MIB and the Spanish IBEX 35 lost 0.1% and 0.3% respectively. Trading activity in world markets is expected to be lower than usual on Monday due to the celebration of Presidents Day in the US. Stocks in Shanghai and Hong Kong rose sharply on Monday on news that the People's Bank of China kept its one-year Loan Prime Rate at 3.65% and the five-year lending rate at 4.3%. per annum. People's Bank of China has not changed rates for six meetings in a row. At the same time, many economists believe that in the coming months the rate may be lowered to stimulate economic growth, writes Bloomberg. On Wednesday evening, the minutes of the last Fed meeting will be made public, at which the key interest rate was raised by 25 basis points. Investors are particularly looking forward to the minutes as several Fed officials, including the heads of the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and St. Louis, said last week that they were calling for a sharper rate hike. Shares of Pernod Ricard SA rose 0.1%. One of the world's largest producers of alcoholic beverages announced the start of a new stage of the share buyback program. The purchase of securities in the amount of up to 300 million euros will take place before April 6 and will be carried out as part of a total program of 750 million euros. Stellantis and Pirelli are up 2%, leading gains on the Milan bourse, while Telecom Italia shares are down 2.9%. Capitalization of the British retailer Frasers Group rose by 3.5% after the company announced a share buyback worth up to 80 million pounds ($96.26 million). Quotes of Commerzbank AG fall by 2.7%. As reported, the shares of Germany's second-largest bank will be included in the calculation of the main German stock index DAX 40 from February 27 instead of the papers of the chemical company Linde, according to a report by Deutsche Boerse AG, operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange. French supermarket chain Carrefour jumped 8% in market value to lead growth in the Stoxx Europe 600 index. The retailer reported annual revenue of more than 90 billion euros and recorded an 11% increase in like-for-like sales in the fourth quarter of last year. The decline leader in the Stoxx Europe 600 is Raiffeisen Bank International, shedding 7.6%, while the gainer was led by French medical equipment maker Orpea S.A., which jumped 17.7%   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-22 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/313412
    Technical Market Outlook: EUR/USD Bounces from Resistance, Eyes 100 MA on H4 Chart

    About 20% Of Malawi’s Population Is Already Expected To Face Acute Food Insecurity

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.02.2023 09:48
    Summary:  US equity futures as well as most European indices retreated on Monday amid a spike in geopolitical concerns with President Biden in a surprise visit to Ukraine and China’s attempts to stand neutral. The backdrop of inflation concerns in the US is still keeping risks of a tighter than expected monetary policy, and yields remain a key focus as US markets return later today. China demand recovery optimism is however back, providing a bid to crude oil and metals. RBA’s minutes guided hawkish, and focus now on RBNZ meeting tomorrow with potential for volatility amid mixed market expectations.   What’s happening in markets? US markets closed, European indices mostly lower as geopolitical concerns weigh Muted trading overnight with US markets closed for President’s Day but geopolitical tensions at a high with President Biden making a surprise visit to Ukraine to pledge support. Futures for S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 continue to trade in the red with fears of escalating tensions between US and China, as well as the upcoming anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Geopolitical concerns also spilled over to European markets, with most European indices closing in the red on Monday. EuroStoxx 50 (STOXX50.I) was down 0.09% while France’s CAC 40 (FRA40.I) was down 0.16%. Only UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100.I) closed in a positive territory. China markets led the way on Monday with strong gains of over 2% on potential liquidity injection on Friday and expectations of a recovery in momentum as the earnings season focus shifts to Asia. What to watch ahead? When trade resumes in the US today, focus will be on geopolitics as well as the services and manufacturing read outs - PMIs – expected to show the US economy’s recovery is gathering pace – but with the PMIs still in contractionary phase (to show reads of under 50). FOMC minutes due on Wednesday - will have eagle eyes on them - looking for terminal rate expectation comments – given some members hinted of a potential 50bps rate hike again. Later in the week - Friday’s release of January PCE - the Feds preferred inflation gauge - will be a focus - expected to show core inflation rose 0.4% up from 0.3% in December – with the YoY read expected slow to 4.3% (from 4.4%) - according to Bloomberg consensus. BHP’s numbers disappoint, shares slide 2%. Its 50 day simple moving average offers support Softer commodity prices in the half year drove a decline in BHP profits –greater than expected - with underlying attributable profit falling to $6.6 billion in the six months to December 2022, vs the $6.96 billion expected by consensus. The world’s biggest miner declared an interim dividend of $0.90 per share – marking a drop from last year’s record $1.50 per share - meaning its pay-out ratio dropped to 69% from 78%. We think that’s because the board is taking the proposed Oz Minerals takeover into account. As for production - significant wet weather of its coal business impacted production and unit costs - as did challenges in securing enough staff. As BHP’s outlook - it’s aiming to lift iron ore production to 330 mt/yr. Overall it reinforced its positive demand forecast in the second half of FY23 and into FY24 - with strengthening activity in China. BHP sees China and India demand offsetting the slowdown in trade with the US, Japan and Europe. Mining production costs are expected to be markedly higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic – due higher energy, labor and other input costs. Meanwhile we think BHP should benefit from higher-than-expected iron ore, met coal, and copper prices amid supply issues and the green transformation push. Also note, it started the process of divesting its two coal mines- as the business wants to focus on future facing commodities – copper, nickel and potash. Rio Tinto is expected to highlight similar issues  - slimmer profits and higher costs when it reports results tomorrow. For more, refer to Saxo’s Australian Resources equity theme basket. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied with A-shares leading A-shares rallied strongly on Monday with the benchmark CSI300 rising 2.3%. Although the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates remained unchanged at the monthly fixing this morning, the average mortgage interest in the largest 100 cities fell 6bps M/M to 4.04% in February, or 143bps Y/Y for first-home mortgages and 84bps for second-home mortgages.  China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)’s announcement on Friday of rules to regulate and effectively revive overseas IPOs of mainland companies added fuel to the optimism. Construction materials, electronic appliances, telco, and brokerage names led the charge higher in A-shares. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower but managed to finish the Monday session 0.9% higher, led by industrials and financials. . Aluminum Corp of China (02600:xhkg) surged 7.6% and China Hongqiao (01378:xhkg) jumped 9.9% following the Yunnan provincial government told local aluminum smelters to cut production due to power shortage. EV makers gained, led by Nio (09866:xhkg) and XPeng (09868:xhkg). The latest rise in tension between the U.S. and China over alleged Chinese support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s increasing role in the day-to-day running of Hong Kong, and the issue of Taiwan are taking a backseat for the time being as investors are shifting their eyes to additional policy stimuli being rolled out at the upcoming two-session meetings to be held from March 4, 2023. FX: RBA’s hawkish minutes, RBNZ meeting keeps kiwi in check After extensive speeches last week from RBA Governor Lowe, focus turned back to AUD today with RBA minutes on tap. Th February meeting saw a 25bps rate hike but the statement had tilted more hawkish. AUDUSD took a brief look below 0.69 ahead of the minutes, but reversed higher as the minutes revealed that a pause was not an option at the February meeting. Focus more so on the RBNZ meeting tomorrow morning in Asia (9am SGT/HKT) with some calls for no rate hikes amid the recent flooding damages. NZDUSD slid below 0.6250 in early trading after being somewhat resilient overnight. USDJPY attempting another move to 134.50 with BOJ Governor Kuroda scheduled to appear in the parliament. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) gains momentum on China demand and geopolitics Crude oil prices rebounded on sustained hopes of a recovery in China’s activity levels, especially after PBOC’s liquidity injection on Friday. State-owned enterprises have started ramping up purchases, such as Unipec which has purchased about 10mbbl from the UAE for loading in April. WTI futures traded above $77/barrel while Brent was above $84. The geopolitical backdrop added some worries, with fresh risks of sanctions on Russia that could continue to tighten the oil market. Signs of a commodity recovery gather pace: production ramps up in anticipation of demand picking up Fitch Ratings put out a report on China’s reopening driving a modest recovery in oil - this positive sentiment flowed to other commodities. Secondly – as Ole mentioned on Saxo Market Call Podcast, copper inventory has started to roll over in London, Shanghai, and New York - indicating demand for copper and other commodities would theoretically need to pick up. Copper prices (HGA) gained 1.3% on Monday to $4.18 – taking copper back over its 100-day moving average – to its highest levels since January and June last year. Iron ore (SCOA) prices moved up 1.9% to $130.85 – which is its highest level since June last year on supply concerns - with Brazil heading to peak rainy season at month end. Aluminium prices meanwhile are underpinned by a province in China - the Yunnan province – cutting smelter capacity as ordered by the local power grid amid an energy supply shortfall. Lastly - consider keeping an eye on Wheat prices - as the conflict in Ukraine will raise questions about farmers ability to plant wheat int the coming season, meanwhile France - also a key wheat producer – is suffering drought.  Read next: USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.00, EUR/USD Pair Holds Below 1.07, GBP/USD Pair Managed To Rebound| FXMAG.COM What to consider? President Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine – playbook for geopolitical risks Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine and met with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declaring "unwavering support" as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark. These visits come after Blinken’s rhetoric that the US has information that China is supplying arms to Russia, and VP Kamala Harris’ claim to charge Russia with war crimes against humanity. China is however trying to convince that it remains neutral, and State Councilor Wang Yi is set to visit Moscow in the coming days after floating fresh peace proposal to end the conflict. In Saxo’s view, the playbook for the week should be risk-off given the possibility of any ugly turns in geopolitics. That would mean long JPY, long commodities, long Defense stocks and short risky assets. Once we are past this week with hopefully no further escalations, focus will shift back to inflation concerns and driving Fed rate cut expectations further into 2024. Consider watching the US dollar strength, and Saxo’s Défense basket amid geopolitical tensions rising Amid the geopolitical risks rising - consider watching likely US dollar strength play out in key currency pairs. In equities – consider watching Saxo’s Defence basket. Over the last two days we’ve seen geopolitical tensions escalate. Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine declaring ‘unwavering support’ and pledging $500 million in new aid. Meanwhile, EU diplomats are looking at pooling 4 billion Euros of ammunition purchases for Ukraine as early as next month, with EU states pushing to ramp up their ability to hit back against those helping Russia circumvent sanctions. Also – today Putin is also expected to give a state of the nation address - potentially focusing on escalations - he also may note that 500k Russian troops have been mobilised. Meanwhile China threw cold water on allegations that it is going to help arm Russia. And finally, the White House is reportedly mulling over increasing sanctions on Russia. We continue to watch this closely - and encourage investors and traders to exercise caution. Food security issues pick up; with fertilizers being used as a weapon A Russian cargo ship held back in the Dutch port of Rotterdam for months- has been escorted out by the United Nations’ World Food Program chartered ship. The Russian cargo, bound for Malawi – contains 20,000 metric tons of Russian fertilizer. And the fact that Russia was allegedly holding back fertilizers - meant the nations food security was at risk, with fertilizers essential in growing crops. About 20% of Malawi’s population is already expected to face acute food insecurity during the “lean season” to March. Moreover it’s not just the lack of supply that’s the issue- costs are too. Malawi is one of 48 nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America identified by the IMF as being most at risk of higher food and fertilizer costs after Russia invaded Ukraine. China and Russia have a foothold of the industry - being the world’s largest producers of fertilizers - including nitrogen, phosphates and potash. These issues in Rotterdam highlight that food security can be used as weapon - and we are concerned should geopolitical tensions escalate - which would pressure food prices higher. Large fertilizer companies to watch include CF industries, Mosaic, Nutrien. Refer to Saxo’s Commodity basket for more. Downshift in RBNZ’s rate hike trajectory could signal NZD weakness The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on Wednesday, 22 February and consensus expects a return to 50bps rate hikes after a 75bps in November when even the possibility of a 100bps was debated. Economic data has been soft since the last meeting, with 2-year inflation expectations easing and unemployment rate seeing a slight uptick. However, Cyclone Gabrielle has brought fresh risks of inflation pressures in the short-term. Calls for no rate hikes have also picked up although finmin Robertson was out calling for RBNZ having a responsibility to address inflation yesterday. Still, risks of further kiwi weakness loom large after NZD has weakened 1.7% against the USD so far this year. If RBNZ signals that the peak for the current rate hike cycle is near, the 38.2% retracement of NZDUSD uptrend from the October low at 0.6146 could be challenged. The cost of sea freight is back to pre-Covid levels This is positive news on the inflation front. The cost of sea freight is now back to pre-Covid levels. The drop in prices is both explained by cyclical (1) and structural (2) factors. The U.S. consumer is very resilient, as shown by the recent release of the U.S. retail sales. But this is not the case in other countries. The rise in the cost of living is causing a drop in global consumption (1). In addition, the sea freight market is facing a surplus of containers. And this will get worse in the months to come. The number of container ships under construction represents nearly 30 % of the fleet that is currently operational. That’s three times more than normal. Companies in the sector have misjudged the evolution of global demand in the post-Covid period. Wrongly, they anticipated it will remain unchanged or it will even increase. The fall in prices is likely to continue all this year and perhaps partially in 2024. The market consensus expects a drop in transported volumes of around 4 % this year.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Geopolitical risks front and centre – 21 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Biden Declared Unwavering Support For Ukraine, The Reserve Bank Of New Zealand May Go Back To Raising Rates

    Biden Declared Unwavering Support For Ukraine, The Reserve Bank Of New Zealand May Go Back To Raising Rates

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 21.02.2023 10:10
      Summary:  Markets are quiet as we are now on the other side of a three day weekend in the US and as geopolitical tensions and elevated yields provide a nervous backdrop. Hong Kong’s HSI index is pushing on the lowest levels since the first week of the year. The focus in Europe this morning is on preliminary PMI’s for February as the Eurozone bloc’s economy may show signs of slight expansion in the month. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): skating on thin ice US equity futures are picking up from Friday’s weak session after yesterday’s US holiday with S&P 500 futures trading lower at around the 4,066 level putting US equities into negative territory for the month. Today’s key event is naturally the annual speech from Putin as it could ignite fresh geopolitical risks as described in yesterday’s equity note. In the US session earnings from Walmart and Home Depot can also impact sentiment as both companies are expected to show weak revenue growth. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The Hang Seng Index slipped 1.3% amid signs that Chinese eCommerce platforms are heating up competition for business. JD.com (09618:xhkg) plunged nearly 8% following launching a subsidy campaign to compete with rivals. Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), and Meituan (03690:xhkg) dropped more than 3%. HSBC (00005:xhgk) pared initial gains from an earnings beat and special dividend and slid 1.6%. Meanwhile, Hang Seng Bank (00011:xhkg) rose 2.9% despite an earnings miss due to a jump in loan loss provision for mainland property loans. In mainland China, the CSI300 is flat. Resource names, such as non-ferrous metal, coal, and steel continued to do well, as did the auto stocks. The consumer and AI generated content space declined. FX: Awaiting USD direction after bearish reversal on Friday and long US weekend As US treasury yields rolled over on Friday, the US dollar did likewise and posted a modest bearish reversal on the same day it was trying to break free of resistance. Given the nervous geopolitical backdrop, headline risk is paramount in coming days as we await further resolution in the USD direction. Overnight, hawkish RBA minutes did little for the Aussie, given downbeat markets in Asia,  while the RBNZ meeting tonight could shake the kiwi in either direction, given the uncertainty of the RBNZ’s stance in the wake of disastrous floods in parts of the country, although NZ yields remain near the highs since early January. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) fails to hold onto Monday’s gains Brent crude oil futures dropped back to $83 during Asian hours, thereby reversing Monday’s gain in response to fresh dollar strength and concerns about the near-term direction of US interest rates, and despite sustained hopes of a recovery in China’s activity levels, especially following a fresh liquidity injection by the PBoC last Friday. Geopolitical developments remain a worry but so far, the positive impact on prices have been very limited.  Overall, the oil market remains rangebound, in Brent between $80 and $89 and WTI between $73 and $82, as the market weighs the impact of rising demand in China and India versus a potential slowdown elsewhere. Copper receives a boost from BHP outlook Despite the hawkish tilt in Fed expectations which left other metals on the defensive, copper has managed a strong recovery as the key $4 area continued to provide support. BHP, the world’s biggest miner reported its half-year result today, and according to its CEO the company expects domestic demand in China and India “to provide stabilizing counterweights to the ongoing slowdown in global trade and in the economies of the US, Japan and Europe,”. Also supporting prices are continued threats to supply in Peru, Panama and Zambia. . Some support also coming through via rising aluminum prices after smelters in China’s Yunnan province cut capacity due to energy shortages following a period of weak hydro generation. Gold (XAUUSD) focus on dollar and interest rate trajectory Gold traded softer overnight in response to fresh dollar and yield strength following Monday’s US closed session. The market remains on the defensive after recent US economic data strength and hawkish comments from Fed policymakers led to market to adjust higher the trajectory of US Fed funds rate. Apart from a very uncertain geopolitical situation, the market will be focusing on minutes from the Fed’s last meeting on Wednesday as well as personal spending on Friday. Holdings in ETF’s meanwhile dropped again on Monday with the 3.1 tons reduction to 2882 tons, a three-year low, bringing this year's net sales to 34 tons or 1.1 million ounces. In other words, gold for now needs continued demand from central banks to provide a floor under the market. Support at $1820 followed by $1790. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) after Friday reversal. 2-year auction today US Treasury yields reversed sharply on Friday after posting new local highs. A heavy schedule of auctions lies ahead this week, starting with an auction of 2-year notes today after the benchmark traded within 10 basis points of the 15-year high of 4.80% posted last November. A 5-year auction will follow tomorrow and 7-year on Thursday.  The 10-year benchmark yield tested above the December high of 3.90% on Friday, but trades 3.85% this morning. The US data highlight this week is Friday’s January PCE inflation data. What is going on? The cost of sea freight is back to pre-Covid levels The cost of sea freight is now back to pre-Covid levels, which is positive news on the inflation front. The drop in prices is both explained by cyclical (1) and structural (2) factors. The U.S. consumer is very resilient, as shown by the recent release of the U.S. retail sales. But this is not the case in other countries. The rise in the cost of living is causing a drop in global consumption (1). In addition, the sea freight market is facing a surplus of containers. And this will get worse in the months to come. The number of container ships under construction represents nearly 30 % of the fleet that is currently operational. That’s three times more than normal. Companies in the sector have misjudged the evolution of global demand in the post-Covid period. Wrongly, they anticipated it would remain unchanged or it would even increase. The fall in prices is likely to continue all this year and perhaps partially in 2024. The market consensus expects a drop in transported volumes of around 4 % this year. Downshift in RBNZ’s rate hike trajectory could signal NZD weakness The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on Wednesday, 22 February and consensus expects a return to 50bps rate hikes after a 75bps in November when even the possibility of a 100bps was debated. Economic data has been soft since the last meeting, with 2-year inflation expectations easing and unemployment rate seeing a slight uptick. However, Cyclone Gabrielle has brought fresh risks of inflation pressures in the short-term. Calls for no rate hikes have also picked up although Finance Minister Robertson was out calling for the RBNZ to address inflation yesterday. Still, risks of further kiwi weakness loom large after NZD has weakened 1.7% against the USD so far this year. If RBNZ signals that the peak for the current rate hike cycle is near, the 38.2% retracement of NZDUSD uptrend from the October low at 0.6146 could be challenged. AUDNZD broke above 1.1030 and its 200-day moving average yesterday, posting a new 3-month high. BHP guides for a pick up in metals and readies its balance sheet to become a copper giant BHP - the world’s biggest miner saw profits in the six months to December 2022 decline by more than expected but sees the ongoing price recovery extend into the second half year and beyond as it sees demand picking up in China, but also in India - and this offsetting the slowdown in trade with the US, Japan and Europe. All in all, it also guided for mining production costs to be markedly higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic – amid higher energy, labour and other input costs. Its HY results were impacted by lower realised prices in copper, iron ore and coal across the last six months of 2022. Wet weather also impacted on its coal business’ production and pushed up unit costs – and there were difficulties in securing enough staff. This resulted in underlying attributable profit falling to $6.6 billion - vs the $6.96 billion expected by consensus (from continuing operations). BHP’s interim dividend was trimmed to $0.90 per share – down from last year’s record $1.50 per share. Still BHP’s payout ratio is 69% and that’s BHP’s 5th highest dividend on record. We also believe the lower dividend payout reflects that BHP is readying itself for the $9.6 billion takeover of Oz Minerals which, if approved, will occur in May. What are we watching next? Putin speech today. China said to hope broker peace deal over Ukraine after US warns China on lethal aid to Russia Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine  yesterday and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declaring "unwavering support" as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark. China is said to be promoting a peace plan for Ukraine as China’s top diplomat will arrive in Moscow today, but German and US authorities are already declaring themselves sceptical on China’s intentions and accuse it of taking sides. European source familiar with the plan (cited by Bloomberg, the officials asked not to be identified) said it would likely include a call for a cease-fire and the cessation of arms deliveries to Ukraine. Putin is set to make a speech today in Moscow, with added interest given the presence of a top Chinese official. In Saxo’s view, the playbook for the week should be risk-off given the possibility of any ugly turns in geopolitics. That would mean long JPY and USD, long commodities, long defense stocks and lowered exposure or hedging of risky assets. Once we are past this week with hopefully no further escalations, focus will shift back to inflation concerns and driving Fed rate cut expectations further into 2024. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot with analysts expecting Walmart to report revenue growth of 4.4% y/y and EPS $1.52 down 1% y/y as volume of goods sold is expected to be under pressure. Analysts expect Home Depot to report revenue growth of 0.6% y/y and EPS of $3.27 up 1.8% y/y reflecting lower volume across US home improvement industry. Tuesday: Teck Resources, Gapgemini, Engie, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks Wednesday: Rio Tinto, Genmab, Danone, Lloyds Banking Group, Iberdrola, Nvidia, TJX, Stellantis, Baidu, eBay Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Flash Feb. Manufacturing and Services PMI 0930 – UK Flash Feb. Manufacturing and Services PMI 1000 – Germany Feb. ZEW Survey 1330 – Canada Dec. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Jan. CPI 1445 – US Flash Feb. Manufacturing and Services PMI 1500 – US Jan. Existing Home Sales 1800 – US 2-year Auction 0030 – Australia Q4 Wage Price Index 0100 – RBNZ Official Cash Rate Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 21, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Amazon Will Pay Employees A Lower Salary Due To Lower Stock Prices, Declining Demand For 5G Equipment Will Result In The Loss Of 1,400 Jobs At Ericsson

    Amazon Will Pay Employees A Lower Salary Due To Lower Stock Prices, Declining Demand For 5G Equipment Will Result In The Loss Of 1,400 Jobs At Ericsson

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 21.02.2023 11:02
    Amazon is in the middle of one of the most difficult financial problems in the company's history. In November, the biggest round of layoffs the company has ever carried out began as Amazon adjusted to faltering retail demand coupled with years of mass hiring. Then there's the problem of low pay. Moreover, a manufacturer of telecommunications equipment decides to reduce employment. Lower salary Amazon pays its corporate employees a large portion of their annual wages in capped stock units, and the prolonged decline in the company's stock is putting salaries for 2023 between 15% and 50% below projected targets Amazon has set for employees. Amazon has historically given employees a lower base salary than its big-tech counterparts, but has made up the difference with stock awards that have been purchased over several years. Employees say the longer an Amazon employee stays with the company, the more their pay may depend on stock awards, with stock accounting for 50% or more of total income for some. Amazon share price Over the past year, Amazon shares have fallen more than 35% as a result of a broader tech slowdown and slower growth on Amazon's retail side. When Amazon issues limited shares to employees, it is based on a long-standing assumption shared in compensation talks that Amazon shares will appreciate at least 15% each year. Until recently, this was largely true. From 2017 to the beginning of 2022, the share price increased by an average of about 30% per year. But Amazon stock is currently trading at around $97 a share, and some employee compensation packages are built on the assumption that Amazon stock will cost around $170 a share. Read next: USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.00, EUR/USD Pair Holds Below 1.07, GBP/USD Pair Managed To Rebound| FXMAG.COM Layoffs and no new jobs By January, Amazon had laid off 18,000 corporate employees, the most of any tech company in this latest wave of layoffs. In addition to eliminating current positions, Amazon also revoked job offers from some applicants who had accepted and had not yet started, and delayed the start date of some new hires by six months. The information previously informed about the canceled offers. Ericsson and layoffs Ericsson plans to cut around 1,400 jobs in Sweden as the telecommunications equipment giant struggles with slowing demand for its 5G equipment in markets such as the US. Ericsson last month reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit and warned that the start of the new year is uncertain as telecom operators in markets such as the US hold back on placing new orders for 5G equipment amid economic uncertainty. The cuts are part of an effort the company announced late last year to cut costs by SEK 9 billion, equivalent to around $861 million, by the end of 2023 by streamlining processes, closing facilities and reducing the number of consultants. Ericsson has just concluded negotiations with Swedish unions and plans to cut jobs under a voluntary scheme, a spokeswoman said on Monday. In the coming days, managers will share with their employees how this affects each unit. Ericsson share price Ericsson shares are at an all-time low, last seen in 2017. Currently, the share price is at 5.76. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Russia will suspend participation with the new START treaty and that they would test nuclear weapons if the US does it first

    Russia will suspend participation with the new START treaty and that they would test nuclear weapons if the US does it first

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 21.02.2023 14:25
    US stocks are declining after retail earnings suggest margin worries are here and it will only get worse as the Fed is likely to deliver more tightening into early summer. Treasury yields are surging here as a tight labor market will force the Fed to do more tightening.  Retailer earnings are suggesting it is going to be a tough year ahead and that should keep the pressure on stocks.  Geopolitics Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s State of the Union speech suspended participation in a key nuclear arms pact with the US.  Putin said, Russia will suspend participation with the new START treaty and that they would test nuclear weapons if the US does it first. Putin’s speech comes three days before the one-year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He added that Russia will push farther if longer-range arms are supplied. Ukrainian officials have voiced their concerns that they expect the Russians to increase their offensive.  China China is also pushing back against calls that say Taiwan is next.  China Foreign Minister Qin Gang said, “We urge certain countries to immediately stop fueling the fire, stop shifting blame to China and stop touting Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” China’s economic outlook if fragile right now and they are trying to avoid any major obstacles as their reopening from COVID continues. Home Depot Home Depot shares tumbled after a tight labor market is making them invest an additional ~$1 billion in annualized compensation for frontline, hourly associates. Wall Street initially could only focus on the added expenses and not the mixed earnings and dividend boost.  While most companies are announcing cost-saving measures, Home Depot is in position that will require them to spend more.  The EPS beat of 3 cents and slight revenue miss of $35.83 billion was accompanied by comparable sales of -0.3%, not as bad as the consensus estimate of -0.87%.  The world’s largest home improvement retailer is going to have a margin problem over the couple of quarters and that could get uglier if the housing market does not bottom out soon.  Walmart Walmart shares tumbled despite a top and bottom line beat as their EPS guidance fell short of the analyst estimates.  Walmart’s earnings slides noted that “general merchandise sales reflected softness in discretionary categories including toys, electronics, home, and apparel.” Walmart’s poor outlook after a strong holiday season is having many investors abandon ship here as rough waters are clearly ahead.  Walmart had the largest sales volume in its history in December. Oil Crude prices are struggling as global growth concerns return after soft European manufacturing activity data is accompanied with a surge in global bond yields. Central banks globally are about to take policy into even more restrictive levels and that is countering China’s reopening momentum. WTI crude is finding a home between the mid-$70s and the $80 a barrel level.      Read next: The Pound Gained After The Publication Of PMI Reports, Euro Is Below 1.07, USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.50| FXMAG.COM Gold/FX Gold prices are weakening as investors await the Fed Minutes that could confirm the bank has more work to do. The dollar is getting a bid here as more traders start to price in 75 basis points in more tightening by the Fed. If the bond market selloff gets uglier, gold might soften more, but it probably won’t drop as much as equities.  Rising geopolitical risks will likely drive some flows towards bullion and Wall Street is getting close to pricing in peak Fed tightening.  Bitcoin Bitcoin traders appear to be ignoring a laundry list of bearish macro drivers that include; a return of the stronger dollar as the bond market rally returns, downward pressure on stocks as investors price in more Fed rate hikes, and on worries that stablecoin regulation could put further pressure on cryptos.  It appears that Bitcoin’s correlation with most risky assets is changing.  The crypto winter that saw prices collapse from $68,911 to $15,485 appears to have priced in enough of the bad news.  Bitcoin is still respecting the key $25,500 level, but a break could open the door for momentum traders to target a bigger move higher. Initial resistance would come from the $28,000 level, but most traders may have their eyes for the psychological $30,000 level.  This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.  
    Brent hits one-month high! Saudi and Russian cuts supporting recent moves

    On The New York Stock Exchange, 2689 Of Securities Fell In Price

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 22.02.2023 08:02
    Experts note that against the backdrop of the latest macroeconomic statistics for the country, in particular on the labor market and inflation, traders rejected the expectations of the Fed's policy easing, which have recently contributed to the rally in the markets. The next meeting of the US Federal Reserve will be held on March 21-22. According to CME Group, 76% of analysts expect the regulator to raise the discount rate by 25 basis points, to 4.75-5%. It also follows from these data that the proportion of those who expect a 50 basis point increase has recently increased. At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 2.06% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 fell 2.00%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 2.50%. Dow Jones Walmart Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 0.89 points (0.61%) to close at 147.33. Procter & Gamble Company fell 0.10 points or 0.07% to close at 139.91. The Travelers Companies Inc shed 0.50 points or 0.27% to close at 185.25. The least gainers were Home Depot Inc, which shed 22.45 points or 7.06% to end the session at 295.50. Intel Corporation was up 5.61% or 1.55 points to close at 26.06, while 3M Company was down 3.31% or 3.74 points to close at 109.25 . S&P 500  The leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were General Mills Inc, which rose 4.42% to 80.16, Organon & Co, which gained 3.94% to close at 27.05, and also shares of Molson Coors Brewing Co Class B, which rose 3.13% to end the session at 53.65. The least gainers were Generac Holdings Inc, which shed 8.72% to close at 115.72. Shares of DISH Network Corporation shed 8.62% to end the session at 12.93. Home Depot Inc lost 7.06% to 295.50. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Atlas Lithium Corp, which rose 51.52% to hit 10.94, Meihua International Medical Technologies Co Ltd, which gained 49.94% to close at 39. 00, as well as Arbe Robotics Ltd, which rose 47.13% to end the session at 6.40. The least gainers were CVRx Inc, which shed 58.84% to close at 7.08. Shares of Aileron Therapeutics Inc lost 37.77% to end the session at 1.46. Quotes of TC BioPharm Holdings PLC decreased in price by 32.62% to 5.02. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2689) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (382), while quotes of 57 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,017 companies fell in price, 697 rose, and 149 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 7.72% to 22.87, hitting a new monthly high. Gold Gold futures for April delivery lost 0.35%, or 6.45, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI April futures fell 0.50%, or 0.38, to $76.17 a barrel. Brent crude for April delivery fell 1.47%, or 1.24, to $82.83 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.34% to 1.06, while USD/JPY advanced 0.56% to hit 134.99. Futures on the USD index rose 0.34% to 104.14.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-23 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/313561
    Hungary's Economic Outlook: Anticipating Positive Second Quarter GDP Growth

    Domino’s Pizza shares in gapped down in Australia, Putin vowed to press on with his faltering invasion of Ukraine

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.02.2023 09:56
    Summary:  Volatility charged higher as economic data continued to push for an upward repricing of the Fed path. US yields surged to fresh YTD highs, pushing S&P500 to close below 4,000 and NASDAQ 100 approaching 12,000. Fed’s terminal rate is now priced in at 5.37%, and dollar pushed higher with geopolitical concerns also still in play. Consumer stock earnings from Walmart and Home Depot sent margin pressure warnings. FOMC minutes will be dated, but may provide cues on what to expect from the March dot plot.   What’s happening in markets? The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fell ~2% while bond yields rose to new 2023 highs The risk off tone was set by geopolitical tensions picking up, as well as economic prints showing the US services and manufacturing PMIs improved more than expected – with swaps now projecting the Fed can keep pushing rates higher — with the market indicating 25-basis-point hikes are coming at the March, May and June meetings.  Sentiment was also weighed by downbeat outlooks from consumer spending bellwethers – Walmart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD). All while investors await Wednesday's Fed minutes release. Also ahead are earnings results from mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO), tourism and casino giant Ceazers Entertainment (CZR) and smartwatch and gadget business Garmin (GRMN). The three major indices shed at least 2%, with the Dow erasing 2023’s gains. On the weekly chart - the S&P500’s fell below its 50-day moving average –indicating there are more sellers than buyers – while also possibly indicating the market is likely to pull back to a cycle low. Pressuring sentiment - bond yields hit new 2023 cycle highs - with the 10-year note up 14 bps, while the dollar strengthened. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HIG3) fell amid intensifying competition among China’s eCommerce platforms Hong Kong stocks slipped on Tuesday amid signs that Chinese eCommerce platforms are heating up in competition for business. JD.com (09618:xhkg) plunged 8.5% following the eCommerce giant launching an RMB10 billion subsidy campaign to compete with rival Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas). Meituan (03690:xhkg) dropped more than 4.1% after the mainland food delivery giant announced hiring had started in Hong Kong, paying as much as HKD35,000 a month for delivery riders to prepare for an expansion to Hong Kong. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Tencent (00700:xhkg) also fell over 4%. HSBC (00005:xhkg) pared initial gains from an earning beat and special dividend as investors sold the shares of the banking giant citing concerns about a softer 2023 profit guidance and saw the shares down nearly 2% during Hong Kong trading hours. Meanwhile, Hang Seng Bank (00011:xhkg) rose 3.3% despite an earnings miss due to a jump in loan loss provision for mainland property loans. In mainland China, the CSI300 edged up 0.3%. Non-ferrous metals, coal, steel, and auto gained while beauty care, media, food and beverage, and retailing declined. Australia equities (ASXSP200.I) also seem pressured by the RBA’s fresh hawkishness The Australian share market has fallen about 3.5% from its new cycle high that it hit on Feb 3. Pressure on the ASX200 comes after the RBA indicated it has more work to do to keep inflation and wage pressure in order. The ASX200 now appears to be pulling back, with Saxo’s Technical Analyst reinforcing the technical indicators suggest the ASX200 could drop further. However, if the ASX200 closes above 7,477, the uptrend can resume. Today, Origin Energy (ORG) is the best performer in large caps, up 13% after receiving a revised takeover offer from the Brookfield Asset Management-led group following months of due diligence. Meanwhile Domino’s (DMP) is the worst performer down 19% on reporting weaker than expected half year results. Meanwhile, BHP (BHP) shares are up slighted after reporting a stronger outlook yesterday. For more on the world’s biggest mining company, and BHP’s expectations for stronger fundamentals this and next year click here – also note BHP remains in a technical uptrend. Ahead are earnings from Rio Tinto (RIO). FX: Yields and risk sentiment in play The US dollar was modestly higher as US 10-year yields reached a YTD high and in close sight of the key 4% mark, closing at 3.95%. Higher-than-expected PMIs in the US further faded recession concerns, bringing the market expectations of Fed terminal rate to a new high of 5.37%. USD gains were more restrained in that view, which also got a push higher from escalating geopolitical tensions as Putin suspended the Nuke deal with the US. GBP was the outperformer after very strong UK Flash PMIs, which suggested falling near-term recession concerns and pushed higher the odds of a 25bps rate hike from the BOE in March. GBPUSD touched highs of 1.2147 from 1.1987. AUDUSD was hurt by falling risk sentiment despite hawkish RBA minutes out yesterday and fell to 0.6848. AUDNZD still held up above 1.10 with the RBNZ expected to take a dovish turn today. USDJPY again testing 135 with FOMC minutes on tap, while EURUSD unable to sustainably break below 1.0650. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) still pressured lower Crude oil prices dipped further with dollar strength in play as the expectations of rate hikes from the Fed continued to ramp up. WTI crude traded close to $76/barrel while Brent was below $83. Geopolitical concerns still running high this week, potentially providing a floor to oil prices. Meanwhile, an expected pickup in Chinese demand is also supporting. Overall, the oil market remains rangebound, in Brent between $80 and $89 and WTI between $73 and $82, as the market weighs the impact of rising demand in China and India versus a potential slowdown elsewhere.   What to consider? Putin suspends Nuclear pact with the US, threatens to push war in Ukraine Putin, in his State of the Nation address, announced a suspension of participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the US. This was the last accord limiting their nuclear arsenals. He also vowed to press on with his faltering invasion of Ukraine. This has spurred the next leg of escalation concerns, invoking a response from President Biden in Poland saying that Russia will never win the war and pledging more support to Ukraine. The focus is now on China which needs to back up its peace treaty words with action after being accused of supplying arms to Russia. Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi is now visiting Russia and there are reports that President Xi could be visiting Moscow to meet with Putin in April or May. US S&P PMIs topped expectations, fading recession concerns Flash S&P PMIs for the US were better than expected, with services returning to an expansion territory of 50+. Manufacturing PMI also picked up traction coming in higher at 47.8 from 46.9 previously while Services and Composite both rose back into expansionary territory to 50.5 (exp. 47.2, prev. 46.8) and 50.2 (exp. 47.5, prev. 46.8), respectively. The report further pointed to fading recession concerns, while input price pressures also eased despite a shaper rise in output prices. Australian wage growth and construction data to keep the RBA on its hiking path for now With the RBA now being more hawkish and data dependent, today’s wage growth data and construction work done seemingly validate Australia’s central Bank, can keep on its hiking path for now. Australian wage growth grew 3.3% YoY, up from the revised higher read of 3.2% YoY prior. Despite wage growth growing less than 3.5% expected  - construction work done began to roll over  - falling 0.4% in Q4 – marking a slight fall the prior quarter’s revised jump of 3.7%. So despite both reads being softer than expected – we still need more data to validate core inflation could slow – especially as it’s still well above the RBA’s target. Money markets softened to imply a peak cash rate of 4.2% in August 2023 (down from 4.3%). The next data the RBA will look at - will be next week’s release of retail sales, private sector credit and net exports of GPD. More green shoots in the EZ data but… The EZ February PMIs are quite good at first glance. The French PMI composite was out at 51.6 versus prior 49.1 – this is a 7-month high and the first expansion above the 50 threshold since October 2022. The German PMI composite is in the expansion zone too (at 51.1). But if we dig beneath the surface, this is not as good as expected. In France, the PMI report contains a warning about new export orders: “Overall, this marked a twelfth successive monthly decline in new export orders. Notably, manufacturers recorded the steepest slump since the first COVID-19 lockdown period in the first half of 2020”. We see a similar weakness in German data with a stagnation of exports to non EU countries in January. Basically, in both cases, the order book and the manufacturing side look challenged while the services are the main drivers of the PMI composite. We still expect the eurozone will avoid a recession this year. Overall PMI for the bloc was also pushed higher by services sector outperformance which recorded a PMI of 53.0 (vs. 50.8 last month and 51.0 exp) while manufacturing lagged at 48.5 (vs. 48.8 last and 49.3 exp). Baidu (09888:xhkg) announces Q4 results Baidu is scheduled to announce its Q4 results on Wednesday. Investors are prepared for weaker advertising revenues, slower growth in its cloud business, and some margin compression. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg are expecting adjusted EPS to fall by 22.4%. Walmart and Home Depot send margin pressure warnings Despite an earnings beat, Walmart’s profit forecast for this year fell short of analyst estimates and a cautious outlook suggested a lingering impact from the inventory buildup of last year as well as shifting consumer demand patterns in light of the higher inflation and interest rates. Meanwhile, home improvement retailer Home Depot missed expectations and gave a dull operating margin guidance – expecting FY operating margin at ~14.5% due to the extra wage costs, compared to an estimate of 15.1%. The results send a warning for other retailers like Target and Lowe’s due to report on March 1. Pizza chain Domino’s Pizza reports weaker than expected earnings amid inflationary pressures In the Australia session today, Domino’s reported underlying EBIT fell 21% Y/Y to A$113.9 million in the HY - with sales growth coming in weaker than expected and inflation also affecting earnings. Its European operations faced significant geopolitical disruptions, and the highest inflation levels across its business- while Asian sales were materially stronger than pre-Covid- but EBIT was lower. All in all, Domino’s financial metrics were down Y/Y, except its store count rose 16% Y/Y to 3,736 stores. The company also cut its half year dividend to A$0.674 per share. As for its - outlook that also disappointed - as customer counts have not met expectations since December - especially in Europe and Asia  - which is lowering store profitability. New store openings will continue to grow in FY23 - but could be below Domino’s medium-term outlook for +8-10% growth. This implies there is less franchisee demand to open stores. That said, management is confident it will return to positive same store sales growth once customer demand increases. Domino’s Pizza (DMP) shares in gapped down in Australia , erasing 2023’s gains – taking DMP to A$57.97 – November 2022 levels. We will also be watching Domino’s in the US – DPZ, as well the London listed business – DOM. The Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee to hold a plenary session next week The Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo held a meeting on Tuesday and announced after the meeting to hold a Central Committee plenary session from Feb 26 to 28 to decide on key issues in preparation for the “two sessions” meeting of the government scheduled t commence on March 4. FOMC minutes on tap today The minutes of the February 1st Fed meeting will be out later today (3am SGT), and will be key for the cues on inflation expectations and terminal rate forecasts as a gauge for what to expect in the dot plot in March. Still, the hotter than expected inflation print for January (both CPI and PPI) were released after the FOMC meeting and that has shifted the narrative to a hawkish. The criteria for a pause may be on the lookout, and whether that is any push to driving the market’s rate cut expectations further out.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: US yields at fresh highs; FOMC minutes ahead – 22 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The RBA’s aggressive rate tightening cycle will be continued

    Australian Wage Growth Rose, UK February PMI Reports Suggested Solid Expansion In The UK’s Services Sector

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 22.02.2023 10:13
    Summary:  Equity markets took it on the chin yesterday, dropping to a new 1-month low on the close and below the bottled-up range of the last few weeks as a fresh lift in the entire US yield curve weighed on sentiment. The S&P 500 Index closed just below the psychologically pivotal 4,000 level and the 200-day moving average lies a percent and a half lower. European equity markets have yet to show signs of contagion, but yields are steadily applying pressure there as well. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): wage pressures and inflation pressures haunting again US equity futures moved big yesterday as the US 10-year yield hit 3.95%, the highest level since November, with S&P 500 futures declining 2% closing at 4,005 putting the 4,000 level into as play as we have highlighted for week. If S&P 500 futures decline below the 4,000 level, then the 200-day moving average at the 3,981 level will quickly be tested. Home Depot earnings release was received very negatively by the market sending its shares down 7% as the home improvement retailer indicates that the wage pressures are still excessive. This could accelerate the margin compression theme in equities when the Q1 earnings are out in April and May. FX: USD rebounds as US treasury yields lift to new highs The US dollar was modestly higher as US 10-year yields reached a YTD high and in close sight of the key 4% mark, closing at 3.95%. Higher-than-expected preliminary February PMIs in the US further faded recession concerns, bringing the market expectations of Fed terminal rate to a new high of 5.37%. The USD has also perhaps founds support from escalating geopolitical tensions as Putin suspended the Nuke deal with the US. GBP was the outperformer after very strong UK Flash Feb. PMIs (more belowø). GBPUSD touched highs of 1.2147 from 1.1987 before pulling back. AUDUSD was hurt by falling risk sentiment despite hawkish RBA minutes out yesterday and fell toward the range lows in the low 0.6800’s overnight, with the 200-day moving average a bit lower still. AUDNZD reversed sharply lower on the RBNZ’s surprisingly hawkish turn (more below). FOMC Minutes tonight in focus for the US dollar. Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) still pressured lower Crude oil prices dipped further with dollar strength in play as the expectations of rate hikes from the Fed continued to ramp up. WTI crude traded close to $76/barrel while Brent was below $83. Geopolitical concerns still running high this week, potentially providing a floor to oil prices. Overall, the oil market remains rangebound, in Brent between $80 and $89 and WTI between $73 and $82, as the market weighs the impact of rising demand in China and India versus a potential slowdown elsewhere. Gold (XAUUSD) soft as maximum pressure applied by USD and yields Gold is slightly softer but holding up reasonably well, given the pressure from the stronger US dollar and US treasury yields rising to new highs for the cycle. The support zone below the recent lows is critical for the status of the trend in gold, as 1,800-1,810 was pivotal on the way up, and the 200-day moving average looms below at 1,776. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) lift to new cycle high US Treasury yields lifted to new cycle highs all along the curve as the Fed is priced to reach a terminal rate near 5.35% this year now (so effectively three further 25 basis point rate hikes expected from the Fed this year. A two-year auction was middle of the range in terms of bidding metrics, but well below the strong prior auction. The 10-year yield nudged higher to 3.95% yesterday, a new high since November of last year. A 5-year T-note auction is up today, and 7-year auction tomorrow. What is going on? Strong UK Services PMI not cooperating with the recession playbook The preliminary UK February PMI’s were released yesterday and suggest solid expansion in the UK’s Services sector, sparking a strong 17 basis-point surge in 2-year UK rates on the implications for further Bank of England tightening. The February reading for the services sector was 53.3 versus 49.2 expected and 48.7 in January, while the Manufacturing PMI reading was 49.2 versus 47.5 expected and 47.0 in January. More green shorts in the EZ data but… The EZ February PMIs are quite good at first glance. The French PMI composite was out at 51.6 versus prior 49.1 – this is a 7-month high and the first expansion above the 50 thresholds since October 2022. The German PMI composite is in the expansion zone too (at 51.1). But if we dig beneath the surface, this is not as good as expected. In France, the PMI report contains a warning about new export orders: “Overall, this marked a twelfth successive monthly decline in new export orders. Notably, manufacturers recorded the steepest slump since the first COVID-19 lockdown period in the first half of 2020”. We see a similar weakness in German data with a stagnation of exports to non-EU countries in January. Basically, in both cases, the order book and the manufacturing side look challenged while the services are the main drivers of the PMI composite. We still expect the eurozone will avoid a recession this year. Earnings recap: Walmart, Home Depot Despite beating against earnings estimates, Walmart’s profit forecast for this year fell short of analyst estimates and a cautious outlook suggested a lingering impact from the inventory build-up of last year as well as shifting consumer demand patterns considering the higher inflation and interest rates. Walmart shares recovered after gapping lower and closed higher for the session. It was a different story for home improvement retailer Home Depot, which missed expectations and gave a dull operating margin guidance – expecting FY operating margin at around 14.5% due to the extra wage costs, compared to an estimate of 15.1%. Home Depot shares plunge to close almost 7% lower and below the 200-day moving average. The results send a warning for other retailers like Target and Lowe’s due to report on March 1. Domino’s Pizza Enterprises crushed 23% in Australia after reporting earnings Dominos Pizza Enterprises is the Australian based franchise owner of Domino’s Pizza in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan and several European countries. Its EBIT fell 21% Y/Y to A$113.9 million in the HY, with sales growth coming in weaker than expected as customers turned away from its higher prices. European operations faced significant geopolitical disruptions and were hit by the highest inflation levels across its business. Asian sales were materially stronger than pre-Covid - but its EBIT was lower. Guidance was weak and it cut its half-year dividend to A$0.674 per share. Domino’s Pizza shares fell 23% to A$54.71, which erased 2023’s gains. Australian wage growth comes in below expectations, AUD weaker Australian wage growth rose 3.3% YoY in Q4, slightly below the 3.5% expected and seen raising few new alarm bells at the RBA after evidence of a more precautionary hawkish shift recently. Construction data was weak in the quarter at –0.4% QoQ vs. +1.5% expected, but the Q3 data was revised up to 3.7% from 2.2%. Australian 2-year yields dropped 10 basis points, with money markets pricing a peak rate near 4.2% in August 2023. AUD weakened overnight, reversing back below 1.1000 in AUDNZD terms on a hawkish RBNZ meeting, while AUDUSD is heavy ahead of the range lows near 0.6800, with the 200-day moving average looming slightly lower still.  The next data the RBA will look at - will be next week’s release of retail sales, private sector credit and net exports of GDP.  RBNZ surprises hawkish, reaffirms expected terminal rate of 5.5% The RBNZ hiked the rate 50 basis points to take the policy rate to 4.75% and reaffirmed a forecast for the peak policy rate to reach 5.5%,  if over a longer period than previously. With recent disastrous floods raising expectations that the RBNZ might go with a smaller hike or no hike at all, this decision read hawkish and NZD sjumped versus the AUD and was somewhat resilient against the firmer US dollar. What are we watching next? FOMC minutes on tap today The minutes of the February 1st Fed meeting will be out later today (3am SGT), and will be key for the cues on inflation expectations and terminal rate forecasts as a gauge for what to expect in the dot plot in March. Still, the hotter than expected inflation print for January (both CPI and PPI) were released after the FOMC meeting and that has shifted the narrative to a hawkish. The criteria for a pause may be on the lookout, and whether that is any push to driving the market’s rate cut expectations further out. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release is Nvidia reporting FY23 Q4 earnings (ending 31 Jan) after the US market close with analysts expecting revenue of $6bn down 21% y/y and EPS of $0.81 down 32% y/y. With cryptocurrencies rallying lately there might be an upside surprise in the outlook as crypto mining activity might have increased the demand for GPUs. Wednesday: Rio Tinto, Genmab, Danone, Lloyds Banking Group, Iberdrola, Nvidia, TJX, Stellantis, Baidu, eBay Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Sweden Riksbank Governor Thedeen to speak 0900 – Germany Feb. IFO Business Climate Survey 1800 – US 5-year US T-note auction 1900 – US FOMC Minutes 1910 – New Zealand Governor before parliament committee 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2230 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak on inflation   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 22, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    GBP/USD Trading Plan: Bulls Eyeing Further Growth, Resistance Level Holds Key, COT Report Signals Interest Rate Expectations

    Reserve Bank Of New Zealand (RBNZ) Hiked Its Interest Rates, USD Gains On Rising Hawkish Fed Bets

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 22.02.2023 10:22
    US stocks now join the treasury selloff, and the US dollar pushes higher on the back of the increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) bets. The preliminary PMI in the US came in better than expected for February, and the services PMI ticked above the 50 mark, into the expansion zone, for the first time since last July. Walmart and Home Depot  The strong economic data further fueled the Fed hawks. But this time, the stocks sold off as well, despite the strong economic data. The weak outlook from Walmart and Home Depot left the no-landing bets under the dark shadow of higher US yields. The S&P500 dived 2% on Tuesday, below the minor 23.6% Fibonacci retracement on the latest October to February rally, and below the 4000 psychological mark. Fed Today, the FOMC minutes will be closely watched. We know that the Fed officials will sound concerned with the strong jobs market and will point at the resilience of the economy to continue hiking the rates. That could further weigh on equity appetite. Fed hawks are supportive of the US dollar, however. Read next: The Pound Gained After The Publication Of PMI Reports, Euro Is Below 1.07, USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.50| FXMAG.COM Reserve Bank of New Zealand Elsewhere, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) hiked its interest rates by 50bp today, after a three-month break and Nvidia will be reporting Q4 earnings after the bell. Nvidia results may look ugly, but long-term investors could look beyond the potentially ugly results: Here is why: https://medium.com/@swissquote.education Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:36 US equities join the treasury selloff 1:46 Walmart, Home Depot beat, but warn of weaker outlook 4:55 USD gains on rising hawkish Fed bets 6:37 RBNZ hikes by 50bp 7:32 FOMC minutes to further weigh on sentiment 8:02 Should you look past potentially ugly Nvidia earnings? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Walmart #HomeDepot #Nvidia #earnings #FOMC #minutes #Fed #expectations #RBNZ #rate #hike #USD #EUR #NZD #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Rates Spark: Italy's Retail Bonds and Their Impact on Government Funding

    Consumers Are Spending More On Food, So Walmart And Home Depot Are Making Cautious Predictions

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 22.02.2023 11:32
    While inflation has eased in recent months, it remains high and could have a mixed impact on spending as rising prices push sales figures up. Consumer habits were putting pressure on profits. Holiday sales are weaker than expected as shoppers prioritized spending on food and other essentials. Sales situation in the US US holiday sales in 2022 rose 5.3% to $936.3 billion, below the forecast released last year by the National Retail Federation. In January, retail sales rose 3% from the previous month, the biggest monthly increase in almost two years. Walmart and Home Depot Walmart and Home Depot have enjoyed high sales for the better part of the last two years as people are looking for a bargain or repairing their homes. Now with more budgets, consumers are spending more on food and less on electronics, clothing and home improvements as inflation and changing habits reduce the demand for many goods. For Home Depot, which mainly sells home improvement items, this momentum meant steady sales in the last quarter. For Walmart, which relies on groceries for the majority of its sales, this meant a greater-than-expected increase in sales. But executives at both companies said consumer habits were putting pressure on profits and offered a muted outlook for the rest of the year amid economic uncertainty. Walmart’s sales Walmart said comparable US sales, that of stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months, rose 8.3% in the quarter ended Jan. 27, compared to the same period a year earlier. It beat analysts' expectations. December was the month with the highest sales volume in the retailer's history, the company said. Sales of some non-food items fell in the last quarter as shoppers prioritized spending on daily necessities. Walmart also cut many items to relieve overstock last year. The company's U.S. inventory fell 2.6% in the quarter, but is still up in some categories, such as apparel. Read next: The Pound Gained After The Publication Of PMI Reports, Euro Is Below 1.07, USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.50| FXMAG.COM Walmart expectations The retailer said it expects comparable US sales to grow 2% to 2.5% for the full year. Walmart expects US inflation to stay roughly at current levels this year. Home Depot Home Depot customers were less sensitive than expected to higher prices throughout 2022. The company reported revenue of $35.83 billion for the fiscal fourth quarter that ended Jan. 29, about the same as a year earlier and less than the $35.97 billion expected by analysts. Home Depot set a cautious tone on Tuesday. Last quarter sales fell slightly after years of pandemic-driven growth. The home improvement retailer said sales this year will be flat. Labor market Job growth accelerated at the beginning of the year. Employers added more than half a million jobs in January and the unemployment rate hit a 53-year low. Both Home Depot and Walmart are navigating a tight labor market for hourly workers, driving up costs. On Tuesday, Home Depot said it would invest $1 billion to raise wages for its hourly workers. Walmart last month said all US workers would be earning a starting wage of $14 an hour, down from $12. Walmart share price After Walmart's prices fell in mid-February, they rose for several days. Walmart shares closed 0.6% higher on Tuesday at $147.33. Home depot share price Home Depot shares have been above 300.00 for the last three months. HD shares recently traded against Walmart shares, and the company's shares fell 7.1% to $295.50. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Turbulent Times Ahead: Poland's Central Bank Signals Easing Measures

    General Electrics is undergoing major structural changes in search of a better business model

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 22.02.2023 14:29
    General Electrics (GE) – a well-known global conglomerate founded by Thomas Edison in 1892 for Edison's incandescent lamps and related products – has expanded over the years through mergers, acquisitions and natural growth. Now it is adapting to a new, more focused business world by splitting into three independent companies. Summary In search of a better business model, GE has decided to split the company into 3 separate entities: GE Healthcare, GE Aerospace and GE Vernova. Breaking up a conglomerate into individual companies can have several benefits, including improved management focus, increased transparency, improved valuation and better capital structure. GE Aerospace division has a well-established and profitable revenue stream. It is currently benefiting from the commercial airline industry's recovery from Covid-19 as well as the US government's emphasis on strengthening the defence sector.  GE Healthcare - the first division to split from the rest of General Electrics - has taken on a significant amount of the company's debt, leaving the conglomerate in a stronger financial position.  GE Vernova - although it may have considerable potential in the future,   currently it seems to be struggling financially due to increased costs of R&D and production.  One of the original 12 Dow constituents has been credited with numerous innovations throughout its rich history, including the first turbine supercharger, engine jet, and gas turbine engines. It was one of the key computer companies in establishing the digital world as we know it today, and two of its employees have been awarded Nobel Prizes for their work within the company.  GE stock price has fallen heavily since its peak of 363 USD during the dot-com bubble. The stock seems to have found ground around the 50 USD level during the pandemic and, since then, has reacted positively to the company's structural changes and overall market growth. Source: TradingView The company is undergoing major structural changes in search of a better business model, including splitting its businesses into independent companies. Before the split, GE had four main segments: Healthcare, Aerospace, Power and Renewables. The first division to separate from the rest of the company was Healthcare - it began operating as an independent company as GE Healthcare in January 2023. The next split is planned for Power and Renewables, which will form a company called GE Vernova. The original company will change its name to GE Aerospace and continue to operate in this segment.  Based on FY2022 revenue streams, GE Aerospace is the largest division of the company - 35%. GE Healthcare accounted for 25% of revenues, Renewables for 18% and Power for 22% (together accounting for 40%).  Source: GE financial statements Conglomerates – not the business model of the 21st century The expansion of GE and many other well-known conglomerates took place at a time when diversification of a business portfolio was seen as an effective way to mitigate risk - when one industry was in a downturn, another might be thriving. Meanwhile, the number of corporate spin-offs over the past decade may suggest that "bigger is better" may not be the current strategy. Breaking up a conglomerate into separate companies can offer several benefits, including improved focus, greater transparency, better resource allocation, improved valuation, better capital structure and increased agility. If we look at recent spin-offs in the healthcare sector, numerous companies, such as Alcon, Envista Holdings, SeaSpine Holdings, and Siemens Healthineers, have managed to separate from their core businesses.  GE can serve as a prime example of the benefits of a break-up, where the value of the individual parts of the company is greater than that of the company as a whole. GE's three main businesses - aerospace, healthcare and power - are very different in nature and therefore have little to gain from being combined. In fact, GE's financial reports suggest that the opposite might be true. The Corporate Items and Eliminations section shows that the company spends a lot of money at the corporate level. For instance, in 2015, the company's earnings from ongoing operations were 1.7 billion USD, while the Corporate Items and Eliminations section totalled 5.1 billion USD. Although these expenses might not be entirely eliminated, creating three separate businesses could save significant money in the long run. Following the separation, each company may be able to focus solely on its core business. Moreover, specialists, analysts and investors could now include each company in their coverage, increasing each company's presence in different investment universes. Although it may not seem like a good reason at first, investor relations, especially with institutional investors, play a crucial role in the success of listed companies.  As the division of the company's business lines is underway, retail investors can also select the business line that corresponds best to their investment strategy, objectives, and views about the most successful sectors in the future.  GE Aerospace – the segment that may have the biggest potential The separation of GE into separate businesses may allow each business to have a clearer focus on its own market position and growth strategy, leading to improved market competitiveness and a clearer focus on its financial performance, leading to improved overall financial performance for each business in the future. Each of the three companies could benefit from the factors discussed, although GE Aerospace may have the greatest potential of the three to outperform as a separate entity.  Firstly, let us review the latest earnings numbers for each division as reported for Q4 2022. The aerospace division had the strongest profit margin for the period. The aerospace division's year-on-year growth may be attributed to the industry's recovery from the pandemic. However, there may be a potential for additional growth as some parts of the world, such as China, are not yet fully recovered. Source: GE financial reports The company predicts continued growth in its aviation engine business. It expects the division's 2023 revenue to jump year-on-year in the "mid-to-high teens" per cent range, with 2023 profits coming in between 5.3 billion USD and 5.7 billion USD. As demand for air travel grows, especially in emerging markets, GE Aerospace could be one of the biggest beneficiaries in the future. According to the International Air Transport Association, global air passenger traffic is expected to double by 2037. As individual airlines and even aeroplane manufacturers, such as Boeing and Airbus, may be significantly affected by economic downturns or such unexpected events as Covid-19, GE Aerospace may also be negatively affected by lower demand. However, GE Aerospace has a strong customer base as it manufactures engines and provides maintenance services to both Boeing and Airbus, which in turn supply aircraft to most major airlines, including United Airlines, Emirates, Delta Airlines and many others.  Even during an economic downturn affecting the commercial aviation industry, GE Aerospace could maintain a stable revenue stream due to its participation in the US government's efforts to bolster the defence sector. As the government emphasises strengthening national security, GE Aerospace stands to benefit from increased demand for defence-related products and services, which could help offset any potential decline in commercial aviation revenue. In addition to already cooperating with Boeing, which is known to receive US government contracts for defence aircraft, GE, on its own, is also receiving contracts from such US government agencies as the Department of Justice, NASA, and Department of Homeland. At the end of 2022, GE Aerospace received a grant of up to 203 million USD to work on new jet engine technologies from the Air Force Life Management Center.  GE Healthcare GE Healthcare had accumulated a large debt burden over the years due to R&D spending and a rather aggressive approach to increasing its market share. Fortunately for the other two segments, this debt has been transferred to the newly formed company and will not weigh on the balance sheet of the remaining business.  The net debt of the newly established company is 8.4 billion USD, which grows to 15 billion USD in case outstanding pension obligations are taken into account. For a company with a market capitalisation of 27 billion USD, 15 billion USD of debt may be a challenge, especially in a rising interest rate environment.   Interestingly, in preparation for the spin-off, GE HealthCare took on debt that was used to buy back 7.23 billion USD worth of debt of the parent company leading to significantly improved capital structure and lowered interest payments for GE (soon-to-be GE Aerospace). Indeed, this put additional pressure on the capital structure of GE HealthCare.  Source: SeekingAlpha GE Renewables Despite its immense potential, the GE Renewables segment may have the most unclear future among the four segments. With revenues lower than a year before and the only division with a net loss, the Renewables segment drives lower the financials of the rest of the company.  Source: GE financial report 4Q 2022  GE Renewables may benefit from the growing demand for renewable energy as more countries adopt renewable energy targets and customers increasingly demand cleaner sources of energy. However, this division faces challenges related to high production costs, limited geographic presence, and potential changes in political and regulatory environments. The production costs of renewable energy technologies are still relatively high compared to traditional energy sources, which could make it more difficult for GE Renewables to compete in certain markets. Furthermore, the many incentives governments offer for adopting renewable energy technologies may become smaller as these technologies become increasingly popular.  Santa Zvaigzne-Sproge, CFA, Head of Investment Advice Department at Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement, or investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    EUR/USD Analysis: Continuing Corrections Amidst European Economic Woes

    Analysis Of The Nasdaq 100 Index On The Daily Chart

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 23.02.2023 08:07
    Nasdaq 100 Index on the daily chart seems to be showing the Bearish 123 pattern followed by Ross Hook that managed to be broken. However in a few days ahead there will be upside correction to test the level of 12200,4 if this level become a Resistance level which is strong enough to hold the correction rate #NDX then this index will return downward to test the level 1864,4 as the main target and the 11299,0 level as the next target if the volatility and momentum also supports and if on the way to the targets of these levels there is no upward correction which exceeds the level of 12383.6 because if this level is successfully penetrated above then all the Bearish scenarios previously described will become invalid and cancel automatically.   Relevance up to 05:00 2023-02-28 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/120037
    Escalated Geopolitical Tensions Are Here To Stay, China And Russia Confirming Stronger Ties

    Escalated Geopolitical Tensions Are Here To Stay, China And Russia Confirming Stronger Ties

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.02.2023 09:04
    Summary:  Rate hike worries were kept alive by the FOMC minutes, even though these were from the pre-January economic data prints that have been more hawkish than expected. US equities closed mixed as yields stayed near recent highs, while Chinese equities on the backfoot again amid escalating geopolitical tensions. USD strength pressuring AUD despite hawkish RBA. Crude oil prices slumped about 3% and Gold is back to testing key support at $1820 again.   What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall for the second session with bond yields remaining at three-month highs US equity markets remain pressured as the US 10-year yields trades in the neighborhood of three-month highs at ~3.92% with the FOMC meeting minutes showing more tightening is on the horizon. The Nasdaq 100 fell for the second day, closing at its lowest level since February 1. The S&P500 also fell the second session - moving under the key 4,000 level, at 3,991, bringing the 200-day moving average just ~1% away - at the 3,941 mark - which will quickly be tested. Intel shares were a laggard down 2.2% after the computer processor giant cut its dividend 66% - declaring a quarterly payout of 12.5 cents a share. This followed on from Intel reporting one of its weakest quarterly earnings forecasts in its history. All in all, this highlights that companies are trying to preserve capital amid margin compression – and that’s been a major theme of earnings seasons and we think it will continue to play out in Q1 earnings reports.  Yesterday, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) slid with A-shares leading Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell by 0.5% on Wednesday, with ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China over the latter’s alleged support to Russia, reports about China instructing state-owned enterprise to phase out the big-4 audit firms as their auditors for national security considerations, and overnight U.S. equity market weaknesses weighing on investor sentiment. Shares of banks outperformed but failed to offset losses in technology and industrial stocks. HSBC (00005) surged 5.3% and Hang Seng Bank (00011:xhkg) climbed 2.7%, being the top two gainers in the benchmark Hang Seng Index. Techtronic (00669:xhkg), plunging 6.9%, was the biggest loser. JD.com (9618:xhkg), down 3% led the decline in the China interest space. Hong Kong released its budget for this fiscal year, including HK$5000 per head in consumption vouchers, stamp duty reduction for first-time homebuyers, and support for airline operators. Hong Kong retail and property developer stocks rallied, with Chow Tai Fook (01929) rising 2.2%, Wharf Real Estate Investment (01997:xhkg) up 2%, and Henderson Land (00012:xhkg) up 1.6%. After Hong Kong market close, Baidu (09888:xhkg) reported revenues and earnings beating market expectations despite weaker advertisements in Q4. The search engine giant announced a share buyback programme of up to USD5 billion.  Baidu’s ADR (BIDU:xnas) fell 3.7%. In mainland China, the CSI300 slid 0.9%. Construction materials, media, brokerage, and non-ferrous metals led the decline.  Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) fall for third day -  but reopening stocks in logistics and car dealing seem supported on stronger earnings.  The Australian share market is being pressured by Australian bond yields rising, with the 10-year yield at its highest levels since January 4 - after the RBA affirmed it will continue to hike rates in the months ahead. The ASX200 fell briefly under its 50-day moving average with mining giants BHP and Rio trading lower after Rio reported weaker than expected numbers after the market close yesterday – but guided for a stronger 2023.  Travel stocks are continuing to gain attention on the revival of the travel sector – with a lack of fleet becoming an issue to keep up with strong demand. Qantas posted a record profit of A$1 billion in the six months to Dec 31, and announced A$500 million share buy back – as its sees relentless flight demand in 2023 - underscoring the surge in travel, post the pandemic. In fact, Qantas’ flagged higher than expected spending being needed to buy an extra aircraft, including nine Airbus A220s to keep up with surging passenger demand. Capital expenditure in the financial year ending June will rise by as much as A$400 million to between A$2.6-A$2.7 billion and will get as high as A$3.2 billion in the following 12 months. Despite guiding for strong demand, shareholders didn’t like hearing costs will need to rise – which send Qantas shares down 6% to $6.02, below its 100-day moving average. Qantas’ outlook underscores the pace and intensify of the travel industry’s recovery. Logistics giant, Qube is trading up 10% after its half year profit rose 41% to $125 million and it also noted it sees stronger growth ahead in 2023 – supported by China’s reopening. Car dealership giant, APE is up by about 7% after its results beat expectations, and it guides for a stronger year ahead with demand for new vehicles continuing to outstrip supply. Today’s earnings highlight the reopening trade is gaining pace and also growing beyond market expectations – this could be a driver of the Australian equity market in the half year, while commodity companies continue to guide for a stronger year ahead – backing our bullish commodity outlook. FX: A stronger US dollar – pressures the Australian dollar lower With ‘a few’ FOMC members supporting a larger hike to curb inflation - with James Bullard still favouring hiking rates to 5.375% as fast of possible, the US dollar gained the upper hand, pressuring most G10 currencies lower including the Aussie dollar. The AUD/USD pair closed below trend support, which opens up for a move lower to 0.6629, being the December low. The AUD/NZD pair however made a cleaner break down lower - with the Aussie against the Kiwi falling below its 50-day moving average. Weight on the pair also came after Australian wage growth data and construction work done were softer than expected, meaning the path of RBA hikes could slow after the RBA makes its tabled hikes in the ‘months’ ahead, versus the RNBZ, that just hiked by 50bps yesterday but gave a hawkish guidance.  Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) prices slump ~3% A firmer dollar and expectations of more rate hikes from the Fed gathering pace saw a bearish momentum return in commodities on Wednesday, even ahead of the release of the marginally hawkish FOMC minutes. Crude oil prices slid by close to 3% with WTI below $74/barrel and Brent at $80 despite a Reuters report stating that Russia intends to cut crude exports from its western ports by a quarter in March/February, after prior reports that the country is cutting production in March by 500k BPD. API inventories were however higher, with crude stockpiles increasing by 9.9mn barrels last week suggesting demand weakness. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps to support again Gold gave up its recent gains amid the renewed pressure from USD and higher yields which are now close to their cycle highs despite some softening yesterday. The yellow metal is now close to the $1820 support, which held up last week after inflation concerns escalated. A break below will bring the 200DMA at 1776 in focus.  Read next: The AUD/USD Pair Remains Under Selling Pressure, The GBP/USD Pair Is Below 1.21 Again| FXMAG.COM What to consider? FOMC minutes marginally hawkish Despite the FOMC minutes being pre-January inflation print, they sounded hawkish at the margin suggesting there may be room for further escalation of that rhetoric given how the economic data has fared since the Jan 31-Feb 1 Fed meeting. A few of the participants favoured raising the rates by 50bps, and all agreed more rate hikes are needed thrashing pivot hopes. It also noted that a number of participants observed that financial conditions had eased in recent months, which some noted could necessitate a tighter stance of monetary policy. While this risk of a recession was noted, data since the meeting including the most recent PMI numbers this week have continued to ease recession concerns. US considering release of intel on China’s potential arms transfer to Russia No reports of a peace treaty, and instead Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow was accompanied with China and Russia confirming stronger ties and President Xi’s visit to Russia in the coming weeks. This is suggesting that these escalated geopolitical tensions are here to stay, and our Defense equity theme basket provides a good way to hedge geopolitical risks. The red line for US and Europe will be if there is evidence that China is supplying weapons to Russia, and that could threaten a potential escalation of the war into a confrontation between Russia and China on the one side and Ukraine and the US-led Nato military alliance on the other. A WSJ article reported that Western nations have picked up on intelligence that Beijing might end its previous self-imposed restraint on weapons supplies to Russia, according to U.S. and European officials, although it appears that China hasn’t yet made a final decision. Rio Tinto’s profits and dividend slide in 2022, but Rio guides for a stronger 2023 - underpinned by ‘climate change scenarios’ Shares of Rio Tinto in NY fell 3.3% overnight and are down 3% on the ASX today after the world’s second largest miner reported underlying profit fell 38% to $13.28 billion in 2022 - vs the expected $13.96 billion consensus forecast. Rio’s profit fell after realised commodity prices fell from their records in the second half of 2022 – while earnings were also impacted by higher energy, raw materials prices and wages. Rio’s free cash flows fell 49% Y/Y in 2022 to $9.01 billion, resulting in Rio cutting its final (HY) dividend to $2.25 a share (down from $4.17), taking its total 2022 dividend to $4.92 - that’s a 60% pay-out ratio. Similar to BHP, Rio’s output looks stronger in 2023 with Rio guiding for higher copper, alumina, aluminium and iron ore production (but lower diamond production). It sees commodity prices being underpinned by ‘climate change scenarios’ which drive demand. Also note - in recent weeks - signs of a recovery in China have fuelled iron ore and copper prices up -with iron ore prices up 15% year to date. Rio is expanding its copper-gold presence, with the purchase of Turquoise Hill Resources- that will see Rio double its stake in the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in Mongolia. Rio is also progressing the Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina – cementing itself in lithium. And despite the Serbian Government quashing its lithium mine Rio is ‘continuing to explore possibilities’. UOB (U11:xses) reports higher Q4 earnings Singapore bank UOB reported 13% increase in Q4 net income on higher net interest income offsetting the drop in fees from wealth management and rising impairment charges. Core net profit, after adjusting for one-off expenses related to the acquisition of Citigroup’s Malaysia and Thailand consumer businesses, rose 37% to S$1.4bn. UOB has recommended a final dividend of 75 cents a share. Together with the interim dividend of 60 cents a share, the total dividend for the full year will be $1.35 a share, representing a payout ratio of 49%. OCBC (O39:xses) reports results on Friday. NVIDIA (NVDA:xnas) jumps on AI chips outlook NVIDIA reported stronger than expected Q4 results with EPS of $0.88 on revenue of $6.05 billion, compared to analyst estimates of $0.81 on revenue of $6.01 billion. After-market gains were however driven by a strong outlook for artificial intelligence processors which is helping to offset the slowdown in PCs. Q1 revenue guidance at $6.50 billion, vs. expectations of $6.35 billion. Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnas) and NetEase (09999:xhkg/NTES:xnas) are reporting earnings Reporting results on Thursday after the Hong Kong market close but before the U.S. market opens, Alibaba and NetEase are scheduled to announce earnings. Analysts are expecting Alibaba’s results from last quarter to be soft, with the Adjusted EPS expected to fall slightly to RMB1.999 from RMB2.015 a year ago. Investors’ focus will be on the outlook regarding the current quarter. Analysts are expecting NetEase to achieve growth in both revenues and earnings on strength in the Justice Mobile and Eggy Party games.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source:Markets Today: Pre-CPI FOMC minutes suggest more rate hikes – 23 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Navigating Uncertainties: RBNZ's Inflation Gamble, Election Dynamics, and Kiwi Dollar's Path Ahead

    Travel Stocks Are Continuing To Gain Attention

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.02.2023 09:10
    Summary:  The Nasdaq 100, and S&P 500 fall for the second session with bond yields remaining at three-month highs as the FOMC meeting minutes show more tightening is on the horizon. CPI is ahead. Australian equities fall for third day on bond yields remaining at January highs. Reopening bellwethers in logistics, car dealership and air travel guide for stronger earnings ahead. Qube and APE shares lift, while Qantas needs to splurge on more aircraft to keep up with demand. Plus what to know about Rio's results and why to watch the AUDNZD. What’s happening in markets?   The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall for the second session with bond yields remaining at three-month highs    US equity markets remain pressured as the US 10-year yields trades in the neighborhood of three-month highs at ~3.92% with the FOMC meeting minutes showing more tightening is on the horizon. The Nasdaq 100 fell for the second day, closing at its lowest level since February 1. The S&P500 also fell the second session - moving under the key 4,000 level, at 3,991, bringing the 200-day moving average just ~1% away - at the 3,941 mark - which will quickly be tested.  Intel shares were a laggard down 2.2% after the computer processor giant cut its dividend 66% - declaring a quarterly payout of 12.5 cents a share. This followed on from Intel reporting one of its weakest quarterly earnings forecasts in its history. All in all, this highlights that companies are trying to preserve capital amid margin compression – and that’s been a major theme of earnings seasons and we think it will continue to play out in Q1 earnings reports.   Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) fall for third day -  but reopening stocks in logistics and car dealing seem supported on stronger earnings The Australian share market is being pressured by Australian bond yields rising, with the 10-year yield at its highest levels since January 4 - after the RBA affirmed it will continue to hike rates in the months ahead. The ASX200 fell briefly under its 50-day moving average with mining giants BHP and Rio trading lower after Rio reported weaker than expected numbers after the market close yesterday – but guided for a stronger 2023.    Travel stocks are continuing to gain attention on the revival of the travel sector – with a lack of fleet becoming an issue to keep up with strong demand. Qantas posted a record profit of A$1 billion in the six months to Dec 31, and announced A$500 million share buy back – as its sees relentless flight demand in 2023 - underscoring the surge in travel, post the pandemic. In fact, Qantas’ flagged higher than expected spending being needed to buy an extra aircraft, including nine Airbus A220s to keep up with surging passenger demand. Capital expenditure in the financial year ending June will rise by as much as A$400 million to between A$2.6-A$2.7 billion and will get as high as A$3.2 billion in the following 12 months. Despite guiding for strong demand, shareholders didn’t like hearing costs will need to rise – which send Qantas shares down 6% to $6.02, below its 100-day moving average. Qantas’ outlook underscores the pace and intensify of the travel industry’s recovery. Logistics giant, Qube is trading up 10% after its half year profit rose 41% to $125 million and it also noted it sees stronger growth ahead in 2023 – supported by China’s reopening. Car dealership giant, APE is up by about 7% after its results beat expectations, and it guides for a stronger year ahead with demand for new vehicles continuing to outstrip supply. Today’s earnings highlight the reopening trade is gaining pace and also growing beyond market expectations – this could be a driver of the Australian equity market in the half year, while commodity companies continue to guide for a stronger year ahead – backing our bullish commodity outlook. FX: A stronger US dollar – pressures the Australian dollar lower  With ‘a few’ FOMC members supporting a larger hike to curb inflation - with James Bullard still favouring hiking rates to 5.375% as fast of possible, the US dollar gained the upper hand, pressuring most G10 currencies lower including the Aussie dollar. The AUD/USD pair closed below trend support, which opens up for a move lower to 0.6629, being the December low.The AUD/NZD pair however made a cleaner break down lower - with the Aussie against the Kiwi falling below its 50-day moving average. Weight on the pair also came after Australian wage growth data and construction work done were softer than expected, meaning the path of RBA hikes could slow after the RBA makes its tabled hikes in the ‘months’ ahead, versus the RNBZ, that just hiked by 50bps yesterday but gave a hawkish guidance.   What to consider with Rio Tinto's results?  Rio Tinto’s profits and dividend slide in 2022, but Rio guides for a stronger 2023 - underpinned by ‘climate change scenarios’  Shares of Rio Tinto in NY fell 3.3% overnight and are down 3% on the ASX today after the world’s second largest miner reported underlying profit fell 38% to $13.28 billion in 2022 - vs the expected $13.96 billion consensus forecast. Rio’s profit fell after realised commodity prices fell from their records in the second half of 2022 – while earnings were also impacted by higher energy, raw materials prices and wages. Rio’s free cash flows fell 49% Y/Y in 2022 to $9.01 billion, resulting in Rio cutting its final (HY) dividend to $2.25 a share (down from $4.17), taking its total 2022 dividend to $4.92 - that’s a 60% pay-out ratio.Similar to BHP, Rio’s output looks stronger in 2023 with Rio guiding for higher copper, alumina, aluminium and iron ore production (but lower diamond production). It sees commodity prices being underpinned by ‘climate change scenarios’ which drive demand. Also note - in recent weeks - signs of a recovery in China have fuelled iron ore and copper prices up -with iron ore prices up 15% year to date. Rio is expanding its copper-gold presence, with the purchase of Turquoise Hill Resources- that will see Rio double its stake in the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in Mongolia. Rio is also progressing the Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina – cementing itself in lithium. And despite the Serbian Government quashing its lithium mine Rio is ‘continuing to explore possibilities   To listen to our global team's take on markets - tune into our Podcast.   Source: Financial Insights: S&P500 and ASX200 pressured. But Travel, Logistics & Car dealerships see stronger earnings ahead | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Nvidia Is Rolling Out Its Own Cloud Service Together With Oracle

    Nvidia Is Rolling Out Its Own Cloud Service Together With Oracle

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.02.2023 09:17
    Summary:  Sentiment remains under significant pressure as higher global yields and a firmer US dollar are pressuring sentiment and financial conditions around the world. Europe remains resilient, but can’t expect to hold out on its own if the negative pressure persists. In currencies, focus will swing to Bank of Japan Governor nominee Kazuo Ueda, who will testify before Japan’s Lower House on Friday in Japan. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): watch the bond market for clues on direction US equity futures were wobbly yesterday finishing lower with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,999 level, the first close below 4,000 since 20 January, after intraday briefly flirting with the 200-day moving average. The equity market has now erased a good portion of this year’s rally and the upcoming inflation figures and the bond market’s reaction will determine where we go from here. As we wrote in our equity note yesterday, the next potential themes getting attention is margin compression during the upcoming Q1 earnings in April and May and the discussion about structural inflation. US equity futures were lifted late last night by a better-than-expected outlook from Nvidia. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 4,015 level in early European trading hours. Hang Seng (HIG3) and CSI300 (03188:xhkg) failed to sustain an attempt to rally The Hang Seng Index and CSI300 bounced in early trading but the attempt to rally failed to sustain itself. Both the Hong Kong and mainland benchmarks slipped by about 0.3%. Techtronic (00669:xhkg) plunged 17% and was the biggest loser within the Hang Seng Index, following a forensic research firm published a report alleging the tool maker inflating profits by capitalizing expenses as assets. Baidu (09888:xhkg) lost 1.1% despite reporting revenues and earnings that beat market expectations and announcing a share buyback programme of up to USD5 billion. The hype of ChatGPT concept cooled down somewhat as AI-generated content names were sold on mainland bourses. FX: USD eases off the pedal ahead of BoJ Governor nominee Kazuo Ueda testimony The US dollar eased back lower as risk sentiment stabilized in the wake of another nervous session yesterday and after EURUSD nearly touched 1.0600, AUDUSD took a stab at its 200-day moving average, and USDJPY rose toward 135.00. Risk sentiment will likely continue to drive USD pairs in coming session, with the Friday PCE inflation data the next more important event risk on the calendar (though a weekly refresh of the US labour market data is up with today’s weekly claims number.) Elsewhere, plenty of attention on the Japanese yen later today, as Japan reports its January CPI figures tonight, but even more importantly as the nominee to replace Kuroda as governor of the BoJ will speak at a confirmation hearing at the Lower House of Japan’s parliament overnight. Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) prices steady after slumping around 3% A firmer dollar and expectations of more rate hikes from the Fed gathering pace saw a bearish momentum return in commodities on Wednesday, even ahead of the release of the marginally hawkish FOMC minutes in the US session. Crude oil prices slid by close to 3% with WTI below $74/barrel and Brent at $80 despite a Reuters report stating that Russia intends to cut crude exports from its western ports by a quarter in March/February, after prior reports that the country is cutting production in March by 500k BPD. API inventories were however higher, with crude stockpiles increasing by 9.9mn barrels last week suggesting demand weakness. Prices recovered marginally overnight in Asia. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps to support again Gold gave up its recent gains amid the renewed pressure from USD and higher yields which are now close to their cycle highs despite some softening yesterday. The yellow metal edged closer to the $1820 support again yesterday, but has rebounded above 1,830 overnight. A break below 1,810-1,800 would bring the 200DMA at 1,776 in focus. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) ease back from cycle highs US Treasury yields eased back slightly from new cycle highs yesterday, with a strong 5-year auction showing bidding metrics at the higher end of the longer term range. A 7-year auction is up today and US January PCE inflation data is out Friday. The Japanese government bond market could sway global fixed income if nominee Kazuo Ueda makes any pointed comments in his confirmation hearing tonight. What is going on? FOMC minutes marginally hawkish Despite the FOMC minutes stemming from the FOMC meeting three weeks ago and prior to the January US CPI print, they sounded hawkish at the margin suggesting there may be room for further escalation of that rhetoric, given how the economic data has fared since the Jan 31-Feb 1 Fed meeting. A few of the participants favoured raising the rates by 50bps, and all agreed more rate hikes are needed thrashing pivot hopes. It also noted that a number of participants observed that financial conditions had eased in recent months, which some noted could necessitate a tighter stance of monetary policy. While this risk of a recession was noted, data since the meeting, including the most recent PMI numbers this week have continued to allay recession concerns. Apple announces ability to monitor blood sugar non-invasively Apple’s Exploratory Design Group, a previously secretive outfit within the company, is reporting success in measuring blood glucose levels without needing to break the skin to test via a blood sample, with a method using semiconductor chips and silicon photonics. The project has been ongoing for years. The hope is to integrate the technology longer term into the Apple Watch, helping to boost Apple’s effort to grow its presence in health care. US considering release of intel on China’s potential arms transfer to Russia Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow was accompanied with China and Russia confirming stronger ties and President Xi’s visit to Russia in the coming weeks. This is suggesting that these escalated geopolitical tensions are here to stay. The red line for US and Europe will be if there is evidence that China is supplying weapons to Russia, and that could threaten a potential escalation of the war into an outright proxy-war style confrontation between Russia and China on the one side and Ukraine and the US-led Nato military alliance on the other. A WSJ article reported that Western nations are considering making public the intelligence they possess that Beijing might end its previous self-imposed restraint on weapons supplies to Russia, according to U.S. and European officials, although it appears that China hasn’t yet made a final decision. Nvidia jumps on AI chips outlook Nvidia reported last night Q4 revenue of $6.05bn in line with estimates with the gaming segment beating estimates while the data center segment disappointed. Q4 EPS came in at $0.88 vs est. $0.81 driven by a higher than estimated Q4 gross margin of 66.1% vs est. 65.8%. Nvidia guides Q1 revenue of $6.5bn +2/-2% vs est. $6.35bn driven by strong demand in gaming and data center segments. The company is also rolling out its own cloud service together with Oracle which will later be offered by Microsoft and Google. Nvidia does not expect more downward pressure on GPU prices and thus the inventory risk is largely behind the company. While Nvidia keeps ignoring the cryptocurrency industry’s impact on demand we guess that the acceleration in speculation in cryptocurrencies and higher mining activity is what is driving Nvidia’s higher demand this quarter. Shares rose 8% in extended trading. BAE Systems sees muted 2023 revenue growth The UK-based defence company reports this morning higher than expected FY22 revenue at £23.3bn and underlying EBIT of £2.5bn. The earnings statement the company states that it expects 3-5% revenue growth in 2023 and 4-6% growth in EBIT suggesting expanding margins on pricing power amid surging demand. In our view, the revenue guidance seems a bit conservative given the signals over the weekend from the Munich Security Conference. Rio Tinto’s profits and dividend slide, guides for a stronger 2023 Rio Tinto shares declined 3.4% after reporting underlying profit fell 38% to $13.3bn in 2022 vs est. $14bn. Rio’s profit fell after realised commodity prices fell from their records in the second half of 2022 while earnings were also impacted by higher energy, raw materials prices and wages. Rio Tinto’s free cash flows fell 49% y/y in 2022 to $9bn, resulting in the miner cutting its final (HY) dividend to $2.25 a share down from $4.17, taking its total 2022 dividend to $4.92. Rio Tinto’s output looks stronger in 2023 with higher copper, alumina, aluminium and iron ore production What are we watching next? Market sentiment is fragile after recent break lower in equities – next moves pivotal Rising global yields and the firmer US dollar have risk sentiment and financial conditions under significant pressure, particularly in the US indices, but also in emerging markets and credit spreads on corporate bonds. European equities have fared better, but have lost their upside momentum. With the break of key supports in the US, the next levels of even more critical support are not far away to the downside (200-day moving average in the US S&P 500 at 3,941 on the cash index, for example). Volatility expansion is a prominent risk on a capitulation in sentiment, with further pressure from rising yields or rising concerns of geopolitical tensions possible triggers. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings are in the European session, so the impact from earnings in the US session is minimal. Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Final Jan. CPI 1100 – Turkey Rate Decision 1330 – US Jan. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 1330 – US Q4 GDP Revision 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1600 – US Feb. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Activity 2330 – Japan Jan. National CPI BoJ Governor Nominee Kazuo Ueda confirmation hearing 0001 – UK Feb. GfK Consumer Confidence   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 23, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Earnings season: Tesla stock price slipped after yesterday's news. The best selling car in Q1 was Model Y

    Tesla Opens Its Global Engineering Headquarters In Palo Alto, California

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 23.02.2023 09:52
    The car company, led by Musk, is in expansion mode to meet its goal of selling 20 million vehicles a year by the end of the decade. Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday to tour the automaker's new engineering headquarters. Criticism of the region Musk moved Tesla's headquarters to Texas from Silicon Valley in 2021, saying at the time that the company's ability to scale up in the San Francisco Bay Area was limited. He had previously compared California to a sports team that had rested on its laurels after a series of victories. The company has since opened vehicle manufacturing facilities in China, Texas and Germany. On Wednesday, Musk said Tesla will continue to invest in California even as it expands elsewhere. The meeting Tesla initiated the meeting after several previous attempts to establish talks. The meeting at Tesla's engineering office in Palo Alto, California, focused on the company's efforts to create jobs and expand in the state. The expansion will focus on hiring engineers proficient in research development and artificial intelligence. Tesla takes over the lease of office space previously occupied by Hewlett-Packard. The plans will help accelerate the development of autonomous driving and robot technology. Musk said the new facility is "actually Tesla's headquarters" and that it's "kind of a two-headquarters company." Tesla's headquarters are in Austin, Texas. Tesla in California Tesla maintains a presence in Silicon Valley even after moving its headquarters to Texas, and employs about 48,000 people in California, which is more than a third of the company's global workforce at year-end. Many of these employees work across the San Francisco Bay in Fremont, California, where the company's first automobile plant is located. This plant is capable of producing approximately 650,000 vehicles per year. Tesla has had layoffs in California over the past year. Last year Tesla laid off more than 200 people when it closed its San Mateo , California office . The site was home to employees who worked on Tesla's advanced driver assistance system known as Autopilot. Other companies run by Mr. Musk also have a presence in California. Twitter Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco, and rocket company SpaceX is based in Hawthorne. Read next: The AUD/USD Pair Remains Under Selling Pressure, The GBP/USD Pair Is Below 1.21 Again| FXMAG.COM Tesla in Texas Tech companies were among the first to send employees home at the start of the pandemic, and many of the industry's top players have allowed their employees to work remotely on a permanent basis. This shift has prompted many Silicon Valley workers and startup CEOs to relocate to other parts of the country in search of cheaper housing, less traffic, and a better quality of life. Texas, and especially its capital Austin, has attracted more tech companies and startups in recent years, offering lower taxes and less regulation than California and cheaper real estate. Musk moved Tesla's headquarters to Texas from Silicon Valley in 2021. Tesla is considering a more than $775 million expansion to its electric vehicle plant near Austin, Texas, indicating the automaker is maintaining ambitions to increase production. Chief Executive Elon Musk said last year that the company could open 10 to 12 new factories to boost production to meet its goal of selling 20 million vehicles by the end of the decade. Production Tesla last week reported vehicle deliveries for 2022 that fell short of Wall Street forecasts. Those estimates have already fallen after the automaker signaled in October that it would ship fewer vehicles than it originally intended. Despite challenges, including temporary production disruptions at its factory in China due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Tesla increased vehicle shipments by 40% last year compared to the previous year, handing over approximately 1.31 million vehicles. Tesla is also facing more competition in the electric vehicle market as more traditional car companies enter the market. Tesla share price On Wednesday, Tesla shares closed higher than the day before at 200.86. Source: wsj.com finance.yahoo.com
    US GDP Ahead, Energy Prices Push Lower, EUR/USD Pair Struggles

    US GDP Ahead, Energy Prices Push Lower, EUR/USD Pair Struggles

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 23.02.2023 13:09
    Hawkish were the minutes from the latest FOMC meeting. They confirmed that the Federal Reserve (Fed) officials are indeed not lying when they say that they will continue hiking the interest rates to tame inflation toward the 2% mark. US and China Both the US 2 and 10-year yields bounced lower from early-week highs. A part of it was perhaps explained by the rising tensions between the US and China after China said that their relationship with Russia is ‘rock solid’. Stock market The S&P500 eased another 0.16%, Nasdaq tipped a toe into the bearish consolidation zone, but US equity futures are in the positive this morning, as the tech-heavy index is boosted by an almost 9% jump in Nvidia shares in the afterhours trading, after the company announced soft, but better than expected results. US GDP Due today, the US GDP is expected to have expanded 2.9% in the Q4, which is a fairly strong number. A read above expectations will certainly boost the Fed hawks on the idea that the US economy is resilient enough to withstand more hikes, while a number below expectations could ease the hawkish Fed tensions. But the days when bad news was good news are gone. At this point, we can’t really bet that a soft growth would soften the Fed’s hand. Only soft inflation could do that. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 FOMC minutes confirmed hawkish stance 2:50 Nvidia results help Nasdaq shake off post-minutes moodiness 4:12 But could the US stock rally extend?! 6:30 Watch US GDP update today 7:30 USD consolidates gains, EURUSD struggles 8:27 Energy prices push lower Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #FOMC #minutes #Nvidia #earnings #EUR #inflation #natural #gas #crude #oil #EIA #US #GDP #data #USD #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Musk Said Tesla’s Next Phase Of Growth Will Be Built Around Building Clean Energy Sources

    The Adoption Of Electric Vehicles Has Accelerated At A Dizzying Pace

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 23.02.2023 14:54
    Summary:  When Tesla cut its prices by 20% in mid-January it looked like lunacy because the EV-maker operates at a 25% gross margin which would surely compress its margins. Higher inventories by Q4 were an approximate cause but it turns out that the real decision variable was a high risk bet by Elon Musk and the management team that lithium carbonate prices had finally begun falling from its highs. By the time Tesla made its decision lithium carbonate prices were already down 20% and has continued down since down 34% from the peak. Tesla's bet is paying off for now but risks to its margin remain high. A risky bet by Elon Musk on lithium When Tesla in mid-January announced that it slashed its prices across its various car models by 20% on average it was a big shock to the car industry as an abrupt price change causes big disruptions in the secondary market. Our initial thought was that a 20% price cut on average is a desperate move considering a gross margin of 25%. It would effectively erode the majority of Tesla’s profits. The price cuts also led to angry customers that had just bought a new Tesla. Initially we thought that the price cut was to increase demand that had seen a negative impact from higher and more volatile electricity prices in many key markets. Tesla had also raised prices several times in the previous year increasing the price point. When Tesla announced its Q4 deliveries it was clear that inventory was building as deliveries were lower than production which is a bad signal of demand, but it also locks up capital on the balance sheet. While demand considerations were a key decision variable for Tesla something else was happening. During several speeches in the late part of 2022, Elon Musk expressed his frustration with lithium carbonate prices saying lithium refinery margins were making it a ‘gold mine’ and urged entrepreneurs to enter the industry. Around mid-November the 99.5% lithium carbonate price out of China topped out at CNY 598,000 per tonne and by the time of Tesla’s price cuts the price on lithium carbonate had fallen 20%. This is when Elon Musk and the management made their big bet aggressively cutting prices. It has since worked out for Tesla with lithium carbonate price down 34% from the peak in November offsetting most of Tesla’s hit to its gross margin. However, in the case that lithium carbonate prices should rebound it will eat into Tesla’s gross margin. One of the reasons why lithium carbonate prices are falling is of course extra supply coming into the market but also CATL’s, China’s largest battery maker, decision to dump prices as it is lowering its margin in its mining division to lower prices on its batteries and fuel demand even more. Lithium carbonate price | Source: Bloomberg Tesla share price | Source: Bloomberg EV adoption is continuing at a blistering pace While we are still waiting for Q4 delivery figures from VW and BMW it is safe to say that EV adoption is acceleration at a blistering pace. By the time we get the Q1 2023 figures it will show that BEV (battery EVs) deliveries will have increased 10x in just three years. With Toyota’s new CEO recently saying that Toyota has made a mistake on hybrids and would chase the BEV technology to catch up with Tesla the whole industry will massively accelerate production in the years to come. Extrapolating the expected trend in EV adoption will create massive changes to our society. Right now the current fleet of EVs is displacing around 1.5-2mn barrels per day of oil demand with passenger cars only being less than 20% of this displacement. The expected peak in oil demand from road transportation is expected in 2027, but with the current pace it could very likely earlier. By 2050 the oil demand from road transportation could be down more than 20mn barrels per day. If net-zero carbon is achieved then it is closer to 45mn barrels per day. These are some of the points that this transition will cause: Oil prices will likely remain high as oil and gas majors will adjust capital expenditures to reflect the rapidly declining oil demand. EVs will eventually lead to more stable electricity grids through V2G (vehicle-to-grid discharging) which will happen first in Europe, because the continent has the most advanced electricity grid in the world. Air pollutions levels in big cities will drastically improve potentially creating new biodiversity in cities Massive growth in electricity production potentially creating the second renaissance of electricity with the first growth phase happening 100 years ago. Electric utilities could transition away from boring stable growth to high growth companies. The transition will significantly increase the need for investments and thus add demand for capital underpinning the structural inflation outlook   Source: Teslas big bet on falling lithium is paying off | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The Commodities Feed: US announces SPR purchase

    Crude Oil Prices Rallied, Alibaba Reported Better-Than-Expected Results

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.02.2023 08:23
    Summary:  US equity markets erased their losses overnight, aided by a rise in Nvidia shares boosting chip and tech stocks. Fed’s preferred inflation gauge the PCE is up next and may reaffirm sticky inflation again. The Japanese yen volatility is in focus after softer-than-expected January inflation print, and as policy stance of BOJ nominee Ueda is evaluated from the ongoing parliamentary hearings. Crude oil prices reversed higher but Copper back close to the key $4 area.   What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) had a wild session, but ended higher after bond yields fell from three-month highs US equity markets had a bumpy Thursday, awaiting the Fed’s core inflation gauge –the personal consumption index being released. However, after four days of losses, the S&P500 gained 0.5%, although it’s still down 1.6% Monday to Thursday. The S&P500 managed to move back above 4,000 level after the 10-year US bond yield fell from its fresh high - moving back to December levels of 3.871%. While bullish outlooks supported the market higher as well – with Nvidia shares up 14% on its bullish outlook - with Microsoft and Apple following higher. Despite that, US earnings are still muted YoY - highlighting margin compression- while there is still nervousness in the air- as the FOMC meeting minutes pointed to more tightening on the horizon. While there is also risk if the Fed’s inflation gauge (PCE) rises more than expected, the Fed could gain reason to become more hawkish – and that could see the S&P500 quickly test the 200-day moving average.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) had a mixed day; Techtronic tumbled 19%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and China's CSI300 had a mixed day of trading. The Hang Seng Index slid 0.4%, while the CSI300 was flat. Techtronic (00669:xhkg) shares plunged 19% after a forensic research firm accused the power tool maker of inflating profits by capitalizing expenses as assets. Meanwhile, China internet names, tech hardware, and EV stocks rallied, with Bilibili (09626:xhkg) rising 3.6%, NetEase (0999:xhkg) climbing 4.1%; Lenovo (00992:xhkg) surging 5.5%, and Nio (09866:xhkg) up 4%. Baidu (09888:xhkg) fell 0.5%, despite reporting revenues and earnings that beat market expectations and announcing a share buyback program of up to USD5 billion. According to Nikkei Asia, Chinese regulators have told Tencent Holdings and Ant Group not to offer ChatGPT services to the public as the regulators are increasingly concerned about uncensored replies given to users. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) moved up after three days of declines The Australian share market moved up 0.3%, up slightly above its 50-day moving average today - after a bevy of better than expected company earnings bolstered sentiment. Global pallet business, Brambles shares rose almost 7% to six month highs after upgrading its profit guidance ~7% to 15-18% growth with pallet demand in the US and UK improving. Australia’s biggest lithium company, Pilbara Minerals shares are up 2.6% after reporting record results- a A$1.24 billion net profit and declared its first ever dividend – of A$0.11. Just like Albemarle, Pilbara sees a strong lithium market ahead. Pilbara also upgraded its production guidance for the year – expecting to produce 600,000 to 620,000 dmt of spodumene concentrate – up from its prior guidance of 540,000 to 580,000 dmt. This reflects what we have been seeing this Australian reporting season – mining companies are upgrading their output guidance to keep up with expectations for strong demand, plus they are also seeing improved labour conditions. Block Inc (SQ and SQ2) rallied 7% to $116.44 on the ASX after 4Q net revenue rose more than expected, up 14% to $4.65 billion, beating estimates of $4.57 billion. It comes as Bitcoin revenue rose more than expected, to $1.83 billion vs $1.79 billion expected, while hardware revenue from its Square in store payments rose slightly more than expected. As for the year ahead  - Block sees 2023 adjusted EBITDA of $1.3 billion - which is more than $1.28b est - and its margin growing by at least 1 percentage point. So far this year, Afterpay sales are up 19% and credit quality is holding up- despite higher interest rates. Afterpay's loss rate is expected to stay 1% in Q1 this year - which is a slight improvement of its Afterpay loss rate in 2019 and 2018 of 1.1% and 1.5%.   Broadly the Aussie market has been pressured by Australian bond yields moving to their highest levels since January- 3.87%. That’s a better yield/ return than the broad Australia share market’s 3.5% yield. This shift has pressured the ASX200 down 3.8% from its record highs. But some stocks are still rising, with a cohort of companies benefiting from the reopening of the Chinese economy  - and on expectations of higher earnings ahead. Such stocks are in the travel sector; shares  FX: JPY volatility in focus The Japanese yen started the Asian session stronger after a weaker-than-expected inflation print for January, but the start of BOJ nominee Ueda’s parliamentary hearings brought a reaffirmation of the loose BOJ monetary policy and that saw USDJPY bidding up to 134.80. Yen volatility will remain in focus today and next week, also parking concerns of volatility in the global bond markets, as Bank of Japan’s renewed policy direction remains in focus. Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) prices rebound 2% despite higher inventories Crude oil prices rallied on Thursday despite another higher inventory built. US crude stocks built 7.6mn barrels last week, significantly higher than analyst expectations of 2mn. The supply side concerns may have been in focus after Russia announced this week that it will cut exports to the West in March, in addition the previously announced production cuts. However, focus was also on indications of a pickup in gasoline demand along with a decline in US gasoline inventories. Copper prices decline on higher USD and awaiting China activity improvement Copper prices were down 3% amid rising concerns of further rate hikes by central banks after a marginally hawkish FOMC minutes this week. The market is also becoming increasingly impatient with the recovery in demand in China. There has been little meaningful sign that demand is rebounding. Copper prices fell to $4.05/lb bring the $4 support in focus.  Read next: The Euro Fell Below 1.06, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To 135.00| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US GDP revised a notch lower, jobless claims fell The second estimate of Q4 GDP was released in the US, and was revised lower to 2.7% from the prelim 2.9%. The Core PCE measure, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, was revised to 4.3% from 3.9%, suggesting price pressure in Q4 were higher that previously reported. While slower activity and higher inflation components seem to be making the Fed’s task more difficult, labor market still remained strong which suggests that any slowdown in growth will be likely very slow. Weekly initial jobless claims dropped to the lowest in 4 weeks at 192k from the prior 195k. Japan’s January CPI softer than expected, eyes on Ueda’s hearings January inflation print in Japan came in-line with expectations on the headline at 4.3% YoY from the prior 4.0% YoY but was marginally below expectations on the core measures. Ex fresh food and energy was out at 3.2% YoY, above last month’s 3.0% YoY but below the expected 3.3%. Inflation remains above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, and price pressures are broad-based. Focus now turns to BOJ nominee Kazuo Ueda’s parliamentary hearings in the lower house today as markets ponder over his policy direction. Worrying signal on the inflation front in the Eurozone Yesterday, inflation was confirmed higher than initially reported in the eurozone in January (headline at 8.6% year-over-year and core at 5.3% - this represents a 0.1 percentage point higher). What is even more worrying is that the EZ CPI basket showed the most broad-based price increase on record. 76 % of the basked experienced a month-over-month increase above 0.2 %. This is up from 52 % in December 2022. There is little doubt that the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates by 50 basis points in March. But we think the ECB is not done anytime soon with the tightening process. The terminal rate is probably closer to 4% than expected by the market consensus. Booking Holdings (BKNG:xnas) reports record 2022 revenue suggesting travel demand surge Booking Holdings reported higher-than-expected revenue for Q4 at $4.05bn (up 36% YoY), beating analyst forecasts of $3.9bn. Adjusted EPS of $24.74 was also above the expected $21.51. Q1 forecast was also upbeat, suggesting resilient travel demand despite inflation pressures. Booking Holdings is a part of our Asia Pacific Tourism equity theme basket which we launched in anticipation of the recovery in Chinese outbound travel demand. Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnas) beats earnings estimates on cost cutting Alibaba reported better-than-expected results for its fourth quarter. Adjusted EPS of 19.26 yuan (on revenue of 247.76bn yuan) was above consensus of 16.63 reflecting deep cost cutting measures. EBITA grew 16% Y/Y on cost cuts and smaller losses from Taocaicai. The cloud computing revenue was only up 3.3% while the core Chinese commerce business slid 1%. The eCommerce giant’s ADRs closed down 2.9% from the level of Hong Kong closing amid management comments on the need to increase investments to stay competitive in the year ahead. OCBC (O39:xses) reports Q4 net income miss Oversea-China Banking Corp. reported an increase of 34% in net profits in the fourth quarter to S$ 1.31bn which fell short of estimates of S$ 1.68bn. Net interest income was up 60% YoY but non-interest income slid 42% due to lower wealth management fee. Final dividend of S$0.40 was up from S$0.12 last year, and the lack of a DBS-like special dividend could mean the stock could be beaten up near-term.     For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Markets Today: BOJ stance in focus, PCE inflation report ahead – 24 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Nasdaq 100 posted a new one year high. S&P 500 ended the day unchanged

    The DAX Index Is Now At Pre-War Levels, Nasdaq 100 Saw Support

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 24.02.2023 09:03
    S stocks had a wobbling trading session yesterday. The S&P500 tipped a toe below its 50-DMA yesterday, near 3980, then rebounded to close the session around 0.50% higher, above the 4000 psychological mark. Nasdaq 100 saw support into the 12000 psychological mark and gained almost 1% into the close. The 14% jump in Nvidia certainly helped improve the overall market mood, whereas the US economic data was mixed and was not supposed to pour water on the equity bears or improve sentiment regarding the Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks. The latest GDP update from the US revealed that the US economy expanded 2.7% in the Q4, instead of 2.9% penciled in by analyst. A softer economic growth could have been encouraging for easing inflation and softening the Fed's hand. BUT NO, because the GDP price index – another gauge of inflation which was released along with the GDP update, showed that inflation in the Q4 eased but eased much less than expected – as a perfect reflection of the CPI and PPI data released last week. The cocktail of slower-than-expected growth and higher-than-expected inflation is the worst possible outcome, and we could see the latter reflected in the corporate earnings. The S&P500 companies now all reported their results and earnings fell 1% in the latest quarter. At first glance, this is not a good number, but these earnings are compared to the blockbuster post-pandemic numbers, and despite a fall, they remain high. The question is, how far they will fall. It will depend on several factors, including how aggressive the Fed will continue tightening policy. How aggressive the Fed will continue tightening policy will depend on how sticky inflation is. We have one more important data point to watch before the week ends... and that's the US PCE index, the Fed's favourite gauge of inflation. Given the previous inflation data, we know that inflation has certainly eased, but not as much as expected. If there is not a big surprise, there should be no bloody market reaction to a slightly higher than expected PCE index. The S&P500 could close the week above the 50-DMA, and Nasdaq above its major 38.2% Fibonacci retracement. There is one more thing that probably helps equities hold their ground, and that's the easing US yields. I believe that the US yields have been easing since a couple of days due to the rising geopolitical tensions between the US and China – after China screamed loud and clear their support to Russia this week. These rising tensions certainly increase the safe haven flows to the US treasuries and interferes with the hawkish Fed pricing. As such, the US 2 and 10-year yields are softer compared to a peak earlier this week. European stocks up, euro down on record inflation!? The European stocks gained and the euro fell on Thursday, even though the latest inflation data from the eurozone revealed that the core inflation advanced to a record high. The rising inflation is normally a boost for the European Central Bank (ECB) hawks, who increase the bets that the ECB will raise the rates more forcefully. The latter should weigh on equity valuations and support the euro. But no. The contrary is happening because the major driving force of the market is the Fed and the dollar. So, the EURUSD fell as low as 1.0577 yesterday, while the European stocks were upbeat. The DAX index for example is now at pre-war levels, whereas the latest data is less than encouraging for the German economy. The European exports are recovering to the pre-pandemic levels, but the German exports are clearly lagging behind the zone's average. Spain and Italy are doing much better than their German peers. Why? Because the energy crisis has taken a toll on German manufacturing, whereas the post-pandemic reopening benefit Spanish and Italian tourism. As a result, the headline data is strong, but the underlying factors warn that the Eurozone growth is perhaps vulnerable. Sticky inflation and hawkish ECB are major risks to the actual European equity rally. 41-year high, Mr. Ueda! Speaking of inflation, the data released this morning showed that inflation in Japan rose to 4.3%, a 41-year high, and gave a rapid boost to the yen, sending the USDJPY down to the 134 mark. But we know that the Bank of Japan (BoJ), under the leadership of its new head Ueda, is not necessarily concerned about the rising inflation. The BoJ prefers keeping rates below zero, for now, and that should continue playing in favour of USDJPY bulls, at a time when the Fed members continue showing the world how serious they are in taming inflation.  
    USD/JPY Pair Has Rebounded Firmly From The Upward-Sloping Trendline

    Kazuo Uedy Signaled Little Need To Tighten BoJ Policy Which Weakened The Yen

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 24.02.2023 09:14
    Summary:  Markets remain nervous as new local lows were probed yesterday in the US equities but were rejected just ahead of the 200-day moving average in the S&P 500. A first Chinese peace proposal for the Russian aggression in Ukraine was dismissed by commentators on the first anniversary of the war. Elsewhere, nomination hearings for Kazuo Ueda, who would replace Kuroda as Bank of Japan governor, saw the JPY slightly weaker. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): back to wait and see on inflation and rates US equities were bouncing around in yesterday’s session with S&P 500 futures ending the session above the 4,000 level as the US 10-year yield came down despite initial jobless claims suggesting the US labour market remains extremely tight. There are no major earnings releases in today’s session, so we expect a quiet session going into the weekend. The key upside level to watch is yesterday’s close in the S&P 500 futures at the 4,019 level on the downside it is the 4,000 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) declined around 1% The Hang Seng Index declined 1.2% and the CSI300 slid 0.8% as of writing. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) announced results beating estimates but the shares of the eCommerce giant plunged 4.6% following management comments on the need to increase investments to stay competitive. According to Nikkei Asia, Chinese regulators have told Tencent (0070:xhkg) and Alibaba’s Ant Group not to offer access to ChatGPT services to the public directly or through third party as the regulators are increasingly concerned about uncensored replies given to users. FX: USD bobs up and down with risk sentiment. JPY lower after Ueda testimony. The US dollar posted new highs yesterday, as EURUSD probed below 1.0600 for the first time since early January, AUDUSD took a peek below its 200-day moving average and below 0.6800 and GBPUSD tested the waters below 1.2000, but the USD rally seemed a passive coincident development with the swings in risk sentiment, with a late rally in US equities pushing the greenback back lower. In Japan overnight, the JPY was firm early in the Asian session despite slightly softer CPI data, and then weakened slightly later in the session during Kazuo Ueda’s nomination hearings for the Bank of Japan governorship, as he signalled little urgency on tightening BoJ policy. Crude oil rises despite another US inventory build Crude oil trades higher for a second day but remains on track for a monthly loss within the established range, in Brent between $80 and $89, and WTI between $82 and $73. The technical driven bounce occurred despite another built in US inventories, but soaring exports of 4.6m b/d and a continued rise in US gasoline demand helped underpin prices. Supply side concerns may also be in focus after Russia announced this week that it will cut exports to the West in March, in addition the previously announced production cuts. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps to support again Gold dropped to the lowest level of the year on Thursday amid continued pressure from USD and higher yields which both moved close to their cycle highs earlier in the week before easing a bit on Thursday. The yellow metal has so far managed to find support around $1820 but until macro-economic developments turn more friendly the risk remains of a further weakness towards $1788 followed by the 200DMA at $1,776. Gold has been troubled by a recovering dollar and rising treasury yields after recent US data strength supported the view the Fed will keep rates higher for longer to fight inflation and to cool the economy. US PCE deflator, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, will be watched closely today with expectations pointing to a robust print, both in headline and core. Copper retreats as hawkish Fed weighs on sentiment. Copper has retreated from the highest close in three weeks, and yesterday’s drop, the biggest one-day slump this year, has taken it back towards key support in the $4 a pound area. Together with other industrial metals, copper is heading for a monthly loss as the market becomes increasingly impatient with the recovery in demand in China. Instead, the attention has been turning to worries that higher US rates for longer may strengthen the dollar and hurt the outlook for growth and demand. However, with supply potentially struggling to keep up with demand, we view the current weakness as temporary and part of the general loss of confidence that has hit markets this month. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) drop. US Treasury yields fell yesterday after probing the cycle highs in the wake of another strong weekly jobless claims number, with the 2-year little changed, but longer yields falling more sharply, as the 10-year closed at 3.87% after posting a cycle-high 3.97% in early US trading. Read next: The Euro Fell Below 1.06, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To 135.00| FXMAG.COM What is going on? US GDP revised a notch lower, jobless claims fell The second estimate of US Q4 GDP was revised lower to 2.7% from the prelim 2.9%. The Core PCE measure, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, was revised to 4.3% from 3.9%, suggesting price pressure in Q4 was higher than previously reported. While slower activity and higher inflation are making the Fed’s task more difficult, the labor market remained strong, suggesting that any slowdown in growth will likely be very slow. Weekly initial jobless claims dropped to the lowest in 4 weeks at 192k from the prior 195k. Worrying signal on the inflation front in the eurozone Yesterday, inflation was confirmed higher than initially reported in the eurozone in January (headline at 8.6 % year-over-year and core at 5.3 % - this represents a 0.1 percentage point higher). What is even more worrying is that the EZ CPI basket showed the most broad-based price increase on record. 76 % of the basket experienced a month-over-month increase above 0.2 %. This is up from 52 % in December 2022. There is little doubt that the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates by 50 basis points in March. But we think the ECB is not done anytime soon with the tightening process. The terminal rate is probably closer to 4 % than expected by the market consensus. Block results beat on the back of Bitcoin revenue rising more than expected Block rallied over 7% after Q4 net revenue rose more than expected, up 14% to $4.7bn, beating estimates of $4.6bn. It comes as Bitcoin revenue rose to $1.8bn vs est. $1.8bn, while hardware revenue from its Square terminals and Square registers rose slightly more than expected. Block sees FY23 adjusted EBITDA of $1.3bn vs est. $1.3bn. Japan’s January CPI softer than expected, BOJ gov nominee Ueda’s hearings bring flexibility to dovishness January inflation print in Japan came in-line with expectations on the headline at 4.3% YoY from the prior 4.0% YoY but was marginally below expectations on the core measures. Ex fresh food and energy was out at 3.2% YoY, above last month’s 3.0% YoY but below the expected 3.3%. Inflation remains above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, and price pressures are broad-based. BOJ nominee Kazuo Ueda’s parliamentary hearings in the lower house today brought some clarity over his policy direction, suggesting he will stick to easing for now while remaining flexible to tweaks as needed. What are we watching next? The week ahead in geopolitics after China peace proposal issues and on macro dataNext week’s macro calendar is not the usually busy one as a new month rolls into view, as the key US labor market data is not up until Friday the 10th of March, although the latest string of strong weekly US jobless claims offer no evidence of a softening labor market. Next Wednesday we’ll get the latest ISM survey data as regional US manufacturing surveys for February thus far suggest little chance of a resurgence in the recessionary ISM Manufacturing survey, with the last three readings in a row below 50 ahead of the survey release next Wednesday. The ISM Services survey, meanwhile, is up on Friday and bears watching after two confusing prior readings – a very weak one in December followed by a resurgent one in January of 55.2. Otherwise, the intense focus on geopolitics will remain as the US considers making public the intelligence it has gathered on China considering supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, as well as how China deals with US warnings against China providing lethal aid to Russia in the conflict. China’s first attempt at wading into the situation as a peace-broker with a cease-fire “position paper” today was dismissed by a US official and is seen as a likely “non-starter with the US and most European countries” according to Neil Thomas, a senior analyst at the Eurasia group. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release is from BASF which has already reported which is sour reading for investors. The German chemical company is terminating its share buyback programme on top of reporting revenue and EBIT below estimates. In addition, the company is cutting 2,600 jobs in response to the higher energy costs. There is also good news in the Q4 earnings release that might lift the mood of investors, and that is the FY23 revenue outlook of €84-87bn vs es.t €81.8bn. Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US Jan. Personal Income and Spending1330 – US Jan. PCE Inflation1500 – US Jan. New Home Sales1500 – US Feb. Final University of Michigan Sentiment1515 – US Fed’s Mester (Non-voter) to speak1600 – US Feb. Kansas City Fed Services Activity1830 – US Fed’s Collins (Non-voter) to speak1830 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 24, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Canadian Inflation Rises to 3.3%, US Retail Sales Climb: USD/CAD Analysis

    The Fight For Evidence Concerns A DoJ Lawsuit Filed Against Google

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 24.02.2023 09:47
    Google is defending itself against two separate antitrust lawsuits filed by the Department of Justice and groups of states. In addition to the lawsuit over Google's search engine dominance, last month the Department of Justice sued the company for its adtech business practices. Allegations The Department of Justice says Google has a history of automatically deleting employee chats. The Department of Justice said Google employees routinely discussed "relevant and sensitive matters" using a messenger that was said to delete chats after 24 hours. The Department of Justice said Google destroyed written documents needed for an antitrust lawsuit that focuses on how the company maintained its dominance in Internet search. The government asked a federal judge on Thursday to sanction Google for its past practice of automatically removing employee chats, even though the company told the court it would keep records required for litigation. The Department of Justice said in court Thursday that Google had trained employees on the benefits of using "unregistered chat rooms." The government said the company only pledged this week to permanently preserving its employees' chat messages - after Justice Department officials told Google it would file a sanctions request. Application for sanctions Department of Justice attorneys said the deleted chats may have contained particularly sensitive information and revealed frank discussions between executives. The government has asked U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to impose sanctions on Google after holding a hearing where its conduct could be investigated. Read next: The Euro Fell Below 1.06, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To 135.00| FXMAG.COM Antitrust lawsuit Google's growth in various lines of business over the years has widened its circle of critics, with competitors and some customers complaining about its tactics. The lawsuit filed in January this year alleges that Google abused its role as one of the largest brokers, providers and online auctioneers of advertisements placed on websites and mobile applications. The filing promises a protracted legal battle with far-reaching implications for the digital advertising industry. The Department of Justice has filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit, alleging that Google is using anti-competitive tactics to maintain a monopoly over its flagship search engine and related advertising business, in the most aggressive legal challenge to the company's dominance in the tech sector in more than two decades. The government claimed that Google is using billions of dollars raised from advertising on its platform to pay mobile phone manufacturers, carriers and browsers such as Apple Inc.'s Safari to keep Google as the default search engine, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of dominance. The result is that Google ranks #1 in search across hundreds of millions of devices in the US, with little chance for any other company to break into the market. The Department of Justice is also continuing to investigate Google's ad technology practices. Alphabet gets about 80% of its business from advertising. A new Justice Department lawsuit targets a subset of this ad business that brokers the buying and selling of ads on other websites and apps. Alphabet share price Since mid-February, Alphabet's stock has fallen significantly towards 90.00. Most recently, GOOG stock closed at 91.07. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Turkey cuts rate despite inflation threat, Japanese inflation hits 41-year high

    Turkey cuts rate despite inflation threat, Japanese inflation hits 41-year high

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 24.02.2023 10:58
    US stocks had a wobbling trading session yesterday. US equities gained, then lost, then rebounded to close the session in the green. Nvidia The 14% jump in Nvidia certainly helped improve the overall market mood, whereas the US economic data was mixed and was not supposed to pour water on the equity bears or improve sentiment regarding the Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks.  US economy The latest GDP update from the US revealed that the US economy expanded slower than expected, while prices rose faster-than-expected. We have one more important data point to watch before the week ends… and that’s the US PCE index, the Fed’s favourite gauge of inflation. Given the previous inflation data, we know that inflation has certainly eased, but not as much as expected. Eurozone Across the Atlantic Ocean, the European stocks gained and the euro fell on Thursday, even though the latest inflation data from the eurozone revealed that the core inflation advanced to a record high. Japan While the data released this morning showed that inflation in Japan rose to 4.3%, a 41-year high, and gave a rapid boost to the yen, sending the USDJPY down to the 134 mark. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 Mixed reaction to mixed data 3:55 Watch US PCE index today! 5:40 European stocks up, euro down after record core CPI. Why?! 7:38 Japanese inflation hits 41-year high 8:25 Turkey cuts rate despite inflation threat Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #USD #EUR #JPY #GDP #inflation #data #Turkey #rate #decision #TRY #EuroStoxx #DAX #BIST #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    The Fear of Strong Jobs: How US Labor Market Resilience Sparks Global Financial Panic

    Summary Of The Week 20-24.02.2023 In Stock Market

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 26.02.2023 12:42
    Expectations of interest rate rises by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) may be rising as a result of the report of their last meeting, where members declared increased action to combat inflation. This had a negative impact on sentiment, among others, in the US market. What else did the past week reveal to us? Macroeconomic data We started the week of key macroeconomic data on Tuesday. First, we learned about economic sentiment readings in Germany. The PMI industrial managers' sentiment index came in worse than expected at 46.5 (47.8 was expected), while the sentiment index for the next six months among financial analysts positively beat expectations at 28.1 (22 was expected). This is a continuation of the increase in this indicator for 5 months. Rising expectations seem to be keeping the DAX index (DE40) up, which closed at the same level it was at the beginning of the week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, DE40, Daily On the same day, we learnt readings of sentiment indicators from the UK, which surprised analysts positively. The PMI for both manufacturing and service sectors came in at 53 points (49 points were expected). This is the first reading above 50 points since August 2022, which could indicate expected future growth in this economy. This would also be confirmed by UK company valuations. The UK100 Index (UK100) is currently reaching its historic highs. Source: Conotoxia MT5, UK100, Daily We started Wednesday with Germany's CPI inflation reading for February. It was in line with expectations at 8.7%, the first increase in German inflation since November 2022. However, it seems that the most important thing of the day was the minutes of the February FOMC meeting. The transcript of the discussion may have triggered a downward reaction in the US market, as more policymakers opted for a repeat of December's half percentage point rate hike. Most participants in the discussion agreed that it was appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by another 25 basis points, with many saying they were willing to consider a larger range of future hikes to bring inflation back to the target of around 2% as soon as possible. The FOMC reaffirmed that inflation remains elevated, with growing concerns over Russia's actions, as well as the loosening of Covid tightening in China, continuing to contribute heavily to heightened global uncertainty and posing significant risks to continued high inflation. The S&P 500 Index (US500) is down almost 2% this week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Daily We started Thursday with the Eurozone CPI inflation reading for January. It turned out to be in line with analysts' expectations, coming in at 8.6% and losing momentum for the fifth time in a month. On the same day, we learnt the GDP reading from the United States, which was slightly worse than analysts' consensus at 2.7% (annualised, 2.9% was expected). We also learned about the number of new claims for unemployment benefits: 192,000 (200,000 expected). It seems that despite the economic slowdown, the US economy remains stable. At the end of the week, we learned the GDP results for the German economy. The market now seems to be struggling with a slowdown, as the reading was minus 0.4% m/m. (minus 0.2% m/m was expected) and this is the second consecutive downward reading. The stock market Following the publication of the transcript of the FOMC meeting discussions, shares of companies from almost all sectors of the S&P 500 index were able to fall. The energy sector lost the most, by as much as 3.2%, while the consumer goods sector (up 0.6%) was the only gainer. What may seem interesting is that the declines in the energy sector came despite increases in commodity prices. Natural gas futures prices have risen by almost 8% since the beginning of the week. Oil prices remained unchanged. Source: https://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker This week we continue with companies' quarterly reports for Q4 2022. On Tuesday, the largest US retailer, Walmart (Walmart), released its financial results. The chain reported earnings per share EPS of US$1.71 (US$1.52 was expected) and higher-than-expected sales revenue. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Walmart, Daily Technology giant Nvidia (Nvidia) delivered a better-than-expected report on Wednesday. EPS came in at US$0.88 (US$0.81 was expected). The company's shares opened the following day 14% above the previous close following the report. On Thursday, US online accommodation and other travel services booking company Booking (Booking) reported better-than-expected EPS of US$24.74 (US$22 was expected). Source: Conotoxia MT5, NVIDIA, Daily The week ended in the red for most companies, with technology giant Alphabet (Google) pioneering the biggest falls, down more than 6%. Source: https://finviz.com/map.ashx?t=sec&st=w1 Currency and cryptocurrency market After the FOMC 'minutes', the US dollar began to strengthen significantly, as could be seen in the quotations of the EUR/USD pair, which has fallen by 1.1% since the beginning of the week. The Australian dollar lost significantly: quotations of the AUD/USD pair fell by 1.6% since the beginning of the week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, EURUSD, Daily We may see a correction in the cryptocurrency market after a successful start to the year. The price of bitcoin has fallen by more than 3% over the course of this week, while ethereum has fallen by 2.9%. bitcoin seems to have stopped at a price of US$25,000. However, despite the recent increases, an outflow of funds from this market could be noticed. The capitalisation of stablecoin fell by almost 2% m/m. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Inflation Numbers Signal Potential Pause in Fed Rate Hikes Amid Softening Categories

    Next Week: Purchasing Managers Indexes Are Due Next Week In Three Major Economies And Eurozone CPI

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 26.02.2023 13:11
    Purchasing Managers Indexes are due next week in three major economies, which may allow to assess the state of manufacturing in each country and draw some comparable conclusions between them.   Tuesday 28.02. 15:00 GMT, US Conference Board Consumer Confidence (February) Conference Board (CB) Consumer Confidence index measures the consumer confidence level in economic activity. It is a leading indicator that can predict consumer spending, which plays a significant role in overall economic activity. Higher readings indicate greater consumer optimism. A reference point of 100 that is used is the consumer confidence index from 1985.  The consumer confidence index fell from 109.0 in December to 107.1 in January, below the expected 109.0. In particular, consumers were less optimistic about short-term job prospects and expected business conditions to worsen. Nevertheless, consumers expected their incomes to remain stable over the coming months. Purchase intentions for cars, and household appliances remained stable. However, fewer consumers were planning to buy a new or existing home. The consumer confidence index is expected to rise to 109.5 in February.  Higher than expected reading may have a bullish effect on the USD, while a lower-than-expected reading could be bearish for the USD. Impact: USD Wednesday 01.03. 01:30 GMT, China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) (February) The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) provides the first indication of economic activity in the Chinese manufacturing sector as purchasing managers are considered to have access to first-hand data on the performance of their companies. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction in the manufacturing sector. China's PMI spent most of 2022 in contraction territory, as the economy faced production disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month's PMI was better than expected, showing the first sign of expansion since September 2022 - 50.1 versus the expected 49.8 and December's 47.0. This month's reading could indicate whether China's manufacturing sector is continuing its upward trend or whether January's positive reading was just a one-off boost. February's PMI is expected to come in at 49.8, indicating a slight contraction in the manufacturing sector. Better-than-expected results may be seen as bullish for the CNY, while lower results may be bearish for the CNY. Impact: CNY Wednesday 01.03. 09:30 GMT, UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) (preliminary February data) UK Manufacturing PMI has shown signs of an even sharper contraction than China's. The last time the UK PMI was in expansion territory was in August 2022; since then, the figure has slipped closer to 45. Preliminary data for February are expected to show a slight increase from last month (47.5 versus 47). A UK PMI index below 50 may indicate that the UK manufacturing sector is experiencing uncertainty about the economic outlook and has reduced demand due to lower risk appetite and higher borrowing costs.  Higher than expected reading may have a bullish effect on the GBP, while a lower-than-expected reading could be bearish for the GBP.  Impact: GBP Wednesday 01.03. 15:00 GMT, US ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) (February) The US manufacturing PMI is close to the UK manufacturing PMI - last month's PMI was reported at 47.4. One visible difference between the two is that the UK PMI index has been fairly stable, with signs of improvement in recent months, while the US PMI index has been gradually falling since December 2021. February's data are expected to show a slight increase to 47.9, ending the downward trend. However, the actual data have been lower than forecast for the past 3 months.  A higher-than-expected reading could be bullish for the USD, while a lower-than-expected reading could be bearish for the USD.  Impact: USD Thursday 02.03. 10:00 GMT, Eurozone Consumer Price Index (CPI) YoY (preliminary February data) The CPI measures the change in prices consumers pay for a given basket of goods and services compared to a year ago. The CPI is the most widely used measure  of inflation - a higher index means higher inflation. The inflation outlook for the euro area appears to be influenced by two opposing factors. On the one hand, lower-than-forecast energy prices may push down inflation faster than previously thought. On the other hand, the pass-through pressure of energy and commodities inflation to production costs is not yet over, keeping the overall inflation high. In addition, as the geopolitical situation in Europe seems  not improving, the ongoing price negotiations in the agricultural sector could lead to higher-than-expected prices, giving an additional boost to inflation figures. This results in a slightly lower inflation rate compared to the double-digit numbers at the end of 2022, but still a long way from the ECB's 2% target. Higher-than-expected data may have a bullish impact on the EUR and a bearish impact on the stock market, while lower-than-expected data may have a bearish effect on the EUR and a bullish impact on the stock market.  Impact: EUR, DAX, STOXX Stocks to watch Target (TGT) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 01/2023. Forecast: 1.39. Positive earnings surprise in 7 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Tuesday, February 28, before the market opens. Costco (COT) announcing its earnings results for the quarter ending on 02/2023. Forecast: 3.21. Positive earnings surprise in 6 out of the last 10 reports. Time: Thursday, March 2, after the market closes. Santa Zvaigzne-Sproge, CFA, Head of Investment Advice Department at Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis, and opinions contained, referenced, or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. The personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement, or investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Taming the Dollar: Assessing Powell's Hawkish Tone Amidst BRICS Expansion

    US Stocks Market: Dow Jones Fell 1.02% To A One-Month Low

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 27.02.2023 08:00
    Earlier on Friday, it became known that the income of the US population in January rose by 0.6% compared to December, while consumer spending increased by 1.8% in monthly terms. At the same time, analysts had expected revenue growth of 1% and cost growth of 1.3%. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index was also released, reflecting the degree of household confidence in the US economy. Thus, the University of Michigan (Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index), the index in February increased to 67 points from 64.9 points in January, with an initial estimate of 66.4 points. At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 1.02% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 index fell 1.05%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 1.69%. Dow Jones Dow Inc was the top gainer among the components of the Dow Jones in today's trading, up 0.60 points (1.05%) to close at 57.79. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 0.90% or 1.26 points to close at 140.93. Verizon Communications Inc rose 0.21 points or 0.55% to close at 38.74. The least gainers were Boeing Co, which shed 9.98 points or 4.80% to end the session at 198.15. Microsoft Corporation was up 2.18% or 5.55 points to close at 249.22, while Intel Corporation was down 1.84% or 0.47 points to close at 25.14.  S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Linde PLC, which rose 4.75% to 347.64, Edison International, which gained 4.21% to close at 68.63, and Coterra Energy Inc, which rose 3.61% to end the session at 25.56. The biggest gainer was Autodesk Inc, which shed 12.95% to close at 192.53. Shares of Live Nation Entertainment Inc shed 10.08% to end the session at 68.78. Quotes of Adobe Systems Incorporated decreased in price by 7.63% to 320.54.  NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings Inc, which rose 78.73% to hit 7.90, Cyren Ltd, which gained 61.90% to close at 0.34. as well as Connexa Sports Technologies Inc, which rose 49.43% to end the session at 0.21. The least gainers were Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc, which shed 56.09% to close at 5.66. Shares of Sellas Life Sciences Group Inc lost 53.66% to end the session at 1.71. Quotes of ObsEva SA decreased in price by 50.77% to 0.08. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2,150) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (867), while quotes of 88 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,731 stocks fell, 914 rose, and 169 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 2.51% to 21.67. Gold Gold futures for April delivery shed 0.47%, or 8.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for April delivery rose 1.53%, or 1.15, to $76.54 a barrel. Brent futures for April delivery rose 1.34%, or 1.10, to $83.31 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.43% to 1.05, while USD/JPY rose 1.28% to hit 136.43. Futures on the USD index rose 0.61% to 105.17.     Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-28 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/314036
    How investors can best position themselves amid unclear Federal Reserve rate outlook?

    The PCE Deflator For January Came In Hotter-Than-Expected, Japanese Yen Is The Weakest G10 Currency

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 27.02.2023 08:16
    Summary:  Equities and bonds took a hit on Friday amid another hot inflation data from the US as the January PCE came in higher-than-expected. That saw a hawkish shift in market expectations of the Fed path, bringing the terminal rate pricing to 5.4% and reducing the rate cuts priced in for 2023. US 2yr yields surged to fresh highs with the dollar higher as well, and Japanese yen being the weakest G10 currency amid Ueda’s neutral stance at the testimony. Focus this week on geopolitics amid China’s peace proposal, while more convincing signs of a pickup in Chinese activity are also awaited.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) tumbled as expectations of the Fed rate path shifted The white-hot Personal Consumption Price Indices released on Friday weighed on U.S. equities as investors increased rate hike expectations to 25 basis points each in the March, May, and June FOMC meetings as well as the expectation for rate cuts in the second half of 2023 almost completely vanished. The S&P 500 lost 1.1% and the Nasdaq 100 plunged 1.7%, bringing the weekly losses of the two benchmark indices to 2.9% and 3.8% respectively. Nine of the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined on Friday, with the rate-sensitive real estate sector and information technology sector, each down 1.8%, leading the charge lower. Autodesk, a leading computer-assisted design software firm tumbled 12.9% on releasing downbeat Q1 earnings guidance below analyst estimates and was the biggest loser in the S&P500 and Nasdaq 100 on Friday. Boeing (BA:xnys) lost 4.8%, following the aircraft manufacturing giant halted deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner jets due to documentation problems. Live Nation Entertainment (LYV:xnys) plunged 10% amid concerns over the COVID reopening play having peaked and increases in regulatory scrutiny. Farfetch (FTCH:xnys), an online luxury apparel product retailer, jumped 11% following an upbeat outlook for 2023. Farfetch is one of the constituent stocks in Saxo’s newly released Luxury Goods theme basket. US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) extended a five-week losing streak Treasuries tumbled in price, rising in yields after the stronger-than-expected PCE reports which registered strong upticks in January (including upward revisions of December data). Powell’s favoured measure, PCE Services less Housing jumped to 4.6% Y/Y in January from 4.3% Y/Y in December. The market has moved to completely price in at least a 25bp hike each at the March, May, and June FOMC meeting plus about a 25% chance that the hike in March is 50bps, bringing the terminal rate to 5.4. SOFR Jun-Dec 2023 spread narrowed 11bps to -11.5bps, eliminating expectations for rate cuts in the second half of 2023. Yields on the 2-year surged 12bps on Friday or 20bps over the week to 4.81%, the highest level since 2007. Yields on the 10-year climbed 7bps on Friday or 13bps over the week to 3.94% Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) lost nearly 12% from January highs Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index declined 1.7% bringing the 4th weekly loss in a row to 3.4% or nearly 12% from its intraday high on 27 January. China Internet names reported quarterly results generally in line with market consensus estimates but investors tended to trim positions as sentiment was dampened by resurge of tension between the U.S. and China over Russia and Ukraine and the lack of substantive recovery in the Chinese economy aside from credit expansion and survey data. During the week, JD.com (09618xhkg) was down 15%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) down 9.5%, and Meituan (03690:xhkg) down 6.8%, as concerns about competition heating up among eCommerce platforms. Alibaba announced results beating estimates but the shares of the eCommerce giant plunged 4.6% on Friday following management comments on the need to increase investments to stay competitive in the year ahead. On Friday, NetEase (09999:xhkg) plunged 11.2%, following an earnings miss dragged down by recognition of royalty fees on expiration of game licence. Techtronic (00669:xhkg) bounced 4.4% but was still down more than 22% over the week on an alleged overstatement of earnings by capitalizing expenses. The auto space was sold, led by a 9.1% decline in Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg). Baidu (09888:xhkg) slid 6% in the Hong Kong bourse while A-share ChatGPT concept names rallied in mainland bourses. Digital China (000034:xsec) advanced by 6.8%. CSI300 slid 1% on Friday but managed to finish the week 0.7% higher and stay above its 50 and 200-day moving averages. Financial, food and beverage, and new energy vehicle stocks led the charge lower on Friday while defense and computing names bucked the decline. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) are continuing their short term down trend That said, stocks benefiting from the economic reopening are up the most this year, including Flight Centre, Eagers Automative which are trading up over 20% this year. In terms of the ASX200 sectors- the Consumer Discretionary sector is up the most, up 8%, YTD, followed by the Information Technology sector up 6%. While the Mining (Materials) and Finanical sectors have been pulling back, which is pressuring the market. Some investors were spooked by weaker than expected results from BHP and RIO last year, while big banks such as CBA are allocating more capital for the year ahead - for bad debts provisions, as consumers are felling the pinch of higher interest rates. All in all, the ASX200 is continuing its short term downtrend/correction amid the RBA’s more hawkish tone. For the technical levels to watch, read our Technical Analyst, Kim Cramer Larsson’s note. Australia’s oil and gas giant - Woodside Energy (WDS) reported results today; delivering profits that more than trebled in 2022 - with bottom line profits up 228% - fuelled by the oil and gas price rallies, but also as it acquired BHP’s oil and gas business. Woodside reported a larger final dividend with of US$1.44 a share, up from US$1.05 a share at the same time last year. Its full year pay-out stands at US$4.8 billion thanks to cash flows surging. This sets the tone for energy companies for 2023. Keep in mind at Saxo, we expect the oil price to stay around $80 this quarter and move up to $90 next quarter. FX: Japanese yen at YTD lows, GBP in focus with Brexit talks The dollar strength was back in focus as PCE data on Friday in the US continued to push upwards the repricing of the Fed’s path. With 2year yields surging to their fresh highs, along with BOJ governor nominee Kazuo Ueda’s continued push for a loose monetary policy coming against market’s hawkish expectations, saw the Japanese yen plunge to its lowest levels this year. USDJPY now back top testing 136.50 and Ueda’s testimony in the upper house will be in focus today. Also worth watch will be AUDUSD which plunged in close sights of 0.67 with risk sentiment and commodity prices taking a beating. UK PM Sunak is making headlines with reports saying that he may have won big concessions in the looming Brexit deal, with reports suggesting that an agreement between the UK and European Union on Northern Ireland appears to be very close. UK PM Sunak and EU head Ursula Von Der Leyen will hold talks mid-day on Monday. There are being described as 'final talks'. This will be followed by a news conference and Sunak’s statement to the parliament. GBPUSD dropped below 1.20 with the 200DMA at 1.1928 in focus. Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) reversed higher on Friday Crude oil prices jumped back higher recording gains of 1.2% on Friday, and extended gains in the Asian morning hours amid reports of further supply disruptions as Poland’s largest oil company unexpectedly stopped receiving oil via Russia’s Druzhba pipeline. Still, unconvincing signs of a pickup in demand from China so far continues to keep oil prices range-bound, and focus this week will be on geopolitics as well as China’s PMIs. WTI futures are now back above $76/barrel after taking a look below $74 last week, while Brent is above $83. Copper broke the $4 support With the US PCE data further aggravating concerns on Fed’s rate hike path and bringing the 2-year yields to fresh highs, base metals plummeted. Copper prices plunged below the key $4 support to $3.95, closing Friday with a weekly loss of 4%. Incongruent signs of a pickup in Chinese demand also continue to underpin, and the PMI reports this week will be key to signal whether activity levels are picking up. However, with supply potentially struggling to keep up with demand, we view the current weakness as temporary and part of the general loss of confidence that has hit markets this month. Gold (XAUUSD) breaks support but losses still contained Higher US dollar in the aftermath of hot US data and higher yields has weighed on the yellow metal. Gold prices broke below the $1820 support to lows of $1809 bringing the key 1800 level in focus. Risk remains of a further weakness towards $1788 followed by the 200DMA at $1776 amid a tough macro environment. US ISM PMIs in focus this week, along with more Fed speakers, as a guide to high how interest rates could go. Silver (XAGUSD) fell harder, down 2.5% on Friday and closing with a weekly loss of 4.5%, breaking below the 200DMA at $21.   What to consider? Hot US PCE brings terminal rate expectations up to 5.4% The PCE deflator for January came in hotter-than-expected, and together with upward revisions to the previous month’s prints these sent a strong hawkish signal to the markets reinforcing the Fed’s higher-for-longer message. Core PCE rose 4.7% Y/Y, accelerating from the upwardly revised 4.6% and above the expected 4.3%. The M/M rose 0.6%, hotter than the expected and upwardly revised prior of 0.4%. This brought an upward repricing of the Fed path, with increasing calls for 50bps at the March meeting and the terminal rate now priced in at 5.4% and only one rate cut being priced in for this year from three previously. US consumer confidence also rose in February to its highest in a year, with University of Michigan sentiment accelerating to 67 from 66.4 in January. Personal incomes grew 0.6% MoM in January, a notch below expectations but consumer spending was higher-than-expected at 1.8% due to low savings rates and increased use of consumer credit. Resilient spending, along with sustained wage growth, means Fed could continue to find it tough to bring inflation back to its 2% target. Fed members continue to remain cautious on the path of inflation Fed voter Jefferson spoke about labor market strength on Friday, saying that ongoing imbalance between supply/demand for labour suggests high inflation may come down only slowly and said the argument that policymakers should accept that disinflation will be costly is well-reasoned. Bullard (non-voter) was on the wires again as well, and reaffirmed the need to move quickly to shield credibility. Collins, also a non-voter, said that recent US data affirms the case for more rate hikes. Mester (non-voter) said the Fed has to do "a little more" on rate hikes saying the new inflation data affirms the case for more rate hikes to get inflation back to target. BOJ Ueda’s upper house testimony on tap today After Friday’s testimony in the lower house of the parliament, Bank of Japan governor nominee Kazuo Ueda now moves to the upper house today. His initial policy stance appeared to be confirming continuity of the current ultra-easy monetary policy in Japan, coming against market’s hawkish expectations. This saw the yen plunge 1.3% on Friday against the USD and being the weakest currency on the G10 board. Today markets will be looking at more hints on what tweaks may be considered by Ueda and lack of further color could mean more weakness in the yen, especially with global yields surging to new highs. Geopolitics remains in focus with China’s peace proposal talks After threats from US about making public the information on China supplying weapons to Russia, China came up with a 12-point peace proposal on Friday to be a neutral mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Reports suggested that China’s proposal took a clear anti-West stance, condemning NATO extension and sanctions against Russia, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled he's open to China's new ceasefire plan and meeting President Xi. How these events turn this week will be key to watch, especially US comments and support to Ukraine if it was to accept China as a mediator. China’s Q4 Report on the Execution of Monetary Policy emphasized stability and signalled not to induce excessive investment, debts, and bubbles China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, said in its Q4 Report on the Execution of Monetary Policy that the primary objective of countercyclical monetary policy was to smooth the volatility in aggregate demand so as to avoid the destructive effects of excessive fluctuations of aggregate demand on the factors of production and the wealth of the society. The report emphasizes that the force of monetary policy must be stable and not bring about excessive liquidity that induces excessive investment, a surge in debts, and asset bubbles. In support of the real economy, the Q4 Report emphasizes stability and sustainability of credit growth but omits the stronger wording of “more forceful” and “increases of credit support” that were in the Q3 Report. China may be sending a signal to lower the expectations of the market on monetary easing.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Hot US PCE brings 2yr yields to fresh highs – 27 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Pfizer Is In The Early Stages Of An Acquisition Of Biotech Company Seagen, Twitter's Staff Has Shrunk Since Elon Musk Took Over

    Pfizer Is In The Early Stages Of An Acquisition Of Biotech Company Seagen, Twitter's Staff Has Shrunk Since Elon Musk Took Over

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 27.02.2023 09:26
    After talks between Seagen and Merck & Co fail, Pfizer tries to acquire Seagen. Musk is cutting jobs and other costs at the social media company, which has suffered financial losses since it acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in late October. Pfizer and Seagen Pfizer is in talks to acquire Seagen. Talks are in the early stages and there is no guarantee there will be an agreement, people said. A number of hurdles would need to be overcome, including the ability to carry out a rigorous antitrust assessment of each proposal. If a deal were to be struck, it would be a big one: Seagen has a market value of around $30 billion and is expected to earn a premium on top of that. Benefits for Pfizer The deal would help Pfizer, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies with $100 billion in sales last year, add a class of agents to its cancer drug portfolio that has shown promise in so-called immunotherapies against some of the most common cancers. It could also help Pfizer offset the $17 billion in sales the company predicts it could lose due to patent lapses by 2030. Pfizer has set a goal of adding $25 billion in revenue by the end of the decade from business development activities, including acquisitions. Seagen had nearly $2 billion in sales last year. Read next: The Effect Of Shifting The Aggregate Demand Curve - Demand Shocks| FXMAG.COM Pfizer's situation New York Pfizer is full of cash. The drugmaker makes about $22.7 billion from sales of its Covid-19 vaccines, drugs, and other products. Last year, Pfizer acquired sickle drug maker Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. for over $5 billion, and the rest Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holdings Co. for over $10 billion. Seagen and Merck & Co Seagen was in advanced talks last year for a takeover by Merck & Co., in a deal that would be worth $40 billion or more, The Wall Street Journal reported at the time, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Pfizer share price After reaching 54.48 in mid-December last year, Pfizer's share price dropped significantly. Stock prices recently closed at 41.75. Seagen share price Seagen shares rose to 162.53 after Feb. 10, then fell. After another slight increase, stock prices closed at 161.37. Twitter’s layoff Twitter Inc. carried out another round of job cuts over the weekend, the latest among thousands of staff cuts under new owner Elon Musk. The cuts come as billionaire Mr. Musk makes sweeping changes to the platform, including lowering costs, releasing new features and changing content moderation policies. Musk said in November that the layoffs were necessary because Twitter was losing more than $4 million a day. Around this time, many major advertisers stopped spending on the platform. Major changes Elon Musk adds and enhances Twitter Inc platform features. at a rapid pace since the acquisition . Significant changes so far include Twitter Blue's new subscription service and a new version of the algorithm-driven feed, renamed TikTok "For You," which recommends content to users beyond the accounts they follow. Other changes include allowing US subscribers to write tweets of up to 4,000 characters; golden checkmarks for corporate accounts and gray checkmarks for government accounts, and closing popular third-party apps such as Tweetbot and Twitterrific, which some users have used to get other features not offered by the typical Twitter platform. Twitter has added a view count to tweets, which Musk said helps users know their tweets are being seen. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    The Commodities Feed: US announces SPR purchase

    Crude Oil Remains Anchored Near The Lower, US PCE inflation data on Friday spooked the market

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 27.02.2023 09:42
    Summary:  US PCE inflation data on Friday spooked the market as the Fed terminal rate for this year was taken higher still, with discussion of the risk of larger hikes even afoot. Both the US S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq 100 touched their 200-day moving averages intraday on Friday as yields jumped. This week’s focus still on geopolitical developments, faltering confidence in the China re-opening narrative and US Feb. ISM Surveys Wednesday and Friday, with the key US employment figures not up until next week. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): bonds will continue to dictate where equities go US equities continued their decline on Friday with S&P 500 futures declined 1.1% to the lowest close since around mid-January as US inflation figures (PCE deflator) surprised to the upside. As we have explained in recent equity notes the equity market will be driven by the talk about structural inflation over the coming months and how that discussion recalibrates long-term US bond yields to higher levels. In late April and May when the Q1 earnings are released the discussion about margin compression will heat up again, so there are plenty of downside risks still in equities in 2023. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and CSI300 (000300.I) slid amid economic, policy, and geopolitical uncertainties Hang Seng Index and CSI300 extended their declines with both indices falling around 0.4-0.5%. Investors trimmed positions as sentiment was dampened by resurge of tension between the U.S. and China over Russia and Ukraine and the lack of substantive recovery in the Chinese economy aside from credit expansion and survey data. China’s central bank emphasized in its Q4 Report on the Execution of Monetary Policy that the monetary policy must be stable and not bring about excessive liquidity that induces excessive investment, a surge in debts, and asset bubbles. Investors interpreted that as a signal to lower the expectations of the market on aggressive monetary easing. The CCP’s central committee is holding a meeting from 26-28 February to decide on the recommendation list of candidates for top government posts to be sent to the National People’s Congress to finalize during the latter’s meeting commencing from 5 March. FX: Japanese yen touched YTD lows, GBP in focus with Brexit talks The dollar strength was back in focus as hot core January PCE inflation data on Friday took the repricing of the Fed’s path higher once again. With 2-year yields surging to their fresh highs, along with BOJ governor nominee Kazuo Ueda’s continued push for a loose monetary policy coming against market’s hawkish expectations, the Japanese yen plunged to its lowest levels this year, with USDJPY testing 136.50 overnight. Also worth watch will be AUDUSD which plunged in close sights of 0.67 as risk sentiment and commodity prices are taking a beating. Elsewhere, UK PM Sunak is making headlines with reports saying that he may have won big concessions in the looming Brexit deal, with reports suggesting that an agreement between the UK and European Union on Northern Ireland appears to be very close. UK PM Sunak and EU head Ursula Von Der Leyen will hold talks mid-day on Monday. These are being described as 'final talks'. This will be followed by a news conference and Sunak’s statement to the parliament. GBPUSD dropped below 1.20 with the 200DMA at 1.1928 in focus. Crude oil remains anchored near lower end of range Crude oil remains anchored near the lower end of its the established range that has prevailed since the end of 2022, in Brent between $80 and $89, and WTI between $82 and $73. Overall, the sentiment across markets, including commodities, suffered another blow last week after traders and investors in response to another hot US inflation data increased forecasts for US interest rates. Higher rates may hurt economic growth and with that fuel demand from consumers. China meanwhile remains on a recovery track but for now it has only prevented an even deeper selloff in crude oil. A disruption in oil supply to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia, a day after Poland delivered its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine, is having a limited impact. Speculators meanwhile hold an elevated long position in Brent according to COT data released on Friday (see below). In focus this week, the annual International Energy Week which kicks off in London on Tuesday. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps towards next area of support The US dollar reached a multi-week peak in the aftermath of hot US data and together with higher yields have weighed on the yellow metal, with gold risking further weakness towards the 200DMA at $1776 amid a tough macro environment. US ISM PMIs in focus this week, along with more Fed speakers, as a guide to high how interest rates could go. Silver (XAGUSD) fell harder, down 2.5% on Friday and closing with a weekly loss of 4.5%, breaking below the 200DMA at $21. The gold-silver ratio meanwhile has spiked to 87.80 high, a 16% underperformance relative to gold since mid-December. Copper trades below $4 support With the US PCE data further aggravating concerns on Fed’s rate hike path and bringing the 2-year yields to fresh highs, base metals plummeted. Copper prices plunged to a seven-week low below the key $4 support with the next key support being the 200DMA at $3.77, the break above which triggered January’s surge. Incongruent signs of a pickup in Chinese demand also continue to underpin, and the PMI reports this week will be key to signal whether activity levels are picking up. However, with supply over time potentially struggling to keep up with demand, we view the current weakness as temporary and part of the general loss of confidence that has hit markets this month. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) jump after hot core PCE inflation data The hot core US January PCE inflation data released on Friday (more below) shocked US yields to new cycle highs, with the 2-year treasury benchmark yield reaching above 4.8% for the first time since 2007 as the market moved to completely price in at least a 25bp hike each at the March, May, and June FOMC meeting plus about a 25% chance that the hike in March is 50bps, bringing the terminal rate to 5.4. The Jun-Dec 2023 spread narrowed 11bps to -11.5bps, almost entirely eliminating expectations for rate cuts in the second half of 2023. Ten-year yields poked toward the recent cycle highs just shy of 4.00% and the 2-10 yield slope closed the week at a new multi-decade inversion record of –89 basis points (an intraday spike on Feb. 15 saw it briefly below –90 bps). What is going on? Hot US PCE brings Fed terminal rate expectations up to 5.4% The PCE deflator for January came in hotter-than-expected, and together with upward revisions to the previous month’s prints these sent a strong hawkish signal to the markets reinforcing the Fed’s higher-for-longer message. The Core PCE rose 4.7% Y/Y, accelerating from the upwardly revised 4.6% and above the expected 4.3%. The M/M rose 0.6%, hotter than the expected and upwardly revised prior of 0.4%. This brought an upward repricing of the Fed path, with increasing calls for 50 bps at the March meeting and the terminal rate now priced in at 5.4% (82+ bps of further hiking from current level) and the end-2023 expectation at –12 bps relative to peak rates, Fed members remain cautious on the path of inflation Fed voter Jefferson spoke about labor market strength on Friday, saying that ongoing imbalance between supply/demand for labour suggests high inflation may come down only slowly and said the argument that policymakers should accept that disinflation will be costly is well-reasoned. Bullard (non-voter) was on the wires again as well, and reaffirmed the need to move quickly to shield credibility. Collins, also a non-voter, said that recent US data affirms the case for more rate hikes. Mester (non-voter) said the Fed has to do "a little more" on rate hikes saying the new inflation data affirms the case for more rate hikes to get inflation back to target. Geopolitics remains in focus with China’s peace proposal talks After threats from US about making public the information on China supplying weapons to Russia, China came up with a 12-point peace proposal on Friday to be a neutral mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Reports suggested that China’s proposal took a clear anti-West stance, condemning NATO extension and sanctions against Russia, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled he's open to China's new ceasefire plan and meeting President Xi. How these events turn this week will be key to watch, especially US comments and support to Ukraine if it was to accept China as a mediator. COT data shows unwavering support for higher Brent prices The ICE Futures Europe exchange released four weeks' worth of delayed COT data on Friday with reporting now up to date following the January cyber-attack on ION Trading UK, which caused delays in trades being reported. The US CFTC meanwhile released one COT report for the week ending January 31 with data unlikely to be up to date for another three weeks. ICE Brent data showed unwavering support for higher prices with funds holding a net long of 277k lots, a 16-month high and the weakest gross short position at 28k since 2011. The ICE gasoil (diesel) net long meanwhile dropped to 33.7k lots and lowest since November 2020. The futures contract (FPH3) trades near a one-year low with refinery margins under pressure as Middle East and Asian shipments replace supply from Russia. Food price inflation continues to ease One year on from the Russian attack on Ukraine which triggered a surge in wheat, corn and edible oils we a seeing prices continuing to deflate. Global wheat prices remain under pressure from a flood of Russian supplies forcing EU and US sellers to lower prices to stay competitive. In Chicago the soon to expire March wheat contract trades near a 17-month low, down 48% from the March 2022 panic peak while Paris Milling wheat has declined by 38%. The focus is turning to the outlook for global wheat crops this year. According to Bloomberg, US farmers are likely to plant more than analysts expect, and nearly all of France’s soft-wheat crop is in good to very good shape. Traders are also watching talks on the Ukraine grain-export deal, which is up for renewal in March. Berkshire Hathaway Q4 operating earnings miss estimates Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway announced over the weekend operating earnings of $6.7bn vs est. $7.3bn driven by weaker results in its railroad and insurance businesses due to higher input costs for materials and labour. Berkshire Hathaway is still striking a positive outlook on the US economy. Warren Buffett also talks about the repurchases saying that they are not all bad if they are bought below the fair value. Woodside Energy reported profits triple in 2022 Following the theme of strong energy company earnings reports Woodside’s bottom line profits rose 228% fuelled by the rise of oil and gas prices, but also as Woodside output rose over 70%, after it acquired BHP’s oil and gas business. Woodside reported a larger final dividend of $1.44 per share, up from $1.05 a year ago. Its full year dividends payout stands at $4.8bn. On top of that, Woodside is now seeking opportunities to expand again narrowing in on potential buying assets in the Gulf of Mexico. Woodside’s record profit results follow a set of strong numbers from oil and gas producers including Shell, BP and Santos. This also sets the tone for energy companies in 2023. Woodside Energy shares ended 1.5% higher on Monday in Australia. Keep an eye on US and London listed Woodside.  Read next: Pfizer Is In The Early Stages Of An Acquisition Of Biotech Company Seagen, Twitter's Staff Has Shrunk Since Elon Musk Took Over| FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? China Government Work Report is delivered on 5 March This year’s Government Work Report will be delivered on 5 March. This will provide more details on policy action for urbanization and the property market. There will likely be two main points of interest: affordability (measures to increase accessibility to mortgage loans) and rural construction (focus on rural land transfers and reduction of complexity in regulation). With further stimulus measures in sight, we are confident that China will probably announce a higher GDP target at the upcoming National People’s Congress – meaning 5.5 %. US ISM surveys to be the next test for yields and US dollar The recent data out of the US has shown firm inflation and growth dynamics, prompting an upward repricing of the Fed’s path and bringing yields to critical levels. The ISM surveys this week will be key to watch for further direction, with the manufacturing survey out on Wednesday and services out on Friday. The consensus is for the manufacturing ISM to improve to 48.0 in February from 47.4 in January, but still in contraction (below 50) for a fourth consecutive month. The ISM services index saw a surge to 55.2 in January after a drop to 49.2 in December, partially a reflection of winter weather trends. Gains are likely to moderate, and consensus expects 54.5. EVs in focus – Tesla Investor Day and Li Auto and NIO report earnings China reopening theme is under strain, with the Asian reporting season underway, and this week brings earnings reports from two large EV manufacturers. Li Auto (02015:xhkg/LI:xnas) reported on Monday before China open while Nio (09866:xhkg/NIO:xnas) reports on Wednesday. It will be key to watch how Tesla’s steep discounts and the end of government subsidies impacts the outlooks for these two Chinese EV manufacturers which got off to a slow start this year, and whether the decline in lithium prices lifts the outlook higher. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) will hold an Investor Day event on March 1 in what could be one of the key days of the year for the electric vehicle giant. Nio, Li Auto and XPeng (09868:xhkg/XPEV:xnys) also report February deliveries this week, and China’s EV and battery giant BYD (01211:xhkg/BYD:xnys) should release February sales by Friday. Occidental earnings preview Oil and gas companies have again reported the best earnings growth this US and Australian corporate reporting season - with increased profits and higher dividends from Shell, BP and Santos. Occidental Petroleum’s outlook will be a focus today, as well as Canadian Natural Resources results later in the week. Occidental is expected to report its highest-ever Q4 net income, with the US energy giant set to benefit from high energy prices amid tight supplies. The oil and gas giant generated about $2.8bn in free cash flow in the period after years of austerity and debt reduction, according to Bloomberg consensus. Investors will closely monitor its 2023 spending and capital-returns outlook with adjusted EPS of $1.79 expected. Occidental's shares are down 6.6% this year. Earnings to watch Today’s key US earnings releases are Occidental Petroleum, Li Auto, and Zoom Video with a preview of Occidental Petroleum in the section above. Zoom Video will be watched as many retail investors still have a big interest in this pandemic winning company with analysts expecting FY23 Q4 (ending 31 Jan) up 3% y/y and EBITDA of $353mn up from $278mn a year ago. Li Auto is also in focus as the electric vehicle adoption continues to accelerate with Chinese production expected to expand more rapidly in 2023 as the zero-Covid policy has ended. Analysts expect Li Auto revenue growth of 66% y/y. The three other key earnings we are watching this are Salesforce, Snowflake, and Coupang which we highlight in our earnings watch note from last Friday. Monday: Woodside Energy, Alcon, Occidental Petroleum, Workday, Li Auto, Zoom Video Tuesday: Bayer, Moncler, ASM International, Target, Monster Beverage, HP, First Solar, Coupang, Rivian Automotive Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, Beiersdorf, Reckitt Benckiser, Kuehne + Nagel, Salesforce, Lowe’s, Snowflake, NIO Thursday: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Yunnan Energy New Material, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Veolia Environment, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, CRH, London Stock Exchange, Haleon, Flutter Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Broadcom, Costco, VMware, Marvell Technology, Dell Technologies Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Feb. Confidence Surveys 1330 – US Jan. Preliminary Durable Goods Orders  1530 – US Feb. Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity 1530 – US Fed’s Jefferson (Voter) to speak 1700 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak 2350 – Japan Jan. Industrial Production 0000 – New Zealand Feb. ANZ Business Confidence 0030 – Australia Jan. Retail Sales Source:Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 27, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Commodity: The World's Two Biggest Commodity Consuming Nations, Both Delivered Price Softening News

    The New Week Starts With Little Appetite, Metals And Energy Are Under Pressure

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 27.02.2023 10:20
    The week starts on a cautious note, as the Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike expectations intensify the selloff in global stocks and bonds, while pushing the US dollar higher against most majors. PCE data Friday’s PCE data showed that not only inflation didn’t slow in January, but headline figure ticked higher to 5.4% from 5.3% printed a month earlier, and core inflation ticked higher to 4.7% from 4.6% printed a month earlier. The latter fueled the Fed hike expectations, because a slower-than-expected easing in inflation is one thing, but rebound in inflation is another thing. US Yields As a result, the US yields keep pushing higher, and equities lower.In the FX, it becomes increasingly clear that we will see a pause in the USD downside correction. EUR/USD The EURUSD could further fall to and below 1.05, and renewed euro softness could weigh on European equities. Commodities In commodities, rising US yields and the stronger US dollar hint at further decline in gold prices, as well, while crude oil continues struggling. Read next: Pfizer Is In The Early Stages Of An Acquisition Of Biotech Company Seagen, Twitter's Staff Has Shrunk Since Elon Musk Took Over| FXMAG.COM Europe In Europe, Britain’s Rishi Sunak and EU’s Ursula von der Leyen will meet today to finalize the Northern Ireland drama. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:21 Rebound in US inflation sends stocks, bonds tumbling 3:48 USD appreciation is also bad for European stocks 6:35 Metals, energy under pressure 8:11 Light at the end of Northern Ireland tunnel? 9:12 Tesla’s investor day coming! Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #USD #inflation #selloff #Fed #ECB #expectations #EUR #GBP #Brexit #Northern #Ireland #XAU #Crude #Oil #Copper #DAX #Stoxx #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange All Indices Gained

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.02.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.22%, the S&P 500 gained 0.31% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.63%. Investors remain wary of more hawkish action from the US Fed amid high inflation, which recent data showed is slowing down at a slower-than-expected pace. Dow Jones Caterpillar Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 3.81 points or 1.61% to close at 239.98. Quotes of Boeing Co rose by 2.31 points (1.17%), ending trading at 200.46. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 1.23 points or 0.87% to close at 142.16. The least gainers were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which shed 0.41 points or 1.15% to end the session at 35.39. Intel Corporation was up 0.95% or 0.24 points to close at 24.90, while Walmart Inc was down 0.72% or 1.03 points to close at 141.44.  S&P 500  Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Union Pacific Corporation, which rose 10.09% to 212.17, Enphase Energy Inc, which gained 5.94% to close at 210.78, and also shares of SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which rose 5.89% to end the session at 313.63. The least gainers were DISH Network Corporation, which shed 8.06% to close at 12.20. Shares of Lumen Technologies Inc shed 4.49% to end the session at 3.40. Quotes of Charles Schwab Corp fell in price by 3.37% to 77.88. NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Lucira Health Inc, which rose 264.29% to hit 0.51, ContraFect Corp, which gained 52.90% to close at 4.74, and shares of Blackboxstocks Inc, which rose 47.27% to end the session at 0.81. The least gainers were Mount Rainier Acquisition Corp, which shed 46.22% to close at 5.05. Shares of Smith Micro Software Inc lost 36.40% to end the session at 1.59. Quotes of Apexigen Inc decreased in price by 33.22% to 0.87. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1813) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1217), and quotes of 95 shares remained practically unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2042 companies rose in price, 1656 fell, and 197 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 3.32% to 20.95. Gold Gold futures for April delivery added 0.39%, or 7.05, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI April futures fell 0.72%, or 0.55, to $75.77 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for May delivery fell 0.86%, or 0.71, to $82.11 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.59% to hit 1.06, while USD/JPY shed 0.17% to hit 136.23. Futures on the USD index fell 0.52% to 104.61   Relevance up to 03:00 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/314214
    The European Economy Has Demonstrated Amazing Resiliency Following The Supply Shock Of The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

    The UK And EU Reached A Deal On Northern Ireland's Trading Arrangements

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.02.2023 08:30
    Summary:  Risk sentiment revived on Monday, paring some of the jitters from a hot PCE report on Friday. Month-end flows saw Treasuries firmer and stocks higher, and the losses in dollar were accentuated by GBP strength after UK-EU deal to smoothen Northern Ireland trade. European indices however outperformed while Asia Pacific indices ASX and HSI remain in downtrends. Metal prices firmed up amid a softer dollar with Copper back above $4 support. Focus today on Eurozone flash CPI before US ISM and China PMIs take away the headlines.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) moved up cautiously, European equities outperform On Monday markets seemed pacified a little in a thin volume session after US headline durable goods orders fell in January while the UK and the EU reached a deal on Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements after years of friction caused by Brexit. The S&P 500 rose as much as 1.2% to 4018 in early trading before paring much of the gains to close 0.3% higher. Gains in the benchmark index were driven by consumer discretionary, industrials, and information technology stocks. The Nasdaq 100 finished Monday rising 0.7%. Union Pacific (UNP:xnys) surged 9.4% after the railroad company announced to search for a new CEO. Solar energy equipment makers Enphase Energy (ENPH:xnas) and SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG:xnas) each advanced 5.9%.Telsa (TSLA:xnas) rallied 5.5% amid its German plant hitting a production level of 4,000 per week, three weeks ahead of schedule. European equities started the week on a stronger footing as well with EuroStoxx 600 and Germany’s DAX each up 1.1%, France’s CAC index up 1.5% and UK’s FTSE 100 up 0.7%. Some of the optimism came from UK PM Sunak striking a deal with the EU on Northern Ireland trade (read below). Retailers bounced higher as consumer spending remains resilient after fears of recession and energy crunch have eased and the prospect of Chinese demand. The short end of the US Treasury curve (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied as the long lend dragged by supply Yields on the 2-year through 5-year Treasury dropped 5bps on short covering amid mixed economic data with a decline in headline durable goods orders due to weak Boeing orders, strong pending home sales, and a weak Dallas Fed manufacturing activity index. The long end underperformed, with yields on the 10-year shed 3bps and the 30-year finished the Monday session unchanged. Upcoming corporate supply estimated to be more than USD30 billion this week weighed on the long end. Across the pond, the 10-year German Bund yield rose to as high as 2.59%, the highest level since 2011 following hawkish comments from ECB Governing Council member Vujcic. Yields on the 10-year Gilts jumped 15bps to 3.81% following the UK and the EU reached an agreement on treading arrangements in Northern Ireland. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) slid; Chinese consumer names bucked the decline Hang Seng Index and CSI300 extended their declines, falling around 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Haidilao (06862:xhkg), surging 13.7%, was the best-performing stock within the Hang Seng Index, following the Chinese hotpot restaurant chain preannounced positive profit alert with an FY22 earnings beat. The Chinese consumption space did well overall. Budweiser Brewing (01876:xhkg) and China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) each advanced over 2%. Xiabuxiabu (00520:xhkg) climbed 1.2%. The performance of China internet names was mixed. Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) gained 2.6% and was the biggest winner with the Hang Seng TECH Index. Nonetheless, news about China’s National Radio and Television Administration studying measures to tighten regulation over short videos broke out after the Hong Kong market close. Baidu (09888) rose 2% while Alibaba (09988:xhkg) slid 0.7%. In the EV space, BYD (01211:xhkg) lost 3.4% on price cuts while Li Auto (02015:xhkg) advanced 2.1% after reporting a 41% Y/Y jump in Q4 non-GAAP earnings, beating estimates. XPeng (09869:xhkg) edged up 0.3% after being added to the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index with a weight of 0.59%. In A-shares, solar, AI generated content, media, electronic, and construction materials declined. Food and beverage, and Chinese white liquor names, coal mining, chemical, and communication bucked the overall trend of decline. Kweichow Moutai (600519:xssc) climbed 1.3%; Wuliangye (000858:xsec) advanced 1.8%. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) move up - but remain at the lowest levels since Jan 12 The ASX200’s short term downtrend still appears to be at play, despite the market rising 0.6% today. Pressuring equities now are a trifecta of reasons- not only a more hawkish RBA, plus its ex-dividend season – marking the 2nd worst month of the year, and thirdly, from a technical perspective, quant traders will be on their toes as the ASX200 is testing a rising trend line, that it formed last year. If it breaks below the area tested yesterday - the market could be at risk of falling further. What does it mean when shares are trading ex-dividend? It’s simply where the dividend right is transferred to shareholders, ahead of dividends being paid out. This typically pressures share price performance. For longer term investors and those seeking yield (dividends)– it be worth considering buying a company’s shares before the ex-date if you wanted to be entitled to the upcoming dividend to be paid. But also keep in mind, when a company goes ex-dividend on the day, it usually falls. For example yesterday Fortescue shares fell 4.1% after going ex-dividend, moving FMG under its 50-day moving average. Today, one day after going ex-dividend Fortescue’s shares trade  3% higher. Though it is worth mentioning, the iron ore price rising 0.7% is adding to positive sentiment after the iron ore price fell over 3% on Monday. So - it’s important to consider companies going ex-dividend ahead. Today, Origin Energy, Evolution Mining, WorleyParsons and Domino’s go ex-dividend. Coles and Woolworths go ex-dividend on March 2, along with Pilbara Minerals. Next week on March 9 - BHP and RIO go ex-dividend, along with Mineral Resources, South32, the ASX, and CSL. FX: GBP surged on Brexit trade deal, AUD still a laggard The USD softened on Monday, nearly erasing all of Friday’s gains as yields fell and stocks jumped in a risk-on environment. US durable goods data missed estimates, cooling off some concerns of another uptick in the tightening pace. However, inflation fears continue to spell caution and no reversal in Fed’s tightening expectations was seen. Most of the USD softness came on the back of GBP strength on UK-EU finalizing a deal to smoothen Northern Ireland trade. GBPUSD surged from 1.1923 to 1.2060 and EURGBP slid below 0.88. AUDUSD failed to break below 0.67 handle but remained near recent lows even as metals recovered a notch. Copper back above $4 amid risk-on, Lithium supply concerns return A broad recovery in base metals was seen as the PCE data from Friday didn’t materialize in risk sentiment capitulation. Copper prices rose ~1.5% after dropping to lows of $3.94 yesterday. Focus this week is on China’s PMI releases due on Wednesday to assess the pickup in Chinese activity after Covid restrictions have been eased. Aluminum also gained following four weeks of losses amid ongoing supply concerns. Zinc and aluminium smelters in Yunnan have been asked to reduce output due to power rationing. Concerns about Lithium supply are also likely to rise as China investigates illegal mining. Operations in Yichun have been ordered to halt work indefinitely. The move could impact between 8-13% of global supply.   What to consider? UK-EU Brexit deal on Northern Ireland trade sealed The UK and EU reached a deal on Northern Ireland's trading arrangements aimed at ending years of friction caused by Brexit. The deal, known as “Windsor Framework”, aims to considerably cut customs paperwork and checks on goods moving from Great Britain but destined to stay in Northern Ireland. Existing requirements on trade from Northern Ireland to the UK will be removed. GBPUSD surged on the news to 1.20+. Yellen in Kyiv to show support Janet Yellen made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to highlight US support. She met with Zelensky and PM Shmyhal and also announced a disbursement of $1.25 billion in fresh economic aid, the first out of a total $10 billion pledged by the administration. It was also reported that the dignitaries discussed additional sanctions on Russia, including confiscating frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine's recovery, despite legal obstacles. Food price inflation continues to ease – wheat prices tumble to lowest levels since Sept, 2021   As mentioned in Saxo’s Quick Take global wheat prices remain under pressure from a flood of Russian supplies forcing EU and US sellers to lower prices to stay competitive. In Chicago the soon to expire March wheat contract trades near a 17-month low, down 48% from the March 2022 panic peak while Paris Milling wheat has declined by 38%. The focus is turning to the outlook for global wheat crops this year. According to Bloomberg, US farmers are likely to plant more than analysts expect, and nearly all of France’s soft-wheat crop is in good to very good shape. Traders are also watching talks on the Ukraine grain-export deal, which is up for renewal in March. Click for the technical levels to watch in Wheat, Corn and Soybean Energy giant Occidental goes against the grain of the energy sector and disappoints   Occidental reported adjusted EPS of $1.61, missing the $1.79 Bloomberg consensus expected for the fourth quarter. Despite production increasing by about 3% YoY, the miss on earnings was a result of lower than expected realised prices for natural gas, while it received slightly higher realised prices for oil than expected. This was all while OXY increased capital expenditure to $1.5b, vs the $1.3b expected in the quarter and repaid $1.1 billion of debt. Despite delivering record earnings that missed expectations, OXY increased its dividend by 38% and announced a new $3 billion share buy back. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the largest Occidental shareholder. The company will hold a conference call to discuss these results Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. For the year ahead, OXY guides for cap ex to be as high as $6.2b (vs $5.66b). Occidental shares fell 1% after hours, moving further away from its 50-day moving average. Occidental is the only major oil company lately to report results that missed market expectations; with Shell, BP, and Woodside all beating. Softer Eurozone flash February CPI may not be a big relief Broader expectations are for the Eurozone flash CPI to ease to 8.2% YoY in February from 8.6% last month amid lower energy prices. However, the core measure is still expected to be firm at 5.3% YoY, underpinned by higher non-energy industrial goods. This continues to suggest that the underlying price pressures remain firm, and another 50bps rate hike from the ECB remains likely in March. The minutes from the last ECB meeting are also out on Thursday, and the path after the next 50bps rate hike remains on watch. Lagarde previously noted that the ECB will not be at peak rates in March and there will most likely be ground left to cover, which suggested that hopes for a pause in May could be disappointed.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Risk sentiment recovers; Month-end flows in play – 28 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    UK Gfk Consumer Confidence index got better fourth month in a row

    Sterling (GBP) Modestly Firmer In The Wake Of Post-Brexit Settlement Between The EU And UK

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.02.2023 09:23
    Summary:  In FX, The US equity market tried to rally yesterday after Friday’s pummeling on hot inflation data, but generally failed to maintain altitude and dropped back close to unchanged on the session as key support remains in place. End of month flows could drive volatility today. In FX, sterling modestly firmer in the wake of post-Brexit settlement between the EU And UK on the Northern Ireland border issue. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): S&P 500 futures remain in limbo US equities bounced back yesterday at point engulfing the entire selloff from last Friday before S&P 500 futures gave up its gains towards the end of the session. This morning the index futures opened higher but have sold off trading around the 3,984 level in early European trading hours. Equities have moved into a short-term hibernation until the market gets more clearer evidence of where the bond market wants to go and whether growth is picking up in China following the reopening of the economy post its zero-Covid policy. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) pared early gains as tech names tumbled The Hang Seng Index jumped over 1% in early trading before paring all the gains and headed south, losing about 0.3% in the absence of headline drivers. Chinese developers, technology, and solar names led the charge lower. While A-share solar, energy storage, and chemical stocks retreated, the CSI300 was supported by consumer, textile, and pharmaceutical names and managed to advance 0.5%. FX: GBP rallies on Brexit trade deal, AUD still a laggard The USD softened in early Monday trading in the US yesterday, nearly erasing all of Friday’s gains as yields fell and stocks jumped in a risk-on environment, but the risk rally faded and the USD rebounded slightly. US durable goods data missed estimates, cooling off some of the momentum in short US yields. However, inflation fears continue to spell caution and no reversal in Fed’s tightening expectations was seen. Most of the USD softness came on the back of GBP strength on UK-EU finalizing a deal to smoothen Northern Ireland trade. GBPUSD surged from 1.1923 to 1.2060 and EURGBP slid below 0.88. AUDUSD failed to break below 0.67 handle but remained near recent lows even as metals recovered a notch. Crude oil remains anchored near lower end of range Crude oil futures slipped again on Monday before finding a bid overnight in Asia. Developments that continue to see the price action being confined within a narrowing range. Crude oil may nevertheless be heading for a fourth monthly loss as concerns about tighter monetary policies raises concerns about a hard landing and with that weaker demand for crude and products. While a slower than expected start to the year has triggered price downgrades from banks, the consensus still points to a pickup in demand and prices above $90 later in the year. A view shared by Vitol, the world’s largest independent oil trader who sees oil rise later in the year in response to a 2.2 million barrels a day jump in 2023 demand. In Brent we find ascending trendline support at $80.70 with resistance at $83.60. Copper back above $4 amid risk-on, Lithium supply concerns return A broad recovery in base metals was seen on Monday as the focus turns to this week’s Two Sessions gathering in Beijing where traders will be looking for fresh signals from the government. Copper trades back above $4 after finding support around $3.94, the December high. Also, in focus this week is China’s PMI releases due on Wednesday to assess the pickup in Chinese activity after Covid restrictions have been eased. Aluminum also gained following four weeks of losses amid ongoing supply concerns. Zinc and aluminium smelters in Yunnan have been asked to reduce output due to power rationing. Concerns about Lithium supply are also likely to rise as China investigates illegal mining. Operations in Yichun have been ordered to halt work indefinitely. The move could impact between 8-13% of global supply. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) flat ahead of end-of-month US Treasury yields rose slightly again yesterday to new 15-year highs after Friday’s jump on hot US PCE inflation but then eased back to approximately unchanged. It’s been a tough month for treasuries, with the 2-year yield benchmark surging some 60 basis points this month and the 10-year benchmark yield up over 30 basis points. Today is the last trading day of February and could see month-end rebalancing as we await incoming US data. Read next: EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Around 1.0560, USD/JPY Is Above 136.20, GBP/USD Gained| FXMAG.COM What is going on? UK-EU Brexit deal on Northern Ireland trade sealed The UK and EU reached a deal on Northern Ireland's trading arrangements aimed at ending years of friction caused by Brexit. The deal, known as “Windsor Framework”, aims to considerably cut customs paperwork and checks on goods moving from Great Britain but destined to stay in Northern Ireland. Existing requirements on trade from Northern Ireland to the UK will be removed. GBPUSD surged on the news to 1.20+. Yellen in Kyiv to show support Janet Yellen made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to highlight US support. She met with Zelensky and PM Shmyhal and also announced a disbursement of $1.25 billion in fresh economic aid, the first out of a total $10 billion pledged by the administration. It was also reported that the dignitaries discussed additional sanctions on Russia, including confiscating frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine's recovery, despite legal obstacles. Tesla shares gains 5% on German production ramp up Reuters reported yesterday that Tesla’s German car plant production hits 4,000 cars/wk which is ahead of schedule boosting sentiment. At this point, we do not know how big the cannibilazation is against its Shanghai production plant which has been the main exporter to Europe. On Friday, one of its more prolific investors Ross Gerber pulled his activist board seat bid suggesting shareholders are holding back from their criticism. Overnight one of Tesla’s suppliers, South Korea based L&F, announced that it had won a KRW 3.8trn cathode materials order, again suggesting demand is ramping up for Tesla. Zoom video rallied over 7% in post-market trading on a strong profit outlook The company reported slightly weaker sales than expected, but forecast Q1 profit of 96-98 cents per share versus analyst consensus of 87 cents and full year profits and especially 2024 profits well above analyst estimates. Zoom is reporting growth in enterprise customers while a shrinking revenue from individual consumers and small businesses. Energy giant Occidental reports disappointing results Occidental reported record quarterly earnings, but missed expectations after costs rose more than expected. The company guided for higher spending ahead, including on its direct air carbon reduction project. For the year ahead, it expects capital expenditure to be as high as $6.2b - vs $5.66b expected. OXY increased its dividend by 38% and announced a new $3 billion share buyback. Its adjusted EPS came in at $1.61, missing the $1.79 Bloomberg consensus. The miss also comes as it received lower than expected realised prices for natural gas - while realised prices for oil were slightly higher than expected.  Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the largest shareholder. A conference call to discuss the results for OXY is at 1 pm ET on Tuesday. Occidental shares fell 1% after hours. Occidental is the only major oil company reporting recently that missed market expectations – while Shell, BP and Woodside all beat. What are we watching next? Softer Eurozone flash February CPI may not be a big relief Broader expectations are for the Eurozone flash CPI to ease to 8.2% YoY in February from 8.6% last month amid lower energy prices. However, the core measure is still expected to be firm at 5.3% YoY, underpinned by higher non-energy industrial goods. This continues to suggest that the underlying price pressures remain firm, and another 50bps rate hike from the ECB remains likely in March. The minutes from the last ECB meeting are also out on Thursday, and the path after the next 50bps rate hike remains on watch. Lagarde previously noted that the ECB will not be at peak rates in March and there will most likely be ground left to cover, which suggested that hopes for a pause in May could be disappointed. France and Spain report preliminary Feb. CPI figures today, while Germany reports CPI tomorrow. Earnings to watch Today’s key US earnings to watch is Coupang and First Solar with the former being part of our earnings preview from last Friday and analysts expecting Coupang to announce 7% revenue growth and EBITDA of $197mn up from $-248mn a year ago as the company is under pressure to increase profitability. Coupang reports its Q4 earnings releases after the US market close. First Solar is expected to report its Q4 earnings after the US market close with analysts expecting 10% revenue growth y/y and EBITDA of $48mn down from $262mn a year ago. Tuesday: Bayer, Moncler, ASM International, Target, Monster Beverage, HP, First Solar, Coupang, Rivian Automotive Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, Beiersdorf, Reckitt Benckiser, Kuehne + Nagel, Salesforce, Lowe’s, Snowflake, NIO Thursday: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Yunnan Energy New Material, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Veolia Environment, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, CRH, London Stock Exchange, Haleon, Flutter Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Broadcom, Costco, VMware, Marvell Technology, Dell Technologies Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0745 – France Feb. Flash CPI 0800 – Spain Feb. Flash CPI 1215 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1330 – Canada Dec. GDP 1400 – US Dec. S&P CoreLogic Home Price Index 1500 – US Feb. Consumer Confidence 1500 – US Feb. Richmond Fed Business Conditions 1530 – US Feb. Dallas Fed Services Activity 1930 – US Fed’s Goolsbee (Voter 2023) to speak 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 0030 – Australia Q4 GDP 0030 – Australia Jan. CPI 0130 – China Feb. Manufacturing/Non-manufacturing PMI 0145 – China Feb. Caixin Manufacturing PMI     Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 28, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Altria Is Trying To Purchase E-Cigarette Startup NJOY

    Altria Is Trying To Purchase E-Cigarette Startup NJOY

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 28.02.2023 10:12
    Traditional cigarettes are slowly becoming a thing of the past to give way to modern e-cigarettes. In order to stay on the market, companies must take action in this direction. Altria and NJOY Altria, the largest US cigarette maker, has been trying to develop or acquire e-cigarettes for years as smoking has declined in the US. Manufacturer Marlboro Altria Group Inc. is in advanced talks to purchase e-cigarette startup NJOY Holdings Inc. for at least $2.75 billion and plans to divest its stake in Juul Labs Inc. A deal for NJOY, one of the few e-cigarette makers whose products are authorized by federal regulators, could be announced as early as this week, people have said, although talks could yet fall apart. The proposed deal includes an additional $500 million in profit if certain regulatory milestones are met. E-cigarette company NJOY Holdings Inc. it hired bankers to advise on a possible sale. The potential deal could value NJOY at around $5 billion, the process is in its early stages and there is no guarantee a deal will go through. The potential deal for NJOY would not be $5 billion or more as some of the company's investors had hoped NJOY would bring. People familiar with NJOY said last summer that if talks with potential bidders did not lead to a high enough valuation, the company could raise more money privately and wait for an initial public offering. NJOY NJOY is the third largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes in the US with 3% of sales in stores tracked by Nielsen. The vaping pioneer has permission from federal regulators to sell tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes in the US, which has so far bypassed the two biggest e-cigarette brands, Juul and Vuse Alto. It sells a single-use e-cigarette called NJOY Daily and a refillable e-cigarette called NJOY Ace. Tobacco flavored versions have been approved for sale in the US by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2018, the tobacco giant paid $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in Juul Labs Inc. , only to see the demise of the vaping market leader. Read next: EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Around 1.0560, USD/JPY Is Above 136.20, GBP/USD Gained| FXMAG.COM Juul and Altria Juul, embroiled in a dispute with federal regulators and flooded with lawsuits alleging it attacked minors, came close to filing for bankruptcy last year. Juul has since settled most of that dispute, but its future remains in doubt amid a dispute with the Food and Drug Administration over whether its e-cigarettes can remain in the US market. Juul said it has never targeted young people and is working to regain the trust of regulators and the public. Altria now values Juul at $714 million - less than the $38 billion valuation when Altria first invested. The Federal Trade Commission is expected to issue a decision in March on whether to withdraw Altria's investment in Juul. Moreover, tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. went to trial, accused of violating antitrust laws by giving up e-cigarettes at the request of rival Juul Labs Inc. A key question at the trial was why Altria ended production of its own e-cigarettes in late 2018, shortly before announcing its investment in Juul. Altria says it has halted sales of e-cigarettes due to pressure from regulators to limit youth use and an internal settlement over the company's inability to develop a successful vaping product. Altria share price At the end of January, Altaria's shares rose and since then remained above 46.00 in February. Most recently, MO shares fell slightly from 47.51 to close at 46.54 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Rates Spark: Balancing data and risk factors

    Hawkish ECB May Slow But Not Reverse Euro Selloff

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 28.02.2023 10:26
    The Europeans and the Brits finally found an agreement on the very complicated Northern Ireland issue yesterday. But for now, investors warned that they don’t necessarily expect the deal to remove only all of the uncertainty weighing on prices. Brexit deal And if the Windsor Framework could help sterling and small British stocks recover, all the FTSE 100 wants is a rebound in energy and commodity prices, rather than a Brexit deal… Occidental Petroleum  Occidental Petroleum missed earnings and revenue expectations when it announced its Q4 results yesterday, and fell 1.2% in afterhours trading, despite announcing a 38% increase in its dividend and a $3 billion share buyback. Shell Shell, on the other hand, bounced almost 2% higher in Amsterdam yesterday despite a 1% decline in crude oil. European and US markets European and US markets traded in the green yesterday, but the news other than the Windsor Framework was not necessarily encouraging for the central bankers. US core durable orders expanded more than expected, and pending home sales surged 8% thanks to softer mortgage rates on a broad-based decline in yields. The latter data remained consistent with the strong and the resilient US economy, calling for more rate hikes from the Federal Reserve (Fed) to slow inflation. Stocks market So despite yesterday’s relief, the US yields will certainly remain under a decent positive pressure. And higher yields will, at some point, weigh on equity valuations. The S&P500 tested the 200-DMA, which stands at 3940, to the downside last Friday. A fall below that level is expected to accelerate the selloff. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:42 EU & UK finally agrees on Northern Ireland! 3:53 Occidental Petroleum falls after earnings 4:13 Shell up on Goldman upgrade 5:47 Crude oil under pressure 6:24 Equity rally at risk 8:13 Hawkish ECB may slow but not reverse euro selloff Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Northern #Ireland #Brexit #deal #Windsor #Framework #USD #EUR #inflation #Fed #ECB #expectations #Crude #Oil #nat #gas #Occidental #Petroleum #Shell #EVPass #Stoxx #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    The USD/JPY Price Seems To Be Optimistic

    Saxo Bank Podcast: The Struggling JPY, Tesla's Incoming Investor Day And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.02.2023 11:59
    Summary:  Today we look at yields remaining near cycle highs, with US equities struggling into the close after an odd, intraday rally stumbled. Note that end of month is rolling into view today after a terrible month for bonds, with the US 2-year yield up 60 basis points month-to-date into today. On that note, we delve into whether yields really have any bearing on company investment. Elsewhere, pondering what inspires crude to pull itself out of the range, forward curves in the commodity space, the struggling JPY, Tesla's incoming Investor Day and much more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Read next: Elon Musk Is Richest Man Again, The State Bank Of India Had Raised $1 Billion From Global Banks| FXMAG.COM   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Can yields also be the cart and not the horse? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The European Economy Has Demonstrated Amazing Resiliency Following The Supply Shock Of The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

    ECB Terminal Rate Pricing Briefly Touched 4%, Focus Today Is On Commodities

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.03.2023 08:22
    Summary:  Hot Spanish and French inflation data, along with a soft US consumer confidence report and month-end flows, made for a bumpy ride in equities and bonds to close the month of February. Dollar strength however prevailed at the close of the month despite a bump higher in EUR and GBP earlier in the day. A big miss in Australia’s Q4 GDP and January inflation saw AUDUSD plunge 30bps. Target beat earnings estimates but missed margins and lowered annual guidance. On watch today will be China PMIs, German inflation and US ISM manufacturing.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) slipped on falls in consumer confidence and Chicago PMI The major U.S. equity indices posted their second negative month in three - despite starting the year higher. Treasury yields are denting sentiment amid fears that higher Fed Reserve rates would remain in place for longer after inflation fears have been creeping back into the market - while stronger European inflation data strengthened the case for more hikes. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 dropped 0.3% and Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.1% following an unexpected decline in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence and a weaker Chicago PMI print. Most sectors within the S&P500 were down while materials, communication services, and financials inched up. Target (TGT:xnys) gained 1% after the discount store chain beat earnings estimates but missed margins and lowered annual guidance. With traders again reducing bets that the Fed will cut rates this year, the S&P 500 was down 2.6% last month. In contrast, European indices closed in gains for the month of February, with France’s CAC up 2.7%, Euro Stoxx 600 up 1.8% and German DAX up 1.6% despite a big surge in European yields as well. Yields on the short end of the US Treasury curve (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed on hotter-than-expected inflation prints in France and Spain Yields on U.S. Treasuries climbed in early trading following the sell-off in European government bonds in response to hot inflation prints in France and Italy. The long end of the Treasury curve recovered after the Chicago PMI, Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index, and Conference Board Consumer Confidence unexpectedly slipped. The 10-year notes pared most losses and finished Tuesday only 1bp cheaper at 3.92% while the yield on the 2-year was 4bps higher at 4.82%. The 2-10 year curve flattened to -89. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) ended a three-month streak of gains The Hang Seng Index and CSI300 index finished February with the first monthly loss since October 2022, ending a three-month streak of gains. In February, Hang Seng Index fell sharply by 9.4% while A-shares’ broad benchmark CSI300 outperformed, sliding moderately by 2.1%. The weakness in Hang Seng Index was driven by large declines in mega-cap e-Commerce platforms. Weighed on by the prospect of intensifying competition, JD.com (09618:xhkg) tumbled 25%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) down 22.4%, and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) down 19.6% over the month. Baidu (09888:xhkg) bucked the market trend and weakness among peers, climbing 1.8% on traction gained in AI-generated content solutions. In the near term, investors will be having a gauge into the strength of the economic recovery from the official NBS Manufacturing PMI, Non-manufacturing PMI, and Caixin China Manufacturing PMI scheduled to release today. After that, the focus will be on the State Council’s Government Work Report which includes, among other items, the growth target for 2023, delivered to the National People’s Congress on 5 March, and then the reshuffling of top leadership in the State Council and other key offices of the Chinese government during the National People’s Congress. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) retreat back to January levels, with markets pricing in more Fed and RBA hikes Focus today is on commodities – with oil and copper moving higher, while the broad market is being pressured with markets adjusting to higher for longer CPI. We will be watching the reaction to China PMIs - which are expected to boost sentiment in commodities. Short term pressure continues for the Australia dollar after GDP and CPI slowed Australian GDP data showed fourth-quarter economic growth slowed down to pace of 2.7% YoY as expected- quashed by higher inflation and interest rates. Meanwhile, headline monthly CPI showed inflation is cooling – falling to a pace of 7.4% YoY vs the 8.1% price growth forecast. This theoretically pressures the Aussie dollar lower in the shorter term, while the US dollar is continuing to move up – with the dollar index up 4% from its lows - with the market pricing in more Fed rate hikes and potentially no Fed cuts this year – which is in line with our view. Our view is that the Aussie dollar could see strength return in Q2, and we maintain a longer-term bullish view on the Aussie dollar in line with our positive commodity outlook. In other news, Sydney property prices, the bellwether of the Australia market, rose for the first time in 13 months in February in - this is a positive sign for home values – but goes against the grain of what the RBA expected and supports the notion of the RBA keeping rates higher for longer. FX: AUD and JPY were the laggards last month as dollar regained ground The dollar closed firmer at the end of the month which spelled inflation concerns coming back and sent the short-end yields surging to record highs. AUDUSD was the weakest on the G10 board as a beating of the risk sentiment and weaker metal prices saw pair test 0.67 despite the return of RBA’s hawkish stance. Yen had a double blow from surging yields and Ueda’s dovish read, and USDJPY tested 137 last night before getting back below 136.50. EURUSD touched highs of 1.0650 after the French/Spanish inflation prints last night but is back below 1.0570 now. GBPUSD also got in close sights of 1.2150 but back closer to 1.2000 now. Commodities: Copper and oil nudge up - we think the commodity bull market run will be on pause till Q2   The oil prices rose 1.5% with traders reading between the lines at IEA commentary - which alluded to Chinese demand rising - while there is a bigger worry for the EU - should there be a complete halt to Russian flows - which would be a bullish scenario for oil and perhaps see prices move back up to last year's unsustainable highs. As for other commodities - Copper moved further above the key $4 mark after rising almost 2%. Aluminium rose 0.6%, while other metals were lower. At Saxo - our view is that the Commodity bull market will be on pause - before restarting strongly in Q2 with material demand expected to rise from China. Crude oil showing some early signs of life A rally in crude oil prices to the top of last week’s trading range is suggesting some early signs of a recovery towards the top of the trading range that has been established since late 2022. With the Fed rate hikes now well priced in by the markets, focus is moving back to sanctions on Russia that continue to threaten supplies. Meanwhile, sentiment on China demand recovery may be back with the Two Sessions likely to announce a strong policy commitment to growth rebound this year. This is offsetting global demand concerns emanating from API data showing a 10th straight weekly crude build. WTI prices touched $78 overnight and Brent was at $84.   What to consider? US consumer confidence in a surprise drop, labor market strength intact The Conference Board's US consumer confidence index saw a surprise fall to 102.9 in February (vs. exp 108.5) from January’s 106 which was also revised lower from 107.1. The present situation index looked resilient at 152.8 from 151.1 and reaching its highest levels since April 2022, but the forward expectations index declined to 69.7 from 76.0 previously. While the headline figures may be a small input for the Fed, the labor-supply mismatch has become more evident from the consumer confidence report. The report showed that the labor differential improved to 41.5 in February from 37 in the prior month, rising for a third consecutive month and reaching its highest levels since April 2022. The differential represents the percentage of respondents who say jobs “are plentiful” less those who say jobs “are hard to get”. Its rise could be an early indication of labor market strength heading into next week’s payrolls and JOLTs reports. Focus turns to ISM manufacturing survey today which is expected to accelerate but still remain in contraction. ECB rate hike bets pick up after higher French and Spanish inflation Consumer prices in France jumped by a record 7.2% YoY in February as food and services costs increased, while Spain saw a stronger-than-expected 6.1% YoY advance. The strong inflation now results mostly from companies passing through to consumers higher prices in the service sector and higher food prices. Looking at the French data, food prices (price increase of+14.5% YoY) contribute twice more to inflation than energy prices. The increase of prices in the service sector (which represents about 50% of the CPI basket) is another source of worry. Expect it to get worse in the short-term. We also see a similar trend in most European countries (the situation is even uglier in the CEE region), with the first print of German February inflation due today and the Eurozone print due tomorrow. Euro bonds slid with German yields up 7bps and Spanish yields up 6bps as ECB terminal rate pricing briefly touched 4%. China PMIs are expected to show further recovery in the economy Scheduled to release on Wednesday, the official NBS Manufacturing PMI, according to survey from Bloomberg, is expected to bounce further into expansion at 50.6 in February from 50.1 in January and the Non-manufacturing PMI is forecasted to climb to 54.9 from 54.4. Despite the sluggishness in exports, Caixin China PMI is expected to return to the expansionary territory at 50.7 in February, from 49.2 in January. The Emerging Industries PMI jumped to 62.5 in February from 50.9 in January adding to the favourable forecasts for the NBS and Caixin PMIs. Target’s earnings beat with stronger-than-expected sales growth but margins missed and annual guidance weaker-than-expected Target (TGT:xnys) reported FYQ4 (ending Jan 31, 2023) EPS of USD1.89, nearly 28% above the consensus estimate of USD1.48. The earnings beat was driven by a stronger-than-expected 0.7% Y/Y growth in same-store sales and a 1.3% Y/Y growth in total sales, while both were expected to fall. Notable strength was found in food and beverage, beauty, and household essentials. Discretionary categories remained soft. Weakness, however, showed up in the gross margins which declined to 22.7% in Q4 from 25.7% in the prior-year quarter. EBIT margins fell to 3.7% from 6.8% a year ago. For the current fiscal year’s annual guidance, the management is expecting between a low-single-digit decline and a low-single-digit increase in same-store sales and a below-consensus operating income of about USD 4.9 billion. Brewers results on watch amid the reopening trade   Budweiser Brewing Co (1876 HK), the Asia distributor - is due to release results today. Q4 revenue is expected to get a little boost from the FIFA World Cup trading - but is still expected to dive. Its outlook could be tainted as higher beer taxes are ahead for South Korea - while Budweiser’s APAC brands are on notice with proposed liqueur taxes there looming – which could slow business growth. The world’s largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD) reports on Thursday, and could see higher volatility - for more click here. EV makers on watch: Tesla bolsters efforts to boost production, Rivian gives lacklustre outlook Tesla is continuing to march ahead with its lofty EV production goals - and now looks set to build a plant in northern Mexico. The news precedes Wednesday's reveal of Elon Musk's next phase "master plan," which will test the resurgent enthusiasm for the EV maker. Further details of the Mexico plan are expected to also be released this week. Meanwhile, Tesla’s competitor, Rivian forecasts 50,000 EVs will be produced this year – which was weaker than the market expected. Its fourth quarter revenue also missed expectations making $663 million – vs the $717 million consensus expected.     For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Markets Today: Crude oil and copper recover – 1 March 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Economic Data From China Positively Affected Copper, Aluminum, Zinc And Iron Ore

    Economic Data From China Positively Affected Copper, Aluminum, Zinc And Iron Ore

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 01.03.2023 09:22
    Summary:  US equities posted an uninspiring session, as the price action is bottled up ahead of the key support of the 200-day moving average in the major indices. Overnight, China’s official Manufacturing PMI ripped higher in February with its strongest reading since 2012, strong suggesting that the China re-opening is swing into motion. Hot inflation data from France and Spain pulled ECB expectations sharply higher yesterday, with German Feb. CPI up today. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): caught between growth and inflation US equities headed lower yesterday with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,975 level. The index futures are trying to rebound this morning following stronger than expected China February PMI figures suggesting the economy is responding positively to the reopening. This growth impulse lifted Hang Seng futures by 4.2% and breathed fresh air into commodities. The growth impulse from China will keep inflation pressures high in the global economy and that could force long-term bond yields in the US and Europe higher from current levels which will make equities caught between responding positive to growth or negatively to inflation and potentially higher interest rates. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and CSI300 (000300.I) jumped on strong China PMIs Hang Seng Index surged 3.5% and CSI300 gained 1.7% by in the morning session following the release of strong PMI data much above consensus estimates. The headline official NBS Manufacturing PMI surged (more below). The NBS non-manufacturing PMI and the Caixin Manufacturing PMI, also released today, both bounced strongly and signaled economic expansion. Mega-cap China internet names surged 5-7% and EV stocks jumped 5-8%. In A-shares, telcos, digital economy, software, gaming, and media stocks led the charge higher. FX: AUD and JPY were the laggards last month as dollar regained ground The dollar closed firmer at the end of the month as inflation concerns returned and sent the short-end yields surging to 15-year highs. AUDUSD was the weakest on the G10 board as a beating of the risk sentiment and weaker metal prices saw pair test 0.67 despite the return of RBA’s hawkish stance. Yen had a double blow from surging yields and the dovish read of Ueda’s nomination hearing for the Bank of Japan governorship, and USDJPY tested close to 137 yesterday before reversing back below 136.50. EURUSD touched highs of 1.0650 after the French/Spanish inflation prints yesterday but is back below 1.0600 this morning. GBPUSD nearly hit 1.2150 yesterday after the N. Ireland border announcement, but is back closer to 1.2050 this morning. Crude oil recovers as strong China PMI re-ignites demand focus Brent crude trades near $84 and WTI at $77.50 as both futures markets continue to recover from the latest the macroeconomic related selloff. With a hawkish Fed having been priced in, the dollar has started to weaken allowing traders to return their focus to an ongoing recovery in China. The strength of which was confirmed overnight when China’s PMI data showed across the board strength. The official headline surged to 52.6 and highest since 2012 while production and new orders improving markedly and new export orders move well above 50 and into expansion territory for the first time in 23 months. Increased tightness is being signaled through steepening prompt spreads with Brent trading at 59 cents a barrel from a recent 34 cent low. Also supporting are reports that Russia is struggling to find new buyers with million of barrels currently stored at sea. Ahead of EIA’s weekly stock report, the API said US inventories rose 6.2m barrels last week. Short-term momentum indicators point to higher prices with Brent once looking to challenge the downtrend from last March around $84.50. Silver led gold higher, but more work needed to shift sentiment Precious metals trade higher for a third day after the market concluded the latest round of hawkish comments from US FOMC members and additional rate hikes were now being fully priced in. Continued strength in US yields, near recent highs, have been offset by weaker dollar, allowing buyers once again to gain the upper hand. Silver, down around 12% in January, led the recovery which gathered speed overnight following the release of stronger than expected economic data in China (see below). The gold-silver ratio which yesterday hit a four-month high at 88.4 (ounces of silver to one ounce of gold) has since retraced to around 86.80. Gold as a minimum needs to break $1864, and silver $22 to signal an end to the current corrections Industrial metals jump on strong China rebound Copper and not least aluminum, zinc and iron ore traded higher following a batch of economic data from China showed improved factory activity as well as rising home sales, both driving expectations for an accelerated demand recovery, thereby once again replacing concerns about the economic impact of additional US rate hikes. Having found support below $4, the HG copper futures contract trades back above its 21DMA, a sign momentum is turning positive again. Since mid January the price has traded within a 30 cents downward trending channel, and for that to change, the price needs to break above $4.20, some 2% above the current level. Focus now turns to on China’s “Two Sessions” starting at the weekend. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steady near recent highs US Treasury yields staid pinned near recent cycle highs, with the 2-year trading above 4.8% this morning again and the 10-year benchmark hovering just below 4.00%. Yields were dragged higher yesterday by a fresh surge in European short yields on the French and Spanish CPI data for February (see below) and stayed elevated in the US despite the weak February Consumer Confidence print. The next test for the US treasury market is perhaps the February ISM Services survey on Friday. What is going on? China's economy shows strong recovery as PMI’s beat expectations The official NBS China Manufactuing PMI surged to 52.6 in February, the highest level since 2012, from 50.1 in January. The strength was across the board with the Production sub-index and New Orders sub-index improving markedly to 56.7 and 54.1 respectively. When a diffusion index goes above 50, it signals expansion. The export sector, which has until now been sluggish, showed signs of a strong recovery. The New Export Orders sub-index in the NBS survey unexpectedly surged to 54.1 in February from 46.1 in January and was the first time returning to the expansion territory in 23 months. The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which covers smaller and more private enterprises in the export-oriented coastal regions of China relative to those covered in the NBS survey, also recovered strongly to 51.6 in February from 49.2 in January and the new order sub-index in the Caixin survey bounced to 52.2 from 49.3. The NBS non-manufacturing PMI continued to accelerate well into expansion, rising to 56.3 from 54.4. Both major sub-indices rose further, with the Services sub-index advancing to 55.6 and the Construction sub-index soaring to 60.2. US consumer confidence in a surprise drop, labor market strength intact The Conference Board's US consumer confidence index saw a surprise fall to 102.9 in February (vs. exp 108.5) from January’s 106 which was also revised lower from 107.1. The present situation index looked resilient at 152.8 from 151.1 and reaching its highest levels since April 2022, but the forward expectations index declined to 69.7 from 76.0 previously. While the headline figures may be a small input for the Fed, the labor-supply mismatch has become more evident from the consumer confidence report. The report showed that the labor differential improved to 41.5 in February from 37 in the prior month, rising for a third consecutive month and reaching its highest levels since April 2022. The differential represents the percentage of respondents who say jobs “are plentiful” less those who say jobs “are hard to get”. Its rise could be an early indication of labor market strength heading into next week’s February Payrolls data. Focus turns to ISM manufacturing survey today which is expected to improve but still remain in contraction. ECB rate hike bets pick up after higher French and Spanish inflation Consumer prices in France jumped by a record 7.2% YoY in February as food and services costs increased, while Spain saw a stronger-than-expected 6.1% YoY advance. The strong inflation now results mostly from companies passing through to consumers higher prices in the service sector and higher food prices. Looking at the French data, food prices (price increase of+14.5% YoY) contribute twice more to inflation than energy prices. The increase of prices in the service sector (which represents about 50% of the CPI basket) is another source of worry. Expect it to get worse in the short-term. We also see a similar trend in most European countries (the situation is even uglier in the CEE region), with the first print of German February inflation due today and the Eurozone print due tomorrow. Euro bonds slid with German yields up 7bps and Spanish yields up 6bps as ECB terminal rate pricing briefly touched 4%. AUD swings to a gain after China’s economy shows signs of a stronger rebound After China's manufacturing activity hit a decade high as noted above, the Australian dollar against the US dollar (AUDUSD) rose sharply. Iron ore, copper and aluminium prices all gained. This supported the AUDUSD pair rebounding from 10-week lows, which it hit earlier after Australian GDP slowed to pace of 2.7% YoY in Q4 as expected while headline monthly CPI cooled to 7.4% YoY, vs the 8.1% growth forecast. Short covering also added to the Aussie dollar whipsawing higher. What are we watching next? Tesla Investor Day Tesla’s annual ‘Investor Day’ is scheduled for tonight at 21:00 GMT and will be livestreamed on Tesla’s website. Elon Musk has teased in tweets that the Investor Day presentation will revolve around the part 3 in his ‘Master Plan’ which was first announced back in 2006 and Elon Musk has specially written that the ‘Master Plan 3’ is about ‘the path to a fully sustainable energy future for Earth...’ suggesting it might be around energy. One the key variables in the path to electrifying society is about energy production, energy storage, and the electric grid, and as such it might be that Tesla will aim solve these issues so Tesla’s growth is not constrained too early by the lack of investments and solutions on the infrastructure side of the equation. Germany’s Feb. CPI data today, Eurozone Feb. CPI tomorrow After French and Spanish February CPI readings sparked higher expectations for the ECB as noted above, we will get a look at German regional CPI releases this morning for February and the nationwide data this afternoon at 1300 GMT, with the German 2-year yield having leaped to nearly 3.20% yesterday after starting the weak below 2.9%. Expectations are for a reading of +0.5% MoM and +8.5% YoY vs. +8.75 in January, with the “EU Harmonized” reading seen slowing to +9.0% YoY vs. 9.2% in Jan. Earnings to watch Today’s key US earnings releases to watch are Salesforce (reporting after the close), Snowflake (reporting after the close), and NIO (reporting before the open). Analysts expect Salesforce to report 9% y/y revenue growth for the quarter that ended in January and EBITDA of $2.67bn up from $1.02bn a year ago as the software application maker is under pressure from several activist investors to improve profitability. Analysts expect Snowflake to report revenue growth of 50% y/y in the quarter that ended in January and EBITDA of $25mn up from $-146mn a year ago. NIO, that finally ramped up its EV production in Q4 after several quarters of slow increases, is expected to report 73% y/y revenue growth but still delivering an operating loss of CNY -3.4bn. Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, Beiersdorf, Reckitt Benckiser, Kuehne + Nagel, Salesforce, Lowe’s, Snowflake, NIO Thursday: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Yunnan Energy New Material, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Veolia Environment, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, CRH, London Stock Exchange, Haleon, Flutter Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Broadcom, Costco, VMware, Marvell Technology, Dell Technologies Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Feb. Manufacturing PMI 0855 – Germany Feb. Unemployment Change / Claims 0930 – UK Jan. Mortgage Approvals 1000 – UK Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey to speak 1300 – Germany Feb. CPI 1500 – US Feb. ISM Manufacturing 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1830 – Mexico Central Bank Inflation Report 0030 – Australia Jan. Building Approvals   Source:Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – March 1, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Expect the ECB to keep increasing rates at the short-term, at least until the summer

    CPI Report Cranked Up The Hawkish ECB Rate Expectations

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 01.03.2023 11:02
    Inflation in Europe took the wrong direction in February. The data released yesterday printed a record inflation of 7.2% in France and ticked higher to 6.1% in Spain. Both were higher than expected, of course, and cranked up the hawkish European Central Bank (ECB) rate expectations. US market In the US, cooling US house prices for a seventh straight month, and ugly Richmond manufacturing index cooled the hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed pressures yesterday, but the S&P500 couldn’t hold on to its gains above the 50-DMA, and closed yesterday’s session below this level. As a result, the month of February ended with a 2.7% loss for the S&P500, and with mounting pressure from the bears. Crude Oil Elsewhere, crude oil jumped yesterday, although the latest API data showed another 6.2 million barrel build last week in the US crude inventories. The strong PMI data from China certainly helped keeping the oil bulls alert. It also helped Aussie rebound following soft CPI data. Read next: Elon Musk Is Richest Man Again, The State Bank Of India Had Raised $1 Billion From Global Banks| FXMAG.COM Stocks In individual stocks, Target and Zoom gained after results, while Rivian lost 10% in after hours trading on mixed results and soft outlook. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:36 Hot European inflation boosts ECB hawks 5:24 Strong China PMI counter soft AUD inflation, but... 6:30 S&P500 closes the month 2.7% down 7:59 Crude oil gains but solid inventory data could limit rally 8:44 Target, Zoom gain, Rivian tanks post earnings Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Eurozone #inflation #ECB #rate #hike #EUR #USD #AUD #Crude #Oil #Target #Zoom #Rivian #earnings #Stoxx #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    Food companies under pressure to source deforestation-free products under new EU law

    Some McDonald's Locations Don't Promote Hip-Hop Stars' New Meal

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 01.03.2023 10:24
    Franchisees try their best to attract new and retain regular customers. They realize that nowadays influencers and celebrities have a big influence. McDonald's also includes celebrities in its promotional products. Such a promotion is well known, for example in 1992, the star that was on the McDonald's menu was the basketball star Michael Jordan. Bad effect on the image Some McDonald's restaurant owners in the US have raised concerns about the network's collaboration with celebrities, including rappers Cardi B and Offset. Some owners have claimed that multiple McDonald's locations have refused to promote Cardi B and Offset's current meal due to concerns about artist ties. In messages sent to the US branch in recent weeks, several McDonald's franchisees said that the artists' lyrics and lifestyle were not in line with the company's brand. Some owners wrote that select celebrities could undermine McDonald's family-friendly image, and called on other franchisees to remove Cardi B and Offset meal-related advertisements and merchandise from their stores. Famous Orders McDonald's "Famous Orders" meals, which typically combine a handful of celebrity-curated menu items in promotional packaging, have been one of the burger chain's most successful marketing ventures in recent years, executives said. The introduction of meals in 2020 helped the company regain US sales lost at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and take over the business from other burger chains. According to McDonald's, celebrity-supported dining largely builds on the existing McDonald's menu, increasing sales without adding complexity to restaurants. They also helped the network increase online ordering and app downloads, which is one of the company's priorities, executives said. Cardi B and Offset In February, McDonald's introduced its first meal supported by a celebrity pair, with the chain promoting food packages selected by Cardi B and Offset with special packaging. The company announced a meal for sharing during the Super Bowl, promoting a cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and Coke for Cardi B and a quarter pound of cheese and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst for Offset. Plus large fries and apple pie. Cardi B, the Grammy-winning rapper, has attracted controversy over the vulgar content of some of her lyrics and videos, most notably her 2020 hit "WAP", and she and Offset have collaborated on several songs. Following the announcement of the meal, some McDonald's operators in the US conveyed their concerns to the company. Some operators questioned whether celebrity affiliations could conflict with the company's branding standards and franchisee policies. It was impossible to determine how many of the more than 1,000 McDonald's franchise owners refused to promote the meal or agreed that celebrities did not fit the brand. McDonald's said on Tuesday that the chain had received widespread support and excitement from owners and employees of their restaurants for Cardi B and Offset's meal. The company said the couple's promotion was to focus on love and celebrating special moments. Read next: Elon Musk Is Richest Man Again, The State Bank Of India Had Raised $1 Billion From Global Banks| FXMAG.COM Others just like McDonald's Other restaurant chains have also signed deals with celebrities. Dunkin' ran a promotion in 2020 tied to TikTok star Charli D'Amelio, and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. offered a bowl related to Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes in 2021. Burger King will release tie-in meals with rapper Nelly and two other stars later in 2021. McDonald's share price McDonald's shares fell late last week, but rose slightly on Monday. Yesterday MCD fell again and closed at 263.91. Today, the stock rose to 264.40. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    On The New York Stock Exchange Only One Index Rose (Dow Jones)

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 02.03.2023 08:02
    The main reason for the pessimism of investors is the risks associated with the future actions of the global central banks. Against the backdrop of the persistent high inflation, traders are waiting for toughening the monetary policy of regulators and further raising rates. Traiders also evaluate statistics on the country on Wednesday. The USA Manuapacturn Industry Index in February increased to 47.7% from the January 47.4%. The indicator was predicted at 48%. At the time of closing on the New York Stock Exchange, Dow Jones rose 0.02%, the S&P 500 index dropped by 0.47%, the NASDAQ Composite index fell by 0.66%. Dow Jones The leaders among Dow Jones index components in today's trading were Caterpillar Inc. shares, which gained 9.12p (3.81%) to close at 248.67. 3M Company gained 2.47p (2.29%) to close at 110.21. Salesforce Inc. gained 3.74p (2.29%) to close at 167.35. The least gainers were the Home Depot Inc shares, the price of which fell by 5.75 p. (1.94%), completing the session at the mark of 290.79. Apple Inc shares rose 2.10 p. (1.42%), closed at 145.31, and Walmart Inc decreased in price by 1.98 p. (1.39%) and completed the auction at the mark of 140.15 . S&P 500  The leaders in growth among components of the S&P 500 index in today's trading were shares of Valero Energy Corporation, which gained 5.74% to 139.29, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc, which gained 4.95% to close at 43.00, and shares of Phillips 66, which gained 4.56% to close the session at 107.24. The least gainers were the Lowe's Companies Inc shares, which decreased in price by 5.56%, closing at the mark of 194.31. Lumen Technologies Inc shares lost 5.00% and completed the session at 3.23. The Alexandria Real Estate Equites Inc quotes decreased in price by 4.59% to the mark of 142.91. Nasdaq In the growth leaders, among the components of the Nasdaq Composite index, according to the results of today's trading, there were Arcadia Biosciences Inc shares, which went up 1.00% to 8.60, Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc, which scored 198.91%, closing at 93.17, and Also, the Cardio Diagnostics Holdings Inc shares, which increased by 91.30%, completing the session at 6.60. The least gainers became the Performance Shipping Inc shares, which decreased in price by 56.88%, closed at 1.16. The shares of China Jo-Jo Drugstores Inc lost 47.45% and completed the session at the level of 3.92. Xometry Inc quotes decreased in price by 39.49% to 18.40. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of cheaper papers (1634) exceeded the number of closed in the plus (1395), and the quotes of 111 shares practically did not change. On the NASDAQ Stock Exchange, 2055 companies fell in price, 1578 grew, and 188 remained at the level of the previous closure. The CBOE VOLATILITY INDEX volatility index, which is formed on the basis of options for the Office Trade on S&P 500, fell by 0.58% to the mark of 20.58. Gold Futures for gold futures with a supply in April added 0.43%, or 7.85, reaching $ 1.00 for a troika ounce. As for other goods, the prices for WTI oil futures with delivery in April rose 0.83%, or 0.64, to $ 77.69 per barrel. Futures for Brent oil futures with delivery in May rose by 1.09%, or 0.91, to the mark of $ 84.36 per barrel. Forex Meanwhile, on the Forex Forex EUR/USD market, 0.86% to 1.07 increased, and USD/JPY quotes fell by 0.02%, reaching 136.18. Futures on the USD index sank by 0.44% to 104.36.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-03-03 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/314593
    EUR/USD Analysis: Continuing Corrections Amidst European Economic Woes

    The Nasdaq 100 Index Has The Potential To Continue Its Decline

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 02.03.2023 08:18
    Nasdaq 100 Index on the daily chart seems continue the decline and currently trying to break below its Bearish Ross Hook at the level 11913.5 where it is also confirmed by the price movement that moves below EMA 10 and MACD indicator which intersects downwards where this all shows that the momentum from #NDX is in a bearish condition so that if this (RH) level is successfully broken down then #NDX has the potential to continue its decline to the level of 11546.3 as the first target and if the momentum and volatility are also supportive then no It is impossible for the 11246.8 level to become the second target with a note that during the descent towards these target levels there was no significant upward correction, especially to break above the 12236.7 level because if this level is successfully penetrated upwards then the downward scenario described previously has the potential not to occur. realized. (Disclaimer)   Relevance up to 05:00 2023-03-05 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/120491
    Musk Said Tesla’s Next Phase Of Growth Will Be Built Around Building Clean Energy Sources

    Musk Said Tesla’s Next Phase Of Growth Will Be Built Around Building Clean Energy Sources

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.03.2023 08:39
    Summary:  China’s PMI data came in stronger than expected and signaled the economic recovery is picking up steam. The data triggered sharp rallies in the Hang Seng Index and commodity prices, particularly industrial metals. U.S. bond yields rose and equities slid, following the ISM price paid index rising to 51.3 and Fed officials’ hawkish comments keeping a 50-bp hike in the March FOMC on the table.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) slump to new lows on higher Fed rate bets Stocks were pressured after fresh economic data highlighted persistent inflationary pressures remain – pushing the S&P500 to close at its lowest level in six weeks after shedding 0.5%. It’s the second straight day the S&P closed under its 50-day moving average. While most sectors declined within the S&P500, energy rallied strongly by nearly 2%. The strong China PMI data helped sentiment in the materials and industrial sectors, both rising on Wednesday. Nasdaq 100 slid 0.9%. The extra pressure on equities came as the prices paid component of the ISM in surging above the 50 expansion/contraction threshold and higher for longer comments from Fed officials (see below). Key U.S. company news In regular trading, First Solar (FSLR:xnas) shares surged about 16% to its highest since 2009 after the panel maker’s backlog of orders look like they’ll take the 2nd half of the decade to fill. The surging demand comes as the company is benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act- signed last year by President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, after close of trade - software giant Salesforce (CRM:xnys) gave a surprisingly upbeat forecast for the year ahead - and plans to step up share buybacks to $20 billion, which is positive vs its $167b market cap. Operating margins will be about 27% in fiscal 2024, exceeding Bloomberg consensus estimates of 22.4% growth. This also potentially eases pressures CRMs faces from a group of activist investors. Salesforce shares rose 14% in post market trade, after closing at $167.35 in normal trade. Next, we will be watching - Campbell Soup (CPB:xnys) which reports after market close Thursday. US Treasury curve (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off on Fed comments The 10-year yield breached above 4% briefly during the session before closing a touch below that at 3.99%, following comments from the Fed’s Kashkari saying undecided between a 25bp and 50bp hike at the March FOMC and Bostic’s 5-5.25% “well into next year” remarks. Yields on the 2-year notes rose 6bps to 4.88%, the highest level since 2007. The jump of the ISM Prices Paid (see below) also added fuel to the selloff. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) jumped on strong China PMIs Hang Seng Index surged 4.2% and CSI300 gained 1.4% on Wednesday following the release of strong PMI data in China much above consensus estimates. Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 6.6% as technology hardware, China internet, and EV makers advanced sharply. The percentage increase in the Hang Seng Index was the largest since early November and turnover in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong reached HKD154 billion, the highest since late January. Chinese developers were among the top winners, with Longfor (00960:xhkg) up 9.6% and Country Garden (02007:xhkg) up 8.3% leading the charge higher. The chairman of Country Garden announced retirement. ASMPT (00522:xhkg) jumped 9% after the semiconductor equipment maker reported Q4 revenues beating estimates. After market close, Techtronic (00669:xhkg) reported H2 EPS of USD0.27 and revenues of USD6.2 billion, both below the consensus estimates due to soft demand for power tools.  In A-shares, telco, digital economy, software, gaming, media, and AI-generated content stocks were the top winners. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) rise to four-day highs on commodities rebounding  - beware of companies going ex-dividend ahead After China PMIs beat expectations, with new orders surging back to 2017 level - focus is on commodities strongly rebounding - with the iron ore (SCOA) price rising to a five-day high $126.70, the spot Copper (HG1) price trading at a five-day high, while aluminium is also higher. Coles (COL), Woolworths (WOW) go ex-dividend today, along with Pilbara Minerals (PLS).  As a reminder – dividend paying giants, BHP and Rio go ex-dividend this time next week, which could pressure equities. FX: Dollar unable to bask in yields glory The US dollar was weaker on Wednesday mostly pressured by the gains in Chinese yuan in the Asian session after the upbeat China activity data sent the China reopening theme roaring once again. USDCNH dropped from 6.96 to sub-6.88. Some reversal in the dollar was seen in the US session but it was not enough to reverse earlier losses. Some other currencies also got a bid from the China theme, particularly EURUSD that surged to highs of 1.0691 also underpinned by rising hawkish ECB expectations after hot regional inflation prints. NZDUSD was the outperformer in G10 FX, rising to 0.6276 with Q4 terms of trade returning to positive territory at 1.8% from last month’s -3.9% QoQ. GBPUSD stayed below 1.2100 despite Bailey signaling more BOE hikes may be needed, and saying that the experience in the 1970s showed that doing "too little with interest rates now" may mean more increases later on.   AUD reverses course, rising above its 100-day moving average The Australian dollar against the US (AUDUSD) advanced for the first time following four days of losses, after China's manufacturing activity boosted sentiment – hitting a decade high – with new orders improving in February, surging to 54.1 - the highest level since September 2017. This enthusiasm is buoying commodity prices on the notion that demand will rise – the iron ore (SCOA) has risen to a five-day high of $126.70, spot Copper (HG1) hit a five-day high, while aluminium is also higher. This optimism is offsetting the slowing Australian prints released yesterday- with GDP grinding down to pace of 2.7% YoY in the 4Q as expected- while monthly CPI cooled to 7.4% YoY vs the 8.1% price growth forecast. It’s also important to note, short covering has also added to the Aussie dollar rising. Our view is that the Aussie dollar could see strength return in Q2, in line with our view that the commodity bull market will strongly restart in Q2. Crude oil struggling to lean on Asia/Europe vs. US demand Crude oil prices remained near recent highs despite the strong signal on Chinese demand recovery from upbeat PMI data. In addition, the inventory data was also bullish signalling a recovery of demand in Asia and Europe. US commercial crude oil inventories gained less than expected last week, rising only 1.2 million barrels as US exports of crude hit a record daily high of 5.6 million barrels last week (+22.4% w/w). However, on the other hand, US ISM data and hawkish Fed speakers continued to highlight inflation fears are here to stay and sparking some US demand concerns. WTI futures traded just below $78/barrel while Brent touched $84.50. Metals complex excited about China Copper, aluminum, zinc and iron all traded higher following the outperformance of Chinese PMI data on Wednesday, driving a return of focus to the China reopening theme. Copper, which earlier found support at $4 surged to $4.17 in the Asian morning today, and may take another look at $4.20. However, our head of Commodity Strategy Ole Hansen wrote that the next sustained move higher is unlikely to be triggered until the second quarter or later, the timing to a certain extend depending on the economic outlook for the rest of the world and whether recession, as we believe, will be avoided.   What to consider? Mixed US ISM survey details – but steady message on inflation The US ISM manufacturing marginally rose to 47.7 from 47.4, coming in below expectations of 48.0. New orders lifted to 47.0 (prev. 42.5), while employment fell to 49.1 (prev. 50.6), entering contractionary territory. But the message on price pressures continued to roil markets. ISM priced paid rose back into expansionary territory to 51.3, well above the prior 44.5 and the expected 45.1, re-affirming that it may be too soon to call goods inflation disinflationary. Hawkish Fed talk brings 10-year yields to top 4% Fed member Kashkari (voter) signaled an openness for a 50bps hike at the March meeting, saying he is open to both 25bps and 50bps. Still, he emphasized that the terminal rate is more important than the size of rate hikes, where also he hinted that it could be revised higher from December. Another member Bostic (non-voter) maintained his view that the Fed policy rate needs to rise to 5.00-5.25% range, but said that the rate should be left there “until well into 2024”. 10-year Treasury yields rose above the key 4% mark for the first time since November, sending another warning signal to equities. China’s PMIs signaled recovery picking up steam The headline official NBS PMI surged to 52.6 in February, the highest print since 2012, from 50.1 in January. The strength was across the board with production and new orders improving markedly and the new export orders unexpectedly surging to 52.4, the first time into the expansion territory in 23 months. The NBS non-manufacturing PMI and the Caixin Manufacturing PMI, also released today, both bounced strongly and signaled economic expansion. Readers can find more on China’s PMI here. Hot German inflation print creates further pressure for the ECB Coming on the heels of hotter than expected inflation prints in France and Spain for February, German CPI print was also hotter than expected at 9.3% YoY (vs. +9.0% exp and +9.2% prior). The message on disinflation has therefore continued to weaken, and both Fed and ECB are likewise pressured to do more on policy tightening to ensure the inflation comes back to target. Th aggregate Eurozone print is out today and expectations of a softening to 8.3% from 8.6% last month may be tested. Tesla plots a path to renewable energy at Tesla Investor Day As part of Tesla’s “Master Plan” for the company, Musk said Tesla’s next phase of growth will be built around building clean energy sources – that can serve a much larger world population - without great economic sacrifice. Moving into sustainable energy might mean moving into heat pumps- as they can dramatically cut home and office heating costs. Tesla dubs them one of the low hanging fruits in the sustainable energy transition. Tesla’s shares are up 97% from their January low.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Sharp rise in China’s PMI data; inflation concerns in the U.S. - 2 March 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    TikTok Bans Are Gathering Momentum In The US

    Twitter Employees Are Overburdened As Elon Musk Tries To Run Twitter With Fewer Staff

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 02.03.2023 10:30
    Across the tech industry and many other companies, companies are trying to do more with less. Tech companies that have laid off recently include Google Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and Salesforce Inc. More layoffs Elon Musk tries to run Twitter Inc. with fewer and fewer staff the company handled when it took over. Silicon Valley is watching to see if he succeeds. Twitter's staff fell to around 2,000 from close to 8,000. It carried out more layoffs over the weekend. There is a difference between running Twitter with 2,000 people now and running it with 2,000 people in 2013 or earlier, said Jason Goldman, one of Twitter's early executives who served on its board from 2007 to 2010. Some of the bigger tech giants have cut more jobs in terms of total numbers, but Twitter's cuts, as a percentage of staff, are staggering by comparison. Twitter's workforce is the smallest in a decade and below the 2,712 employees it had in 2013 when it went public. Other employees said they were trying to replace laid-off colleagues and were tasked with working on aspects of the platform they had never done before, as their colleagues who knew the tools well were no longer with the company. As a result, they said, it's harder to troubleshoot technical issues when they arise. Financially loss-making Twitter reported a net loss of $221.4 million in 2021, the last full year it publicly reported financial results before going private. Musk said he believes Twitter will break even this year. Slack issues For many employees, a confusing moment came last week when employees said they were unexpectedly logged out of the Slack workplace messaging tool. Staff was informed that Slack was down for maintenance. Losing Slack is a significant hit to productivity, said one employee. One employee said it was frustrating as searching through old Slack messages was a way to find answers to technical issues, especially after so many engineers left and weren't around to help. Twitter informed employees on Monday that maintenance had been completed and Slack would be restored. History of technical errors The social media company has a history of technical glitches that preceded Musk's acquisition. Almost three years ago, it was hit by an attack that allowed hackers to take over a number of accounts, including those of celebrities, politicians and billionaires. A year earlier, the account of Twitter co-founder and then CEO Jack Dorsey had been hacked to send misguided and racist tweets. Recently, many Twitter users were unable to access the social media platform for about two hours. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. This followed an incident three weeks ago when users were unable to tweet and glitches during the Super Bowl halftime. Current and former Twitter engineers say the continued operation of the platform is at least partly a testament to years of prior engineering work. Read next: Euro Is Rising, USD/JPY Falls Below 136.00, The Aussie Pair Also Gains| FXMAG.COM Twitter share price Twitter's last stock quote was at 53.70 SpaceX On the other hand, from other Elon Musk companies SpaceX launched a crew to the International Space Station early Thursday, a mission make-up flight that the company and NASA scrubbed off earlier this week due to a technical problem. SpaceX and NASA canceled the launch attempt on Monday shortly before the flight was scheduled to begin. On Wednesday, the space agency said a clogged filter caused a problem that led to the flight being postponed. The latest mission launched just after 12:30 p.m. EST Thursday, when the company's rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center. Kennedy, Florida, according to a NASA live broadcast. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    ECB's Tenth Consecutive Rate Hike: The Final Move in the Current Cycle

    Over 70% Chance That The Fed Will Raise Rates By 25 Basis Points

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 02.03.2023 10:55
    The main component of the dollar's weakness yesterday was a report from China indicating that their manufacturing sector is growing strongly. It is an important component of China's economic recovery after its massive shutdown. Another factor putting bearish pressure on the dollar was the strength of the euro. Together, these fundamental events led to a 0.39% decline in the dollar. Also, in the latest report from the Institute for Supply Management, U.S. manufacturing data shows that inflation continues to rise. The ISM said on Wednesday that the manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 47.7% in February from 44.7% in January. These data coincided with the consensus forecast. The report also noted that activity in the manufacturing sector continues to be at its lowest level since May 2020, when the global economy was forced to stop. Values of such diffusion indices above 50% mean economic growth, and vice versa. The further away from 50%, higher or lower, the faster or slower the rate of change. The report said that the price index rose to 51.3%. This is the first time in four months that U.S. producer prices have begun to rise. Analysts say rising manufacturing prices could mean that the Federal Reserve will not be able to control inflation even as it continues to aggressively tighten monetary policy. According to the CME FedWatch tool, there is a 73.8% chance that the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points and 26.2% that the Fed will be more aggressive in raising rates by 50 basis points. Looking at the components of the report, the new orders index climbed to 47% from 42.5% in January. At the same time, the production index fell to 47.3% from the previous 48%. The labor market lost momentum, returning to a lower reading of 49.1% from 50.6% in January. On such mixed data, the dollar is still holding its former positions with small deviations, reinforcing itself with the yield of 10-year bonds. Yields on 10-year bonds topped 4% for the first time since October.   Relevance up to 08:00 2023-03-03 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/336525
    Pound Slides as Market Reacts Dovishly to Wage Developments

    European Equities Have Outperformed US Equities Since October 2022

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 02.03.2023 13:04
    Summary:  European equities have not been this hot among investors since 2007 before the US equity market entered their golden era of digitalisation sweeping the world and conquering global equity markets. The comeback of the physical world plays into the advantage and composition of the European equity market. In today's equity note we provide an extensive overview of how Europe's equity market is constructed and how it differs from the US equities, and also why they are more interesting for investors amid the comeback of the physical world. Executive summary European equities have previosly outperformed US equities over long periods of time, but the relentless bull market in US technology stocks over the past 13 years has erased our memory of European equities being an interesting market. But since October last year, European equities have significantly outperformed US equities and clients are most interested than ever. This equity note aims to provide an extensive overview of European equities. The three main points are: Europe lost the digital technology race to the US and with it a 13-year long period of significant underperformance, but since October 2022 things have turned around and maybe we are in the early inning of Europe’s comeback. European equities have 20 supersectors and the diversification of European equities is much better compared to US equities. European equities are cheaper relative to US equities and they have recently improved their operating margins while US equities have seen a significant margin compression. The lost technology revolution Life used to be good in European equities with the continent’s equity market outperforming its nearest competitor across the Atlantic ocean. European equities outperformed US equities from December 1969 to October 1990 in USD terms by 2.7% annualised. The end of that period marked the transition period into the age of digitalisation which was a natural extension of the developments in semiconductors, CPUs and the first versions of an operating system for computers. During the 1990s, the Internet came to live for the ordinary person and the first pure digital companies outside software companies were born including Amazon in 1994. During the 1990s, the US economy began to accelerate faster than the European economy and the Internet boom in Silicon Valley accelerated into the first big bubble in US equities since the ‘Nifty-Fifty’ days in the 1960s. From October 1990 to June 1999 the US equity market outperformed European equities by 6.4% annualised putting US equities on the map in a way not seen in decades. During the subsequent period until November 2007, European equities outperformed again driven by the credit boom, post euro adoption leading to inflows of capital, Chinese driven commodity supercycle, and the first sizeable export boom to the roaring tiger economies in Asia. In November 2007, the US equity market reached its all-time relative low against European equities since December 1969. From November 2007 to October 2022 was a one-way highway for US equities as the digitalisation accelerated at an ever increasing speed with technology giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet (parent company of Google), Meta (parent company of Facebook), Salesforce, and Adobe conquering the world of the digital age. US equities outperformed European equities by a staggering 7.5% annualised outpacing even the run-up to the Dot-Com Bubble. The technology race was effectively lost by Europe many years before this period, but the ultimate crystallisation for investors was during this period. Nobody wanted to touch Europe. It was the old sick man of the global economy according to investors. Silicon Valley was where the returns were to be made. European equities have outperformed US equities by 16.7% since October 2022 with the outperformance this year being 3.9% in USD terms. This significant comeback for European equities have made our clients more interested in European equities and wanting to understand this market. If we are right about the renaissance of the physical world as outlined in our Q1 Outlook, then European equities could continue to outperform. Understanding the European equities and the STOXX 600 Index The European equity market is the second largest combined equity market in the world with the STOXX 600 being the leading benchmark index consisting of the 600 most liquid equities in Europe. The STOXX 600 Index had market capitalisation of €12.7trn on 31 January 2023 compared to the S&P 500 total market capitalisation of around €32.8trn, so almost three times larger. The four largest country weights in the STOXX 600 Index are Great Britain, France, Switzerland, and Germany, and the largest sector being the health care sector. This is also evident in the top 10 components list where four health care companies are on the list (Novo Nordisk, Roche, AstraZeneca, and Novartis). The three biggest individual index weights are Nestle, ASML, and LMVH. Source: stoxx.com Source: stoxx.com Europe’s supersectors The STOXX 600 Index divides its constituents into 20 supersectors defined by the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB) which can be seen in the table below. The STOXX 600 Index is a free-floating market weighted index and thus we have used the free-float market cap which sums to €9.7trn which is lower than the previously stated market cap. The reason is that free-float market cap only measures the shares that are part of the securities markets. Some shareholders have a more permanent status and are thus not available for sale in public markets. In terms of number of companies the biggest supersector is the Industrial Goods and Services consisting of 103 companies with the three largest being Siemens, Schneider Electric, and Airbus. The most profitable supersector measured by the return on equity (ROE) is Media with a ROE of 43.9%. The three largest companies in the media supersector are RELX, Wolters Kluwer, and Publicis Groupe. In terms of earnings growth over the past year the winner has been energy with earnings per share up 225%. Europe’s three largest energy companies are by far Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies. The most expensive supersector measured by the 12-month forward P/E ratio is Consumer Products and Services and the largest companies in this supersector are LVMH, L’Oreal, and Richemont. A significant contributor to Europe’s outperformance since October 2022 has been luxury stocks which are part of this supersector as investors have looked for good bets on the Chinese reopening post its zero-Covid policy. Interested readers can read our equity note from 17 February on the global luxury industry which is dominated by European companies. The most cheapest supersector measured by the 12-month forward P/E ratio is Automobiles and Parts and the largest companies in this supersector are Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and BMW. A more diversified and cheaper equity market Another interesting observation on European equities is the huge difference in GICS sector weights between the STOXX 600 and S&P 500. The biggest difference is in Information Technology with a 19%-points difference. US equities also have a higher exposure to Communication Services which includes media related companies such as Meta. European equities have a higher exposure to Financials, Industrials, Consumer Staples, and Materials (mining and chemical) which are all tangible-driven sectors. If we are right about reshoring, the geopolitical trajectory of the world splitting into two value systems, the green transformation and the tight supplies of key metals such as copper, the need for massive infrastructure spending then European equities should in theory outperform US equities. What we also observe is that European equity markets are more diversified and using the Herfindahl-Hirschman approach of comparing sum of squared weights we can conclude that US equities are 19% more concentrated on sector level than European equities. Being overweight US equities is essentially a significant active bet on technology companies to continue outperforming. Another positive factor for European equities in 2023 is that forward valuations are much more intriguing with STOXX 600 trading at 13.2x on 12-month forward EPS compared to 17.8x for the S&P 500. In other words, US equities are valued at a 35% premium to European equities. Which is still in the highest percentiles of the US valuation premium range since 2008 and a convergence of equity valuations back to the historical average should provide tailwind for European equities. A key driver to close the valuation premium gap is to close the operating margin gap between US and European companies which has been significant since 2009, but over the past year with the comeback to tangible-driven industries Europe has closed a big part of that gap.   Source: European equities A rising phoenix or a continuous fall | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Italy Eases Windfall Tax Impact Amid China's Deflation, Focus on US Inflation Report

    Global Layoffs Are Affecting The Investment Banking Sector In Asia

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.03.2023 08:09
    Employment has increased in many industries during the pandemic, but the situation has changed and many companies are announcing job cuts. Until now, mainly technology companies have significantly reduced employment, aloe has recently been joined by other industries such as banking. In this article: Layoffs in Asian investment banking The Fed renewed investors' hopes The long-awaited update of the Ethereum network in Shanghai Layoffs in Asian investment banking Global banks including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are in the process of cutting thousands of jobs. Several other financial firms have also slashed jobs in recent months, including major asset managers and fintechs, amid a turbulent macroeconomic environment that has pressured consumers and soured demand in several mainstay business units. Bank of America and Citigroup cut several jobs in investment banking in Asia, joining global partners in cutting jobs Bank of America (BofA) cut about half a dozen Hong Kong investment banking jobs on Thursday, and Citi on Thursday cut four jobs from its China investment banking team. BofA, Citi cut handful of investing banking jobs in Asia - sources https://t.co/QmatsCtb9a pic.twitter.com/vBgz0scq7B — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) March 3, 2023 Read next: Despite The Decline Euro Remains Above 1.06, GBP/USD Is Trading Below 1.20| FXMAG.COM The Fed renewed investors' hopes Although inflation is slowing down, the fight against it continues. Banks around the world last year raised interest rates to record levels not seen since 2008. The actions of the Fed are attracting attention. After the publication of inflation data and a series of other reports (GDP, PMI), the market expects that the Fed will decide to hike by 25 bp. Recently, Atlanta Federal Reserve Chairman Raphael Bostic told the media that he favors lower – and slower – rate hikes. On top of that, the data suggests that the labor market, somewhat astonishingly, is still solid, which could prompt the Federal Reserve to raise rates when it meets later this month. Markets opened lower after this news. The situation of interest rates has an impact on the markets, especially currency, stocks and bonds. US stocks rose on Thursday with all major indexes closing in the green. A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found that its members, for the first time in 25 years, do not consider China a top three investment priority. To boost sentiment, the Chinese government is courting potential investors and declaring a "Year of Investing in China". CNBC Daily Open: Markets rallied as Fed official renewed investors' hope for 25 basis-point hike https://t.co/Q5Ofm9iGOl — CNBC (@CNBC) March 3, 2023 The long-awaited update of the Ethereum network in Shanghai The eagerly awaited Shanghai Ethereum update, which will enable the withdrawal of staked ETH, is likely to happen in the first two weeks of April. Although the update was firmly scheduled for the March release, some Ethereum developers began to doubt it. Ethereum developers now plan to launch the Goerli testnet, essentially a comprehensive update dress rehearsal, in Shanghai around March 14. About a month later, if all goes smoothly, the actual Shanghai software update will go live in mid-April. LATEST: #Ethereum developers confirm Shanghai upgrade will likely occur in April instead of March. — CoinGecko (@coingecko) March 3, 2023
    Would Federal Reserve (Fed) go for two more rate hikes this year? Non-voting Bullard say he would back such variant

    The US Dollar Gained Broadly Against Major Currencies

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.03.2023 08:35
    Summary:  Despite U.S. bond yields continuing to climb and the 10-year going above 4% in yield, U.S. stocks managed to rebound nearly 1% on Fed Bostic comments. Hong Kong and China stocks slid and gave back some of the gains from the previous session in the absence of notable headlines ahead of the “two sessions” meeting starting this weekend. The US dollar gained broadly against major currencies. Crude oil continued to climb with WTI crude finishing Thursday at USD78.2.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 rebounded on Fedspeak The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) clawed back early losses after dovish comments were made by the Fed’s Raphael Bostic  - seeing the indices gain 0.9% and 0.8% respectively. All sectors in the S&P 500 except consumer discretionary and financial advanced. Salesforce (CRM:xnys) shares rose 11.5% on a Q4 earnings beat and upbeat guidance – making it the top gainer in the S&P500. Kroger (KR:xnys) rose 5.4% after the grocery chain reported sales and earnings beat. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) fell 5.9% as investors were somewhat disappointed with the EV giant’s Investor Day held on the prior day. US Treasury curve bear steepened, 10-year yield at 4.06% US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off across the curve in the morning following an upward revision of Q4 unit labour costs to 3.2% from the previously reported 1.1% and initial jobless claims continued to come in below 200K. After Atlanta Fed Bostic’s comments in favour of a 25bp hike at the March meeting and the Fed could pause by mid to late summer saw yields on the 2-year paring much of the loss from an intra-day high yield of 4.94% to finish at 4.89%. Yields on the belly of the curve however remained 6bps higher by the time of closing, with the 5-year yield at 4.31% and 10-year at 4.06%. The Treasury Department announced the auction of USD40 billion of 3-year notes, USD32 billion of 10-year notes, and USD18 billion of 30-year bonds next week. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI300 retreated after yesterday’s sharp gains Hang Sang Index (HSI.I) dropped 0.9% and CSI300 (000300.I) slid 0.2% on Thursday after rising sharply the day before. China Internet names led the decline with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) falling 4.7% without notable news. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) plunged 7.8%.  After the Hong Kong market close, the online entertainment platform reported Q4 earnings beating the consensus estimate. Nio (09866:xhkg) tumbled 13.2% on a Q4 margin miss and a weaker-than-expected Q1 2023 guidance. Container liners outperformed, with Orient Overseas (00316:xhkg) rising 6.7% and COSCO Shipping (01919:xhkg) up 4.1% on an improved outlook of China’s exports. In A-shares, telcos and communication equipment makers advanced, following the news that the Ministry of Industry and Technology said that China will accelerate the rolling of 6G infrastructure. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) trade lower for the fourth week  - markets prices out rate cuts – PMIs rise   So far this week - Monday to Friday the market is trading lower - marking its fourth straight week of losses. It comes as the Australian share market prices out rate cuts this year – and looks ahead to the RBA interest rates decision and commentary next week - with another 25bp hike expected. Today - hotter Australian and manufacturing prints showed PMIs rose back to expansionary phase, pushing Australian bond yields higher, up 6 bps to 3.92% - that’s near YTD highs of 4%, which is a cautionary signal given this is a better return than the average yield for the Australian share market.    FX: GBP edges below 1.2000 on dovish Bailey The US dollar was broadly in gains on Thursday as yields continued to surge higher despite supposedly dovish comments from Fed member Bostic. SEK was the underperformer on the G10 board amid risks of a deepening recession in Sweden. GBPUSD continued to tumble further below the 1.20 handle after dovish comments from BOE governor Bailey this week attempting to engineer a pause in market expectations. EURUSD also gave up some of its post-regional CPI gains to inch below 1.06. AUDUSD still in close sights of 0.67 as risk sentiment deteriorates while pickup in metals prices remains unconvincing for now. Crude oil volatility continues Oil fluctuated with traders weighing up a revival in demand from China, vied with inflation fears and OPEC boosting supplies. OPEC increased supplies by 120,000 b/d to 29.24 million a day in February – with Nigeria accounting for two-thirds of the increase - with its output hitting a one-year high. Meanwhile Russian seaborne diesel exports stranded at sea hit new records. This comes all while nations such as Turkey are trimming purchases of Russian crude. What to consider? Fed officials hinting at a higher dot plot The biggest headlines today are referring to Fed member Bostic’s (non-voter) comments as dovish, while he said he is firmly in favour of a 25bps hike path (to reduce the possibility of a hard outcome) and even said we could be in a position to pause by mid-to-late summer which appears to be exactly in-line with current market expectations. If his comments suggest 25bps rate hikes each at the March, May and June meetings, we still may end up in the 5.25-5.50% terminal rate which is higher than what the December dot plot suggested. Waller (voter) also hinted at an upwards shift in the dot plot, more clearly so, saying that Fed may need to raise rates beyond December's central tendency view of 5.1-5.4% if the incoming job and inflation data does not pull back from strong readings for January. US labor market strength sustains, focus shifting to ISM services US initial jobless claims fell by 2k to 190k last week from 192k prior and 195k expected, continuing to signal a tight labor market. Unit labor costs climbed an annualized 3.2% in the fourth quarter from the initial 1.1% read, well above expectations for a rise to 1.6%. Increased labor costs keep concerns of a wage-price spiral alive, and will likely keep the Fed on its toes in tightening policy. ISM services for February will be on watch later today, and is expected to ease to 54.5 from a big jump to 55.2 last month, but still remain comfortably in expansion. Attention will also be on the prices paid component after a similar component from the manufacturing print this week created jitters and services prices are likely to be more sticky. Worrying inflation prints in the Eurozone Yesterday, the eurozone core inflation rose to 5.60% year-over-year in February with both core goods (6.8%) and services (4.8%) reaching new record highs. This is much higher than expected (5.3%). We pay more attention to core inflation as it can show how entrenched inflation is. As a matter of that, it appears the inflation headache will remain an issue for most of the year. All the country prints which were released earlier this week came in above expectations: Germany 9.3% vs 9.0% exp. France 7.2% vs 7.0% exp. Spain 6.1% vs 5.7% exp. In these circumstances, talks about a potential monetary policy pause are ill-timed. From a monetary policy perspective, we think the ECB is unlikely to slow the pace of tightening until we see the first signs of underlying inflation peaking. Expect at least two other 50 basis point hikes in March and in May (there is no meeting in April). The market consensus forecasts that another 25 basis point hike could happen in June. It will depend on the evolution of inflation, of course. China and Australian trade relations are improving – adding to our optimist view that the commodity bull run could resume in Q2 China and Australia resumed diplomatic and economic discussions to stabilize and improve bilateral relations. It comes as China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with counterpart Penny Wong at the G-20 summit in India. This is supporting commodity prices today – with the Iron Ore (SCOA) price trading higher for the fourth session following on from stronger-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data - showing overall Chinese orders are back at 2017 levels. Despite this the Aussie dollar vs the USD (AUDUSD) is little changed on the day and week at 0.6729 after losing 0.5% on Thursday. Downside is still in play with the Aussie trading below the d Qantas hires 8,500 workers – underscoring the aviation industry’s growth trajectory Qantas Airways (QAN) plans to hire 8,500 more workers in the next decade - which is about the same number it cut during in the pandemic. This highlights the aviation’s growth trajectory less than a year after the crisis. The hires include pilots, cabin crew and airport staff – with about 300 new aircraft arriving in the next 10 years – and Qantas also planning to open an engineering academy to help maintain its feet. For more on the travel sector, refer to Saxo’s Asia Pacific Travel equity theme basket.  We are in the early inning of the comeback of European equities European equities have previously outperformed US equities over long periods of time, but the relentless bull market in US technology stocks over the past 13 years has erased our memory of European equities being an interesting market. But since October last year, European equities have significantly outperformed US equities and clients are most interested than ever. In an article yesterday, Peter Garnry, Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, provides an overview of how Europe's equity market is constructed and how it differs from the US equities, and also why they are more interesting for investors amid the comeback of the physical world. His three main points are: Europe lost the digital technology race to the US with a 13-year-long period of significant underperformance, but since October 2022 things have turned around and maybe we are in the early inning of Europe’s comeback. European equities have 20 super-sectors and the diversification of European equities is much better compared to US equities. European equities are cheaper relative to US equities and they have recently improved their operating margins while US equities have seen a significant margin compression. China’s Caixin Services PMI is expected to rise to 54.5 Caixin Services PMI is expected to confirm the continuous expansion of activities in the services sector as indicated in the official NBS PMI survey. According to Bloomberg, Caixin Services PMI is expected to rise to 54.5 in February from 52.9 in January. China’s “Two Sessions” meeting commences this weekend China is holding the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, which together are known as the “Two Sessions, this weekend. Premier Li will deliver the Government Work Report on 5 March, in which the focus will be on the GDP growth target for 2023. The weighted average of provincial GDP targets released was around 5.6% and economists are expecting a national target of between 5% and 5.5% for 2023. Investors will also pay attention to the fiscal deficit target and quota for bond financing. In addition, investors will pay close attention to the leadership reshuffle at the State Council and other top government bodies. It is widely expected that Li Qiang will be the new Premier and He Lifeng will be one of the Vice Premiers and given the portfolio of economic and financial affairs. Japan’s Tokyo CPI for February hinting at sticky prices Japan’s Tokyo-CPI for February came in at 3.4% YoY for the headline, softer than last month’s 4.4% but still hotter than the 3.3% expected. The slower print is partially a result of PM Kishida’s latest stimulus announcement to support utilities prices which included a 20% discount on household electricity rates. Core CPI at 3.3% YoY matched estimates while the core-core measure (ex-fresh food and energy) was a notch higher at 3.2% YoY vs. 3.1% expected. Inflation continues to be sticky and above the BOJ’s 2% target although the incoming Governor Ueda is unlikely to rush into any monetary policy moves at this point. Bilibili earnings beat, non-GAAP net loss narrowed as operating margin improved Q4 Revenues in Bilibili rose 6% Y/Y to RMB6.14 billion, slightly higher than the RMB6.12 billion expected. Non-GAAP net loss came in at RMB1.31 billion, better than the consensus of RMB 1.43 billion and 20.6% smaller than in Q4 last year. Mobile games revenue falling 12% Y/Y and advertisement revenue falling 5% Y/Y  were weaker than expected. Revenues from E-Commerce and others grew 13% Y/Y and those from Value-added Services rose 24%, both above consensus estimates. The number of monthly active users increased 20% Y/Y to 326 million. India’s Adani Group gets foreign interest as prices drop After a drop of over $100 billion in market value, Adani group stocks got a respite with US boutique investment firm GQG Partners purchasing shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies. The deal shows investor interest may be returning to Adani after record drops in its share prices, and any further interest from foreign investors could potentially put a floor to near-term pressures for the conglomerate. This week, the group told bondholders it had secured a $3bn credit line from investors including a sovereign wealth fund.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 3, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Astonished by the week ahead? Barclays, NatWest Group and Microsoft earnings are also released shortly

    AI (Chatgpt) Is Controversial Even With Apple

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.03.2023 09:37
    ChatGPT has become increasingly popular since start-up OpenAI released it in November, surpassing one million users a few days after launch. People have been using the chatbot to automate tasks at work and school, raising questions about how AI could replace some of the white-collar jobs. So-called generative AI has become one of the most closely watched emerging technologies in decades. Apple vs AI Apple has delayed approving an update to its email app with AI-powered language tools amid concerns it might generate content that is inappropriate for children, according to communications from Apple to the app developer. The developer of the software does not agree with Apple's decision. According to Ben Volach, co-founder of BlueMail developer Blix Inc., Apple took steps last week to block updates to the BlueMail mail app due to concerns that a new AI feature in the app might display inappropriate content. The app-review team said that because the app could produce content not appropriate for all audiences, BlueMail should move up its age restriction to 17 and older, or include content filtering, the documents show. Volach says it has content-filtering capabilities. The app’s restriction is currently set for users 4 years old and older. Apple’s age restriction for 17 and older is for categories of apps that may include everything from offensive language to sexual content and references to drugs. Volach says that this request is unfair and that other apps with similar AI functions without age restrictions are already allowed for Apple users. Apple's attempt to establish an age restriction to help moderate language-based AI content indicates that the tech giant is keeping a close eye on new technology and the risks it poses. The company has long said it needs to carefully select and screen what software is available on the iPhone and iPad via the App Store to ensure the privacy and security of its products. Read next: Despite The Decline Euro Remains Above 1.06, GBP/USD Is Trading Below 1.20| FXMAG.COM BlueMail BlueMail's new AI feature uses OpenAI's latest ChatGPT chatbot to help automate email writing using the content of previous emails and calendar events. ChatGPT allows users to talk to AI in a seemingly human way and is capable of advanced, lengthy typing on a variety of topics. Workers at some companies have been using ChatGPT to write emails and research topics. Some of the employees say the chatbot helps them work faster while others are trying to avoid being left behind as technology evolves. Some tech companies have raced to launch similar products after OpenAI released ChatGPT Not only Apple Chase & Co. restricts employees from using ChatGPT. The bank did not restrict the use of the popular AI chatbot because of any specific incident, the person said. It was not possible to determine how many employees used the chatbot or what functions they used it for. In addition to JPMorgan, other organizations have also blocked access to ChatGPT. Last week, Verizon Communications Inc. barred the chatbot from its corporate systems, saying it could lose ownership of customer information or source code that its employees typed into ChatGPT. New York City public schools in January banned the chatbot from its internet networks and school devices. Apple share price By mid-February, Apple shares were rising to 155.33. Since then, they have fallen to the level of 145.31. They recently increased slightly and closed at 145.91 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    Technical Analysis Of S&P 500, Dow Jones And More

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.03.2023 11:41
    Summary:  Major US Indices forming bottom and reversal patterns indicating a strong rebound.In this analysis: S&P 500/US500, Nasdaq 100/USNAS100 & Dow Jones Industrial/US30 S&P 500 opened below yesterday the 200 daily Moving Average dipping down to touch the 0.618 retracement at 3,929 to close above key support at 3,949 forming a Bullish Engulfing candle which is a strong indication of a bottom and reversal.RSI is still above 40 meaning it is still in a positive sentiment with no divergence from the February peak. S&P 500 seems set for a rebound and if the Index closes above 4,030 the uptrend is likely to resume.A first indication of this scenario to play out could be if RSI closes above its falling trendline.If S&P 500 closes below Thursday low and RSI closes below 40 S&P 500 has demolished the bottom and reversal picture and would be in a confirmed bear trend. Source all charts and data: Saxo Group US 500 cfd bounced from the 100 daily Moving Average and the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement to close above 200 daily Moving Average to close back above key support at 3,947.50. RSI still in positive sentiment. If US500 moves back above 4,027 it is likely to resume uptrend.A close below yesterday’s low at 3,919 the rebound picture is demolished and US 500 is likely to drop lower towards 3,800. Nasdaq 100 Buyers in control throughout yesterday’s session lifting the Index back above 200 daily Moving Average and key support at 11,906 forming a Bullish Engulfing candle.RSI is still above 40 meaning it is still in a positive sentiment with no divergence from the February peak. If Nasdaq 100 closes above 12,385 and above the 21 daily Moving Average the uptrend has resumed.A first indication of this scenario to play out could be if RSI closes above its falling trendline.A close below 11,830 i.e., yesterday’s low is likely to lead to a sell-off down to around the 0.618 retracement at 11,515 possibly down to support at around 11,259.   USNAS100 Double Top pattern potential is still unfolding. After the break below 12,213 there is down side potential to around the 0.618 retracement at 11,518 as illustrated by the two vertical arrows. However, USNAS100 has found support at the 200 daily Moving Average and after its strong rebound yesterday the bearish picture could be reversed. If USNAS100 closes back above 12,234 and above the 21 daily Moving Average the Double top pattern is demolished and uptrend is likely to resume with potential to February peak level. Dow Jones Industrial has formed a Morning Doji Star bottom and reversal pattern (circled) bouncing from the support at around 32,573. Despite RSI being negative the Index could experience a nice rebound to around the 55 daily Moving Average but room up to resistance at around 34,342-34,712.If Dow Jones closes below 32,500 down trend is set to resume US30 cfd has bounced from support at around 32,472 and seems set for a rebound to the upper range in the side ways range US30 has been trading in since November. A break below 32,470 is likely to push US30 down to 31,715, possibly lower   Source: Technical Update - US Stock Indices set for a rebound: S&P500, Nasdaq & Dow Jones | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates Spark: Escalating into a Rout as Bond Bear Steepening Accelerates

    Stock Market Summary Of The Week 27.02-3.03.2023

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 05.03.2023 09:17
    There were a number of significant developments in the markets this week, including surprising inflation readings, declines in the cryptocurrency market and hopes for China's industry, which posted its best performance in more than a decade. In addition, many other events took place in the financial markets. What else could we have learned? Macroeconomic data We began our macroeconomic data with Monday's reading of home sales under construction for January in the United States, which rose by as much as 8.1% m/m. (1% m/m was expected). This is the highest reading since September 2020. Could this mean that, despite high interest rates, the property market is starting to recover for this economy? We started Tuesday with the publication of the US CB Consumer Confidence index. The reading fell short of expectations, coming in at 102.9 (108.5 was expected). On the same day, we learned about the PMI Industrial Sentiment Index for the Chinese economy, which positively beat expectations, coming in at 52.6 (50.5 was expected). This is the highest reading for this economy in more than 10 years! The ChinaH index rose by almost 5% this week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, CHINAH, Daily Wednesday brought us data from Germany, such as the PMI industrial business sentiment index, which came in at 46.3 points (46.5 points were expected). In addition, we learned about the CPI inflation reading for February, which came in at 8.7% (8.7% was expected). However, it appears that despite further interest rate increases in the euro area, inflation does not want to fall. The US manufacturing PMI came in slightly worse than analysts' consensus, at 47.7 points (48 points expected). Thursday seemed to be crucial for this week. First, we had a look at inflation in the euro area, which, like inflation in Germany, surprised negatively. It turned out to be higher than expected at 8.5% (8.2% was expected). On the same day, we learnt the reading of new claims for unemployment benefits in the United States, which came in at 190,000 (195,000 was expected). It seems that the labour market remains as strong as ever for this economy. The stock market A large proportion of sectors ended the week on declines. The largest declines of at least 2% included the utilities sector and the retail services sector. The largest increases of 3.4% came from the materials sector. In second place was the industrial companies sector with an increase of 1.66%. Source: https://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker The companies that had the biggest changes during the week were Tesla's (Tesla) shares down more than 5%, the shares of online short-term rental platform Booking.com (Booking) up more than 6%, or rail holding company Union Pacific Corporation, which rose almost 10%. Source: https://finviz.com/map.ashx?t=sec&st=w1 Currency and cryptocurrency market The US dollar has been weakening in the foreign exchange market against other currencies, with the EUR/USD pair rising by 0.6%. This may be linked to expectations of an interest rate increase in the euro area due to higher-than-expected inflation. The only one of the major pairs to rise during the week is the New Zealand dollar pair against the US dollar. Source: Conotoxia MT5, EURUSD, Daily At the end of the week we saw declines in the cryptocurrency market. The price of bitcoin fell by almost 4% during the week. It seems that this may be related to the so-called Silvergate, the bank that disconnected the ability to make transfers for one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase. Additionally, as is the case every week, investors can look forward to an influx of fresh funds into this market, which could be measured by, among other things, stablecoin capitalisation, which is down by as much as 2.1% m/m. Source: Conotoxia MT5, BTCUSD, Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
    Kelvin Wong talks JGB, US dollar against Japanese yen and more

    Japan's "Shunto" Spring Wage Talks Will Be Key To Watch This Month

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.03.2023 08:16
    Summary:  US stock indices had a strong finish to the week, with the Nasdaq 100 rising 1.6% and the S&P 500 surging 2%. Despite the fading expectations for interest rate cuts in 2023, the S&P 500 has risen 5.4% and the Nasdaq 100 has soared 12.4% since the beginning of the year. Yields on the 10-year Treasury notes reversed and returned to below 4%, settling at 3.95% to close the week on Friday. On the first day of the First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress, China's Premier Li delivered his last Government Work Report. The report set a target of around 5% for the real GDP growth for 2023, which was at the lower end of expectations.   What’s happening in markets? US equities bounced on Friday to finish the week higher Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) rose 1.6% and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged 2% on Friday, securing a weekly gain of 1.9% and 2.6% respectively. All 11 sectors within the S&P 500 advanced, led by information technology, consumer discretionary, and communication services. Meta (META:xnas), First Solar (FSLR:xnas), and Broadcom (AVGO:xnas) were among the top gainers, rising more than or nearly 6%. Apple (AAPL:xnas) gained 3.5% after announcing the departure of its cloud business head next month. Rivian (RIVN:xnas) jumped 7.6% following raising its EV production target by 24% to 62,000 units. Since the beginning of the year, the S&P 500 has risen 5.4% and the Nasdaq 100 has soared 12.4% despite the expectations for interest rate cuts in 2023 having largely faded. NVidia (NVDA:xnas) up 65%, Tesla (TSLA:xnas) up 63%, and Meta up 53.9% were among the best-performing stocks that drove the indices higher. US Treasuries rallied with the 10-year yield reversing to below 4% After spending one day above 4% on Thursday, yields on the 10-year Treasury notes reversed and returned to below 4% and settled at 3.95% to close the week on Friday. Headlines were light. The decline in the ISM Services Index in February was smaller than expected and initially saw the short-end lower in prices and higher in yields before the losses faded and reversed as strong bids emerged in the long ends in the afternoon. The 2-10-year spread bull flattened 7bps to -91. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 advanced ahead of the Two Sessions On Friday, Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) was up 0.7%. Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) was up 2.1% ahead of the Two Sessions in China, annual meetings of China’s legislature, and top political advisory body. Technology, auto, and Chinese developer stocks led the charge higher. Closing at 20567, Hang Seng Index was up 2.79% over the week.  Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.8%, with China internet names leading the charge higher. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) surged 10.3% following the online entertainment firm reporting a smaller net loss in Q4. TVB (00511:xhkg) soared 51.6% on heavy volume after the television broadcaster announced cooperation plans with Alibaba’s Taobao for live-streaming broadcasts.  Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) fell 4.3%, weighed on by hedging flows after the Macao casino operator issued a USD600m of convertible bonds. Benchmark A-share indices advanced. The CSI300 (000300.I) climbed 0.3% on Friday and gained 1.7% over the week. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index gained for the fifth day in a row, closing at 3328.39, the highest level since July 2022. The net purchase of northbound funds was RMB 2 billion. Large state-owned companies in strategic industries, typically those starting with the prefix “China”, were among the top gainers ahead of the Two Sessions. Australian equities remain pressured The Australian share market fell for the fourth straight week last week. And with BHP and Rio and Woodside all going ex-dividend this week, it could be very volatile week. For more on what to watch this week, refer to Saxo’s Week Ahead. FX: GBP recovers post-Bailey losses The USD was broadly weaker last week after a run higher in February on expectations that most of the Fed’s tightening is priced in and yields are potentially reaching close to their peaks. This week brings a test of this rhetoric with Chair Powell’s testimony and the US jobs report scheduled for release. GBPUSD once again found support at 1.1920 despite a dovish turn by BOE Gov Bailey last week, and returned to 1.2040. AUDUSD worth a watch again this week with support at 0.67 being eyed as the RBA meets this week and China’s lower growth expectations may weigh. USDJPY has reversed back below 136 as yields gains ease, but if US yields continue their run higher and/or Governor Kuroda stays overly dovish at his final Bank of Japan meeting this week then a return to 137+ remains likely.  Crude oil whipsaws but bulls in control Crude oil prices faced 2-way action on Friday with an initial move lower by over 2% on a WSJ report saying the UAE is debating internally whether to leave OPEC. But these reports were denied later on, and enthusiasm of the oil bulls going into China’s policy meetings over the weekend with policy stimulus expectations running high helped crude oil make a quick reversal. WTI prices got close to $80/barrel from a dip to $76 earlier, while Brent rose to $86 from $82.50. A modest weakness is coming back again this morning in Asia, keeping the range intact. However, China’s weaker than expected growth target set over the weekend may still keep oil prices choppy, with eyes also on any possibility of hawkish remarks from Chair Powell this week or the US jobs report.    What to consider? China’s 2023 GDP growth target at “around 5%” China sets a real GDP growth target of "around 5%" for 2023 in the Government Work Report to the National People's Congress. This target is at the lower end of expectations ranging from 5% to 5.5% going into the meeting. Other key macroeconomic targets include adding 12 million jobs to urban area employment for 2023, a consumer inflation target of 3%, and a fiscal deficit target of 3% of nominal GDP. The report emphasizes the importance of boosting domestic aggregate demand, particularly household consumption, and aims to deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises while encouraging private enterprises to grow. For more details, see our note here. US ISM services stays strong The headline ISM services cooled less than expected in February, falling to 55.1 from 55.2 in January, better than the expected 54.5. The prices paid component, which raised concerns again about the disinflation rhetoric from the manufacturing ISM report last week, cooled only slightly to 65.8 from 67.8 in January, showing sticky services prices. Employment rose to 54 from 50.0, matching the highest since March 2022 and therefore showing more signs of a tight labour market. New orders accelerated to 62.6 from 60.4 but business activity slowed to 56.3 from 60.4.  China’s Caixin Services PMI came in at the highest level since Sept 2022 Caixin Services PMI rose to 55 in February (consensus estimate: 54.5), the highest level since September 2022, from 52.9 in January, echoing the strength of the recovery in the official NBS PMI survey earlier in the week. Both the business activities component and the new order components were in the expansion territory. The Biden administration is drafting new rules to prohibit some U.S. investments in China In reports sent to Congress, the Biden administration told lawmakers that the Treasury Department and the Commerce Departing are drafting new regulations to prohibit U.S. companies from making advanced technology investments abroad, which is understood as focusing on China. Fed members continue to sound hawkish, eyes on Powell Fed member Mary Daly was on the wires over the weekend, and sounded hawkish as she raised the prospects of an upward shift in the Fed’s dot plot as well. She said that inflation is still high, and the Fed has to think about 'continuous tightening', signalling higher rates and remaining at elevated levels for a longer period of time, if inflation stays hot. Another member Barkin also clearly said that there will be no rate cuts this year. Focus will be on data in the run upto Fed’s March meeting, but Chair Powell’s testimony and the February jobs report this week will be key for the markets. Japan unions pushing for record wage increase The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC, more commonly known as Rengo) says its survey of 2000+ unions in the country shows an average pay rise request of 4.49% this year. This is the highest since 1998's 4.36% and is much higher than the 2.97% sought in 2022. The Bank of Japan continues to highlight that wage growth is key for achieving sustained demand-pull inflation. Japan's "shunto" spring wage talks will be key to watch this month as any larger than expected increase in wages will fuel more tightening expectations for the Bank of Japan, having a profound impact on global liquidity as well. COT reporting on Brent and (delayed) gold  Speculators or hedge funds raised bullish bets on Brent crude oil by 9.4k lots to near a 15-month high at 286k lots in the week to February 28. The cost of holding a short position in Brent, reflected through the current backwardation, supported a continued collapse in the gross short to a 12-year low at 22k lots.  While the ICE Europe Exchange is up to date in its reporting, the US CFTC is still catching up following a January 31 cyberattack on ION Cleared Derivatives, a third-party software and service provider for derivative trading. The latest report covered the week to February 7, when gold reached $1975 before crashing to $1885, triggering a 29% drop in the gold net long to 79k. The CFTC is expected to be up to data around mid-March.  Moving Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal from IT to Financials in the S&P500 Starting from 17 March, the S&P 500 will move Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), and Paypal (PYPL), which specialize in payment services from its Information Technology sector to the Financials sector, and Automatic Data Processing (ADP), which provide human resources services from the Information sector to the Industrials sector. For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight.  For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 6, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates Spark: Bracing for more

    The RBA, Bank Of Canada And Bank Of Japan Will Be Announcing Their Latest Interest Rate Decision This Week

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya 06.03.2023 08:26
    There are plenty of reasons that should push equities lower, but equities continue trending higher. Both European and American stocks closed last week with gains, and futures hint at a positive start to the week despite China's announcement of a modest 5% growth target. But the 5% growth target raises concerns about the amount of stimulus that the Chinese will put on the table, and the possible continuation of the government crackdown. The Chinese officials said that they don't want a disorderly growth in real estate – which is a major ingredient for the Chinese growth. Plus, the local governments could borrow and spend less, even though the Chinese as a whole increased their fiscal deficit projection. This means that China is on its way for more centralization of the power around Xi Jinping and less freedom for local entities. Combined with Xi's fight against euphoric growth and the West's limitation on investment and technology exports to China, we shall see investors reluctant to return to Chinese equities. China's modest 5% growth target weigh on energy and commodity prices. Iron ore and copper futures are down, and US crude's 100-DMA resistance, around the $80pb level, will likely remain strong. On this week's agenda FED talk Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell will deliver his semi-annual testimony before the Senate this week, and he will certainly reiterate that the Fed is not yet done with its fight against inflation, that the labour market remains particularly strong, that a soft landing is possible, yet the Fed won't hesitate to sacrifice growth to abate inflation as soon as possible. Looking at the latest set of data, the U-turn of easing inflation and last month's blowout jobs figures, we don't expect to hear anything less than hawkish from Mr. Powell. But it's always possible that a word like 'disinflation' slips out of his mouth, and that we get a boost on risk. US jobs The US economy is expected to have added around 200'000 jobs, with the possibility of a negative surprise after last month's above half a million read. Unemployment is seen steady around 3.4% - a more than 50-year low, while average earnings are seen going up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the year. Nothing encouraging for the Fed doves. But who cares? RBA, BoC, BoJ The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will be announcing their latest policy verdicts this week and among them, only the RBA is expected to hike the rates by another 25bp despite last week's surprise softening in latest inflation and growth numbers. More than 40% of the companies in the ASX 200 posted negative earnings surprise last quarter, up from 28% a year ago. The latest figures from macro and micro fronts raise questions about how far the RBA could go in terms of rate hikes. On the currency front, since the end of February, the AUDUSD slipped into the bearish consolidation zone, but the pair has been following the 100-DMA slightly to the upside, as the Chinese reopening sustains iron ore prices – except for today, of course, as China's 5% growth target hasn't been a boon for energy and commodity stocks. China could still rescue the Aussie from falling further, but the Chinese winds could hardly reverse the negative trend in AUDUSD as the Fed-supported US dollar is certainly not done its positive push yet.
    European Markets Face Headwinds Amid Rising Yields and Inflation Concerns

    Demand For Automotive Chips Will Continue To Grow As The Outlook For The Electric Vehicle Market Looks Solid

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 06.03.2023 10:43
    Growing sales of electric vehicles — which typically use more semiconductors than their gas-powered counterparts — coupled with greater automation of all vehicles have kept car chip makers busy. Car chip boom Chip executives say the increase in the number of chips going into cars is staggering. As of 2021, the average car had about 1,200 chips, twice as many as in 2010, and that number is only likely to increase. Companies including Dutch automotive chip company NXP Semiconductors, German Infineon Technologies AG , Japanese Renesas Electronics Corp., an American company Analog Devices Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. recently reported growing sales in its automotive divisions and made good forecasts for this year. NXP's automotive chip sales grew 25% last year, and the company expects about 15% growth in the first quarter of this year. Renesas' automotive business grew nearly 40% last year, and analysts expect more growth this quarter. Analog Devices, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its sales in the automotive industry, posted 29% growth in this segment last year. It's not just the cars themselves that are using more and more chips; as will vehicle manufacturing as manufacturers introduce more automation to deal with labor shortages and try to cut costs, semiconductor executives said. Car chip resilience comes despite a historic drop in car sales last year, which was the lowest in more than a decade in the US. Sales have been hampered by supply chain issues, including a lack of chips necessary for a new generation of cars with a range of digitally enhanced features, from driver assistance technology to automatic windshield wiper control. The increased digitization of cars means that even lower vehicle sales do not reduce the demand for car chips. Prospects of EV market Long-term EV market outlook looks solid, Tesla Inc. hinted last week as chief executive Elon Musk detailed plans for his car company to increase sales to 20 million vehicles a year by 2030, up from around 1.3 million in 2022. Electric vehicle sales surpassed a global milestone last year, reaching around 10% market share for the first time. While EVs still represent a fraction of U.S. car sales, their share of the overall market is becoming significant in Europe and China. Tesla is still the dominant manufacturer of electric cars in the world, but conventional carmakers are reducing their lead with new electric models. European carmakers have focused their production and sales of electric vehicles on domestic markets in an effort to meet EU emissions regulations. They also began a more aggressive expansion of their electric vehicle business in other major markets last year, especially China and the US. Declines in other sectors of chipmakers The boom in automotive chips contrasts with sharp declines in other sectors of chipmakers whose products end up in electronics closely tied to consumer appetites. Intel Corp. , the largest U.S. chip maker by revenue, reported a loss in the fourth quarter and expects another loss this quarter, hit by a weakening demand for personal computers that house its chips. Rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is also battling a volatile PC market where industry-wide shipments are expected to fall by 12.5% this year, according to recent Morgan Stanley estimates. Qualcomm Inc., known for its mobile phone chips, illustrates how some chip vendors feel both sides of market dynamics. The company saw an 18% drop in mobile phone revenue in the last fiscal quarter. NXP Semiconductors N.V. share prices NXP shares have been up since Feb 24. from 176.86 to 182.96. By comparison, Renesas shares also rose to 6.72, a record high in more than 10 years. Infineon Technologies shares also rose to 36.63 after falling to 35.43. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Crude Prices Are Rallying After A Mixed Jobs Report Sent The Dollar Lower

    Crude Oil Declined After China Announced Cautious Growth Targets

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 06.03.2023 11:17
    Summary:  Equity markets surged higher on Friday as the treasury market suddenly found solid support on Friday, taking the US 10-year yield back below 4.00%. At the weekend, China set a “modest” growth target of around 5% at key meetings. The week ahead is thick with central bank action, starting with the RBA on Tuesday, with Fed Chair Powell testimony up tomorrow and Wednesday, and Friday’s Bank of Japan meeting the likely highlight of the week, as it is Governor Kuroda’s last meeting. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): strong rally as bond yields decline US equities rallied strongly on Friday with S&P 500 futures gaining 1.7% pushing above the 4,000 level closing at 4,050 with the momentum extending this morning. The rally in US equities came on the back of a ISM report showing the US economy is still humming along. US bond yields declined on Friday together with a weaker USD helping lift sentiment in equities which was an odd move given that inflation expectations were rising last week. This week we have Fed President Powell’s speech that could impact equities (read our preview below). In S&P 500 futures the 4,100 is a key upside level to watch if momentum extends. Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 oscillated on a modest Government Work Report The Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 Index oscillated after China set out a modest GDP growth target for 2023 and signalled a measured approach to fiscal and monetary policies as well as balanced support to the housing sector with avoiding systemic risks as a key priority. Lenovo (00992:xhkg) rising over 4% and reaching a new high, was the biggest gainer. The PC and server maker gained following its arch-rival in the server business, Inspur (000977:xsec) might be having difficulties in getting US parts after Inspur’s parent being put on the US ‘entity list’. FX: GBP recovers post-Bailey losses The USD was broadly weaker last week after a run higher in February on expectations that most of the Fed’s tightening is priced in and yields are potentially reaching close to their peaks. This week brings a test of this rhetoric with Chair Powell’s testimony and the US jobs report scheduled for release. GBPUSD once again found support at 1.1920 despite a dovish turn by BOE Gov Bailey last week, and returned to 1.2040. AUDUSD worth a watch again this week with support at 0.67 being eyed as the RBA meets Tuesday and China’s lower growth expectations may weigh. USDJPY has reversed back below 136 as yields gains ease, but if US yields continue their run higher and/or Governor Kuroda stays overly dovish at his final Bank of Japan meeting this week then a return to 137+ remains likely. Crude oil whipsaws with no clear direction yet to emerge  Crude oil prices faced strong two-way action on Friday with an initial move lower by over 2% on a WSJ report, later denied, saying the UAE is debating internally whether to leave OPEC, before finishing on a strong note on short covering after across market risk appetite improved and traders looked to China’s policy meetings over the weekend for support.  Overnight, however, crude declined after China, the world’s top oil imported, announced cautious growth targets and avoided any larger stimulus measures. Crude oil remains stuck within narrowing ranges, Brent between $81 and $89 with focus returning to the US and speeches from Powell to policy makers on Capital Hill Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Friday’s job report.    Gold supported by drop in US real yields Gold rallied strongly last week after the market started pricing in higher long-term inflation, thereby challenging the FOMC’s own targets. While support was provided by US ten-year yields dropping back below 4% on Friday to end the week close to unchanged, it was developments in Breakeven (inflation) up 14 bps on the week and real yields, down 13 bps that helped support gold’s recovery. The close back above the 21-DMA on Friday, now at $1844, signaling a return of positive momentum, the strength of which may still be challenged this week with Powell speeches and Friday's job report the focus. For the current recovery, to attract support from technical buyers, prices as a minimum need to break $1864, and silver $22 to signal an end to the recent period of weakness. Copper takes China’s cautious growth target on the chin Copper trades close to unchanged after China set a cautious economic growth target with no major new stimulus measures being announced. With the focus primarily on supporting and stabilizing the economy, the metal could still be challenged in the short term by long liquidation from bulls having bet too heavily on the recovery story and increased spending towards infrastructure projects. Especially considering the recent buildup in inventories monitored by futures exchanges in London and not least in Shanghai. We maintain our long-held bullish outlook for copper and industrial metals in general but with China not providing growth stimulus, the short-term outlook may equally depend on whether other large economies can avoid a recession. US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied with the 10-year yield reversing to below 4% After spending one day above 4% on Thursday, yields on the 10-year Treasury notes reversed and returned to below 4% and settled at 3.95% to close the week on Friday. Headlines were light. The decline in the ISM Services Index in February was smaller than expected and initially saw the short-end lower in prices and higher in yields before the losses faded and reversed as strong bids emerged in the long ends in the afternoon. The 2-10-year spread bull flattened 7bps to -91. What is going on? China’s 2023 GDP growth target at “around 5%” China sets a real GDP growth target of "around 5%" for 2023 in the Government Work Report to the National People's Congress. This target is at the lower end of expectations ranging from 5% to 5.5% going into the meeting. Other key macroeconomic targets include adding 12 million jobs to urban area employment for 2023, a consumer inflation target of 3%, and a fiscal deficit target of 3% of nominal GDP. The report emphasizes the importance of boosting domestic aggregate demand, particularly household consumption, and aims to deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises. For more details, see our note here. COT reporting on Brent and (delayed) gold Hedge funds raised bullish bets on Brent crude oil by 9.4k lots to near a 15-month high at 286k lots in the week to February 28. The cost of holding a short position in Brent, reflected through the current backwardation, supported a continued collapse in the gross short to a 12-year low at 22k lots.  While the ICE Europe Exchange is up to date in its reporting, the US CFTC is still catching up following a January 31 cyberattack on ION Cleared Derivatives, a third-party software and service provider for derivative trading. The latest report covered the week to February 7, when gold reached $1975 before crashing to $1885, triggering a 29% drop in the net long to 79k. The CFTC is expected to be up to data around mid-March. US ISM services stays strong The headline ISM services cooled less than expected in February, falling to 55.1 from 55.2 in January, better than the expected 54.5. The prices paid component, which raised concerns again about the disinflation rhetoric from the manufacturing ISM report last week, cooled only slightly to 65.8 from 67.8 in January, showing sticky services prices. Employment rose to 54 from 50.0, matching the highest since March 2022 and therefore showing more signs of a tight labour market. New orders accelerated to 62.6 from 60.4 but business activity slowed to 56.3 from 60.4. Fed members continue to sound hawkish, eyes on Powell Fed member Mary Daly (non-voter in 2023) was on the wires over the weekend, and sounded hawkish as she raised the prospects of an upward shift in the Fed’s dot plot as well. She said that inflation is still high, and the Fed has to think about 'continuous tightening', signalling higher rates and remaining at elevated levels for a longer period of time, if inflation stays hot. Another member Barkin (non-voter in 2023) also clearly said that there will be no rate cuts this year. Focus will be on data in the runup to the Fed’s March meeting, but Chair Powell’s testimony before the Congress and the February jobs report this week will be key for the markets, as noted below.. Japan unions pushing for record wage increase The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC, more commonly known as Rengo) says its survey of 2000+ unions in the country shows an average pay rise request of 4.49% this year. This is the highest since 1998's 4.36% and is much higher than the 2.97% sought in 2022. The Bank of Japan continues to highlight that wage growth is key for achieving sustained demand-pull inflation. Japan's "shunto" spring wage talks will be key to watch this month as any larger than expected increase in wages will fuel more tightening expectations for the Bank of Japan, having a profound impact on global liquidity as well. What are we watching next? Busy agenda this week for central banks, topped by BoJ on Friday It’s a busy week for central bank messaging this week. First up is the RBA, which we expect will hike the policy rate another 25-basis points to 3.60%. This is not fully priced into market expectations, and the market has priced a total of 52 basis points of tightening over the next three meetings, including tonight’s.  The terminal rate is currently priced near 4.15%. On Wednesday, the BoC will discuss the pace of monetary policy, but at its last meeting signaled that it would like to pause the hike cycle to assess the economy, given the steep pace of policy tightening. We expect interest rates will remain unchanged at 4.5% after eight consecutive hikes. In the US, Fed Chair Powell will testify before Senate and House panels on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, on the economy and monetary policy. He will face hours of questioning and political posturing from Congress members. Finally, the most anticipated central bank meeting of the week will be Friday’s Bank of JA France general strike against pension reform France will face a rolling general strike against the pension reform starting tomorrow. The strike is likely to be prolonged for at least 10 days according to the trade unions. This could push the country’s GDP into contraction this quarter. Union representatives at EDF warned of the risk of reduced power output from France’s nuclear power plants due to the strike. US February labor market data up on Friday The US Feb. Nonfarm payrolls change report for February will be released on Friday. In January, US job creation increased at a very strong pace (507k). Consensus expectation look for a return to trend in February (consensus at +200k). The February unemployment rate is expected to marginally increase to 3.5% from the multi-decade low of 3.4% posted in January. Overall, the U.S. labor market is still very resilient, in a very good shape. This is unlikely to influence the Fed’s monetary policy decisions in the short-term. Earnings to watch This week’s most important earnings releases are listed below with the most market attention going to earnings from Adidas, CATL, and JD.com. Adidas has a huge inventory of Yeezy sneakers following the abrupt end to the partnership with Ye that caused a massive writedown in the previous quarter and investors have generally lost short-term trust in Adidas following a string of bad results. Analysts expect Adidas to report Q4 revenue of €5.2bn up 1% y/y and EBITDA of €-419mn. CATL is the world’s largest battery maker and is firing on all cylinders with analysts expecting Q4 revenue growth of 87% y/y and EPS of CNY 2.65 down 11% y/y as the company has not passed on all input costs to its EV customers after a significant surge in lithium carbonate prices last year. Monday: Trip.com Tuesday: Ashtead Group, Sea Ltd, Ferguson, Crowdstrike Wednesday: Ping An Bank, Thales, Adidas, Geberit Thursday: CATL, Deutsche Post, JD.com Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, Oracle, DiDi Global Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0930 – UK Feb. Construction PMI 1000 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak 1000 – Eurozone Jan. Retail Sales 1500 – Canada Feb. Ivey PMI 1500 – US Jan. Factory Orders 2330 – Japan Jan. Labor Cash Earnings 0030 – Australia Jan. Trade Balance 0330 – Australia RBA Cash Rate Target announcement    Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 6, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange Only NASDAQ Composite Fell 0.11%

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 07.03.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.12%, the S&P 500 rose 0.07%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.11%. Markets are also awaiting information from the US labor market, which will be published on Friday. According to market strategist at Nikko Asset Management John Weil, the data for February may turn out to be worse than in January, and this will calm investors a bit in their fears of too sharp tightening of monetary policy. Dow Jones Merck & Company Inc was the top performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today, up 4.22 points or 3.95% to close at 111.10. Apple Inc rose 2.80 points or 1.85% to close at 153.83. Coca-Cola Co rose 0.92 points or 1.55% to close at 60.36. Shares of Dow Inc became the leaders of the fall, the price of which fell by 1.21 points (2.07%), ending the session at 57.11. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc was up 1.77% or 0.64 points to close at 35.45, while Intel Corporation was down 1.55% or 0.41 points to close at 25.99 S&P 500 Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Lumen Technologies Inc, which rose 4.10% to 3.30, Merck & Company Inc, which gained 3.95% to close at 111.10. as well as Enphase Energy Inc, which rose 3.77% to end the session at 225.35. DexCom Inc was the leading gainer, shedding 7.87% to close at 113.25. Shares of Newell Brands Inc shed 7.23% to end the session at 13.48. VF Corporation (NYSE:VFC) was down 5.37% to 24.85. NASDAQ The top performers in the NASDAQ Composite Index today were Appreciate Holdings Inc, which rose 152.89% to hit 3.06, Unicycive Therapeutics Inc, which gained 153.06% to close at 1.24, and also shares of Bellerophon Therapeutics Inc, which rose 94.11% to end the session at 3.51. The leading gainers were Aclaris Therapeutics Inc, which shed 44.68% to close at 7.07. Shares of Rubius Therapeutics Inc shed 33.55% to end the session at 0.08. Quotes of Embark Technology Inc decreased in price by 32.81% to 2.56. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of depreciated securities (1981) exceeded the number of closed in positive territory (1051), and quotes of 109 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,420 companies fell in price, 1,237 rose, and 143 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 0.65% to 18.61. Gold Gold futures for April delivery lost 0.12%, or 2.15, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI April futures rose 1.10%, or 0.88, to $80.56 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for May delivery rose 0.55%, or 0.47, to $86.30 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged at 0.44% to 1.07, while USD/JPY edged up 0.06% to hit 135.93. Futures on the USD index fell 0.21% to 104.27.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-03-08 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/315102
    Kiwi Faces Depreciation Pressure: RBNZ Expected to Hold Rates Amidst Downward Momentum

    The RBA Hiked The Rates To 3.6%, ECB’s Holzmann Called For Interest Rates To Be Raised By 50bps

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.03.2023 09:13
    Summary:  The snapback rally in equities extended and then faded yesterday, a mirror-image of the action in treasury yields, which failed to hold an extension lower. Oil rebounded and the gold rally faded. In Australia overnight, the Reserve Bank of Australia hiked as most expected, but signaled it would like to pause the tightening regime soon, triggering a sharp slide in the Aussie. Today, Fed Chair Powell will testify on the economy and monetary policy before a Senate panel. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): US equity momentum extends US equities gained slightly yesterday with S&P 500 futures closing at 4,052 after trading as high as 4,082 intraday. This morning in early European trading hours S&P 500 futures are extending their gains as the US 10-year yield continues to push lower lifting overall sentiment. During yesterday’s session social media stocks such as Meta, Pinterest, Snap, and Alphabet were rallying as TikTok bans across the US and Europe are gaining traction. The earnings and macro calendars are light today so the only market moving event is Fed Chair Powell’s speech later today at 1500 GMT. Hang Seng Index and CSI 300: rally fades on Sino-American tensions After follow-through rallies in state-owned enterprises in Hong Kong and mainland bourses in the telecommunication and energy space in the morning, the Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 lost steam and turned south, losing 0.7% and 1.2% as of writing. In a press conference on the side-line of the Two Sessions, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang reiterated the “China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era” and downplayed Russia’s invasion into Ukraine to that the “Ukraine crisis has complex historical fabrics and practical reasons with the underlying nature being the eruption of the conflicts in the security governance of Europe”. The pro-Russian stance, as opposed to the more conciliatory-leaning stance in recent months toward the West, added to investors’ concern over the Sino-American relationship. FX: AUD in the dumps on dovish RBA, EUR firm The US dollar is not the focus at the moment as the market awaits further signals from Fed Chair Powell today and tomorrow in his two days of testimony before Congressional panels. The euro is firm on hawkish rhetoric from the ECB (more below) that has the market pricing more than 150 basis points of further tightening this year. Elsewhere, the Aussie weakened sharply as the statement overnight suggested the RBA is looking for excuses to pause its tightening regime – more on that below. The JPY trades passively as we await a pivotal Bank of Japan meeting on Friday, Governor Kuroda’s final meeting before he leaves office in early April. Crude oil climbs to a five-week high Cude oil trades higher for a sixth session amid a broader rally in stocks and a softer dollar. The market will keep an eye on comments from oil insiders, currently meeting in Houston at the annual CERAWeek, one of the world's premier energy conferences. Commentary made alluded to a pickup in demand, while supply remains somewhat restricted. It was said at the conference that 75% of global oil demand growth will come from China this year. Meanwhile, Estonia called for the EU to halve the $60 price cap on Russian oil this month. Overall, crude oil remains rangebound with Brent currently stuck between $81 and $87. US natural gas plunged on forecasts for milder-than-expected weather, and in just two trading sessions it gave back almost half the 53% gain achieved during the prior two weeks. Gold eying Powell’s testimony Gold (XAUUSD) hit a five-week high on Monday at $1858 before reversing lower overnight to test support around the 21-DMA at $1844. Together with US real yields reversing higher following last week’s drop when inflation expectations moved higher, the market sentiment is becoming a bit more cautious ahead of testimonies on Capitol Hill from Fed Chair Powell today and tomorrow. However, with the market currently pricing in a terminal Fed fund rate around 5.5%, any weakness in incoming data – the next major being Friday’s job report – may add further support. For the current recovery to become more than just a bounce, the price as a minimum need to break above $1864, the 38.2% of the February drop. US wheat drops below $7/bu as market awaits monthly supply/demand report The Chicago benchmark wheat contract (ZWc1) dropped below $7 a bushel on Monday for the first time in 17 months, pressured by adequate global supplies, especially from Russia, and optimism a deal can be reached to extend the UN-brokered Ukraine grain corridor deal when the current deal expires later this month. Ukraine’s grain exports are down 26.6% at 32.9 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season so far. Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics raised its estimate of its 2022/23 wheat harvest by 2.6 million tons to a record 39.2 million tons. Traders now look ahead to USDA’s monthly supply and demand report (WASDE) on Wednesday, in which the main change is expected to be another sizable drop in Argentine’s soybean and corn harvests following a troubled crop year hit by droughts and excessive heat. US Treasury yields (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) close near unchanged after probe lower The US 10-year yield extended to below 3.90% at one point yesterday before resistance came in and yields rebounded to unchanged near 3.95% ahead of two days of testimony from Fed Chair Powell today, although yields may pay more attention to the February US jobs report this Friday and CPI next Tuesday as Powell may bring little new to the table in his semi-annual testimony today, which is often more about the political theatre of the Congressional politicians. What is going on? Dovish hike from the RBA, which guides for a tightening pause The RBA hiked by 25bps as expected to 3.6%, with the RBA seeing further tightening ahead. But a small change of phrase positioned this as a dovish hike and an RBA that may be seeking to pause its hiking regime at coming meetings. In the guidance on further tightening, February’s “In assessing how much further interest rates need to increase”, was changed in March to “In assessing when and how much further interest rates need to increase”, with the introduction of “when” a tip-off that the RBA is hoping to pause. Australia’s 2-year yield dropped some 14 basis points as the implied Australian cash rate this year peak fell from 4.1% to 4%. The RBA is concerned both that services inflation remains too high, but also that the lag effects of interest rates had not yet been felt in full by mortgage holders. AUDUSD erasing its intraday gain and slid into the red to below 0.6700 at one point. Hawkish ECB chatter supporting EUR ECB’s Holzmann called for interest rates to be raised by 50bps at each of the next four meetings, and suggested a restrictive policy rate would start from ~4%. President Lagarde and Chief Economist Lane were also on the wires suggesting more rate hikes as well. One of the investment banks, as a result, came out with a terminal rate forecast of 4.25% in wake of Holzmann's remarks, and this led to a drop in EU bonds and a surge higher in EUR crosses. HelloFresh slips 9% in pre-market trading The world’s largest meal-kit provider reports Q4 revenue of €1.87bn vs €1.92bn ahead of the European equity session and EBITDA of €160mn vs est. €137mn. HelloFresh is guiding FY23 EBITDA of €460-540mn vs est. €543mn. Investors are not impressed by these figures sending the shares down 9% in pre-market trading. TikTok ban making progress in the US Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner is set to unveil a bill Tuesday that would allow the US to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok and other Chinese technology. He said that the law will give the US the power to ban or prohibit foreign technology where necessary, considering companies like TikTok do not keep American data safely and is also a propaganda tool. US tech stocks Snap (+9%), Alphabet (+1.6%) and Pinterest (+1%) rallied on reports. Similar TikTok bans are sweeping through the continent of Europe with the EU parliament banning TikTok across three institutions and other EU members are considering national bans. Trip.com beats estimates Trip.com beat revenue and EPS forecasts as it reported Q4 results yesterday, fuelling more weight to the case for the upcoming surge in Chinese outbound travel demand. We had launched the APAC tourism basket to get exposure to this trend, and Trip.com is also included in this basket. Trip.com reported revenue of $729mn (vs. $709mn expected) and EPS of 11 cents (vs. loss of 3 cents expected). What are we watching next? Powell’s testimony kicks off today Fed Chair Powell will begin his two-day testimony today before Congress, beginning with a session before the Senate Banking panel today. Over the last few weeks, data out of the US has been far more resilient than expected, fueling bets that the Fed will have to raise rates beyond what was communicated earlier and rates will stay elevated for longer as well. Most Fed members have also sounded hawkish, raising the prospect of a shift higher in March dot plot. If a similar message is conveyed by Chair Powell, we could see US Treasury yields rising again and the USD reversing back to an uptrend. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release is Crowdstrike expected to report FY23 Q4 (ending 31 Jan) results after the US market close. Analysts expect revenue of $625mn up 45% y/y and EBITDA of $113mn up from $7mn a year ago. Crowdstrike is expected to remain optimistic on its outlook as demand overall for cyber security solutions remain strong. It recent partnership with Dell Technologies provides additional exposure to on-premise workloads and should help on the outlook. Tuesday: Ashtead Group, Sea Ltd, Ferguson, Crowdstrike Wednesday: Ping An Bank, Thales, Adidas, Geberit Thursday: CATL, Deutsche Post, JD.com Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, Oracle, DiDi Global Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1500 – US Fed Chair Powell before Senate Banking Panel 1700 – EIA's Short-term Energy Outlook (STEO) 1730 – Switzerland SNB President Jordan to speak 1800 – US Treasury to sell 3-year Notes 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2155 – Australia RBA’s Lowe to speak   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 7, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Navigating Inflation and Central Bank Meetings: Assessing Rate Hike Odds

    Tyler Perry Has Expressed Interest In Acquiring A Majority Stake Of Bet Media Group

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 07.03.2023 10:32
    The market of streaming platforms is developing, and with it the interest in the shares of these companies is growing. Tyler Perry and Paramount Talks between Perry and Paramount come as the company is considering selling a majority stake in BET Media Group, which includes cable channels BET and VH1. Perry and Paramount have a long-term relationship. The media mogul, which has its own production studio, has an overall deal to develop programming for Paramount and also has a minority stake in Paramount's BET+ streaming service. The potential sale of a portion of the unit, which is intended primarily for a black audience, is part of the entertainment giant's efforts to bolster resources to bolster its flagship streaming service Paramount+ and advertiser-backed free-to-play streaming platform Pluto TV. Perry is a prolific producer who has created over a dozen television series and over 20 movies. His credits include the "Madea" film series and TV shows such as "Sistas" and "Meet the Browns". While BET and its BET+ streaming service have strong brands, it would be difficult to fold the service into Paramount+ as Mr. Perry owns a minority stake in the streaming platform, said people familiar with the matter. If the company sells the shares, it intends to maintain a commercial relationship with BET. Paramount Paramount had approximately 56 million Paramount+ subscribers as of December 31, and another 21.4 million subscribers to smaller subscription streaming services such as the Showtime and BET+ streaming service. The company does not disclose data on the number of BET+ subscribers. Moreover, earlier this year, the company decided to move its Showtime streaming service to Paramount+ and rename Showtime's premium channel "Paramount+ With Showtime." Rejected offer David Nevins offered to buy Showtime for over $3 billion in recent weeks, but was rejected by Paramount executives. Nevins, an experienced entertainment executive, offered to buy Showtime shortly after leaving Paramount Global, where he was president and CEO of Paramount Premium Group and creative director of storyboards for Paramount+. Nevins' approach, which was supported by private equity firm General Atlantic was the last of many offers Paramount had received for Showtime over the past few years. Paramount has decided to keep the premium channel and streaming service while seeking savings and revenue from moving its Showtime streaming service to Paramount+ this year. Other suitors include Mark Greenberg, another former Showtime executive. Greenberg recently expressed interest in buying Showtime, but according to some people, the talks were not moving forward. People said this wasn't the first time Greenberg had taken this approach: About two years ago, Greenberg offered around $6 billion for Showtime in a deal backed by Blackstone Inc. Lions Gate Entertainment has also approached Paramount over Showtime's merger with Starz in recent years. Paramount share prices Since the beginning of this year, Paramount's shares have been on the rise, and in January they exceeded 20.00. At the beginning of February, the shares exceeded 25.00, but it did not manage to rise. Most recently, stock prices closed above 20.00 at 22.04. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Australian dollar - the sharp drop can be attributed to technical factors and hawkish Fed

    RBA hikes, Aussie Falls, Chinese Stocks Under Pressure

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 07.03.2023 10:46
    Disenchanting growth target from China was expected to keep the oil bears in charge of the market, but the 100-DMA got surprisingly cleared to the upside yesterday. Forex Stocks closed flat and the dollar softened. The Aussie fell after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced 25bp hike and the EURUSD flirted with the 1.07 mark. Fed Today, all eyes and all ears are on Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell and what he thinks about the latest set of economic data. Since the latest FOMC meeting, we saw a blowout NFP number, an uptick in inflation figures, lower-than-expected decline in the S&P500 earnings, and overall encouraging economic activity data. The S&P500 is above 4000 into Powell’s testimony, and the dollar is soft. Could Jay Powell reverse that? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:38 Chinese stocks under pressure, US stocks zen pre-Powell 3:02 Powell will sound hawkish but investors may chose not to listen 6:24 US crude clears 100-DMA resistance 9:00 FX update: RBA hikes, Aussie falls, dollar bulls in retreat Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #Powell #testimony #inflation #jobs #economic #data #China #growth #target #energy #crude #oil #RBA #rate #decision #USD #AUD #EUR #XAU #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang Downplayed Russia’s Invasion Into Ukraine

    China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang Downplayed Russia’s Invasion Into Ukraine

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.03.2023 08:29
    Summary:  Equities tumbled as 2-year Treasury yields surged above 5% and dollar reached its YTD high on Powell opening the door for a bigger rate hike and a higher terminal rate. As risk sentiment deteriorated, AUD was a notable underperformer with RBA also going for a dovish hike. CAD in focus today with Bank of Canada expected to pause. China import data also remained mixed, and oil prices slumped by over 3% while Copper broke below the key $4 mark.   What’s happening in markets? S&P fell below 4000 after Powell’s testimony The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated following Jerome Powell’s testimony to the Senate. Powell warned that the FOMC would probably hike rates more and possibly faster than previously anticipated, given the latest data has come in stronger than expected. The S&P 500 fell 1.50% to 3986, below the 4000-handle and the benchmark’s 50-day moving average, while the Nasdaq 100 lost 1.2%. Rivian (RIVN:xnas) plunged 14.6% after the EV maker announced a private offering of USD1.3 billion convertible notes. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) shares fell over 3.2% and Apple (AAPL:xnas) lost 1.5%. Facebook’s parent Meta Platforms (META:xnas) closed almost steady after it was reported the social media giant plans another round of layoffs that could affect thousands of workers. Meanwhile, in Europe, stock markets also closed in the red - the benchmark Euro Stoxx 600 fell 0.8% with Santander being one of the worst performers, losing 2.4% most despite the business moving to target institutional clients. 2-year US Treasury yield jumped above 5%, for the first time since July 2007 Following Fed Chair Powell opening the door for a 50bp rate hike at the March FOMC meeting, investors sold the front-end of the Treasury curve and saw the 2-year finishing the session at 5.01%, the highest level since July 2007. The longer end of the curve, however, recovered from their intraday lows with the 10-year yield closing only 1bp cheaper at 3.96% and the 30-year yield 2bps richer at 3.87%. The 2-10-year yield curve flattened to -105bps, the deepest inversion since September 1981. The interest rate futures are pricing an over 60% chance for a 50bp rate hike at the next FOMC and a terminal rate at around 5.64% by September this year. The USD 40 billion 3-year auction went well with strong demand. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 dropped as SOE telcos rally faded to reverse lower After the follow-through rally, n central-government-owned enterprises in Hong Kong and mainland bourses in the telecommunication space lost steam, and the Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 dropped 0.3% and 1.5%. China Telecom (00728:xhkg) slid 4% and China Mobile (00941:xhkg) retreated 2.7%. China Tower came down 2.1%, paring some of the strong gains yesterday. On the other hand, SOE oil and gas giants managed to sustain gains and finish Tuesday higher with PetroChina (00857:xhkg) up 4.4%, Sinopec (00386:xhkg) up 4.2%, and CNOOC (00883:xhkg) up 3.3%, Chow Tai Fook (01929:xhkg) plunged 6% following the departure of the jeweller’s mainland operation chief. SJM (00880:xhkg) slid 4.1% after the loss widened to HKD7.8 billion in FY22. Australian equities slide after Powell’s comments Despite the RBA today suggesting it is at a closer point of pausing rate hikes, the Australian share market’s benchmark, the ASX200 has fallen 0.93% - taking it below its 50-day moving average. The pressure on Aussie market comes after Fed Chair Powell gave hawkish remarks to the US Senate – the FOMC would possibly hike rates faster than previously anticipated. Some of the day’s laggard on the ASX include Woodside (WDS) which has fallen 1.8% after going ex-dividend. BHP and Rio Tinto down by 0.5% ahead of going ex-dividend tomorrow. For what ex-dividend means for investors and traders, click here for possible implications. Despite the overall tone being negative today – as set by the Fed - the best performing companies are those that are benefiting and are likely to continue to benefit from China’s reopening  - with Qantas and Webjet trading over 1.4% higher, with Webjet hitting a 52-week high of $7.01. US dollar notches its biggest gain in a month. The Aussie dollar sinks over 2% After Powell said the US central bank is likely to raise rates higher than previously thought, the US dollar index surged to a fresh cycle high, moving back to levels not seen since December. That resulted in the Aussie dollar tumbling over 2%. Compounding on the AUD pressure, the RBA Governor said today, it is closer to where it's appropriate to pause rate rises. This comes just a day after Australia’s central Bank hiked interest rates for the 10th straight meeting, taking the cash rate to 3.6%. The RBA said monthly inflation had ‘peaked’, goods prices were expected to moderate in the months ahead, and the Bank alluded to services inflation being only temporary. Futures markets now suggest Australia’s cash rate could peak at 4% in September. The Aussie dollar against the US (AUDUSD) trades at 0.6585. Further declines could see the pair move to the next support level, at perhaps the 0.649 level. FX: JPY descent continues; CAD in focus With Powell’s hawkish remarks, 2-year Treasury yields jumped over 5% after a 12bps gain and the USD was pushed to fresh YTD highs. AUD and NZD were hurt by the deterioration in risk sentiment, with the former also pressured by a dovish turn from the RBA. Widening yield differential between US and Japan weighed on the yen, and USDJPY was seen testing 137.50 in the Asian morning session despite volatility risks from the Bank of Japan meeting scheduled on Friday. GBPUSD broke below the 200DMA to reach YTD lows, with BOE’s Mann commenting that sterling could weaken further. EURUSD dropped below 1.06 paring some of the hawkish ECB Holzmann reaction earlier in the week. CAD could be in focus today with a potential pause coming from BOC (read below), with USDCAD likely to take a look at 1.38+ levels. Crude oil drops over 3% on hawkish Powell After touching the top of the recent range, crude oil prices slid on Tuesday as Powell hinted at bigger and longer rate hikes, raising concerns of demand weakness. This comes along with a weaker-than-expected growth target from China for this year which continues to limit the optimism on Chinese demand recovery. Meanwhile, short-term supply concerns are subdued. OPEC Chief Haitham Al-Ghais also said that slowing oil consumption is US and Europe poses a concerns for the market, despite strong growth from Asia. EIA also released its short-term energy outlook and lowered its crude oil production forecasts for US supply for both this year and next amid signs of subdued growth and higher costs. WTI prices touched lows of $77 while Brent was back at $83 from $86+ earlier. Copper broke below $4 mark Base metals were broadly pushed lower on Tuesday as dollar surged to fresh YTD highs on remarks from Powell’s testimony opening the door for a bigger hike in March and a higher terminal Fed funds rate. China import data also gave mixed signals on the first two months of the year, with mined copper ore imports increasing but inflows of refined copper declining. Supply constraints from Peru also seemed to ease as the Peruvian government expects shipments of copper and zinc will normalise with days, following months of social unrest prompted by the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. Copper prices fell 2.8% to close below the $4 mark, bringing last week’s low of $3.93 and the 100DMA at $3.86 into focus. What to consider? Powell’s testimony opens the door to a 50bps rate hike in March Fed Chair Powell, in his prepared remarks to Congress, said if incoming data indicates faster tightening is required, the Fed is prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes, warning that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated given the string of hot January data. This is another signal that March dot plot could see an upward shift. Not just that, but Powell has also opened the door to a 50bps rate hike in March and market pricing has shifted more in favor of a bigger hike on March 22. Terminal rate expectations have shifted higher to 5.63% from 5.48% previously. Remarks brought the 2-year yields above 5% and the deepest inversion in the 2-10 year yield curve. China’s exports and imports dropped further in February China’s exports fell 6.8% Y/Y and imports dropped 10.2% in February. The larger-than-expected decline in imports was partially due to the fall in commodity prices while commodity import volume grew. China to establish the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Data Bureau At the National People’s Congress, China announced the establishment of the Ministry of Science and Technology to promote innovation in technology, the National Financial Regulation Bureau to replace the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) and take over from the People’s Bank of China the regulation of financial holding companies and from the China Securities Regulatory Commission investor protection, and the National Data Bureau to promote the development of the digital economy. The overhaul of the financial regulatory authorities, as we noted in our Two Sessions preview, is to strengthen the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership in the institutional setup, the division of functions, governance. China’s Foreign Minister reaffirmed the strategic partnership with Russia In a press conference on the side-line of the Two Sessions, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang reiterated the “China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era” and downplayed Russia’s invasion into Ukraine to that the “Ukraine cries has complex historical fabrics and practical reasons with the underlying nature being the eruption of the conflicts in the security governance of Europe”. The pro-Russian stance, as opposed to the more conciliatory-leaning stance in recent months toward the West, added to investors’ concern over the Sino-American relationship. The Bank of England (BoE) worries about core inflation Yesterday, BoE’s Catherine Mann, former Global Chief Economist at Citibank, expressed concerns about the persistence of core inflation in the United Kingdom. It is currently running at 5.80% year-over-year versus a long-term average of 1.84%. Mann embraced a hawkish tone, highlighting the need for further interest rate hikes. She indicated that the terminal rate is beyond forecast horizon now. The monetary market forecasts it will be at 4.75 %. This implies three consecutive hikes of 25 bp in March, May and June. She also mentioned that the evolution of the sterling plays a very important role for monetary policy due to the high levels of imports. Despite worries about the state of the UK economy, the sterling has been rather resilient this year. It is down only 0.47% against the euro YTD. Most economists still expect the UK economy will go through a period of recession in 2023 (drop of GDP estimated at 0.6%). But a minority of them even expect the UK economy could avoid a recession if the decrease in energy prices continues. This is quite a change compared to forecasts initially released at the end of 2022. Iron ore price steady ahead of peak Chinese construction season Iron ore  - the steel-ingredient is trading slightly lower today, down 0.2% at $126.75, but holds around 2023 highs, after its price rose 2.1% yesterday. China is expected to increase demand - as it usually does ahead of China’s peak construction season. Around this time of year, steel mills typically start restocking iron ore, ahead of building work ramping up amid supportive weather. Adding to sentiment, yesterday Rio Tinto (RIO) said it’s seeing good demand from China - with the country shaking off pandemic restrictions. BHP and Rio go ex-dividend tomorrow, March 9. For implications of ex-dividends click here.   Bank of Canada meets next After RBA’s dovish hike, the stage is set for the Bank of Canada to pause on its tightening cycle at the meeting today. In light of the weaker-than-expected data and BOC’s signal from the January meeting, market is not expecting any rate hikes today although the message is likely to convey policy flexibility. Read our full preview here to know what it means for the CAD as the divergence of BOC to the Fed widens. Investing with a Gender Lens Gender Lens Investing is a strategy which puts weight on gender-based considerations in your investment decisions, so you can in some way contribute towards efforts to close the “gender gap”. As today is the International Women’s Day, we explore why and how we can invest with a gender lens in this video. We also look at some ETFs and Saxo's Women in Leadership equity theme basket which can help you get exposure to this theme. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy International Women’s Day from Saxo   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 8, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    The ECB's Rate Hike: EUR/USD Rally in Question

    Adidas Shares Are Down 3%, Gold And Silver Slumped

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 08.03.2023 09:33
    Summary:  Equity markets sold off steeply on a hawkish Fed Chair Powell, who testified before a Senate panel yesterday, and said that the Fed is willing to consider larger hikes again. Market pricing of peak Fed rates rose above 5.6% as the market now leans for a 50 basis point hike at the March 22 meeting. The US dollar was particularly reactive to Powell’s testimony, jumping to aggressive new highs for the cycle across the board. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): fresh hawkish pivot from Powell reverses rally US equities turned sharply south yesterday on a hawkish pivot from Fed Chair Powell as he is clearly not comfortable with the most recent data. This took the 2-year rate above 5% for the first time in over 15 years and reversed the recent market rally, taking the S&P 500 back below the 4,000 level, though with some ways to go before the 200-day moving average comes into view just below 3,950. The Nasdaq 100 likewise reversed course, but is far more elevated relative to recent lows and the 200-day moving average – with the cash index trading 12,150, some 250 points above the moving average. Incoming US data and its impact on Fed expectations and especially longer yields will be key through next Tuesday’s US February CPI data. Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 declined on regulatory overhaul and US rates outlook Hang Seng Index dropped by 2.7% and the Hang Seng TECH Index plunged by nearly 4%. EV and China Internet stocks led the charge lower. In A-shares, CSI300 slid nearly 1%. On top of the tighter U.S. interest rate outlook stemming from Fed Chain’s Powell’s testimony, the establishment of the National Financial Regulation Bureau and the National Data Bureau and the consolidation of power around them may have stirred up concerns about uncertainty in the mind of investors about the regulatory trend on areas such as mobile payment and e-platform data.  FX: USD rips higher on hawkish Powell. CAD in focus on Bank of Canada meet today With Powell’s hawkish remarks, 2-year Treasury yields jumped some 13 basis points to close above 5% for the first time since 2007 and the USD rushed to fresh YTD highs. AUD and NZD were hurt by the deterioration in risk sentiment, with the former also pressured by a dovish turn from the RBA. Widening yield differential between US and Japan weighed on the yen, and USDJPY pierced above 137.50 in the Asian session despite volatility risks from the Bank of Japan meeting scheduled on Friday. GBPUSD broke below the 200DMA to reach YTD lows in the low 1.1800’s, with BOE’s Mann commenting that sterling could weaken further. EURUSD dropped below 1.0550, paring the hawkish ECB Holzmann reaction earlier in the week. CAD will be in focus today after the Bank of Canada trid to position for a tightening pause at its most recent meeting (read more below), with USDCAD likely to take a look at 1.38+ levels if the BoC doesn’t shift hawkish in line with the Fed. Gold and silver slump on Powell warning Gold and silver slumped after Fed Chair Powell, in his prepared remarks to Congress, said the Fed was prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes and to a higher-than-expected level should incoming data continued to show strength. Terminal Fed rate expectations shifted higher to 5.66% with the market pricing in a 60% risk of a 50 bp move at the March meeting. Across market risk appetite tumbled with the selloff in metals being led by silver’s 4.6% slump to a four-month low near $20.  Gold meanwhile has given back most of last week's bounce and following the failure to challenge resistance at $1864 and gain a foothold above the 21-DMA, the market is once again looking for support in the $1800 area ahead of $1775, the 200-DMA. With Powell signalling an incredible data dependency, the focus now turns to Friday’s job report. Crude oil drops over 3% on hawkish Powell Crude oil made an abrupt turnaround from a three-week high on Tuesday with growth and demand concerns taking center stage after Powell signaled his determination to fight inflation with more rate hikes. The most inverted US yield curve in decades now signals an even bigger risk of a recession and with that weakening demand for fuel. Together with China’s lower than expected growth target and OPEC Chief Haitham Al-Ghais seeing slowing oil consumption in US and Europe, both WTI and Brent dropped towards support at the lower end of their current ranges, in Brent at $81.30 and WTI at $73.50.  EIA also released its short-term energy outlook and lowered its crude oil production forecasts for US supply for both this year and next amid signs of subdued growth and higher costs. Copper trades back below the $4 mark Base metals were broadly pushed lower on Tuesday as the dollar surged to fresh YTD highs on remarks from Powell’s testimony opening the door for a bigger hike in March and a higher terminal Fed funds rate. China import data also gave mixed signals on the first two months of the year, with mined copper ore imports increasing but inflows of refined copper declining. Supply constraints from Peru also seemed to ease as the Peruvian government expects shipments of copper and zinc will normalise with days, following months of social unrest prompted by the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. Copper trades back below $4, bringing last week’s low of $3.93 and the 200DMA at $3.77 into focus. US Treasury yield curve sees next extreme in inversion. (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Fed Chair Powell’s surprisingly explicit rhetoric on the willingness to consider hiking by larger amounts again shocked the 2-year Treasury yield some 13 basis points higher with yields following through a few bps higher still in overnight trading. The 10-year yield only edged a few basis points higher and is still stuck near 4.00% this morning, which means the yield curve inversion has reached its deepest level yet for the cycle and sinc 1981 at below –105 basis points. The 3-year auction yesterday showed strong demand.  A 10-year auction is up today. What is going on? Powell’s testimony opens the door to a 50 bps rate hike in March Fed Chair Powell, in his prepared remarks to Congress, said that if “the totality” of incoming data indicates faster tightening is required, the Fed is prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes, warning that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated given the string of hot January data. This is another signal that March “dot plot” of Fed rate forecasts could see an upward shift for this year and next. Powell even explicitly said that a 50-bp rate hike in March is possible and market pricing has shifted to favouring a bigger hike on March 22. Terminal rate expectations have shifted higher to 5.63% from 5.48% previously. Remarks brought the 2-year yields above 5% and the deepest inversion in the 2-10 year yield curve. Adidas cuts dividends and confirms uncertain outlook Adidas shares are down 3% in pre-market trading as the German sports retailer reports Q4 revenue of €5.2bn vs est. €5.3bn and operating loss of €724mn vs est. €717mn in addition to cutting 2022 dividend to €0.70 vs est. €1.64. The key questions remain for Adidas of whether China growth can come back, what to do with the Yeezy inventory of sneakers and clothes, and finally is the brand impacted so much that the turnaround case will take longer than estimated. Investing with a Gender Lens Gender Lens Investing is a strategy which puts weight on gender-based considerations in your investment decisions, so you can in some way contribute towards efforts to close the “gender gap”. As today is the International Women’s Day, we explore why and how we can invest with a gender lens in this video. We also look at some ETFs and Saxo's Women in Leadership equity theme basket which can help you get exposure to this theme. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy International Women’s Day from Saxo What are we watching next?  Bank of Canada meets next After RBA’s dovish hike, the stage is set for the Bank of Canada to pause on its tightening cycle at the meeting today. In light of the weaker-than-expected data and BOC’s signal from the January meeting, market is not expecting any rate hikes today although the message is likely to convey policy flexibility. Read our full preview here to know what it means for the CAD as the divergence of BOC to the Fed widens. More Powell today. Next US macro data and Bank of Japan loom After Powell surprised yesterday, the incoming data will need to support the market’s shift to a more hawkish stance, with potential for a further cementing of a 50 basis point move at the March 22 FOMC meeting possible on uniformly hot data (currently just above 40 basis points priced for March 22). Today we will get the February ADP payrolls change number and January JOLTS job openings data (together with some revisions of prior data), but these weigh less heavily than the official jobs report on Friday. Easily as important, the US February CPI data is up next Tuesday and will likely prove the arbiter of whether the Fed moves 50 basis points at the meeting. In the meantime, the global lift in yields is piling pressure on the yen this week, and on the Bank of Japan to shift away from its yield-curve-control policy ahead of its meeting this Friday, which will be the final meeting with Kuroda at the helm before he leaves early next month. Earnings to watch There are on US earnings releases today of importance. The market will focus on Adidas earnings (see review above) and then focus on earnings tomorrow from CATL and JD.com.  Wednesday: Ping An Bank, Thales, Adidas, Geberit  Thursday: CATL, Deutsche Post, JD.com  Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, Oracle, DiDi Global  Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT)  1000 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1315 – US Feb. ADP Employment Change 1330 – US Jan. Trade Balance 1330 – Canada Jan. International Merchandise Trade 1500 – Canada Bank of Canada decision 1500 – US Fed Chair Powell to testify before House Panel 1500 – US Jan. JOLTS Job Openings 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1700 – USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) 1800 – US 10-year Treasury Auction 1900 – US Fed Beige Book 0001 – UK Feb. RICS House Price Balance 0130 – China Feb. CPI/PPI Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 8, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Starbucks is moving forward with its web3 journey, as the company teases public access to Starbucks Odyssey

    Conflict Between Starbucks And US Baristas Is Developing, Howard Schultz To Testify Before Senate Committee

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 08.03.2023 11:29
    There is an increase in support for workers' organizations. Baristas voted to form the first union in one of the US coffee giant's 50-year history. The vote was a success for employees, and Starbucks has struggled ever since. Schultz vs Sanders Starbucks interim chief executive Howard Schultz has agreed to testify before a Senate committee over an 18-month standoff between the company and American baristas seeking to unionise. Sanders, an independent who is chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions, accused the company of disregarding federal employment law, allegations the company denies. Sanders claimed that Starbucks under Schultz "did everything possible to prevent" unionization and collective bargaining. The company and Starbucks Workers United have held dozens of store-level negotiation sessions since October last year, but have yet to agree on a deal. Both sides said they remained in disagreement over how negotiations should take place. Sanders has criticized Starbucks for not yet ratifying a union agreement in any of its stores and wants his committee to investigate Starbucks' employment law practices. Starbucks said in a letter to the committee last week that Schultz delegated decisions on union matters to a circle of executives and instead focused on the company's broader recovery plan. Unionization at Starbucks The push for unionization at Starbucks first appeared in Starbucks stores in Buffalo, New York in August 2021 and has spread nationwide. The union action had preoccupied Starbucks executives for months and attracted the attention of chain employees outside of Buffalo. One Starbucks store in Mesa, Arizona, filed a petition to unionize in November 2021, supporting baristas working with the same Workers United union and claiming to be inspired by Buffalo's effort. The result was a victory for coffee shop workers who petitioned for a union vote in August 2021 to have a direct negotiating channel with the company, and a blow to Starbucks, which spent months urging Buffalo-area baristas to vote against it. At Starbucks, baristas asked for better working conditions, as well as higher pay and more benefits. Starbucks has asked its nearly 250,000 baristas in U.S. branded stores to stick to the chain and address their concerns, not form unions. Last year, the company said it was increasing wages and benefits for U.S. baristas, but cut benefits for workers at stores that didn't vote to unionize. The pace of new union petitions at Starbucks has slowed since the first half of 2022. Since last July, the National Labor Relations Board, the federal body that oversees unionization in private companies, has registered about 11 union petitions a month from Starbucks stores, according to agency records. Complaints against Starbucks Starbucks said it had filed around 90 allegations of unfair labor practices against Workers United in response to problems arising from negotiation sessions with unions and baristas. Meanwhile, the NLRB issued 81 complaints against Starbucks over allegations that the coffee giant broke federal labor laws. The company denied that it had broken rules overseeing union organizing and said it respected workers' right to organize. Starbucks share prices Since November 2022, the shares of the giant coffee - Starbucks have increased significantly from 84.68 to above 100.00. In February, the stock was close to 110.00, but since the second half of February it has fallen below 105.00. Most recently, the stock closed at 103.34. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Lagarde's Dilemma: Balancing Eurozone's Slowdown and Inflation Pressure

    S&P 500 And NASDAQ Composite Rose, Only Dow Jones Fell

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.03.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.18%, the S&P 500 rose 0.14% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 0.40%. Fed chief Jerome Powell said the regulator will continue to raise the discount rate in the fight against inflation. According to CME Group, most analysts now expect the regulator to raise the discount rate immediately by 0.5 percentage points, to 5-5.25% per annum. Dow Jones Shares of Intel Corporation led the way among the components of the Dow Jones index today, which gained 0.45 points (1.76%) to close at 25.98. Quotes of Caterpillar Inc rose by 2.58 points (1.05%), closing the session at 248.72. Home Depot Inc rose 2.88 points or 1.00% to close at 291.49. The least gainers were Merck & Company Inc, which shed 2.99 points or 2.69% to end the session at 108.28. The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV) was up 2.60 points or 1.44% to close at 177.77, while Verizon Communications Inc was down 0.38 points or 1.00%. and finished trading at 37.53. S&P 500  Leading gainers among the components of the S&P 500 in today's trading were Advanced Micro Devices Inc, which rose 3.97% to hit 85.37, Arista Networks, which gained 3.90% to close at 148.44, and also shares of NVIDIA Corporation, which rose 3.83% to end the session at 241.81. The least gainers were Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which shed 4.20% to close at 15.29. Shares of Brown Forman lost 4.20% to end the session at 63.48. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc fell 3.70% to 745.20. NASDAQ Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Kimball International Inc, which rose 84.35% to hit 12.37, Castor Maritime Inc, which gained 75.93% to close at 0.95, and also shares of Maxeon Solar Technologies Ltd, which rose 44.00% to close the session at 27.00. The least gainers were SRAX Inc, which shed 62.03% to close at 0.60. Shares of Intelligent Bio Solutions Inc shed 42.66% to end the session at 3.40. Quotes of ETAO International Co Ltd decreased in price by 40.75% to 1.89. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (1564) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (1446), while quotes of 111 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1,934 stocks fell, 1,682 rose, and 194 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 2.40% to 19.12. Gold Gold futures for April delivery lost 0.10%, or 1.75, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI April futures fell 1.37%, or 1.06, to $76.52 a barrel. Brent oil futures for May delivery fell 0.94%, or 0.78, to $82.51 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the forex market, the EUR/USD pair remained unchanged 0.01% to 1.05, while USD/JPY rose 0.13% to hit 137.32. Futures on the USD index rose 0.05% to 105.64.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-03-10 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/315420
    EUR/USD Analysis: Continuing Corrections Amidst European Economic Woes

    Nasdaq 100 Index Has The Potential To Appraciated Upward

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 09.03.2023 08:07
    If we look at the daily chart of Nasdaq 100 Index then there will be a few interesting things: 1. The appearance of deviation between price movement with Stochastic Oscillator indicator. 2. Price movement which still moves above its MA 50. 3. The appearance of Bullish Continuation Descending Broadening Wedge pattern. Based on those facts in a few days ahead, #NDX has the potential to appraciated upward up to the level 12880,5 particularly if the Bullish Orderblock level 12131,6 able to be a strong support level however if not, then please look at the level 11821,3 because if this level successfully broken downward then all the Bulls scenario that has been described before will become invalid and cancel by itself. (Disclaimer)       Relevance up to 03:00 2023-03-12 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/120935
    The Bank Of Canada Paused Rates Hiking, The ADP Employment Report Had A 242K Increase In Jobs

    The Bank Of Canada Paused Rates Hiking, The ADP Employment Report Had A 242K Increase In Jobs

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.03.2023 08:16
    Summary:  The ADP employment and JOLTS job opening numbers released on Wednesday leaned into the notion that the Fed can resume a faster pace. But it seems the market is coming to terms with the fact that interest rates will remain elevated as the VIX Index declined, and the US Dollar Index steadied manner. Ahead are CATL results, JD.com and DocuSign. The all-important jobs report on Friday and the U.S. CPI next week could bring about another round of market volatilities. Read on for more.   What’s happening in markets? US equities edged up modestly, digesting the message from Powell and job data The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) gained 0.4% and S&P 500 (US500.I) inched up 0.1% on Wednesday, remaining calm to the hotter-than-expected ADP employment and JOLTS job openings data and Powell’s congressional testimony in his second day. The volume of 10.2 billion shares across U.S. exchanges was below average. As WTI crude fell by more than 1% to USD76.5, the energy sector was the biggest loser within the S&P500. Telsa (TSLA:xnas) slid 3%, following the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlighting potential issues in the EV maker’s Autopilot system and steering wheels that can detach on the Model Y SUVs. Campbell Soup (CPB:xnys) gained nearly 2% on earnings beat and sales increases. Crowdstrike (CRWD:xnas) rose 3.2%, paring some of the post-result after market gains the day before. In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 finished the session flat. Yields on U.S. Treasuries moved higher on hot JOLTS job openings and a poor 10-year auction The Treasuries market did not act much to the hotter-than-expected ADP employment data and Powell’s second-day congressional testimony. Short-covering flows especially in the futures contracts drove the market higher and yields lower in the morning until selling emerged following the JOLTS job openings data which was stronger than estimates. Demand in the 10-year auction was weak as the auction stopped at nearly 3bps cheaper from the market level at the time of the auction and had a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.35, lower than 2.66 last time. The Treasury is auctioning USD18 billion of 30-year bonds today. The 2-year yield rose 6bps to 5.07% and the 10-year yield edged up 2bps to 3.99%, inverting the curve further to -109bps. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 decline on regulatory overhaul in China and U.S. interest rates Yesterday, the Hang Seng Index dropped by 2.4% and the Hang Seng TECH Index plunged by 3.2%.  EV and China Internet stocks led the charge lower. XPeng (09868:xhkg) plunged 7.1% and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) lost 6.3%. China internet names slid, with Alibaba (099088:xhkg), Meituan  (03690:xhkg) and JD.com (09618:xhkg) each down 3-4%. On top of the tighter U.S. interest rate outlook stemming from Fed Chain’s Powell’s testimony, the establishment of the National Financial Regulation Bureau and the National Data Bureau and the consolidation of power around them may have stirred up concerns about uncertainty in the mind of investors about the regulatory trend on areas such as mobile payment and e-platform data.  China telecommunication stocks were among the top gainers. China Unicom (00762:xhg) rose 3.5% after reporting Q4 earnings in line with estimates. TVB (00511) jumped 85% on Wednesday, following the Hong Kong TV broadcasting company holding its first live-streaming online shopping on the Taobao platform in mainland China. The 6-hour live-streaming session had around 4.85 million viewers. Over the past 4 sessions, the share price of TVB has gone up by 247%. In A-shares, the CSI300 finished 0.4% lower, clawing back most of the early losses, with telecommunication, defense, computing, media, and 6G concept names leading the rebound.  The US dollar consolidates, post-Powell gains The US dollar was little changed versus major currencies and was consolidating its strong gains after Powell’s first-day testimony the day before. USDJPY fell back below 107. Australia’s shares are under pressure as the heavy weights trade ex-dividend today BHP and Rio are trading ex-dividend, which is pressuring the equity market, while on the other side Myer shares jolted higher after the retailer declared a super-sized dividend. While accounting software company Xero also trades higher on announcing it will cut 800 jobs to improve its profitability. Meanwhile, in breaking news - part of the Aukus security partnership, Australia looks set to buy as many as five nuclear-powered Virginia class submarines from the US, with the submarine plan expected to be announced next week – when US President Joe Biden meets UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese  - as part of the 18-month old Aukus partnership. Gold ticks higher as the market digests the latest hawkish Fed commentary that could lead the US into a recession Gold advanced on Wednesday after slipping about 2% in the prior session  - gaining strength as the US dollar's rally cooled. Despite the stronger dollar overall, gold has found support in the $1800 area – driven by economic uncertainty and the probability of a recession creeping higher. We await Friday’s jobs report – given rates are expected to remain higher – weakness in the data on Friday may be a catalyst for the US dollar to take a step back, which could theatrically trigger upside in the precious metal.   What to consider? Bank of Canada kept rates unchanged The Bank of Canada (BOC) was the first major central bank to pause from hiking rates. As widely expected, The BOC kept the policy rate unchanged at 4.50% but the door is open to come back on the hiking track to fight inflation as the central bank dropped the forward guidance that it expects to hold the policy rate unchanged if the economy evolves in line with its outlook. Powell largely repeated his message on the second day of his testimony On the second day of his congressional testimony, this time to the House Financial Services Committee, Powell told lawmakers that no decision had yet been made on the size of the rate hike at the March FOMC while he reiterated that the Fed was likely to bring the policy rate higher than previously anticipated and could move at a faster pace. More hot job data coming out of the U.S. The ADP Employment report had a 242K increase in jobs in February, rising from 119K (revised from 106K previously reported) in January and way above the 200K consensus estimate. JOLTS Job Opening also came in stronger than expected at 10,824K (consensus estimate: 10,546K; January 11,234K). Europe leads Australia, with more females in executive roles. The US lags  Various studies have shown that gender diverse executive teams can outperform the overall equity market. So, for International Women’s Day we dissected the makeup of listed companies' executive teams. We found that Europe has the most female representation followed by Australia - with the US lagging. An astounding 33 companies in the Stoxx600 have executive teams that are made up of over 50% women. Healthcare company Halma - also in the Stoxx600 - has a 60% female executive team. While media business- Future PLC, takes the cake - with a 100% female executive team. Australia follows Europe with a high portion of diversity.  14 of the ASX200 companies have executive teams that are over 50% female lead. Gold mining giant- Newcrest Mining- has an 86% women executive team. What’s also pleasing to see is that the world’s biggest mining company, BHP has over 50% female representation on its executive leadership team. And lastly- in the US- in the S&P500, just five companies have executive teams that are made up over 50% women. That includes Bed & Body Work with its 60% executive team - being female. To explore this thematic further, refer to Saxo’s Women in Leadership equity basket.   China’s inflation is expected to slow in February The growth in CPI is expected to slow to 1.9% Y/Y in February from 2.1% in January and PPI to contract further to -1.3% Y/Y. Eyes on CATL’s growth and outlook CATL, the world’s largest battery maker - and Tesla’s battery supplier - reports results on Thursday. It’s expected to report revenue growth of over 80%. However, there is room for a positive surprise - given strong battery and energy storage demand. CATL is also expanding overseas - teaming up with Ford to build a battery manufacturing plant in Michigan, which we will hopefully get detail on. As for its outlook - we expect it to be strong, as CATL’s increased its war chest, after selling its $856 million stake in Australia’s biggest lithium company, Pilbara Minerals. We also think guidance could be upgraded - given auto sales in China are expected to rise in 2023, following years of lockdowns. CATL outlook’s will be closely watched by not only EV makers - but also by EV investors – as they could give a gauge on how much car maker’s battery costs could rise.   Other company reports to watch ahead include JD.com - a Chinese consumer spending bellwether and DocuSign- a covid-19 stalwart All eyes will be on JD.com, the Amazon equivalent in China. It could give further insight into Chinese consumers’ appetite post lockdown. And what they’re seeing in consumer spending ahead. It's also worth watching Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket of stocks. And in the US - DocuSign reports after the market close on Thursday – this will be interesting to watch as over the last two years DOCU has beaten EPS and revenue estimates. The electronic signature company raised full its guidance when it reported third-quarter results that topped expectations. It’s also joined the spate of tech companies making mass-layoffs and cut 10% of its employees.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    National Bank of Poland Meeting Preview: Anticipating a 25 Basis Point Rate Cut

    Jpmorgan Seeks To Sever Ties With Former Executive Jes Staley With A Lawsuit

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 09.03.2023 10:22
    JPMorgan is seeking a break with former executive Jes Staley over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. JPMorgan against Stanley JPMorgan Chase & Co. sued former executive Jes Staley over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, identifying Staley as the “powerful financial executive” accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit against the bank. JPMorgan's lawsuit against Staley adds it to the woman's lawsuit and another Epstein-related case brought by the U.S. Virgin Islands. A legal maneuver allows the bank to argue that Staley should pay damages if the bank is held liable. The attempt to shift JPMorgan's attention to Staley marks a break with the former executive who rose to the top of the bank and was once considered a potential successor to CEO Jamie Dimon. The bank sought to have the lawsuits dismissed, saying it had no knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes and could not be held accountable. The U.S. Virgin Islands lawsuit alleges that Staley vouched for Epstein as a client of JPMorgan when internal compliance specialists asked questions. The bank's compliance team repeatedly asked for assurances after Epstein was first charged with sex offenses in 2006, when he pleaded guilty to those charges in 2008. Brad Edwards, one of the lawyers representing the woman in the civil suit against JPMorgan, said the indictment "is a damning admission of wrongdoing on JPMorgan's part." Lawsuit The U.S. Virgin Islands are suing JPMorgan, alleging that the bank facilitated Epstein's alleged sex trade, including at his island home, allowing him access to bank accounts and authorizing wire transfers he used to pay young women. The lawsuit says the bank approved Epstein's payments to at least 20 young women or girls who were victims of Epstein. Late last year, an anonymous woman claimed that JPMorgan was helping Epstein with the sex trade by allowing him to remain a customer and helping him transfer money to victims of the deceased financier. A woman in her lawsuit against the bank said a friend of Epstein sexually assaulted her using aggressive force, but said she was afraid to identify him publicly. JPMorgan said it did not facilitate any possible crimes committed by Epstein. The bank said the U.S. Virgin Islands should have stopped Epstein. The lawsuit also alleges that Epstein wired money to a woman after Staley stayed at Epstein's residence in Palm Beach, Florida, and then again to the same woman when Staley told Epstein he would be in London. The lawsuit also alleges that Staley vouched for Epstein as a JPMorgan client when internal compliance officers asked questions. The bank's compliance team repeatedly asked for assurances after Epstein was first charged with sex offenses in 2006, when he pleaded guilty to those charges in 2008. JPMorgan said it cut off Epstein's accounts in 2013, shortly after Staley left the bank. The bank sought to have the lawsuits dismissed, saying it had no knowledge of Epstein's alleged crimes and could not be held accountable. Staley and Epstein Staley partnered with Epstein when he headed JPMorgan's asset management unit, which covers the company's operations serving wealthy clients. After leaving JPMorgan in 2013, Staley became the chief executive of British banking giant Barclays PLC. Resigned in November 2021 amid a UK regulatory investigation into whether the bank was telling the truth about his relationship with Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking prior to his alleged suicide in 2019. Staley exchanged more than a thousand emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, some of which contained photos of young women in seductive poses, according to court documents. Staley maintained that he was friends with Epstein, but never knew of his alleged crimes. JPMorgan share price Since the beginning of the year, JP Morgan shares have been growing, exceeding the level of 140.00. Since early March, the stock has begun its decline and recently closed at 137.80. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Astonished by the week ahead? Barclays, NatWest Group and Microsoft earnings are also released shortly

    The US And India Are Looking To Sign Semiconductors Agreement

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.03.2023 08:37
    Summary:  U.S. banking stocks tumbled on Silicon Valley Bank’s liquidity crisis and bond portfolio losses as well as the winding-down of Silvergate Capital, a crypto-focused bank. The KWB Bank index tumbled 7.7%. Yields on the 10-year Treasuries dropped to 3.90%. All eyes today are on the Bank of Japan meeting and the U.S. employment report.   What’s happening in markets? US equities slide with banking stocks being heavily pressured Banks were front and center in yesterday’s sell-off in U.S. equities. Financials plunged 4.1% and were the biggest loser among the 11 S&P 500 sectors. The KWB Bank Index tumbled 7.7%, its biggest drop since June 2022. The S&P 500 broke below its 200-day moving average, a key support level, and ended 1.9% lower, while the Nasdaq 100 shed 1.8%. SVB Financial (SIVB:xnas), parent of Silicon Valley Bank, suffered a record 60% crash in share prices after the bank said it suffered from a liquidity crisis and sold off a swad of securities in a portfolio that’s been hit by significant losses. Silvergate Capital (SI:xnys) plunged 41.8% following the crypto-focused bank said that it was winding down and returning deposits to customers. Bank of America (BAC:xnys) plunged 6.2%; JP Morgan Chase (JPM:xnys) shed 5.4%. Oracle (ORCL:xnys) dropped 4.1% in extended-hour trading following reporting inline revenue and earnings beat but a miss in cloud license and on-premise license. Yields on U.S. Treasuries dropped on a spike in jobless claims and bank stocks woes A bounce in initial jobless claims to 211K (consensus 195K) from 190K triggered the short-covering in the front end ahead of the employment report which is scheduled to release on Friday. The buying intensified as banking stocks tumbled on woes on Silvergate Capital and SVB Financial. Large block buying emerged in the June 2023 SOFR contracts. Yields on the 2-year plunged 20bps to settle at 4.87%. The 10-year yield dropped 9bps to 3.90%. The 2-10-year yield curve steepened to -97bps, Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 retreated as the Sino-American tech friction escalated Hang Seng Index dropped 0.6% and CSI 300 Index slid 0.4%. China’s CPI softened to 1% Y/Y and PPI declined 1.4% Y/Y in February did not excite investors with monetary stimulus expectations but added to the worries about the strength of the economic recovery in China. China consumer names were under selling pressure. Restaurant chains Xiabuxiabu (00520:xhkg) and Haidilao (06862:xhkg) plunged 7%  and 4.5% respectively. China Resources Mixc Lifestyle Services, a leading property management name, dropped 4.7% and was the biggest loser within the Hang Seng Index on Thursday. The latest announcement from the Netherlands to impose additional restrictions on exports of advanced microchip equipment to China and the U.S. moving close to banning TikTok caused concerns of escalation of the technology friction and geopolitical tension between China and the U.S. The Dutch company ASML is the world’s largest and most dominant supplier of advanced chip-making equipment including the immersion DUV lithography machines in the latest export ban. State-owned telcos continued to rise, with China Telecom (00728:xhkg) surging 4% and China Mobile (00941:xhkg) climbing 3.1%. COSCO China Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) jumped 12.5% as investors anticipated the Chinese tanker and dry bulk shipping operator to benefit from increases in freight rates. In A-shares, consumer stocks were among the biggest losers with Chinese white liquor, retailer, catering, and tourism stocks leading the charge lower. Semiconductor names gained on anticipation of import substitution. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) slide 1.6% on Friday, but are almost steady over the week Despite the S&P500 sliding 3% Monday to Thursday, the ASX200 is managing to hold almost steady, and is down 0.2% Monday to Friday (at the time of writing). Today most sectors are under water today, bar the defensive, Utility sector, while Financials down the most following alarm bells being rung in the banking sector on Wall Street. Pressure is also being felt in lithium stocks after CATL’s results beat expectations. Meanwhile BHP is trading 2% lower, despite the iron ore (SCOA) price moving up 1% to $129.10. FX: USD modestly weaker ahead of BOJ and NFP The rise in jobless claims on Thursday saw yields dipping lower, taking the dollar off the recent highs as well. The Japanese yen saw a recovery with lower yields, and focus now shifts to Bank of Japan meeting which can cause significant volatility. USDJPY finding support at 136 for now after reaching 3-month highs earlier this week on Powell’s hawkish testimony. GBPUSD rose back above 1.19 ahead of UK data dump today likely to show that a recession has been delayed, but focus will shift to NFP later as the key USD driver. CAD remained the underperformer, with USDCAD rising to 1.3830, as Fed-BOC divergence widened and oil prices remained weak. The choppiness in crude oil prices continued WTI prices ended the day below $76/barrel after touching highs of $78 earlier, while Brent dipped below $82 from $84 earlier. Even as the jobless claims data cooled, markets were in a flight to safety mode ahead of NFP as jitters on a tighter monetary policy remained. Demand concerns remained despite crude inventory recording its first weekly fall after several weeks of gains. EIA inventory report showed crude stocks down 1.7mn barrels last week vs. expectations of +1.6mn. Signs of a pickup in Chinese demand also remain mixed. The highs earlier in crude oil prices were reached on the back of supply concerns arising out of French refineries because of the nationwide strikes in France. Gold reverses back higher from support Gold caught a bid in the run upto the jobless claims release last night, reversing higher from near its support levels at $1800 to reach $1835. Focus turns to NFP today after Fed Chair Powell in his testimony this week opened the door to a 50bps rate hike in March. Now, data will need to confirm the need for that, else expectations may be quick to reverse. Support at 100DMA at $1806 remains key to hold.   What to consider? Jobless claims cool, focus now on NFP data today Initial claims rose 211k in the week of 4th March, above the 190k prior and the 195k expected. It was the first time that the jobless claims came above the 200k mark since January, and it was the highest claim YTD. The continued claims also rose to 1.718 mn from 1.649 mn, coming in above estimates as well. While this may have raised some concerns that the US labor market is softening, the print is still strong and eyes now turn to the February payrolls data out today in the US. Our full preview is here, which says that Overall message, despite a potentially softer headline print, is likely to be that US labor market is still tight and there are millions of open positions even as layoffs continue to ramp up in some of the sectors. Headline jobs are expected to come in again at 200k+, but risk of disappointment remains given the scope of correction from +517k in January. A strong print could further cement the case for a 50bps rate hike this month. SVB’s nosedive of 60% highlights the venture capital and tech bubble is spilling to banks- Is this just the beginning? Investors were spooked by Silicon Valley Bank announcing its  taking emergency steps to shore up capital after suffering a $1.8 billion after-tax loss in the first quarter. SVB sold about $21 billion of securities from its portfolio and plans to raise $2.25 billion. SVB’s shares tumbled 60% on the announcement, taking its shares to its lowest level since September 2016, while erasing $9.6 billion in market value. This reflects the pain of higher interest rates and tighter liquidity on the venture capital start-up bubble and how that’s heavily flown right to banks - who are also now suffering a liquidity crisis. It seem a vicious cycle. While, at the same time, people’s trust in the financial system is weakening, which is why we saw the banking sector heavily sold off on Thursday, with the KWB Bank Index tumbling 7.7%, its biggest drop since June 2022. Not only have we seen floundering prominent startups go bust – such as FTX, but banks have been making exuberant investment in such firms for years. This is all despite banks slowing their pace of investing and offering stingier terms. This not only reflects the hot air been blown into starts up - yet banks have become heavily reliant on such risky and volatile businesses.Also on Thursday, another California lender, Silvergate Capital Corp, which is targeting cryptocurrency firms, such as FTX, announced its winding down operations, following the meltdown of its financial strength, after digital assets plunged, seeing Silvergate lose billions in deposits. After announcing plans to liquidate, it says it will repay all deposits in full. Silvergate was previously scrutinised by regulators for its dealings with fallen crypto giants FTX and Alameda Research. Silvergate shares sank 40%. Bank of Japan is the biggest event risk While data and commentary from officials has been less supportive of the case for further tweaks in Bank of Japan policy, outgoing governor Kuroda is known for his surprises. At his last meeting on Friday, he may want to part with some sparks resulting in a numb yen in the run upto the meeting. We discussed all this and more in our central banks note this week, and significant scope of two-way volatility in the yen is seen. China’s CPI softened sharply to +1% Y/Y, PPI deep into deflation at -1.4%Y/Y China’s CPI growth slowed to 1% Y/Y in February, much lower than the consensus estimate of 1.9%. Growth in food prices decelerated to 2.6% Y/Y from 6.2% Y/Y while growth in non-food prices halved to 0.6% Y/Y in February from 1.2% in January. PPI slide 1.4% Y/Y in February, bringing the producer prices deeper into deflation. US-India ties expand into semiconductors The US and India are looking to sign an agreement to boost coordination of their chip industry to focus further on information sharing and policy dialogue, as India forges ahead to boost its presence in the global technology supply chain amid China’s crackdowns on the private sector and growing geopolitical issues. CATL delivers stronger than expected results underscoring surging EV demand China’s Contemporary Amperex Technologies Limited (CATL), the world's biggest battery maker and Tesla’s battery supplier, delivered results eclipsing estimates, amid stronger EV demand, while its results also cement CATL as the industry leader. Net income surged 93% y/y, to 30.72-billion-yuan, vs 28.8 billion yuan expected – with both its power battery and energy storage division’s revenue growing far more than expected amid clean energy demand. Power battery revenue rose to 236.59 billion yuan, up from the 91.49-billion-yuan same time last year - while exceeding the 228.46-billion-yuan consensus expected. That said, its power battery gross margin came in at 17.2%, on par with estimates – as EV sales growth in China slowed in Q4 as the economy was hit by a wave of COVID-19 infections with Tesla cutting output in Shanghai, with CATL suffering rising inventory. That said, CATL’s outlook seems bright and it’s continuing its global expansion, planning to set up 13 production bases, including in Germany and Hungary, with five R&D centres. It recently licensed its LFP battery technology for Ford to use in a new $3.5 billion EV battery plant – which Ford will run in Michigan.  We expect CATL’s results will continue to grow strongly given COVID disruptions came to an end. Fitch suggests EV sales in China will account for 35% of vehicles sales this year, up from 27% in 2022. EV sales grew 60% in 2022 to 10.4 million units and are expected to reach 13.9 million units this year, with most growth in China, according to Bloomberg. This also reflects strong demand for EV batteries ahead, as well as the key battery components including lithium, copper, graphite and aluminium. You can explore some of the companies in this space in Saxo's Lithium- Powering EVs equity theme basket.  CATL's had 37% share of EV battery global market in 2022, which is testament to its cheaper-to-produce lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. In joint second place, South Korea’s LG Energy Solution and China’s BYD Co, with a 13.6% share each. JD.COM gave a downbeat Q1 revenue guidance citing cautious Chinese consumers JD.COM (09618) reported Q4 revenue of RMB 295 billion, rising 7% Y/Y, in line with consensus estimates. Benefiting from a 1.4pp Y/Y improvement in operating margin to 2.5%, the e-commerce giant’s non-GAAP net profit came in at RMB 7.66 billion, a 115% increase Y/Y and nearly 40% above consensus. However, the share price of its ADRs plunged 11.3% overnight or 6.2% from its Hong Kong closing price on Thursday, on downbeat guidance on Q1 revenues. JD.COM expects JD Retail’s sales to fall by a low-to-mid single-digit percentage Y/Y in Q1, below analysts’ estimates of 1-3% growth. The Company’s management said the sentiment of Chinese consumers is still fragile and consumers have become more prudent on discretionary items. Reopening might also divert some of the online purchasing to off-line consumption such as dining and traveling.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 10, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Japan: stronger-than-expected GDP supports BoJ policy normalization

    The Bank Of Japan Kept Its Policy Unchanged, Lower Yields Saw The Dollar Trade Softer

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 10.03.2023 09:36
    Summary:  Financial market turbulence returned on Thursday after steep losses in two small US lenders, SVB Financial and Silvergate Capital Corp triggered a 7.7% sell off in the KBW Bank Index which includes major US banks. The S&P 500 fell to the lowest since January 19 while bond yields reversed sharply lower to surrender most of the gains triggered by Fed Chair Powell’s combatant statements on Capitol Hill earlier in the week. Lower yields saw the dollar trade softer while the loss of risk appetite sent crude oil and industrial metals lower. Before the banking woes took center stage, stocks had gained after a bigger than expected jump in weekly jobless claims raised speculation about a soft US job report due later today. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): a warning shot has been fired The equity market has moved into risk-off mode following the 60% plunge in SVB Financial (indicated down again pre-market) as the bank has been forced to sell a considerable amount of its bond holdings causing big losses and the need raise more equity and hybrid capital. The S&P 500 Banks Index plunged 6.5% with JPMorgan Chase down 5.4%. We have seen a more muted reaction in the VIX Index only increasing to 22.6 which is a low figure given the risks coming into the market. Bill Ackman, a hedge fund manager, has said that the US government should consider bailing out SVB Financial as the bank is important the Silicon Valley ecosystem and for funding of start-ups in the US. The discussions about zero-days to expiry options (0DTE) and to what extent they can cause a big intraday move in the market will be tested today if the US jobs report fails to calm the market. Chinese equities (HK50.I and 02846:xhkg): tumbled on cautious consumer and tech war Hang Seng Index plunged 2.6% and CSI300 shed 1%. Investors were selling China internet and consumer names following downbeat comments from JD.COM on Chinese consumers.  The management of the Chinese e-commerce giant said that the sentiment of Chinese consumers is still fragile and consumers have become more prudent on discretionary items. In addition, reopening might also divert some of the online purchasing to offline consumption such as dining and traveling. JD.Com (09618:xhkg) tumbled 11.2%. Meanwhile, Hang Seng TECH Index dropped 3.2%. EV stocks fell sharply, led by an 8.7% decline of BYD (01211:xhkg). The tech war on semiconductors may extend from advanced equipment to materials. Investors are concerned that Japan may impose restrictions on the export of essential chemicals such as photoresist to China. The U.S. banking stock turmoil overnight in the U.S. also weighed on sentiment. FX: USD modestly weaker as risk sentiment weakens, JPY sold on unchanged BOJ The rise in jobless claims as well as the broader risk off arising from the SVB scare on Thursday saw yields dipping lower, taking the dollar off the recent highs as well but the decline remained modest with the USD coming in favor on the safe haven bid as well. Swiss franc also got a safe haven bid, and USDCHF plunged below 0.93 bringing the 50DMA at 0.9269 in focus. Bank of Japan’s unchanged monetary policy saw the JPY being the underperformer in the Asian session on Friday, but USDJPY could not pierce above 137. GBPUSD rose back above 1.19 ahead of UK data dump today likely to show that a recession has been delayed, but focus will shift to NFP later as the key USD driver in the very near-term. USDCAD continued to surge to fresh highs as Fed-BOC divergence widened and oil prices remained weak. The choppiness in crude oil prices continued Crude oil is heading for a weekly loss following another choppy session on Thursday which in the end took its cue from another loss of risk appetite as stress emerged in the US banking sector. Brent trades back below $81 after breaking below the trendline going back to the December low. While the signs of a pickup in Chinese demand remain mixed, the market has also been spooked by Powell’s combatant mood on Capitol Hill earlier in the week where he basically said recession was a price worth paying to get inflation under control. Gold finds support as stock market weakness drives bond yields sharply lower Gold caught a bid on Thursday in response to the high US jobless claims number and later a steep drop in US bond yields as the US banking sector slumped. The terminal US Fed fund rate dropped back to 1.5% while the market priced in a 1.25% rate cut in the following 12 months, developments that highlights the potential for US rates not being raised to the extend Fed chair Powell led the market to believe earlier in the week. Focus now turns to today’s job report after Fed Chair Powell in his testimony said the strength and duration of future rate hikes would be data dependent. Gold is once again testing the 21-day moving average resistance at $1835 ahead of at $1858 while support in the $1800 remains firm. Yields drop on financial market turbulence and spike in jobless claims A bounce in initial jobless claims to 211K (consensus 195K) from 190K kicked off the short-covering in the front end ahead of the employment report, due later today. The buying intensified later in the US on safe haven buying after the banking sector suffered its biggest drop since June 2020, with stocks in troubled Silvergate Capital and SVB Financial both tumbling. Yields on the 2-year plunged from 5.08% to 4.78% while the 10-year yield trades down to 3.82% from above 4% earlier in the week. The 2-10-year yield curve steepened to –97bps from –111 bps earlier in the session. What is going on? SVB’s 60% slump highlights the venture capital and tech bubble is spilling over to banks Investors were spooked by Silicon Valley Bank announcing it taking emergency steps to shore up capital after suffering a $1.8 billion after-tax loss in the first quarter. SVB sold about $21 billion of securities from its portfolio and plans to raise $2.25 billion. Having ended the regular session down 60% at 106 it went on the drop another 22% to 83 in afterhours trading. This reflects the pain of higher interest rates and tighter liquidity on the venture capital start-up bubble and it triggered heavy selling across banking stocks with KBW Bank Index tumbling 7.7%, its biggest drop since June 2020. Also on Thursday, another California lender, Silvergate Capital Corp, down 80% this month, which is targeting cryptocurrency firms, such as FTX, announced its winding down operations, following the meltdown of its financial strength, after digital assets plunged. Oracle shares down on cloud miss The software and database maker reported FY23 Q3 revenue growth of 18% y/y and adjusted EPS of $0.71 down 17%, but the disappointment was mostly in the outlook and especially in Oracle’s cloud business as customers are reducing spending growth. Oracle shares were down 4% in extended trading. Bank of Japan’s Kuroda ends term without sparks The Bank of Japan kept its policy unchanged at Governor Kuroda’s last meeting of his decade-long tenure. The target band for the 10-year JGB yield was kept unchanged at around 0%, with an upper limit of 0.50% after being raised in December. The BOJ held its short-term rate at -0.1%. Although data and recent communication had hinted at no change in monetary policy, there were some apprehensions given Kuroda is famous for giving surprises to the market. However, the outcome carried his usual dovish tone, ensuring a smooth handover to incoming Governor Kazuo Ueda who has conveyed policy continuity in his first remarks after being nominated. Jobless claims cool, focus now on NFP data today Initial claims rose 211k in the week of 4th March, above the 190k prior and the 195k expected. It was the first time that the jobless claims came above the 200k mark since January, and it was the highest claim YTD. The continued claims also rose to 1.718 mn from 1.649 mn, coming in above estimates as well. While this may have raised some concerns that the US labor market is softening, the print is still strong and eyes now turn to the February payrolls data out today in the US. Our full preview is here, which says that Overall message, despite a potentially softer headline print, is likely to be that US labor market is still tight and there are millions of open positions even as layoffs continue to ramp up in some of the sectors. Headline jobs are expected to come in again at 200k+, but risk of disappointment remains given the scope of correction from +517k in January. A strong print could further cement the case for a 50bps rate hike this month. US-India ties expand into semiconductors The US and India are looking to sign an agreement to boost coordination of their chip industry to focus further on information sharing and policy dialogue, as India forges ahead to boost its presence in the global technology supply chain amid China’s crackdowns on the private sector and growing geopolitical issues. CATL delivers stronger than expected results underscoring surging EV demand CATL, the world's biggest battery maker and Tesla’s battery supplier, delivered results eclipsing estimates, amid stronger EV demand, while its results also cement CATL as the industry leader. Net income surged 93% y/y, to CNY 30.7bn vs est. CNY 28.8bn with both its power battery and energy storage division’s revenue growing far more than expected amid clean energy demand. What are we watching next? The Australia, UK and US alliance thrusts the Defence and Nuclear sectors into the spotlight US President Joe Biden will host a meeting with the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in San Diego on Monday, where they are expected to decide on how to move ahead with a multibillion submarine plan, which could involve Australia buying as many as five US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s. They are also expected to deliberate on how to get other high-tech weaponry to Australia. This is all a part of the AUKUS alliance, which was formed 18 months ago, aimed at the countries sharing defence and military capabilities, to protect the Indo-Pacific region, and counter China. For the investor, it makes one reflect on the capital being spent in the industry, which may present as a potential investment opportunity to explore. So, we break down the next steps of the AUKUS alliance, where the vessels will be built, the potential financial outlay, the likely companies involved and Saxo’s Equity Defence and Nuclear theme equity baskets to watch. Read our article here. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings releases are not market moving and thus the focus is on next week’s earnings with the most interesting earnings releases being Volkswagen, BMW, Adobe, and FedEx. Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, DiDi Global Next week’s earnings releases: Tuesday: Foxconn, Volkswagen, Generali Wednesday: Constellation Software, BMW, E.ON, Ping An Insurance, Prudential, Inditex, Adobe, Lennar Thursday: Verbund, Rheinmetall, KE Holdings, Enel, FedEx, Dollar General Friday: Vonovia Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US Feb. Nonfarm Payrolls Change 1330 – US Feb. Unemployment Rate 1330 – US Feb Average Hourly Earnings 1330 – Canada Feb. Employment Data   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 10, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Musk Said Tesla’s Next Phase Of Growth Will Be Built Around Building Clean Energy Sources

    Muska's City For Tesla And SpaceX Employees

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 10.03.2023 10:16
    Musk and his executives want his Austin-area employees, including those at Boring, electric car maker Tesla Inc. and space and exploration company SpaceX to be able to live in new homes at below-market rents. Musk’s city Elon Musk plans to build his own city on part of thousands of acres of newly purchased pasture and farmland outside the Texas capital. In meetings with landowners and real estate agents, Musk and his company employees described their vision as a kind of utopia in Texas along the Colorado River where his employees could live and work. Musk has been an advocate of affordable housing for workers. In 2018, during a public panel discussion with then-governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Musk spoke about building housing for Tesla employees next to the company's massive complex outside Reno. The planned city is adjacent to the Boring and SpaceX facilities that are currently under construction. The site already features a group of modular homes, a swimming pool, an outdoor sports area and a gym. The management of Musk's tunneling business, Boring Co., discussed and explored incorporating the city into Bastrop County, about 35 miles from Austin, which would allow Musk to set some regulations in his own municipality and advance his plans. Under Texas law, a city must have a population of at least 201 before it can apply for incorporation and subsequent approval by a county judge. Bastrop County has not received an application from Musk or any of its entities. Musk has been planning to build a city for a long time, and a few years ago he helped his brother, Kimbal Musk, perfect the idea of building an off-grid community. Musk's plans don't end with Texas. Last month, Tesla said it was continuing its expansion in California as well, and named the Palo Alto office as its engineering headquarters. Musk property Over the past three years, entities affiliated with Musk's companies or executives have purchased at least 3,500 acres in the Austin area, a total of about four times as much as New York's Central Park, according to county records and other land registries. Some local real estate and land officials said people close to Musk told them the billionaire owned even more land in the area - as much as 6,000 acres. Land purchases in Texas took place through at least four limited liability companies. These companies are linked to Musk's business or their officials in county and land registries and state business records that list their names. Musk was the main driver behind the plans, and all land purchases must be approved by him. In neighboring Bastrop County, about an hour southeast of Austin, SpaceX is building a 500,000-square-foot facility, and Boring is building a new warehouse across state road 1209. Read next: AUD/USD Rose Above 0.66, USD/JPY Drop Below 137.00| FXMAG.COM Tesla share price Since the beginning of the year, Tesla's share price has been rising towards 205.00, but since the beginning of March, the share price has started to fall below 200.00. Tesla shares recently closed at 170.85. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Rising Tensions in Japan Amid Currency Market Concerns and BOJ Insights

    Stock Market Summary Of The Week 6-10.03.2023

    Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 12.03.2023 10:19
    The Fed announces that it will raise interest rates and one of the big Silicon Valley banks has liquidity problems. As the news becomes widespread, this bank's shares fall by 60% in a single session. This seems to have had a knock-on effect on the shares of the entire financial sector. Could other banks really be in trouble because of this, and what else have we learned during the past week? Macroeconomic data Monday's reading of the UK construction sector sentiment index came as a surprise at the start of the week. The data beat analysts' expectations, coming in at 54.6 points (49.1 points were expected). This is the first reading in two months heralding an improvement in the health of the sector. Tuesday's key event was a speech by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who said, among other things: "If the totality of the data indicated that faster tightening of financial policy was warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of interest rate hikes." Following Powell's speech, the S&P 500 Index (US500) began to fall, ending the week at minus 3.6%. Source: Conotoxia MT5, US500, Daily Wednesday brought us the US non-farm employment forecast report (ADP). The document, created from the payrolls of US companies, seemed to predict the final readings of the change in non-farm employment quite well. The current reading was better than expected at 242,000 (200,000 was expected). This would indicate that the US labour market is still strong, which may encourage the Fed to raise interest rates further. The Bank of Japan's interest rate decision seemed to come to the fore on Thursday. The institution's new governor chose not to change the negative level of interest rates. Japan's Nikkei index (JP225) was able to gain in anticipation of the announcement of the decision, before returning to levels seen earlier in the week. Source: Conotoxia MT5, JP225, Daily In Germany, CPI inflation for February came in at 8.7%, unchanged for three consecutive readings, as forecast. An important news item for the US market could be the non-farm employment reading, where an increase of 205,000 is expected. The stock market In Thursday's session, we learned of the problems of SVB Financial Group bank, whose shares slumped by as much as 60%. This seems to have caused declines in the entire US financial sector. It ended the week with a performance of more than minus 5%, as could be seen in the listing of the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). Source: Conotoxia MT5, XLF, Daily Source: https://www.sectorspdr.com/sectorspdr/tools/sector-tracker Among the companies whose shares fell the most this week are the aforementioned SVB Financial Group bank, whose shares slumped by more than 60%. Shares of electric car manufacturer Tesla fell by almost 10%. Among the few companies whose shares rose are: Apple, up 3.2%; Meta (Facebook), up 4.1%; and General Electric (GE), up 6.8%. All key changes can be seen below. Source: https://finviz.com/map.ashx?t=sec&st=w1 Currency and cryptocurrency market In the foreign exchange market, we could see another week of strong strengthening of the US dollar. The EUR/USD pair exchange rate fell by 0.4%. The biggest changes in USD quotations could be seen on the pair with the Australian dollar. The USD/CAD exchange rate rose by 1.8%, approaching resistance levels of 1.4. Source: Contoxia MT5, USDCAD, Daily The value of cryptocurrencies is plummeting as a result of the issues surrounding Silvergate bank, a key player in the market. Bitcoin has lost more than 12% of its value over the past week, falling below $20,000, while ethereum has shrunk by 11.6%. The situation appears to be unfavourable for cryptocurrencies. The weekly change in stablecoin market capitalisation, which determines the value of capital in the market, has now fallen by 2% m/m. Grzegorz Dróżdż, Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76,41% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.     search   g_translate    
    Taming the Dollar: Assessing Powell's Hawkish Tone Amidst BRICS Expansion

    At The Close Of The New York Stock Exchange All Indices Were Down

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.03.2023 08:00
    At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was down 1.07% to hit a 3-month low, the S&P 500 was down 1.45% and the NASDAQ Composite was down 1.76%. Unemployment in the US rose to 3.6% in February from 3.4% the previous month, while analysts believed that the figure would not change. And the number of people employed in non-agricultural sectors of the economy increased by 311,000, with a projected increase of 205,000. Statistics on the labor market and consumer prices are of great importance for investors, since these are the two main indicators that the US Federal Reserve relies on when determining its further actions in monetary policy. Dow Jones The leading performer among the Dow Jones index components in today's trading was Intel Corporation, which gained 0.78 points or 2.95% to close at 27.22. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 3.31 points or 2.54% to close at 133.65. The Travelers Companies Inc rose 1.76 points or 1.01% to close at 175.68. The least gainers were Caterpillar Inc shares, which lost 13.95 points or 5.79% to end the session at 227.01. Shares of Goldman Sachs Group Inc climbed 14.42 points or 4.22% to close at 327.67, while American Express Company shed 6.42 points or 3.73% to close at 165.70. S&P 500 Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Intel Corporation, which rose 2.95% to hit 27.22, JPMorgan Chase & Co, which gained 2.54% to close at 133.65, and also shares of AbbVie Inc, which rose 1.61% to close the session at 149.72. The least gainers were shares of Signature Bank, which fell 22.87% to close at 70.00. Shares of First Republic Bank lost 14.84% to end the session at 81.76. Charles Schwab Corp fell 11.69% to 58.70. NASDAQ  Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were EUDA Health Holdings Ltd, which rose 54.20% to 2.02, Unicycive Therapeutics Inc, which gained 30.10% to close at 2.68. as well as shares of Cingulate Inc, which rose 25.00% to close the session at 1.85. Shares of Loyalty Ventures Inc became the least gainers, which decreased in price by 58.39%, closing at 0.24. Shares of Allbirds Inc lost 47.03% and ended the session at 1.25. Quotes of Cepton Inc decreased in price by 45.75% to 0.42. Numbers On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2594) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (463), while quotes of 75 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,044 stocks fell, 595 rose, and 150 remained at the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, rose 9.69% to 24.80, hitting a new monthly high. Gold Gold futures for April delivery added 2.08%, or 38.15, to $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI April futures rose 1.03%, or 0.78, to $76.50 a barrel. Futures for Brent crude for May delivery rose 1.21%, or 0.99, to $82.58 a barrel. Forex Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD rose 0.57% to hit 1.06, while USD/JPY shed 0.91% to hit 134.90. Futures on the USD index fell 0.67% to 104.60.   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-03-14 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/315761
    Rates Spark: Escalating into a Rout as Bond Bear Steepening Accelerates

    Analysis Of Movement Of S&P 500 Index

    InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 13.03.2023 08:08
    If we look at the movement of #SPX on the daily chart then clearly seen that: 1. Price move below its 10 EMA. 2. The appearance of Bearish 123 pattern follow by Bearish Ross Hook (RH). 3. Still move below down trendline. Based on the those three facts then on a few days ahead S&P500 index has the potential to test and try to break below the level 3763,04 if turns out this level successfully broken below then it is highly likelythat the #SPX will head to the 3696.49 level as its main target and the 3631.93 level as its second target with a note that during its journey to the targets of these levels there is no upward correction movement that exceeds the 4062.45 level because if this level is successfully broken above then all the decline scenario previously described will become invalid and automatically cancel by itself. (Disclaimer)     Relevance up to 04:00 2023-03-18 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/121115
    US Flash, that is to say preliminary, PMI for April came in at a better-than-expected 50.4 versus a downwardly revised 49.2 in March and a forecast 49

    Nonfarm Payrolls In The US Rose By 311k Last Month, Less Than The January's Print

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.03.2023 08:14
    Summary:  A slight recovery in sentiment was seen into the Monday open as US regulators stepped in to prevent further fallout from the SVB crisis and announced an emergency bank term funding program assuring SVB depositors they will be fully protected and have access to their money as the week begins. US jobs data on Friday was mixed, putting focus on the CPI this week, although the banking crisis reduces the case for a 50bps rate hike this month.   What’s happening in markets? US equites pulled back on Friday after the Silicon Valley Bank fuelled fear The futures turned green, indicating Monday could potentially see buying return. Market jitters were calmed after the Fed announced an emergency bank term funding program, with SVB depositors to have access to all money from Monday. On Friday though, markets were hurting, SVB parent, SVB Financial Group’s (SIVB:xnas) demise was felt through markets, triggering a sharp sell-off in US equities with the Nasdaq 100 and S&P500 falling 1.4% on Friday and wiping off 3.8% and 4.6% over the week. The banking sector was hit hard, as investors worried about the risk of contagion after 16th largest bank failed, which lead to selling in other banks, and deposit withdrawals – with American losing faith in the banking system. The KBW Bank Index shed 3.9% on Friday, and 15.7% over the week. PacWest Bancorp (PACW:xnas) tumbled 37.9% on Friday and a massive 53.7% since Thursday. US equity futures rallied on Monday Asian hours after the Fed assured depositors in the Silicon Valley Bank they will be fully protected. Treasury yields plunged on safe-haven bids amid banking woes and Fed speculation Safe-haven demand and reduced likelihood of aggressive rate hikes drove down Treasury yields. Meanwhile, asset markets were jolted by the Silicon Valley Bank incident, leading to a surge in safe-haven buying of Treasuries. Prices of Treasuries climbed, and yields fell sharply, with the front end and belly of the curve seeing the best performance. Traders are now speculating whether the contagion of the crisis to other banks, and the widening of credit spreads will sway the Fed in favor of keeping the next hike at a modest 25bps, or perhaps even pausing earlier than expected. These speculations are supported by the slight 0.2% month-over-month or 4.6% year-over-year increase in average hourly earnings, and an increase in the labor force participation rate to 62.5% in February. Interest rates implied by SOFR contracts fell significantly, with June, September, and December 2023 plunging 28 basis points, 44.5 basis points, and 52.5 basis points, respectively. This brought the terminal down to 5.29% in June 2023, from 5.70% in September 2023 just two days earlier on Wednesday. The 2-year Treasury yield tumbled an astounding 28 basis points to 4.59%, while the 10-year yield dropped by 20 basis points to 3.70%. As a result, the 2-10-year yield curve steepened by almost 7 basis points to 89 basis points on Friday. Given the ongoing banking crisis, Treasuries are likely to remain in high demand. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 plummeted amid concerns about consumption recovery in China The Hang Seng Index and CSI300 experienced sharp declines on Friday, with losses of 3% and 1.3% respectively, resulting in weekly losses of 6.1% and 4%. This was attributed to investors selling China internet and consumer names after JD.COM's (09618:xhkg) downbeat comments on consumer spending prospects in China, causing JD.Com to plummet by 11.5%. The Hang Seng TECH Index also dropped significantly by 3.8%. Auto stocks, particularly BYD (01211:xhkg) and Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) took a major hit, with declines of 8.1% and 6.2% respectively, due to an intensification of price war prompted by Dongfeng (00489:xhkg) and other Chinese automakers' price cuts. Auto names were among the largest losers in A-shares on Friday. The tech war involving semiconductors may extend beyond advanced equipment to materials, leading to concerns about Japan restricting the export of crucial chemicals like photoresists to China. In addition, the turmoil in U.S. banking stocks overnight further weighed on sentiment. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) somewhat unscathed following global rout. Gold miners charge After the demise of the US’ 16th largest bank, SVB with other US banks in jeopardy, Australia’s market has so far outperformed global equity markets, falling 1.9% last week, while the S&P500  shed 4.6% and Hong Kong’s Heng Seng slumped 6.1%. The prudential regulation over Australia’s banks is keeping ASX listed banks relativity unscathed, however smaller non-financial companies with less financial strength are being penalised. The worst performing ASX200 stocks today are BrainChip, and Lake Resources, both down over 4.6%. While capturing upside and lot of bids are, gold miners, with Capricorn Metals, Ramelius Resources and Regis Resources all up 7-9%. FX: Dollar on the backfoot on chatter of SVB bailout After slumping to fresh lows on Friday to get in close sights of 104, the US dollar reversed higher into Friday’s close but gains were short-lived as the announcement on a potential backstop funding from the Feb for distressed bank SVB brought risk trades back to the table. AUDUSD pushed back above 0.66 to highs of 0.6647 in early trading amid thin liquidity and a recovery in sentiment. NZDUSD also took another look at 200DMA at 0.6166. GBPUSD testing 1.21 handle again with this week’s focus being the Spring budget and the labor market data. ECB’s hike remains in focus, and EURUSD taking another hit at 1.07 as risk sentiment improved this morning in Asia. Crude oil prices jumped higher on Friday but closed with a weekly loss Fears of further monetary tightening, coupled with risks of a financial contagion, raised concerns of a demand weakness and saw crude oil prices slide lower last week. The weak sentiment was compounded by high crude oil inventories in the US. This dominant narrative continues to overshadow signs of stronger demand in China. Some respite was however seen on Friday and into early Asian trading on Monday as US regulators announced measures to protect depositors and let them withdraw money from SVB starting Monday. WTI prices touched $77 from lows of sub-75 on Friday and Brent was above $83 from sub-81 levels earlier. The spread between Brent and Dubai narrowed to USD2.70/bbl, as Dubai crude gained against the global benchmark, suggesting robust Asian demand. Gold making a fresh stride higher despite easing banking sector crisis concerns Gold prices saw a big jump on Friday and gains were extended further on Monday morning in the Asian session as a mixed US jobs report and risks of a contagion in the banking sector spooked investors and prompted safe-haven demand. Expectations of a rapid Fed tightening also eased, and Fed swaps fully priced in a 25bps rate cut by year-end. This, along with rising inflation (breakeven) expectations and a sharp drop in yields, has made gold attractive for investors with precious metal charging higher and breaking above key resistances. Gold prices touched highs of $1890 this morning before easing slightly.   What to consider? SVB fallout spreads; Fed announces plans to fully protect Silicon Value Bank and potentially Signature Bank After the demise of the US’ 16th largest bank, SVB, on Friday and its takeover by the FDIC – which marked the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, the fallout spread. Regulators took control of another bank, Signature Bank. Unlike SVB which supports venture capital firms, Signature bank specialises in providing banking to law firms. The Fed stepped in and announced an emergency bank term funding program, assuring SVB depositors they will be fully protected and have access to their money from Monday, with agencies said to enact a similar program for Signature Bank. All this follows the Venture Capital community urging startups to withdraw funds, which led to civilians taking their money out of banks. Regulators are seeking buyers for SVB. Meanwhile, the Fed said it’s providing additional funding to banks. US nonfarm payrolls remained elevated in February Nonfarm payrolls in the US rose by 311k last month, less than the January's blowout print of 504k (revised down from an initially stated 517k) but still remaining elevated and above consensus expectations of 215k. While the headline continued to reaffirm a tight labor market, other indicators from the report were rather weak. Average hourly earnings rose +0.2% MoM in February, lower than the expected and last month’s +0.3% MoM. The annual rate of averag hourly earnings rose from +4.4% in January to +4.6% YoY, a touch short of the 4.7% that the market was expecting. The unemployment also picked up by 0.2% pts to 3.6% against market expectations of no change, likely as participation rose 0.1% pt to 62.5%. The data remained short of cementing a 50bps rate hike possibility for March, also given the recent concerns on the US banking sector from the SVB collapse. Focus now turns to CPI release on Tuesday to further shape Fed expectations. China's February aggregate financing surged beyond expectations with 9.9% Y/Y Growth China's aggregate financing growth in February was much better than expected, reaching RMB 3160 billion, far above the RMB2300 consensus estimate. The outstanding aggregate financing growth also accelerated to 9.9% year-on-year (Y/Y) in February, up from 9.4% Y/Y in January. Furthermore, M2 increased at a faster pace in February, growing 12.9% Y/Y, up from January's 12.6%. The surge in outstanding RMB loans played a major role in driving the credit growth, increasing by 11.6% Y/Y in February, compared to January's 11.3% Y/Y. Corporate loans were the primary driver, while household loans remained weak. Bank of Japan’s Kuroda ends term without sparks The Bank of Japan kept its policy unchanged on Friday at Governor Kuroda’s last meeting of his decade-long tenure. The target band for the 10-year JGB yield was kept unchanged at around 0%, with an upper limit of 0.50% after being raised in December. The BOJ held its short-term rate at -0.1%. Despite some expectations of another tweak, the outcome carried his usual dovish tone, ensuring a smooth handover to incoming Governor Kazuo Ueda who has conveyed policy continuity in his first remarks after being nominated. Incoming data will be key to watch for what tweaks the next governor Ueda can bring, but near-term focus shifts to US data on inflation, as well as the extent of fallout in the US banking sector as the market appears to be a panic mode after SVB’s collapse which may bring some safe haven flows to the yen.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 13, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo) 
    Rates Spark: Unbroken Momentum in Bear Steepening as Shutdown Aversion Fuels Yields

    Icahn Battles Illumina For Three Board Seats

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 13.03.2023 10:04
    Billionaire activist Carl Icahn plans to nominate three people to the board of the San Diego-based company, claiming the biotech company has cost its shareholders about $50 billion by going ahead with a risky takeover despite regulators' opposition. Illumina vs Carl Icahn The billionaire activist is running for three seats on the biotechnology board. Carl Icahn plans to nominate three people to the board of the San Diego-based company, according to a letter Mr. Icahn plans to send to Illumina shareholders on Monday. Icahn says in the letter that he tried to make a deal with Illumina to avoid a proxy battle. In the letter, Icahn accuses Illumina of overpaying for a business that earned "exactly zero dollars in revenue" and then closing the deal, despite not knowing if European regulators would bless him. He writes that it costs Illumina $800 million a year to hold the Grail, and that it faces a substantial tax bill if eventually forced to sell it. He says his candidates — Vincent Intrieri, founder and CEO of the mutual fund, and two of Icahn's deputies, Jesse Lynn and Andrew Teno — will bring experience in dealing with crises to the board. Illumina said it was advising its shareholders to vote against Icahn's candidates. Illumina and Grail Illumina manufactures and sells genetic sequencing machines and the chemicals they use, and its customers include Grail and Grail's rivals. Once a darling of biotech, Illumina was respected for its DNA sequencing capabilities and was valued at over $70 billion in the summer of 2021. In recent months, however, its value has fallen to about $30 billion as the company acquired cancer screening company Grail Inc and remains on hold as the company faces increased competition from lower-cost rivals. Illumina in 2020 agreed to buy Grail, which is developing blood tests for early cancer detection, and closed the deal in August 2021, despite encountering antitrust resistance from both the Federal Trade Commission and the European Union. Illumina said at the time that if she hadn't, she might have missed the end of the deal. The US has since ruled in favor of Illumina while the EU sought to block the deal. This meant that Illumina had to keep the Grail as a separate entity. The European Union released details of a planned order requiring Illumina to terminate the Grail deal last December. The Commission banned the deal earlier this year over fears it would stifle innovation and hurt consumer choice. Illumina appealed the European Commission's decision last year and said it would review strategic alternatives to Grail in case it was unable to delay the expected EU divestment order. Illumina share prices As of last May, Illumina's share price is below $250.00. At the beginning of March, stock prices rose in the direction of 221.21, but did not hold and fell. Recently, the stock price is below 200.00 and recently closed at 194.01. This level is the lowest level so far in 2023. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Inflation Numbers Signal Potential Pause in Fed Rate Hikes Amid Softening Categories

    US regulators closed Signature Bank, HSBC has announced to acquire SVB’s UK

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 13.03.2023 10:23
    Summary:  US equity futures are rallying, the dollar is lower, and Treasury yields have extended their declines following a busy weekend which resulted in regulators backstopping uninsured bank deposits at SVB Financial and Signature Bank. Traders have dialed back Fed rate-hike bets to just one while the yield curve has flattened as bank deposits are being converted to short maturity bonds. Gold jumped in response to these developments but whether the overall improved risk appetite can be maintained remains to be seen, and for this we need to watch credit spreads and default swaps. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): be wary of the short-term celebration A busy weekend in the US for regulators have ended with a backstop of all insured and uninsured deposits of SVB Financial and Signature Bank including a new “Bank Term Funding Program” that will offer 1-year loans to banks on easier terms than normal. The Fed is also relaxing terms for lending through its discount window. US equity futures are rallying this morning with S&P 500 futures up 1.4% trading around the 3,955 level (just above the 200-day moving average), but our stance is that investors should be extremely cautious of celebrating too early. The lessons from the Great Financial Crisis and the Euro Crisis are that the early cracks and the first rescue attempt by regulators are often not enough as these events to not happen in vacuum. At this point we simply do not have enough information to guess the secondary effects from this event so investors should remain cautious. Investors should monitor money market spreads, yield curve shape, flows in USD etc., instead of equities this week for information what is happening in the system. Chinese equities (HK50.I and 02846:xhkg): Rally as US backstops depositors Hong Kong and Chinese stocks rallied as U.S. regulators rolled out plans to prevent the woes in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank to turn into systemic risks. Hang Seng Index jumped 1.8% and CSI300 rallied 0.6%. China’s Two Sessions concluded this morning. President Xi secured a third term and his ally Li Qiang took the position of Premier, both being widely expected. The People’s Bank of China’s Yi Qang unexpectedly remains as the central bank’s governor. Nonetheless, his appointment is likely to be transitory pending the establishment of the National Financial Supervision Bureau. Energy, consumer, and internet stocks led the advance of the Hang Seng Index. In A-shares, SOE telcos outperformed. Belt-and-Road-Initiative-related stocks were well bid. FX: Dollar on the backfoot as Fed rate hike expectations recede on financial risks The dollar trades sharply lower following the Sunday announcement from the US authorities that it will backstop bank deposits to avert a deepening crisis after the SVB collapse. With short-end US yields collapsing and the market pricing just one rate hike before a December cut, the dollar index has dropped to a near a one-month low while the euro after finding firm support around €1.035 last week has rallied back above €1.07. AUDUSD pushed back above 0.66 to highs of 0.6672 in Asian session amid a recovery in sentiment. NZDUSD also pierced above the 200DMA to reach 0.62. GBPUSD rose above the 1.21 handle again with this week’s focus being the Spring budget and the labor market data. ECB’s hike remains in focus, and EURUSD taking another look above 1.07 as risk sentiment improved this morning in Asia.  Crude oil prices bounce as risk sentiment improves but economic outlook still weighing Crude oil prices continue to ebb and flow with the general level of risk sentiment and prices are higher overnight after US authorities stepped in over the weekend to restrain the SVB contagion. The result being a commodity supportive drop in the dollar as interest rates collapse and rate hikes are being priced out of the market. However, the risk of a US recession has strengthened on the back of these developments and with that in mind the short-term outlook points to continued range bound trading. Meanwhile, the spread between Brent and Dubai narrowed to USD2.70/bbl, as Dubai crude gained against the global benchmark, suggesting robust Asian demand. Both Brent and WTI will be facing resistance at their 21- and 50-DMA levels, both currently meeting at 83.75 and 77.70 respectively. Also, in focus this week are monthly oil market reports from OPEC and IEA Gold making a fresh stride higher despite easing banking sector crisis concerns Gold together with US government bonds have seen strong safe-haven demand since Friday as the SVB fallout has led to concerns about contagion in the banking sector. Two of gold’s main engines, the dollar and treasury yields have both seen a sharp drop since Friday and together with technical levels being broken and hedge funds holding a much-reduced long position, the market briefly managed to touch $1890 overnight. Despite the Sunday announcement from the US authorities, gold will likely benefit from continued worries about the financial system, increased recession worries and a swap market now pricing in just one rate hike ahead of a December cut. Support at $1871 and $1858 while a break above $1900 is needed to signal a reversal of the February correction. Treasury yields plunged on safe-haven bids amid banking woes and Fed speculation The Silicon Valley Bank Incident has since Friday driven continued safe-haven demand for bonds while the swap market is now pricing in just one more 25 bps rate hike, down from four since Thursday, with the first cut now priced in for December as recession worries and financial stability takes centre stage.  Prices of Treasuries climbed, and yields fell sharply, with the 2-year yield falling to 4.4% after briefly trading above 5% last week. Traders are now speculating whether the contagion of the crisis to other banks, and the widening of credit spreads will sway the Fed in favour of keeping the next hike at a modest 25bps, or even pausing earlier than expected. These speculations are supported by the slight 0.2% month-over-month or 4.6% year-over-year increase in average hourly earnings, and an increase in the labor force participation rate to 62.5% in February. Given the package rolled out by the regulators will backstop depositors but not unsecured creditors and the Fed may downshift, the front end of the Treasury curve is likely to remain in high demand. What is going on? US authorities step in to restrain the SVB contagion – what to watch from here? The US authorities have stepped in with a liquidity backstop of uninsured deposits and announced a new lending program for banks to prevent the risks of contagion from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on Friday. Fed pause bets for March are increasing, but the authorities’ response on containing the financial risks suggests that the room to fight against inflation has been maintained. Risks to inflation also tilt further to the upside with the added liquidity measures, and the long-run impact on US tech sector innovation will remain key to consider in portfolios. Read more here. HSBC acquires SVB’s UK unit HSBC has announced to acquire SVB’s UK unit after meetings over the weekend highlighted the importance of SVB UK in relation to the UK’s VC and startup ecosystem risking wider economic implications if a plan to safeguard deposits was not found. Signature Bank closed by US regulators Yesterday, US regulators closed Signature Bank which was another smaller US bank that came under pressure Thursday and Friday last week. The bank is less connected to the startup ecosystem but has connections to the cryptocurrency industry which was rattled with the liquidation of Silvergate Capital last week. Signature Bank’s insured and uninsured deposits will be accessible to customers on the same basis and under the emergency process as with SVB Financial. ECB monetary policy meeting on Thursday There is little doubt the ECB will hike interest rates by 50-basis point this week, to 3 %. The uncertainty about the magnitude of the monetary policy tightening beyond the March meeting is high, however. Our baseline is that the ECB will certainly signal another 50-basis point hike in May and give no real guidance after that. There is another possibility: the ECB could confirm it will continue hiking rates by 50-basis point in the coming meetings and could open the door to a faster reduction of holdings after June. This would be a hawkish scenario, in theory good for the euro. But we think the likelihood it will happen is small. Ahead of Thursday's meeting, the money market forecasts that the terminal rate in the eurozone will be slightly above 4 %. Nomura is currently the most hawkish bank. Its economists call for 50-basis point hikes in March, May, June followed by 25-basis points in July, leaving the terminal rate at 4.25 %. US nonfarm payrolls remained elevated in February Nonfarm payrolls in the US rose by 311k last month, less than the January's blowout print of 504k (revised down from an initially stated 517k) but remaining elevated and above consensus expectations of 215k. While the headline continued to reaffirm a tight labor market, other indicators from the report were weak. Average hourly earnings rose +0.2% MoM in February, lower than the expected and last month’s +0.3% MoM. The annual rate of average hourly earnings rose from +4.4% in January to +4.6% YoY, a touch short of the 4.7% that the market was expecting. The unemployment also picked up by 0.2% pts to 3.6% against market expectations of no change, as participation rose 0.1% pt to 62.5%. The data remained short of cementing a 50bps rate hike possibility for March, also given the recent concerns on the US banking sector from the SVB collapse. Focus now turns to CPI release on Tuesday to further shape Fed expectations. China's February aggregate financing surged beyond expectations with 9.9% y/y Growth China's aggregate financing growth in February was much better than expected, reaching RMB 3160 billion, far above the RMB2300 consensus estimate. The outstanding aggregate financing growth also accelerated to 9.9% year-on-year (Y/Y) in February, up from 9.4% Y/Y in January. Furthermore, M2 increased at a faster pace in February, growing 12.9% Y/Y, up from January's 12.6%. What are we watching next? US inflation figures Tomorrow, the first estimate of the US February CPI will be released followed on Wednesday by the February PPI. The CPI is certainly the most important data point to focus on this week. This is the latest major US data release before the FOMC March meeting of 21-22 March. The Cleveland Fed produces nowcasts of inflation based on recent publicly observable price moves. According to their latest forecast, the monthly inflation will come in at a similar level to January for February. If so, that is not encouraging. A 50-basis point interest rate hike is certainly not a done-deal in March. But this is a clear possibility. Credit and money markets Besides the focus on US inflation figures this week, we will be watching financial conditions in the financial markets with a key focus on credit and money market rates and spreads to gauge risks in the banking system. In addition, Bitcoin will be monitored for understanding risks in the wider cryptocurrency system as this part of the market is where the highest marginal risk-taking takes place. Finally , June and December Fed Funds Rate futures should be monitored for assessing the market’s pricing of monetary policy off this event. Earnings to watch This week’s key earnings are Volkswagen, BMW, Adobe, and FedEx with tomorrow’s focus on Volkswagen where everything is about the EV outlook as it is increasingly looking like VW is having difficulties to keep up with the production ramp up at Tesla and BYD. Analysts expect FY23 revenue growth of 2% y/y for Volkswagen which if realized will prove to low to satisfy investors when the leading EV-makers such as Tesla and BYD are growing much faster. Later this week we will focus on Adobe and FedEx. Tuesday: Foxconn, Volkswagen, Generali Wednesday: Constellation Software, BMW, E.ON, Ping An Insurance, Prudential, Inditex, Adobe, Lennar Thursday: Verbund, Rheinmetall, KE Holdings, Enel, FedEx, Dollar General Friday: Vonovia Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) No major releases today Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 13, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Key Economic Events and Earnings Reports to Watch in US, Eurozone, and UK Next Week

    Economic Data Could Remain Under The Shadow Of The Bank Crisis

    Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 13.03.2023 10:53
    The Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.SVB’s flash crash raised questions that other similar local banks in the US could also experience liquidity issues and may not be able to pay their depositors back, unless they also start selling their probably loss-making portfolios. The bank crisis The US authorities now step in to avoid contagion. The bank crisis will likely interfere with Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hike expectations. Fed Activity in Fed funds futures now assesses more than 98% chance for a 25bp hike in March, not because the US jobs data was soft enough to overhaul rate hike expectations last Friday, but because the Fed can’t ignore the issues caused by the steep interest rate increases in the banking sector and can’t afford to trigger a financial crisis to bring inflation back to 2%. CPI Tomorrow’s US inflation data is still important, but the developments across the banking sector could overshadow the data. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:43 US bank crisis widens as SVB, Signature Bank collapse 5:49 The bank crisis hammers Fed expectations 8:05 Economic data could remain under the shadow of the bank crisis Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #SVB #Signature #Bank #collapse #bank #crisis #Fed #rate #expectations #USD #NFP #inflation #jobs #data #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
    UK PMI Weakness Supports Pause in Bank of England's Tightening Cycle

    US CPI Still A Key Focus Ahead, Gold Broke Above The $1900 Barrier

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.03.2023 08:20
    Summary:  Banking sector concerns continued to roil markets as the SVB fallout still remains a big unknown despite measures from US authorities to stem contagion. Flight to safety accelerated further with 2-year Treasury yields slumping by a massive 60bps, and Fed rate expectations continued to shift lower with terminal rate expectations now down to 4.8% from 5.7% last week. Dollar was broadly sold and gold and silver were in favor on yield drop. US CPI still a key focus ahead but a softer print can prompt a further shift lower in the expectations of the Fed tightening path.   What’s happening in markets? US equities assess the probability of Fed rate cuts, while both the recession and volatility indexes spike After the sweeping failure of regional lenders, including Silicon Valley Bank, and ahead of the all-important US inflation read, tech stocks edged cautiously ahead, while bond yields fell - as SVB’s collapse severely complicated the Fed's rate path. Meanwhile, the NY Fed probability of a recession index, climbed to its highest level since the GFC, while the Volatility index hit its highest level since October last year. As such we remain cautious. The swaps market is now showing a less than 1-in-2 chance probability the FOMC can continue to hike rates, while also showing a probability of several rate cuts this year. So, the two-year treasury (bond) yield plunged 61 bps to below 4%, the biggest one-day slump in decades, while the 10-year yield dropped 16 bps. While the US dollar plummeted, sending the kiwi, yen and Aussie all up by 1.2% or more. Fed launches probe into the supervision of SVB. Bank stocks continue to tumble, notching biggest decline since the COVID19 crash The Federal Reserve will launch an internal probe to the supervision of Silicon Valley Bank after its collapse sparked criticism by the central bank oversight, with Michael Barr leading the review, which is said to be publicly released by May 1. Not only the Fed is concerned, but so too is Washington and investors alike. The KBW Bank Index shed 12% on Monday, continuing last week’s rout that saw the index slide 16%- with the index collectively notcing its biggest monthly pull back since COVID19. First Republic Bank shares tanked 62% on Monday, with other regional banks such as Western Alliance Bancorp falling 47%, and California-based PacWest Bancorp down 21% - as investors fret about the strength of liquidity in the lending market. Larger companies also are not immune to the sell off- Charles Schwab shares slid 12% with traders also de-risking and even perhaps shorting some financial institutions. As mentioned on Monday’s Podcast - we think the rout of several lenders in Silicon Valley could have a profound ripple effect on the innovation eco system – and future lending meaning access to liquidity in the VC and cryptocurrency market could be limited – and this could also impact the private equity market. All this reinforces Saxo long held belief that the physical world will continue to outperform the intangibles (the technology sector). This view was reinforced in our Quarterly Outlook. Massive bull steepening as investors flocked to 2-year Treasuries On the back of U.S. regional bank turmoil, investors quickly repriced the front end of the Treasury curve and removed additional future rate hikes in this tightening cycle. Investors flocked to 2-year Treasuries in safe-haven bids and traders closed out curve-flattening positions. Yields on the 2-year plunged 61bps to 3.98% while the 10-year yields fell “only” 13bps to close at 3.57%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to -46bps, after hitting as inverted as -110bps last week. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 rallied on U.S. regulators’ decision to backstop depositors Hong Kong and Chinese stocks rallied as U.S. regulators rolled out plans to prevent the woes in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank to turn into systemic risks. Hang Seng Index advanced 2% and CSI300 climbed 1%. China’s Two Sessions concluded this morning. President Xi secured a third term and his ally Li Qiang took the position of Premier, both being widely expected. Premier Li Qiang’s remarks at the press conference had a pro-growth and market-friendly tone. Energy, telco, China consumption, and China internet stocks drove the advance of the Hang Seng Index. Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.9%. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) jumped 10.7% following the video-sharing platform being included in the Stock Connect. In A-shares, SOE telcos outperformed. Belt-and-Road-Initiative-related stocks were well bid. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) trade lower for the sixth week. Swaps show RBA’s hiking cycle is over After not only the dovish commentary from the RBA but the recent demise of several large VC and cryptocurrency lending banks in the US, now we are seeing that the RBA’s interest rate hiking cycle could be over. That’s according to the swaps market, which reflects that there is just a 50% chance for an increase in the RBA’s cash rate for the rest of this year. FX: Expectations of a less aggressive Fed weighing on the dollar The USD continued to slide on Monday as Fed expectations were revised further lower (read below) but some floor was being found in early Asian trading. AUDUSD touched highs of 0.6717 before reversing to 0.6650, while NZDUSD surged to 0.6250+ before heading back towards the 0.62 handle. GBPUSD could not move above 1.22 and focus turns to labor market data in the UK today before the budget announcement tomorrow. EURUSD touched 1.0750 with a 50bps rate hike still on the table this week. Safe haven JPY and CHF continued to outperform as bank risks reign, with USDJPY staying below 134 and USDCHF testing support at 0.91. Crude oil prices slump amid risk off Oil prices closed lower by 2.5% on Monday as banking sector concerns continued to spell caution on risk assets. However, expectations of a less aggressive Fed monetary policy helped crude oil to recover from its lows, and focus now turns ahead to the US CPI data due today. WTI futures still trading below $75/barrel while Brent is at $80. OPEC is scheduled to issue its monthly market report later Tuesday, while the International Energy Agency follows with its release on Wednesday, providing on snapshot on the outlook for supply and demand, but focus is unlikely to be back on fundamentals until market concerns ease. Gold and Silver benefitting from the drop in yields Gold broke above the $1900 barrier as flight to safety continued despite the efforts of US regulators to reduce the risk of contagion from the SVB collapse. The massive drop in 2-year Treasury yields of the order of 60bps as well as market pricing in as many as 4 rate cuts this year have seen the dollar come off considerably from its highs and brought the precious metals back in focus. Additional demand for Gold from momentum traders looking for a fresh upside attempt, could bring Gold towards the January high around $1950. Silver was up over 6% on Monday as well breaking the $21.70 resistance which will be followed by $22 and $22.27. What to consider? Bank worries bring a significant shift in Fed expectations Bonds continued to soar as markets digested the measures of the US regulators to stem contagion from the collapse of SVB. But that continued to complicate the path of monetary policy with the Fed having broken something. As markets continued to re-assess the path of monetary policy from here, 2-year Treasury yields plunged 61bps to below 4%, the biggest one-day slump in decades, while 10-years dropped 16bps. The CME FedWatch tool now shows a 35% chance of no move from the Fed next week, and 65% probability of a 25bps rate hike. Fed Funds futures are now pricing in a terminal rate of 4.8% as early as May (down from 5.7% in July earlier) and as much as 100bps of rate cuts this year (compared to one 25bps rate cut expected last week). Upside in US CPI is also unlikely to make Fed go for 50bps in March US inflation has been the talk of town for several months now, although the focus has lately turned to financial contagion risks that may stop the Fed from switching back to a higher rate hike path trajectory. In fact, several banks are now calling for a pause next week, with one also expecting a rate cut and an end to quantitative tightening. Still, February CPI – due to be released on Tuesday – will be a big test after last month’s print reversed the disinflation narrative in goods inflation, and continued to point at sticky services inflation. Headline consumer prices are expected to rise +0.4% MoM in February, cooling slightly vs the +0.5% in January, with the annual rate seen easing to 6.0% YoY from 6.4% previously. Core CPI is expected to rise +0.4% MoM in February, matching the January pace, though the annual rate is likely to fall to 5.5% YoY from 5.6% in January. Overall message is likely to remain that inflation remains stubbornly high, especially after tough weather conditions in California, but the risk of a 50bps rate hike from the Fed in March remains low as the central bank becomes wary of “something breaking”. Submarine deal moves ahead  - the market is still awaiting further detail The US, Australia and the UK unveiled further plans for a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines when the country heads met in the US on Monday. There will be an initial budget of about A$9 billion through to June 2027, with the tri nations deepening their Aukus Defense partnership that formed 18 months ago, to counter China in the Pacific. The market awaits further detail with much of the discussion remaining confidential. To read more on what to expect, click our article here. Chinese peak construction season ramps up. Iron ore makes green shoots. Iron ore stocks follow higher The iron ore (SCOA) price has extended its rebound - with the steel ingredient's price is up 2.7% so far this week, after rising 2.7% last week. All in all, the iron ore is now trading 8% higher year to date, and above the $132 for the first time since April last year. We’ve been speaking a lot about how iron ore buying usually picks up around this time of year, with Chinese steel mills getting ready for peak construction season - which runs from March through to June. Fresh data released on Friday showed by both steel stockpiles and iron ore inventories fell last week, which implies there is a need to top of up stockpiles. We think buying of iron ore will likely continue in 2023, as the re-opening of China’s economy pick up, all while iron ore supply remains short. And this is underpinning price strength, despite some in Beijing accusing iron ore market participant's of price manipulation. Australian pulse checks: business and consumer confidence and jobs numbers   Australian business and consumer confidence, numbers released today – show consumer confidence is somewhat improving, while businesses remain cautious - feeling the aftereffects of the RBA’s 10th rate hike. Despite the RBA’s comments previously alluding to a potential pause on rate hikes soon - business confidence fell by 4 points in February. The next gauge we will get on Australia’s economy is due on Thursday - with all-important unemployment rate released for February. Bloomberg’s consensus is suggesting the jobless rate will fall from 3.7% to 3.6%, with 50,000 jobs expected to be added last month. If the data shows employment is rising, contrary to what the RBA expects, then the Australian dollar would likely gain pace, as the RBA would gain power to keep rising rates by 0.25%. UK labor data on watch today for the path of BOE The UK labor market data will be released on Tuesday and investors will be scrambling to gauge how much room does the BOE have to tighten further. Bloomberg consensus expects the unemployment rate to rise to 3.8% in the three months to January from 3.7% previously, with headline jobs growth likely to ease to 60k from 102k in January. However, even with a slightly softer jobs report, the BOE is expected to continue its hiking cycle in March as activity data has been stronger than expected, but the trend in labor market from here will be key to see where BOE could pause its tightening cycle. Focus also turns to UK’s budget announcement tomorrow. For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.
    BRICS Summit's Expansion Discussion: Impact on De-dollarisation Speed

    The Federal Reserve Will Launch An Internal Probe To The Supervision Of Silicon Valley Bank

    Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.03.2023 09:11
    Summary:  An historic move in interest rates accelerated yesterday as investors rushed to price an end to the current Fed hiking cycle and even an eventual easing starting as early as Q3 after US officials moved to prevent contagion in the US banking sector. The US 2-year treasury yield, which traded above 5.0% mid-last week, traded below 4.0% late yesterday. The US dollar is down sharply, gold and bitcoin are soaring, and equities can’t decide whether to sell off on the uncertainty or celebrate the sharp drop in yields. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): has the dust settled post SVB Financial bailout? Yesterday’s session saw big moves across US government bonds with especially the US 2-year yield declining 60 basis points as many corporates likely converted deposits into short-term bonds to reduce deposit risk. In equities mega caps were seen as safe havens with Apple shares gaining 1.5% while the broader S&P 500 Index was flat, and the Russell 2000 Index was down 1.5%. US financial conditions tightened to the tightest levels since late September and thus under those circumstances the S&P 500 Index should be trading closer to 3,600 than the close of 3,855 yesterday. Moves in times of crisis are always exaggerated and often not consistent so investors should continue to be cautious and not celebrate too early despite equities help up yesterday. The key indicators to monitor remain US bond yields, USD, FRA-OIS spreads (interbank stress), VIX, credit default swaps, and banking stocks. FX: USD weakens as market prices imminent end of Fed hiking cycle The USD continued to slide on Monday as US yields at the front end of the curve suffered an historic collapse, with Fed expectations revised lower (read below), although a floor in US rates was found in early Asian trading near 4.00% for the US 2-year yield. AUDUSD touched highs of 0.6717 late yesterday before reversing to 0.6650. GBPUSD found resistance ahead of 1.22 and focus turns to labor market data in the UK today before the budget announcement tomorrow, although incoming data feels suddenly less urgent than just a week ago, given the uncertainty the turmoil in the financial sector has generated since late last week. EURUSD touched 1.0750 with a 50bps rate hike still on the table this week from the ECB, although the probability for a hike of that size has dropped significantly, and ECB tightening expectations have seen a sharp downgrade since late last week. JPY and CHF continued to outperform, with USDJPY staying below 134 and USDCHF testing support at 0.91. Crude oil tests strength of support near bottom of current range Crude oil prices closed lower by 2.5% on Monday as banking sector concerns continued to challenge growth and demand dependent commodities from cotton and copper to crude oil. However, expectations of a less aggressive Fed monetary policy helped crude oil find support with WTI and Brent both finding support in the bottom 20% of their current ranges. In Brent, the prompt month backwardation remains elevated around 50 cents while the contango in WTI has not widened despite the current weakness, both signalling a discrepancy between current robust fundamentals and the overall weak sentiment. Ahead of today’s US CPI print, OPEC is scheduled to issue its monthly market report, while the International Energy Agency will follow on Wednesday. Gold and silver benefitting from the yield collapse Gold broke above $1900 barrier on Monday as flight to safety continued despite the efforts of US regulators to reduce the risk of contagion from the SVB collapse. The massive drop in 2-year Treasury yields of the order of 60bps as well as market now pricing in as many as four rate cuts this year (from four hikes less than a week ago) have seen the dollar come off considerably from its highs and brought the precious metals back in focus. Since the SVB news broke late Thursday, gold has gained 4.2% while silver has added a massive 8.5%, and with several rate cuts now priced in, and short end yields unlikely to continue their decline, the risk of a profit taking ahead of the CPI print has risen. Support levels that may get challenged in gold are 1900 followed by 1890 and 1872. Copper looks to China for support Copper trades back above $4 after managing to find support around $3.94, the December high. With the arrival of the peak season and the drop in copper prices, consumption in China is expected to continue to recover, potentially offsetting growth concerns elsewhere Massive bull steepening in US Treasuries as investors flocked to 2-year Treasuries On the back of U.S. regional bank turmoil, investors quickly repriced the front end of the Treasury curve and removed additional future rate hikes in this tightening cycle. Investors flocked to 2-year Treasuries in safe-haven bids and traders closed out curve-flattening positions. Yields on the 2-year plunged 61bps to 3.98% while the 10-year yields fell “only” 13bps to close at 3.57%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to -46bps, after hitting as inverted as -110bps last week. What is going on? Fed launches SVB probe as bank stocks tumble the most since the Covid-19 crash The Federal Reserve will launch an internal probe to the supervision of Silicon Valley Bank after its collapse sparked criticism by the central bank oversight. The KBW Bank Index declined 12% yesterday extending last week’s rout that saw the index slide 16%. In biggest declines were among banks such as First Republic Bank (-62%), Western Alliance Bancorp (-47%), and California-based PacWest Bancorp (-21%) as depositors and investors were nervous about smaller financial institutions. Larger financial institutions were not immune to the risk-off with Charles Schwab shares declining 12%. Credit Suisse has found material weakness in financial reporting The Swiss-based investment bank was forced to postpone the release of its annual report last week due to US regulators and the morning the bank says that it has identified material weaknesses in its financial procedures for 2021 and 2022. The bank is working on remediating those errors. Credit Suisse 5-year CDS prices hit a new all-time high yesterday at 485. Bank worries bring a significant shift in Fed expectations Bonds continued to soar as markets digested the measures of the US regulators to stem contagion from the collapse of SVB. But that continued to complicate the path of monetary policy with the Fed having broken something. As markets continued to re-assess the path of monetary policy from here, 2-year Treasury yields plunged 61bps to below 4%, the biggest one-day slump in four decades, while 10-years dropped 16bps. The CME FedWatch tool now shows a 35% chance of no move from the Fed next week, and 65% probability of a 25bps rate hike. Fed Funds futures are now pricing in a terminal rate of 4.8% as early as May (down from 5.7% in July earlier) and as much as 100bps of rate cuts this year (compared to one 25bps rate cut expected last week). What are we watching next? US CPI will still get some attention, even if incoming data’s importance has fallen sharply US inflation has been the talk of town for several months now, although the focus has lately turned chiefly to financial contagion risks that may stop the Fed from switching back to a higher rate hike path trajectory. In fact, several banks are now calling for a pause next week, with one also expecting a rate cut and an end to quantitative tightening. Still, the US February CPI – due to be released today – will be a big test after last month’s print reversed the disinflation narrative in goods inflation and continued to point at sticky services inflation. Headline consumer prices are expected to rise +0.4% m/m in February, cooling slightly vs the +0.5% in January, with the annual rate seen easing to 6.0% YoY from 6.4% previously. Core CPI is expected to rise +0.4% m/m in February, matching the January pace, though the annual rate is expected to fall to 5.5% y/y from 5.6% in January. Despite the SVB’s failure, we still believe the February CPI release will be particularly relevant for the FOMC’s March policy decision as the Fed may try to pretend that it can focus on business as usual. Evidence of economic resilience and persistent price pressures would prolong the Fed’s tightening cycle. However, by year-end, we expect the U.S. economy will start to experience more significant disinflationary pressures. NFIB survey for February Given that small businesses are particularly sensitive to domestic economic dynamics, sentiment among small business owners will provide an update on inflationary conditions and the labor market situation. Earnings to watch Volkswagen earnings are the big focus today at 9:00 CET but VW’s investment plans have already been surfaced increasing to €180bn in investments during 2023-2027 which is 13% higher than previously announced and with 70% going to EV. Next key US earnings are Adobe and Lennar tomorrow with analysts expecting Adobe’s revenue growth at 9% y/y which is unchanged from a year ago suggesting the growth rate is stabilising. Analysts are also expecting Adobe to show meaningful improvement in operating income as the software maker has reduced costs. Lennar is expected to report -3% y/y and –41 q/q revenue growth for FY23 Q1 (ended 28 Feb) and a significant hit to EBITDA at $725mn down from $1,527mn. Tuesday: Foxconn, Volkswagen, Generali Wednesday: Constellation Software, BMW, E.ON, Ping An Insurance, Prudential, Inditex, Adobe, Lennar Thursday: Verbund, Rheinmetall, KE Holdings, Enel, FedEx, Dollar General Friday: Vonovia Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report 1230 – US Feb. CPI 1230 – Canada Jan Manufacturing Sales MoM 2030 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2120 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 14, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
    Rates Spark: Unbroken Momentum in Bear Steepening as Shutdown Aversion Fuels Yields

    Pfizer Will Buy Biotech Seagen For $43 Billion

    Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 14.03.2023 11:04
    Seagen attracted the attention of Pfizer and other drugmakers because of the potential of ADCs. Merck & Co. discussed buying Seagen last year, but the companies could not agree on a price. However, it was Pfizer that turned out to be the winner. The deal Pfizer Inc has agreed to pay $43 billion for Seagen Inc biotech. and its pioneering class of targeted cancer drugs. Under the terms, Pfizer will pay $229 a share in cash, the drugmaker said Monday. The companies expect the deal, which includes the debt, to be finalized by the end of this year or early next year. The deal is an early sign that despite the threat of tighter antitrust controls and higher interest rates, big pharmaceutical companies are ready for some heavy deals this year. Seagen, which is based outside Seattle, pioneered a class of drugs known as antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, that can target tumors with a toxic agent. Drugs could become one of the next big segments of the $375 billion global cancer drug market, accounting for $31 billion in sales in 2028, drug research firm Evaluate estimates. New York-based Pfizer has been looking for acquisitions to help it offset an expected loss of $17 billion in sales by 2030. Pfizer executives said they expect federal antitrust authorities to sign the deal because the company and Seagen provide complementary opportunities. The Seagen acquisition will help Pfizer meet its goal of generating additional revenue of $25 billion by 2030. Seagen, which expects revenue of $2.2 billion this year, could bring Pfizer more than $10 billion in revenue by 2030 if biotech manages to expand the use of its drugs to more types of cancer, Pfizer executives said. Pfizer's revenue targets exceed many analysts' estimates, but Bourla called them reasonable. He said Pfizer could help Seagen expand its commercial capabilities and use its global drug development network to help Seagen accelerate its work. Cancer treatment is central to Pfizer The sale of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine and drug has boosted the company's performance in recent years. Executives said they could not count on the same level of sales in the future as the pandemic enters an endemic phase, prompting the company to use tens of billions of dollars in Covid-19 revenue to close deals. Cancer treatment is a key Pfizer franchise, bringing in more than $12 billion of the company's $100 billion in sales last year. Pfizer is looking to increase its influence on anti-cancer drugs. Analysts said Seagen's therapies will expand Pfizer's breast and bladder cancer drug portfolio while complementing its efforts to build a foothold in other cancers with large patient populations, such as myeloma. Pfizer was eager to add cancer drugs to its portfolio, Bourla said. Seagen was particularly attractive because it already has four approved products. Pfizer share price Pfizer's share price since mid-December after reaching a peak of 54.48 began to fall. Stock prices have fallen to 39.39, a level last seen in the first half of 2021. Pfizer shares were up 2.7% on the New York Stock Exchange Monday morning, while Seagen shares were up more than 16%. Thus, Pfizer shares reached the level of 39.86, and Seagen - $ 197.65. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
    Navigating Financial Markets: Insights on Central Bank Decisions and Currency Quotes

    Navigating Financial Markets: Insights on Central Bank Decisions and Currency Quotes

    FXMAG Team FXMAG Team 21.06.2023 14:00
    In the dynamic world of financial markets, the interplay between macroeconomic data and central bank decisions can significantly impact various asset classes. We had the opportunity to speak with an FXPrimus expert to gain valuable insights into the current market situation and the influence of these factors on currency quotes, particularly the Turkish lira (TRY) and the British pound (GBP), as well as the broader effects on the US and European stock markets. FXMAG.COM: How will Thursday's (22.06) Turkish central bank's decision on interest rates affect TRY quotes? FXPrimus expert: The past rate cuts by Turkish President Erdogan led to a dramatic decline in the price of the Turkish lira, inflation hit 85.5% last year and as a result the overall cost of living of the country had dramatically increased . In a big U-turn, the central bank of Turkey is expected to increase interest rates to 20% to target the negative impacts of a rising inflation and attract investors to its currency.   FXMAG.COM: How will Thursday's (22.06) Bank of England interest rate decision affect GBP quotes? FXPrimus expert: The Market is already pricing in an interest rate hike from the Bank of England and given that CPI data on the 21st of June was higher than expected and at 8.7%, the BoE has no other choice but to act. More interest rate hikes will be expected after this one to target inflation but this will have negative effect on other aspects of the economy i.e. Bank crisis   FXMAG.COM: In the mid-term, how will last week's Fed and ECB decisions affect the US and European stock markets? FXPrimus expert: As interest rates increase, stock investors become unwilling to trade stock prices as the value for future earnings becomes less attractive against bonds which have a higher yield today, the FED have paused interest rate hikes but it remains to be seen in the upcoming economic data releases whether they will change course. The ECB has slowed the pace at which the interest rates where increased however they have indicated that more hikes are yet to come.
    Vale Reports Strong Growth in Iron Ore Production, Chinese Aluminium Imports Rise

    US Stock Market Bounces Back: Resilience of Technology, Semiconductor Growth, and Fed Rate Pause Drive Recovery

    Maxim Manturov Maxim Manturov 29.06.2023 14:00
    After a difficult previous year marked by market volatility and economic difficulties, the US stock market has experienced a strong recovery since the start of the new year. This recovery was driven by several key factors: the resilience of the technology sector, growth in the semiconductor industry driven by the development of AI, the expected pause in Fed rate hikes and the assessment of future rate cuts in late 2023 amid lower inflation.    The technology sector, which includes leading companies in innovation and digital transformation, has played a critical role in the market's resurgence. Industry giants such as Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet have achieved significant stock price gains as they continue to innovate and provide products and services that meet changing consumer demands. The development of artificial intelligence technology has been a major catalyst for growth in the technology sector.   The semiconductor sector has also been one of the growth drivers of the markets. Companies such as Nvidia and AMD are experiencing strong demand for their advanced chipsets, which are vital for AI applications. The widespread adoption of AI technology across sectors has made semiconductor companies key drivers of innovation, contributing to their stock prices and overall market recovery.   The market was also supported by the expected decision of the Fed to pause its rate hikes. This pause in monetary policy tightening has helped to maintain the thesis of an end to the tightening cycle as early as H2 2023. 
    Turbulent Times Ahead: Poland's Central Bank Signals Easing Measures

    US Stock Market Closes Early for Fourth of July, ISM Manufacturing Index Contracts Again; Tesla Shares Surge on Strong Q2 Deliveries

    Ed Moya Ed Moya 04.07.2023 08:15
    US stock market closes at 1 p.m. and the bond market closes at 2 p.m. EST  and will stay closed for the Fourth of July. US ISM Manufacturing index contracts for an eight straight month Tesla shares pop on robust Q2 delivery data The start of the second half of the year is not doing much for US stocks as most of Wall Street is in holiday mode for the Fourth of July.  Today’s shortened trading session saw traders focus on strong electric vehicle data from Tesla and a weak ISM Manufacturing report.      ISM The headline manufacturing reading fell to 46.1, the eight straight contraction and weakest reading since May 2020.  The ISM manufacturing report showed a large price drop with prices paid and the employment component fell into contraction territory.  Prices paid fell from 44.2 to 41.8, the lowest levels in a year.  The news was not all bad as new orders rose from 42.6 to 45.6.  The dollar tumbled following the ISM report that might suggest manufacturing activity is getting close to finding a bottom.  Fed swaps saw a lower peak rate following the softer manufacturing report.  Student Loan Debt The Supreme Court delivered a big blow to millions of students that were hoping to have up to $20,000 of loan debt wiped away.  The Biden administration was hoping to get a major win with the $1.8 trillion student loan crisis. They will now scramble to formulate a new plan that will give students a break before the federal student loan payments are due in October.  This could be a noticeable hit to the economy as these students haven’t had to make payments since the pandemic began.  Biden announced a one-year ramp on loan repayments, which is probably just the beginning of pledged efforts to help students.  This will likely become a campaign issue for Biden.    Tesla It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Tesla posted a record number of deliveries in the second quarter after all the price cuts, a resilient US consumer and a decent performance in China. Tesla delivered 466,140 vehicles in Q2, much better than Wall Street’s expectation of 448,350 cars.  When it comes to analysts ratings, Tesla mostly has buy and hold ratings, but that might improve following these results.  BYD also posted robust sales in China, topping Volkswagen for the first time.  Volkswagen was king in China for the past 15 years, so this overtaking is a key changing of the guard moment for BYD.  China has gone all-in with electric vehicles and that is benefitting Tesla and BYD.     
    The AI Impact: Markets and the Inflation Surprise - 12.09.2023

    From Burning Man to Wall Street: A Week of Unpredictable Twists and Turns

    FXMAG Education FXMAG Education 05.09.2023 13:26
    In a world where the unpredictable often takes center stage, last week provided no exception. From the surreal landscapes of the Burning Man festival to the bustling stock markets, events unfolded that left people both exhilarated and perplexed. This rollercoaster ride of a week saw stranded festival-goers, restless investors, and soaring airline rankings, all while diamond prices took a dramatic plunge and another Binance executive bid farewell. Let's embark on a journey through the past week's fascinating headlines. Burning Man's Mud-Filled Exodus Thousands of adventurous souls set out for the annual Burning Man festival, eager to immerse themselves in a unique blend of art, music, and self-expression in the arid Nevada desert. However, nature had other plans. A fierce storm swept through the festival grounds, transforming the desert into a mucky quagmire. Festival-goers found themselves stranded in a surreal landscape, battling the elements in a quest to return to civilization. As the desert turned to mud, it was a stark reminder that even the most carefully planned adventures can take an unexpected turn.   Wall Street's Unease Meanwhile, on the bustling streets of Wall Street, investors were grappling with their own set of uncertainties. After a summer rally that saw markets surging to new heights, the fall season brought with it a sense of unease. The latest US jobs report became a focal point, with investors closely analyzing the data for clues about the economy's direction. The Dow led the indices with a 0.33% gain, showcasing its resilience amidst the fluctuations. Asian markets also experienced surges, particularly Hong Kong's HSI, proving that the global financial landscape remains as unpredictable as ever.   Delta's Soaring Success Amidst the turbulence, there was a beacon of success for Delta Airlines. The airline secured its place as the No. 1 domestic carrier in several categories, including on-time arrivals, service quality, and passenger comfort. In an industry often fraught with challenges, Delta's achievement serves as a testament to its dedication to passenger satisfaction and operational excellence.   Xi's G20 Summit Decision On the global stage, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a surprising decision. He opted to skip the upcoming G20 summit in India, instead sending Premier Li Keqiang as the country's representative. This move raised questions and sparked discussions about China's diplomatic strategy and priorities. As the world watches, it's clear that even international politics is not immune to unexpected twists.   Diamonds Lose Their Sparkle In the realm of luxury and glamour, there was a stark contrast as diamond prices experienced a significant and unexpected decline. While diamonds have long been a symbol of wealth and beauty, one key segment of the market saw prices plummet. This shift left industry experts and enthusiasts pondering the reasons behind this sudden change and its potential repercussions.   A Farewell at Binance To add to the week's intrigue, another executive bid farewell to the cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance. This departure is part of a larger trend of key figures leaving the company. Such transitions in the world of cryptocurrency can have far-reaching implications, leaving stakeholders and enthusiasts wondering about the future direction of the industry. In a world filled with surprises, last week's events served as a compelling reminder of the unpredictable nature of life, whether one is reveling in the desert at Burning Man, navigating the turbulent waters of financial markets, or witnessing shifts in global politics and industry dynamics. As we move forward, one thing remains clear: the only constant is change, and embracing the unexpected is the key to navigating the twists and turns that lie ahead.    
    Federal Reserve's Stance: Holding Rates Steady Amidst Market Expectations, with a Cautionary Tone on Overly Aggressive Rate Cut Pricings

    2023 Key Highlights & Cross-Assets Performances: A Comprehensive Review and Outlook for 2024

    Kenny Fisher Kenny Fisher 02.01.2024 13:18
    2023 key highlights & cross-assets performances in the past 2 years Fig 1: Cross assets performances as of 29 Dec 2023 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart)   The US Federal Reserve’s stance of keeping interest rates higher for a longer period in the first half of 2023 triggered a resilient US dollar environment in the absence of a recession scenario in the US that led the US stock market to outperform the rest of the world. The outperformance of the US stock market in 2023 was led by the Magnificent 7 (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet/Google, Nvidia, Meta, Tesla) mega-cap technology stocks that have stronger balance sheets and are skewed toward “AI productivity” theme play. Also, these 7 stocks have a significant combined market-cap weightage in the Nasdaq 100 that recorded an annual gain of 54% in 2023 (2.3 times S&P 500’s 2023 returns). US regional banking crisis that led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank & First Republic Bank due to poor balance sheet risk management reinforced by outsized mark-to-market losses on longer-term US Treasuries (higher US Treasury yields via Fed’s tightening monetary policy). It also indirectly led to the demise of Credit Suisse which eventually was brought over by rival UBS. The US regional banking crisis was just a blip, negated by a liquidity backstop orchestrated by the US Treasury; the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP). The risk-off behaviour in Q3 reversed abruptly in Q4 to a raging risk-on FOMO behaviour triggered by a significant easing liquidity condition in the US; the rapid drawdown of the Fed’s overnight reverse repo facility from a peak of US$2.55 trillion in December 2022 to US$683.25 billion (-74%) for the week of 11 Dec 2023 as money market funds that choose to invest their surplus cash in short-term US Treasury bills instead (rather than parking in overnight reverse repos facility) which in turn helped to fund the US Treasury general account (also US Treasury’s issuance switch from longer-term Treasuries to T-bills for funding needs). A rise in the expectations of a Fed’s dovish pivot where the first Fed funds rate cut is priced in to come as early in March 2024 indicated by the CME FedWatch tool that led to a slide of 120 basis points (bps) in the US 10-year Treasury yield from a 16-year high of 5% printed on 23 October 2023, synchronized with a weakening US dollar that kickstarted a rally in almost all asset classes (equities, bonds, gold, cryptocurrencies) except oil & China-related risk assets. China’s post-Covid re-opening bullish theme play on China and Hong Kong stock markets fizzled out after Q1 due to a heightened deflationary risk spiral caused by a persistent weak property market in China. The Hang Seng Index ended 2023 with a fourth consecutive annual loss of -14% (prior years’ losses of -15% in 2022, -14% in 2021 & -3% in 2020); its worst performance streak since 2000. Due to China’s structural weakness (deflationary risk spiral), China, and Hong Kong stock markets failed to respond to the cyclical upswing in risk assets during Q4 2023 reinforced by renewed US dollar weakness. The CSI 300 and Hang Seng Index recorded losses of -7% and -4.3% respectively in Q4 whereas the MSCI Emerging Markets Ex China exchange-traded fund gained by +12.5% over the same period, slightly outperformed the US S&P 500’s Q4 return of +11.24% The Japanese yen (JPY) plummeted to a 33-year low against the US dollar in Q3 2023 due to the Bank of Japan (BoJ)’s newly appointed Governor Ueda’s reluctance to offer firm guidance to normalize its short-term negative interest rate policy despite Japan’s core inflation rate had exceeded BoJ’s 2% target for the 20th consecutive month. Emerging themes for 2024 A potentially weaker US dollar due to the shrinkage of the US Treasury yield spread premium against the rest of the world, and a potential major JPY strength revival triggered by internal economic factors (service prices in Tokyo rose at their fastest pace since 1994 to a record gain of 3% y/y in November 2023, indicating an increase in the odds of sustainable wage-driven inflationary growth), political and business groups’ mounting pressures against a weaker JPY. The rest of the world equities may outperform the US stock market due to a weaker US dollar environment. Keep a lookout on China for potentially more “generous” fiscal and monetary policy stimulus measures that may stoke positive animal spirits in the short to medium term for China and Hong Kong stock markets. The stepped-up dovish expectations on the upcoming Fed’s interest rate cut cycle compiled with rosy earnings forecasts by analysts polled by FactSet that are projecting an earnings growth of +11.5% y/y for the US S&P 500 in CY 2024, a significant improvement from an expected CY 2023 earnings growth of just 0.6% which in turn have indicated another year of goldilocks scenario for the US economy. In contrast, the hastened speed of 6 interest rate cuts by the Fed in 2024 projected by market participants in the interest rates futures market also implied a probable US recession-liked scenario in 2024. In addition, the latest November 2023 data of the Conference Board US Leading Economic Index (LEI) has continued to flash a recession signal reinforced by weakness in the housing and labour market. If a recession hits the US economy in the second half of 2024, earnings downgrades are likely to materialize and the initial projected S&P 500 CY 2024 earnings growth rate of +11.5% is likely to be tapered to the downside which in turn may trigger a risk-off scenario that can overshadow the initial positive feedback loop from easing liquidity conditions. Potential heightened geopolitical tension between the US and China that may also spark a risk-off scenario in the latter part of 2024; the recently concluded China’s annual economic work plan conference attended by the top leadership stated that 2024 top priority will be on building a modern industrial system with a focus on developing cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence. Making high-tech industrialization a key priority in 2024 is likely to invite more scrutinization from neo-conservative US politicians that may put a strain on the current US-China relationship in the run-up to the November 2024 US presidential election. There is likely to be intense debate among the presidential candidates and finger-pointing again at China’s current industrialization policy that needs to be “neutralized” due to its potential national security threat to the US. Chart Of The Year – a potential major top in USD/JPY Fig 2: USD/JPY major trend as of 2 Jan 2024 (Source: TradingView, click to enlarge chart) The price actions of USD/JPY have declined by 8% to hit an intraday low of 140.25 in December 2023 after a bearish reaction from its 151.95 long-term pivotal resistance printed in mid-November 2023. The USD/JPY has traced out a potential impending major bearish reversal “Double Top” configuration considering the developments of its price actions from October 2022 to November 2023. In addition, the weekly MACD trend indicator has flashed out a bearish divergence condition over the same period (October 2022 to November 2023) which indicates the major uptrend phase from the March 2020 low of 101.18 has started to lose upside momentum which in turn increases the odds of a multi-month corrective decline to unfold next. A breakdown with a weekly close below 137.65 support exposes the next major support zone of 130.70/127.10 (also the neckline of the “Double Top” & 50% Fibonacci retracement of the prior major uptrend phase from March 2020 low to November 2023 high). On the other hand, a clearance above 151.95 invalidates the bearish scenario to see the next major resistance coming in at 159.30 in the first step.  

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